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Here we are, nearly 8 weeks into social distancing and some of us are getting the blues. Social distancing is making it hard for us to do some of the things we have come to love and enjoy and even though many "stay-safe, stay-home" orders are being lifted, there is still a huge portion of our country that is on lockdown, which makes it pretty challenging to celebrate mom when we can barely walk down the street without being reminded why we should stay inside.
Mother's Day for many of us is the one dedicated holiday a year when we take the time to stop and really reflect on what our mother's, grandmothers, god-mothers and the other special women in our life, mean to us. We get to pause and really cherish all they've done to make an impact on us and to steer us to make an impact on others. This year might feel challenging to think of how to do that from within the confines of our own homes, but it's both doable and possible.
My mom, mother-in-law, grandmother and aunties all live far away, so I have had to get creative in thinking of ways for our little family to show love to those pillars in our lives. As I was brainstorming, I came up with a few quick, low-cost, easy to find ways to shower love on those you love and hope you might find some of these ideas helpful as you start to package up your own Mother's Day gifts.
So below, eight quick and easy ways to show the mom how much you love and appreciate her:
Create a Mother's Day slideshow of all of your favorite images of mom. Moms are often behind the camera and don't get to see images taken of them or even stop to reflect on all the cool things they do (sometimes we need a reminder, amiright?) Honor mom by making a slideshow of all of your favorite images of her over the years. She will enjoying see how you see her from your perspective.
Support small business and purchase a gift box. There are so many really cool companies creating amazing gift boxes. Honor mom by purchasing from a small business and sending her a gift box of thoughtfully procured items. A few of my favorite companies are: Shop Box Fox, Marigold and Grey, Haiti Design Co., Small Packages, Stocklist - all of these companies are women-owned and make incredible gift boxes.
Have a meal with mom via Zoom. Moms gotta eat! Make it intentional. Meet mom on FaceTime or Zoom and have a good ole fashion family dinner filled with conversation and reminiscing.
Purchase a class for mom. Is there something mom has been wanting to learn? A hobby that mom has been wanting to pick up? A language, a cooking class, a musical instrument? Send mom all the tools she needs and book a virtual course for her. These days, so many businesses are finding ways to take their courses online, so why not take advantage of this and bless mom with an item on her "to do" list? Head to AirBNB for their newly launched online experiences, or purchase a day pass to some of the globe's best museums, the Louvre anyone?
Deliver a brunch date. Can't do Mother's Day brunch with mom but want to keep the tradition going? Deliver brunch straight to her door via Russ + Daughters. This NYC restaurant is making it possible for moms to be celebrated, keeping tradition in mind and you can book today.
Purchase a plant or tree and plant it in her name/honor. With all that has happen because of social-distancing, there's no question the environment has benefitted from less movement from humans all over the earth. Keep the healing going by purchasing a plant or a tree and planting it in mom's honor. It's a way to create something new that will grow into something strong. Don't have a yard or the resources to plant a tree, you can donate to others who are planting trees. One of my favorite organizations is Fondasyon Ginen.
Plan her day from start to finish making the day fun and full of surprises. Plan mom's special day from top to bottom, from the minute she gets out of bed to the minute she lays her head on her pillow and shower her with the time and activities you think would really put a smile on her face. Mom will love the amount of detail and care you put into making sure she felt cherished and honored.
Book a photo shoot post-quarantine. Facts are that moms are the least photographed members of the family. As a photographer and a mother myself, I know that to be true. What a way to love on mom, to selfishly gift yourself and to support small business, then to book a photo session for mom, when outside opens back up. Pictures are a gift that keep on giving, so give the gift that lasts forever.
I hope this blog post gives you some original and unique ways to love on and show mom that you care for her EVEN with a pandemic at play. If you try any of these ideas or if you have ideas of your own, share the love and let me know in the comments. Wishing you creativity as you celebrate the special women in your life.
With strength, courage and wisdom,
Tash
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