It’s Mother’s Day – Where Ya Gonna Eat?

Your mother loves to eat and would like to have a special meal. There are many options available to you for your Mother’s Day meal and cooking for your mother is only one of the options.

If you dread the cooking and clean up associated with well, cooking and cleaning up a meal then you might enjoy taking mom out to eat. The restaurants might be crowded but should be able to find somewhere to enjoy a good meal with a little planning.

If you have decided that this year you are going to take your mother out to eat for Mother’s Day then your next step is to find out which of your mom’s favorite restaurants in your area are open and if you need reservations.

Mother’s Day is one of the most popular days of the year to eat out so make your reservations well in advance. The closer you get to Mother’s Day the harder it will be to get a reservation. Make them early your mom is not disappointed when you arrive at the restaurant.

Websites like OpenTable.com or Gayot.com can help you with restaurant reservations in some of the bigger cities across the United States.

If you are going to try to get a table at a restaurant that doesn’t accept reservations think about having brunch –a popular choice- or eating during the off hours between lunch and dinner – usually 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to avoid larger crowds.

Of course, deciding on what type of restaurant to visit in another choice to be made.

Do you think your mother would enjoy a buffet style restaurant, one with a limited menu or a restaurant serving their full menu for the day?

Once you have figured that out you can move on to the cuisine your mom would like.

Is she a fan of Mexican, Italian, German or French cooking? Perhaps she would prefer steak, seafood or sushi instead. When you have the answers to these questions then you can take steps to deciding where and when you will take your mother to her special Mother’s Day meal.

Of course, if your mother would really rather have a quiet meal at home with her family then it is possible that you just might have to go ahead and cook this Mother’s Day anyway.

Mother’s Day To-Do List: Thoughtful Things You Can Do for Mom

Your mom is special and although you tell her you love her all year long, Mother’s Day can be the perfect opportunity to let her really see the evidence of your appreciation.
By planning a in advance these thoughtful things can be added to your To Do list for this Mother’s Day.

Take her on vacation – Not everyone will be able to afford to pay for an entire vacation but if you’re already planning a vacation why not include your mother? Lasting memories can be created by taking your mom on a “girlfriend’s getaway” or if you are taking the entire family then bring grandma along for the fun.

Family BBQ – You can make this as simple or elaborate as you would like. Want to just have your mom and the immediate family present? Make your favorite barbequed meat and sides and enjoy your time together. Thinking bigger? Think about making it a family reunion type of event and invite everyone – aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, whomever you think would attend. Ask everyone to bring a side dish or desert and you provide the meat and paper goods.

Handmade Gifts – Anything made by hand is sure to be loved by your mother and a handmade gift could be anything your precious hands can create from her favorite desert to a new sweater or quilt. If your not exactly the crafty type, keep in mind that “hand made” might not even have to be “made by your hand.” If your mom likes hand crafted items or maybe you have recently been to a craft fair and your mother has shown interest in a specific item you could purchase it for her as a surprise.

Help Her With Chores – There are a ton of things that your mom might appreciate help with. 

Some things that come easily to mind:

• Gardening- mow the yard, weed the garden or help plant flowers and shrubs
• DIY – houses are in constant need of care. Maybe you could visit your mom’s house and make a list of everything that needs to be done from painting to helping with remodeling. Make a seasonal checklist and help your mom make sure her house is ready for each season
• Wash Windows – this is probably her least favorite job anyway so why not help her out by bringing your cleaning solution, buckets, rags and squeegee and get those windows spotless and squeaky clean
• Wash Her Car – clean and vacuum it out, too. A clean car just makes you feel good.

Pamper Her – Call her favorite hair stylist and make an appointment for a cut and style. Then make an appointment for a manicure, pedicure and facial. Be her chauffeur for the day and take her out to lunch, too.

With a little effort and planning you could show your mother how special she really is to you and make this Mother’s Day one your mother will never forget.

Mother’s Day Fun for Moms by Kids

Mother’s Day is coming up soon (psst it’s Sunday, May 10th this year) and you don’t want it to sneak up on you so get a grown up to help and make a plan to take care of mom for a change. Take a look at the easy ideas below, choose one and make this Mother’s Day one she will not soon forget.

Breakfast In Bed

If your mom is like most, then I bet she is usually up early every morning to get everyone ready for the day. Why not let her sleep in this year and then serve her breakfast in bed?

To keep things simple, plan your surprise the night before. You could serve mom her favorite muffins, fresh fruit and beverage. Make sure to include a nice flower and maybe even a poem written by you especially for the occasion.

A Day To Herself

Your mom loves you very much. That’s why she is always ready to help you out anytime you need anything. Imagine the look on your mom’s face when you present her with a coupon for a full day to do whatever SHE would like to do.

All you need to do is get a pretty piece of paper and create your own gift certificate entitling your mother to one day of peace and quiet. Decorate it with markers, crayons or stickers. Anything you think your mom would like.

When she wakes up Mother’s Day morning, present her your gift certificate filled with love. If you want to really impress her, ask a grown up to buy a book you know she’s been wanting to read.

You could even present the book and coupon with a pretty cup or mug so she can enjoy her favorite beverage while she’s reading quietly.

As for the “quiet” part – ask the grown up helping you to make sure you are kept busy as well as supervised so that mom doesn’t have to worry about anything the whole day long.

Family Time

If you think your mom would prefer spending time with the family instead of a quiet day alone, plan something fun your mom enjoys doing. She spends a lot of time making sure you are entertained and often will not do something she enjoys because she know you would enjoy doing something else better.

Why not repay that kindness by planning a day of fun family activities that you might not ordinarily do?

Need some suggestions of what mom might like to do? Here are a few:

If your mom likes art, you could take her to the local museum. Many museums even have a place where you can enjoy lunch together.

If mom likes the outdoors, pack a picnic lunch and head to the park or trails.

Does mom like music? Take her to a concert with music from “when she was a girl.” Buy tickets for the whole family and go enjoy.

Is mom a movie lover? Going to the movies to see a movie she wants to see is a great idea, but can be expensive. Why not rent a few of her favorite movies, pop some popcorn and spend the day watching at home?

The possibilities of things to do with your mother this Mother’s Day are endless. You just need to use your imagination. Ask Dad, her friends, family and neighbors to help where necessary. She’ll enjoy her day no matter what you do for her, but when you take the time to do something especially for her, you’ll give her the one thing she wants more than anything – your appreciation.