Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day

Mother's Day is around the corner. We all know what this means: time to take Mom out to brunch at a fancy, overpriced restaurant we only go to on Mother's Day.

Well that's not the only option. And if you ask Mom, that's probably not what she really wants to do anyway. If she's anything like my Mom, she'll also tell you that it is a big waste of money taking her to that restaurant she doesn't like (but that's another story). There are many other fun things you can do on Mother's Day, other than an overpriced, overstuffy brunch. Here are a few to get you started on thinking of the perfect idea for your celebration:

Day trip. Why not make a day trip to somewhere special? Go to Chinatown, to Little Italy and eat wonderful foods. Or go antique shopping (or antique looking) in a nearby county. Take a nice drive in the country and then have lunch in a little restaurant that looks appealing. Tip: do a little research before you go so you know that there are some places to eat and what type of food they serve so you don't get totally stranded. But a day trip can be loads of fun.

Weekend trip. This is the uber version of the day trip, but it can be just as much fun, if not even more. Why not go somewhere you've always wanted to go. If you and Mom love shopping, why not tackle the famous Mall of America for the weekend? That place alone would keep you busy for a week, let alone a weekend. Or if you love the ocean, go to Cape Cod. May will be a little too chilly to actually go into the water, but you can stand on the water's edge and smell how lovely and salty it is.

Take a class together. There are so many continuing education classes together. Why not learn how to knit, crochet or do some other type of craft together? There are walk-in pottery studios where you can paint on pottery and have it fired up. There are even jewelry making places popping up all over the place where you can make jewelry out of beautiful gemstones, so you get an afternoon of fun and jewelry.

Movies/Theatre. Why not take Mom to a show or the movies? If live theatre isn't an option in your area, look into taking her to a movie. There are so many options, so many different types of movies. There has to be something that features the delicious George Clooney, and what woman wouldn't want to watch him for a couple of hours while eating popcorn? This sounds so much better than brunch.

Museum/Historical Landmark. The two of you could always visit a museum or a historical landmark. This could be interesting, even if you are not very into history, you could learn something together. Museums can be very relaxing and they have wonderful cafes.

Picnic. A great idea could be to have a picnic in a local park. This is terrific if you have small children of your own. Your children can play at the park and you can also enjoy your mother's company.

Bike/Hike/Walk. If your family is into the great outdoors, why not enjoy Mother Earth on Mother's Day? Take a family bike ride or a hike in the mountains or just a nice long walk? You can go out to lunch once you arrive at your destination.