Mother's Day During Social Distancing
As we look towards yet another holiday where many are separated from loved ones, I’ve been wondering how to celebrate Mother’s Day when the mothers in my life live a couple of hours away… in different directions. Normally we would spend the day with my mom and celebrate another day with my mother in law and then again with my stepmother. Do we drive for hours just to wave from a distance and take a socially distant selfie? It’s a great option if you live close by, but lacks something if it means the better part of three days in the car with 3 kids, and also, is that even a great idea? I mean, eventually someone will need to use a bathroom, and that’s not a road I feel like going down right now. So I started searching and found a few fun ideas to share to make Mother’s Day special in spite of the distance.
First, the queen of celebrating beautifully, Martha Stewart, thought about this issue before I did and there’s a lovely article about how to make a video call special on marthastewart.com. These tips will help you take your basic Facetime or Zoom call and make it a little more special.
In my family, we traditionally give each other plants for our gardens. It’s really about the gesture than anything else, and it’s fun to see what plants others choose, and if they are perennials, you get to enjoy them for years! Or you can forget where you plant them, like I did last year, and be perennially surprised! Of course, you can send plants or flowers from anyplace, but a quick etsy search for a heart shaped planter gave me a bunch of adorable results that would be perfection for either indoors or out.
If you are more into funny gifts, then I think these pajamas will fit the bill! Just the idea of my mom walking around in these had me laughing for longer than I would like to admit. But if the idea is to buy something for Mom that she wouldn’t buy for herself, then I think it’s safe to say that these would be perfect.
A photo gift is always sweet, and especially nice if your Mom doesn’t get to see you in person for now. Just pick your favorite site (I like Shutterfly, but you do you) and choose your gift! A photo book of a day or week spent together is always perfect for any occasion, and you can ship one to yourself, too. And although summer is on the horizon, never underestimate the allure of a cozy blanket.
Another idea is a subscription service, it’s the gift that keeps giving! What is mom into? Odds are you can find a subscription for something she will love. Wine? Fruit? Italian Food? French macarons? Whatever treat your mom loves, you can make sure that she has a steady stream coming in for a couple of months. You can head to Cratejoy for lots of other great subscription ideas.
A heartfelt card may sound cheesy, but it’s a pretty great idea, especially this year! And you can always make a plan to go do something fun once you and your special lady can see each other again in person. You can even go grade school style and put in a coupon for an extra hug and lunch out at Mom’s favorite spot.
However you decide to celebrate, I hope you have a beautiful day. Drop a note below with any ideas that I may have overlooked!