It’s true that April showers bring May flowers, but dear goodness, May also seems to bring a FULL calendar! I don’t have children in school yet, but I can already see that May is packed full of year-end exams, parties, graduations, sports banquets, and recitals. Throw in teacher gifts, 247 birthday parties, Memorial Day plans, and you’ve got yourself a hectic month.
Perhaps whoever chose May for Mother’s Day must have known that we’d all be breathing into paper bags mid-way through.
That being said, I’m going out on a limb and campaigning for you to REALLY celebrate Mother’s Day. Like how YOU want to.
Listen. I LOVE MOTHERHOOD. Really, I’m living my dream. But from a SAHM standpoint, this is quite literally my full time job. I spend every breath and most waking hours (and many sleeping hours) serving someone else’s needs. So a real gift to me is a few hours away to recharge so I can continue to serve my family healthily.
To brunch, or not to brunch…
I’ve noticed the “Mother’s Day Brunch” is super popular in our area. While I DO appreciate that going out to eat means Mama doesn’t have to cook or clean, my fantasy of a girly, relaxing brunch DOES NOT include a kid’s menu, monster trucks, or Disney songs while I eat. You can put lipstick on a pig, but in reality, we’d be dealing with the same dining-with-a-toddler glory we face every Friday night.
We experience enough Mom Guilt as it is, so let’s be okay with being honest that we need some “time off” on a day that’s supposed to serve and celebrate the mission of motherhood. I’ve compiled a list of ideas to help you plan your ideal Mother’s Day outing!
Catch a Movie
This is what I did last year on Mother’s Day! My hubby cooked lunch after church, I took a nap, and caught a show at Studio Movie Grill ALL BY MYSELF. It was glorious. I ate every bite of their Ghirardelli sundae and totally relaxed. SMG is my favorite: they have great food & drinks, and it’s super close to my house. But I’ve also heard great things about Moviehouse & Eatery and iPic. Whether you go solo or with your tribe, a movie is always a great way to exit stage left for a little while. (TIP: SMG very often has $5 tickets on Groupon!)
Express Yourself
If you’re craving creative/hobby time, there are SO MANY fun venues in our area. Enjoy some bubbly with your girlfriends and let your creative juices flow! For canvas, pottery, and board paintings, check out Painting With a Twist, Sip-n-Doodle, Art & Soul, Color Me Mine, Board and Brush, Walls of Clay, or Paint-N-Party. Look at their calendar for existing classes or schedule a private party! If you WANT to be in the kitchen on Mother’s Day (BLESS YOU), head to Tre Wilcox Cooking Concepts for a cooking class! This is the perfect day to DO all those fun things your girlfriends say you “should do.”
Occupy the Couch
When my husband takes Daddy duty and I have alone time, sometimes all I REALLY want to do is stay home, take a nap, and Netflix binge! I am rarely home by myself to do this! So, if this is your heart’s desire, send Dad to the park or out to eat with the kids! Heaven knows there’s plenty of Mother’s Day brunch options available!😉 Now, put on those stretchy pants, grab a bowl of ice cream, and claim that TV remote!
Go Girly
If you’re in a season with small children (like me), it’s near impossible to wear a cute outfit and not end up with splashes of juice, squeezable, or other mysterious residue all over you by the end of the day. (I have a white shirt that I essentially bleach every week.) Mother’s Day is the perfect time to work that part of the wardrobe you’ve been forced to avoid. Gather your tribe, get all gussied up, and go to the girliest place you can think of! Take a trip to downtown Dallas for high tea at The Adolphus or be ladies who lunch at The Zodiac Room. Plano’s Chocolate Angel and the Dallas Tea Party Co. in Carrollton also offer some beautiful high teas! Patina Green, Bonnie Ruth’s, and Sip and Savor are a few of my favorite places for girlfriend gatherings.
Get Pampered
If you’d rather relax and have some alone time, book some well-deserved pampering! Head to your favorite nail spa for a mani/pedi. Treat yourself to a massage, facial, or skin treatment. In fact, Spavia in Plano is a great choice! Personally, I’ve been wanting to get a blowout at Dry Bar, so maybe you’ll see me there. (And if you do, I’m going for curly. Get crazy.) Groupon also has LOTS of great spa/pampering deals, so check that out for one that’s close to you!
The point is to ENJOY your day. And don’t feel guilty about whatever that is. Perhaps when I don’t have to cut chicken nuggets and my child doesn’t eat like a caveman, I will desire to have a fancy Mother’s Day Brunch with my fam. But for now, Mama needs a minute. And if you’re reading this, hubby, I promise you’ll have the same offer for Father’s Day. Something tells me we’ll end up at the Bass Pro Shop.
I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL MOTHER’S DAY and I’d LOVE to hear what YOU have planned!
