Mother’s Day is coming up in a couple weeks. If you are planning on celebrating with just yourself and mom, there are many Mother’s Day events that may be fun for the two of you or you can take mom out to her favorite restaurant for a meal. If, however, you are planning for a group, including perhaps your mom, yourself, your siblings, and your kids, you may decide to plan your own Mother’s Day event for your group.
First you need to determine who will be included in your event. Is everyone grown up or are there kids too? If you are having a Mother’s Day party with lots of little kids, plan something to keep the kids entertained so that the adults can enjoy themselves. Antsy, bored kids can make a party unpleasant pretty quick.
Where do you want to hold your event? Many restaurants have banquet space and will be happy to hold your event if you reserve the space in advance. Mother’s Day is a busy day for restaurants, however, so be sure to reserve the space early. The huge benefit of holding an event at a restaurant is that the restaurant provides the food, so there is not a lot of work left over for you to do. However, if you have a large group, it can get expensive.
If you like doing things yourself or are on a budget, consider having your party at a city park. Many Portland area parks have picnic shelter’s available to reserve in advance or if you want to try your luck you can show up and get a picnic table on a first come first served basis. If the weather is nice, there will probably be a lot of people having picnics on Mother’s Day, so if you have not reserved a space, be sure the park you choose has multiple picnic tables available, just in case.
One potential problem with having an outdoor party is that Portland has unpredictable, often wet, weather, so plan accordingly. If the picnic venue does not have a shelter, rent a tent to keep your guests dry. You can also rent tables and chairs if there are not enough at the venue where you are holding your party.
Parks are great for kids as many of them have playgrounds. If there are a lot of kids at your party, pick a picnic spot close to the playground so the kids can play while the adults visit. Another option is to rent an inflatable or hire an entertainer to keep the kids busy.
Don’t forget to get mom a gift for Mother’s Day. Most moms appreciate flowers, chocolate, and jewelry, but a more personal gift may win you more brownie points. Use your imagination and what you know about mom to make something really special. Consider using photos to make mom a personalized gift such as a photo album, a photo mug, a t-shirt, or a calendar. Kids can make cards and artwork for mom. If you are going for a traditional gift, you can personalize it by wrapping the gift with a child’s drawings, attaching a photo, or having a hand made card.
Mother’s Day is an opportunity for kids and adults to let mom know how much they appreciate her. Regardless of what kind of celebration you plan and gifts you give, a son or daughter’s love is perhaps the best gift anyone can give to their mom.