Special Ways to Celebrate Mom’s Day

           With Mother’s Day just around the corner, do you know how you’ll celebrate your mom this year? With mask orders and social distancing still in effect, there’s a lot we still shouldn’t do quite yet; however, there are also a lot of fun ideas we can do! Here are just a few fun ideas to consider when planning what to do for Mom this year.

• Make a card. Forgo the store-bought cards this year and, instead, get creative and gift her a sweet, homemade card she will treasure for years to come. Moms love receiving notes and drawings from their kids, no matter what age! Another great idea is to write all of the reasons you love her on Post-It notes and hang them throughout the house or on her door!
• Send a fun video. Record yourself reading a favorite poem or short story about your mom, or sing one of her favorite songs. You might also consider reciting all of the wonderful qualities you love most about her.
• Try a virtual cooking class. Does your mom love to cook or bake? Set her up on Zoom and let her teach you how to make one of her family secrets. What better way than to learn from the master herself!
• Start a family book club. Invite Mom, Grandma, siblings, friends and anyone else who may enjoy reading some great literature and discussing it with one another. Set up a day each week to meet virtually and talk about what you read.
• Take an online class together. You can find classes for pretty much anything nowadays, from painting to crocheting to yoga and meditation. Find an interest you and your mom share then treat her to a class on the subject.
• Have a picnic. Going outside is always refreshing, especially in the midst of a pandemic. Pack up some of your mom’s favorite goodies and take her to a park, lake or even your own backyard. If getting together still isn’t plausible, drop off some yummy picnic food on her doorstep and meet virtually to enjoy the picnic together.
• Set up a virtual brunch or tea party. Surprise your mom by contacting a few of her friends or distant family members and setting up a virtual get-together she will never forget. Gift her an invitation to the virtual party and watch her smile light up the room!
• Watch a movie together. Whether it’s an old favorite or a newer flick you’ve both been wanting to see, arrange a time to meet through video chat or speaker phone and enjoy the movie (and chit chat) together. You might even consider sending her or dropping off on her porch a mug, some fun snacks and a pair of cozy socks for your movie night.
• Decorate her front door. Sneak over to her house the night before and hang a beautiful wreath on her door. It can be one you find at your local gardening store or one you make by hand. Decorating her front porch with an array of beautiful flowers in whimsical pots and garden décor is another fun idea to brighten her day!
• Take Mom strawberry picking. Spring is a great time to be outside picking berries! Bring along your masks and be sure to social distance from others who may be doing the same thing. Don’t forget your camera. This is a perfect opportunity to take some fun family photos.
• Go on a virtual garden tour. Is your mom an avid gardener? If so, invite her to join you on a virtual tour of some of the world’s most stunning gardens. Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny and the Keukenhof in Amsterdam (50,000 tulips) are just a couple that you may want to visit together virtually.
• Go online antiquing together. You never know where you’ll find that one-of-a-kind vintage find! Because traditional antiquing may not be an option, send Mom a gift card to a vintage emporium like Ruby Lane, Artfire, Bonanza, Antiques and Tchotchkes or Etsy—to name just a few. Then just hop on the phone to browse the sites together.
• Treat Mom to a manicure and/or pedicure. If you’d rather not visit the spas at this time, give your mom a mani/pedi in the comfort of her (or your) own home. You might include some extra little gifts such as bubble bath, at-home massage tools and some sweet-smelling lotions. Make her feel like a million bucks!     
• Set up a tailgate picnic. If Mom is itching to get out of the house, set up a tailgate somewhere scenic or special, bring some of her favorites to munch on and enjoy some fresh air together.
• Write her a letter. When was the last time you wrote a letter to your mom? It’s probably been a while, so dig out some nice stationary and a favorite pen and handwrite a letter to her. Let her know you love her and add in some fun memories you have from the past that are guaranteed to make her smile. The letter doesn’t have to be long, and you can even include a fun photo of the two of you together.
• Play Mother’s Day trivia. Gather as many family members as you can for this game of trivia. Ahead of time, create a set of questions about all of the moms in the family. (What’s her favorite dessert? Where was she born? How many siblings did she have?) Then, set up a virtual call (Zoom, FaceTime, etc.) with all of the family members. If you prefer doing this more intimately, have everyone safely gather in the living room to play.

Whatever you choose to do for Mother’s Day this year, let this list spark some inspiration for showing the special women in your life some extra love.

Gina Klein is a mom and author who resides in Kansas City with her husband, two daughters and a houseful of wonderful pets.