5 Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day

Does Mother’s Day start with your kids waking you up with homemade muffins, piping hot coffee and fresh flowers? Throughout the day they are angels while you enjoy a day free of cooking, chores and your mother in law? Or, like most moms is your reality a little different? Well, why not add a twist to the month of May and celebrations of motherhood? Call up your mom friends and plan a “Let’s toast each other” gathering. You work hard, you play hard, so go on and celebrate each other. Here are five fun ideas to get the party started.

Cheers! To Your Friends

Host a luncheon for your friends. Spring will be blooming all over so pick that as your theme. Plan a menu including a variety of salads that will suit different tastes and dietary restrictions. Try chicken salad, tuna salad, a colorful lettuce vegetable salad, pasta salad and fruit salad. Offer up some different types of breads, and include gluten free as an option. Offer your guests something sparkling to drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) to suit different tastes. Be sure to toast each for all the wonderful things you do as mothers throughout the year. Then satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth with a cupcake or cake pop for dessert. Decorate your home with small flowering plants—then give one to each mom as a gift when she leaves. Plan your party when the kids are in school if you can. Otherwise, have everyone chip in and hire a sitter (or two) to watch all the kids together at the park or another mom’s home.


Get Your Spring Style On

Spring is here and a little style updating is in order. Invite your friends over for a new look makeover party. Serve your guests some light sparkling drinks, simple appetizers and desserts. Invite a Mary Kay rep to showcase the latest in makeup colors for spring and summer. Make a change out of those yoga pants and invite a fashion rep to present the newest clothing trends. Check to see if the following lines have reps in your area: CAbi – Carol Anderson by invitation ( www.cabionline.com), or Carlisle Collection (www.doncaster.com) Why not add a little sparkle to the mix and invite a jewelry rep from Stella and Dot (www.stelladot.com), Silpada www.silpada.com) or lia Sophia (www.liasophia.com).


Stay Up All Night

When was the last time you had a sleepover…with your girlfriends? Enlist the dads to watch the kids and have your friends bring over sleeping bags for a good old-fashioned slumber party. Ask everyone to bring some photographs from their high school or college days. Play a guessing game and try to figure out who is in each photo. Funny stories will enlighten the group about who you really were pre-baby. Ask everyone to bring their favorite movie, then order some pizza, pop some corn and girl talk all night long.


Put On Your Chef’s Hat

Embark on a culinary adventure and take a cooking class with your friends. Check out the offerings at a local gourmet/specialty shop like Williams Sonoma or The Chopping Block in Chicago, department stores like Macy’s, or grocery stores like Whole Foods. Pick a theme and embark on a taste adventure. Then invite your friends and their spouses over so you can show off all that you’ve learned.


Celebrate the Weekend

Remember the fun of those TGIF parties from your younger, pre-baby days? It’s still a great way to kick off the weekend, just change it up a bit because of the kids. Plan the party on your lawn, patio or deck for your friends and celebrate the start of summer. Begin around 5pm when the dads are coming home and can watch the kids. Or, hire a babysitter or two. Pick a festive theme like Flamingo Friday and decorate with kitschy pink flamingos. Serve up pink drinks like Cosmopolitans.

May also means Cinco de Mayo celebrations and nothing beats Margaritas and homemade guacamole and chips. Or if you’re in a Southern frame of mind try a Kentucky Derby theme. Serve mint juleps in your most elegant glasses, Kentucky barbecue and pecan pie. Have your guests wear their favorite hat and you’re off to the races. A party wouldn’t be complete without music. “Girls just want to have fun” perhaps?

For all that you do as a mom throughout the year, you deserve a day to say “cheers” with your friends. Now go ahead and start planning!

------------
Lisa Nord Seplak is a freelance writer and mom who enjoys the occasional gathering with her girlfriends.

Published: May 2012