The mother of all days: Here's how to celebrate Mom in a new way

Out for brunch? A card and flowers? A mere phone call?? There's nothing wrong with any of these ideas, per se, but haven't you done these all before? Doesn't your mom deserve something surprising, new... thoughtful? If you're stuck for something to do that better proves your appreciation for the mom or mom-figure in your life, here are a few fun ideas that will make her remember you're her favourite!

Momma movie marathon

Everyone has a favorite film and your mother is no exception. Instead of just watching it, why not plan your whole day around it? You could find two other films to pair with your mother's favorite — maybe the remake of the original, and another with the same lead actors/directors, maybe they all take place in New York, etc. — and watch one in the morning, one in the afternoon and the main event at night. Create meals and snacks inspired by each to take you through the day and if you're stuck, you can always keep it Canadian.

Garden (growing) party

Hit the dirt, literally. This requires a little planning but is more than worth it in the end. Head to a garden store with your mom and pick out seeds of fruits, vegetables and flowers she'd like to grow. Plant them together, and also set a tentative date for when they are ready to harvest. Then, when that date comes, get to harvesting and make a meal of your reapings. May is a perfect month for planting a variety of foods like beans, beets, cucumber, herbs and melons (and you can grow salad greens in your home year round). If you're intimidated, here's a quick growing guide to get you and your mom started and it's a nice to finish celebrating Mother's Day long after it has passed.

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Create a shoot in honour of the day

Everyone can be a photographer now, so a family photoshoot day is easier than you think. You can take great (and very Instagrammable) pictures on your phone, especially with DIY upgrades like a lightbox. If you have the whole family together, you can spend the day putting together a backdrop (like this alphabet one — consider making a sash for her to wear!) and gathering strange and funny props to use before your photo session at night. Even better (and more embarrassing), dig up those old photos of you and her and see how well you can recreate them now, replete with bad outfits and haircuts!

Make something for her — and with her

A lot of entries on this list are about doing together, rather than just buying for her. Being able to make something, using your hands and your head, is a therapeutic practice on its own, so being able to do something like that with your mother (especially if they haven't before or haven't in years) is a lovely way to engage each other. And there are no shortage of creative classes to take, like making and painting ceramics. If you want to keep it in the home, there are plenty DIY tutorials online that are just as good, whether it's something eccentric like abstract or fire art or repurposing something from the home like a DIY wood photo transfer. At best, you'll make some beautiful new pieces, but if all goes terribly, you'll still have the memorable experience of making something together.

Super mom party

Often, we go about celebrating Mother's Day amongst our immediate family, but that doesn't always have to be the case. Everyone else is celebrating their mothers too, so, whether they be relatives or friends, get your favourite people and their moms over too for a maternal bash. And if you really want to find out who the ultimate mom is, you can team up with your mom against other active mom/child combos and play a series of sports, games or activities (like the #shelfie contest) with the winners getting points and an awards ceremony at the end to determine who is the greatest mom of all time.

Clean!

This one you are not doing together. It is spring after all, so get proactive and tackle those to-do's around the house that desperately need to get done. A focused spring cleaning getting at those places that desperately need it, is exhausting. Your mother will definitely be thankful when it's done. But don't blow her Sunday on this, do the housework on the Saturday before so, on the actual Mother's Day, she — and you — can enjoy the fruits of your labour together.

3D Decades party

This one requires a little bit of time and clandestine research, so if you don't have the time right now, you can always plan for this next year. Get to know about your mother's past, in particular, her favorite decade, year or day. Go beyond that and do some sensory research, the sights, smells and sounds of that time. Then, on Mother's Day, create that experience, her favourite foods, outfits, moves/shows and songs of that time, to give her a 3D trip down memory lane. It's a great way to show you listen to and appreciate her, as well as letting her indulge in a nostalgic moment.