10 Last-Minute Montreal Mother's Day Ideas
Photo Cred - Laura DeAnglis
Ok, so you forgot to plan something for Mother's Day - it happens (more than we'd like to admit). Most of the time, all mom wants is a reminder that we know how amazing she is and a little time with us. Keep it simple and all about how much you love her, and she'll have the best Mother's Day ever.
This guide will definitely help you out whether you're looking for some last-minute inspiration, or an addition to your already pretty perfect day. We're certain you'll find what you're looking for!
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Pottery Cafe
Montreal has several of these pottery cafes and, to be honest, if you haven't visited one of them yet, you're really missing out. You have two options here: either go with mom or go on your own to make her something cute!
Ceramic Cafe Studio has a two for one special on Mother's Day. The studio, meals and drinks are all two for one, on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. That's a pretty good deal and it's definitely a fun activity that you and mom will remember for a long time.
Breakfast in Bed
If you still live at home, get up a little early - yes, we know it's Sunday, but you can do it - and (as quietly as possible) cook a full-blown, delicious breakfast for mom. Eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns.. go all out! Or, have some fun with heart-shaped pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, and pretty much anything else you can imagine!
If all you really know how to do is pour some milk and cereal into a bowl, focus more on the presentation. Fresh flowers, fresh croissants, sliced fruit and her favorite section of the newspaper will still impress mom and ensure she has a great start to her day.
PS. Add a mimosa to her breakfast tray and she'll be the happiest mom in the world!
Picnic in the Park
Montreal has so many beautiful parks and, with forecasts calling for a sunny day on Sunday, it's about time we took advantage of them.
Call mom and give her a cryptic, vague message regarding the time and location of where you're meeting on Mother's Day. Head over to a farmer's market to stock up on fresh, local ingredients (definitely a must!) and then put together the best picnic anyone's ever seen. Pack up something to lay on the ground, a ton of pillows, fresh flowers (always) and get to your spot before she does.
Set everything up and then enjoy her reaction when she sees you - we bet there'll be tears!
PS. Can't cook? Pick up your mom's favorite take out!
DIY Fun
Hopefully, you're reading this a little before Mother's Day and will therefore have time to prepare something personal and sentimental for mom. The internet's filled with fun, quirky DIY ideas for Mother's Day, but who wants to sift through hundreds of webpages looking for the right one? No worries, we got your back.
Jar of Compliments: Literally, find a jar and then write out as many compliments as you need on strips of paper. Crumple them up and put them in the jar - try to fill it up! Whenever mom's having a bad day, or missing you, she can reach into the jar and pull out a compliment from you. Bonus points: decorate the jar too.
Things I Love About You: Get some card stock/cue cards and a binder ring. Punch a hole through all of the cards and loop them through the ring - now, decorate each card with something you love about mom. If you're really feeling creative, intersperse photos, ticket stubs, memorabilia, etc throughout the various 'reasons'. It's like a mini, travel-friendly scrapbook of love.
Teacup Candles: If you haven't heard of these, we're here to tell you that they're so easy to make. Hit up a local thrift store for some old, vintage teacups. Get some wax (or, melt down old candles!), wooden skewers and, if you want to get real fancy, dyes and essential oils. Place the wooden skewer in the center of the teacup, melt the wax - be super careful - add the dyes and oils, if you so choose, then pour it into the tea cup. Let it cool for several hours, trim the wick and you're all set!
Movie Night for Two
If you're only seeing mom later on in the day, surprise her with a spin-off of the picnic basket - the movie night basket! Remember when you were younger and you used to curl up against mom on Friday nights to watch movies? Let's bring that tradition back.
Fill your basket up with popcorn, mom's favorite drink (aka, wine), chocolate bars/candy, the movie that you two can watch over and over again (we know it's Moulin Rouge, don't lie) and head over to her place.
Get Cultural
Maybe your mom has always wanted to spend an afternoon taking in the exhibits at the museum. Or, maybe she's been dying to walk around the little cobblestoned alleys of Old Montreal, exploring the city. Or, better yet, maybe she's always wanted to try hot yoga but has never had anyone to go with!
Whatever it is, take your mom out on the town, to do something she's always wanted to do before. Ballet, the opera, theater, museums; we've got it all and we're sure that spending time with you, at any of these things, would make mom happy!
Professional Family Photos
For some reason, moms really enjoy getting those staged, professional photos and then showing them off to everyone. This Mother's Day, round up all the kids and grandkids, head over to your local professional photography studio (or Sears), and get some nice photos taken.
Then, when you've taken quite a few nice ones, have the photographer take pictures of you guys being completely crazy - she may not show those ones to the neighbors, but we guarantee they'll be her favorites.
Tea Time
Moms love tea, so why not indulge her this Mother's Day and take her to a high tea salon! Sounds fancy, right?
High tea includes a selection of teas, scones, tiny sandwiches and raised pinkies. Le Maitre Chocolatier (1612 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest) is a favorite among tea enthusiasts in Montreal, and for good reason. You'll really feel like you've gone back in time to the days of aristocratic England - aka, indulging your Downton Abbey obsession - and we're pretty sure both you and mom will enjoy it immensely.
Skype Date
We're positive that the #1 thing on mom's must-have list is more quality time with her family. If you, or your siblings, are far away from the incredible women in your life (moms, grandmoms, aunts, etc), set up a Skype date. Or, maybe mom has family that she left behind in the 'homeland' and that she hasn't seen in decades.
Get everyone behind the camera, no matter how far away you all are, and spend some time catching up and sharing some laughs. This, above all else, would be the sweetest gift you can give mom.
Make it HER Day
Here's the plan:
Mom sleeps in.. but, really sleeps in.
She does no cleaning or cooking. We mean none, whatsover - she doesn't even bring the dishes back into the kitchen after eating the delicious breakfast you made her.
She is given alone time. Whether she uses it to read, sleep more (moms, pick this one!), watch reality TV, go outside or anything else, it is up to her!
She is not asked to do anything, all day. AT ALL. Any sentence that begins with, "Mooom..." should be removed from your vocabulary today.
She is surrounded by love and devotion. Moms are often overlooked, always taken for granted and never thanked. They are the glue that holds most families together and they devote and sacrifice themselves for those that they love.
Today is the day when you do the exact same for your mom!
