Keep it Simple, Silly
Sure, we know our beloved and our families mean well, and we love them for it. But—let’s be honest here—do you really want to go to brunch with your kids? Just getting them (and yourself) out the door with clean shirts and faces is stressful enough without having to entertain the squirmy set throughout a long restaurant meal.
So what would really make our day? Maybe something kinda different, kinda special…as long as it’s easy and leaves lots of time for the family to celebrate all its moms and grandmas. Whether you want to go fancy or folksy, here are some ideas that might work for you and yours:
Tea Time
Have a gorgeous Mother’s Day tea at home or in a sunny backyard without having to worry about table manners or a crying baby. Kerrisdale’s popular Secret Garden Tea Company offers its High Tea to Go for $19.95 per person, and you can order special children’s tea sandwiches as well. The tea shop’s sweets and savouries are deservedly legendary, and their menu of teas is extensive. Plan a special afternoon at home; read your favourite books together, create a silly afternoon tea hat, and pull out the china that never gets used. Check out the details at www.secretgardentea.com, and remember to give 24 hours advance notice.
Share the Spotlight
You won’t worry about having to keep the kids busy at this Mother’s Day event—the City of North Vancouver is doing it for you, in celebration of the city’s 100th birthday. Mahon Park (located at Jones and West 16th) will be bustling with maypole dancers, teacup rides, sports challenges, musical entertainment, a hanging basket sale and more. Chow down on the BBQ’d hamburgers and other carnival fare, or enjoy a special Mother’s Day brunch at the adjacent J.P. Fell armouries—moms free! Get all the details right here, and Happy Birthday, North Van!
Sneak Away for a Quick Date
Want to slip out for a moment and feel like an urban sophisticate again, just for a little while? Taylorwood Wines in Yaletown is hosting a special Mother’s Day ice wine tasting from 3 to 5 pm this Sunday. (Dad will be the designated driver, of course.)
Don’t Even Think about Cooking
After all, you can’t be expected to cook supper, so why not thrill the kids with a trip to a White Spot drive-in? Go for a walk or a beachside stroll and then pull into your neighbourhood drive-in and flip on the headlights for service. The kids will be tickled by the carhop service and the keen-o unfolding tables. Drive-in locations in Vancouver are at Marine Drive and Ross, and Broadway and Larch.
However you choose to spend your Sunday, we at SavvyMom know it’s what you do with the rest of the year that makes you so special. Hats off to all of you.
Oh, and feel free to forward this to someone who might be contemplating a plan for your special day. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you wake up to.
Secret Garden Tea Company
5559 West Boulevard
Vancouver
(604) 261-3070
www.secretgardentea.com
Taylorwood Wines
1185 Mainland St.
Vancouver
(604) 408-9463
www.taylorwoodwines.com
White Spot Legendary Restaurant
http://www.whitespot.ca/
