Celebrating Mother's Day During a Pandemic

Mother’s Day this year may look a little different for many people. The ability to browse for the perfect gift at your favourite local shop or go out for brunch at your favourite breakfast spot may not be possible, but the good news is, there are still many ways we can celebrate Mother’s Day during a pandemic, including a good old fashioned homemade craft, made with love!

Breakfast in Bed

What is your mom’s ideal breakfast? It could be as simple as a coffee or tea with toast or as elaborate as a soufflé with maple bacon. Why not add a homemade piece of art or a little note expressing your appreciation for everything mom does?

If you usually go out for a Mother’s Day brunch, see if that restaurant is offering home delivery for Mother’s Day this year. Many are!

Whatever you decide to do, make sure kids can help and make sure to have fun! It’s the thought (and mom not having to do any work) that counts!  

PowerPoint of Favourite People or Places

If mom is an avid traveller, why not put together a slide show of her favourite places travelled and set it to music? You can even add some of the places she is looking forward to visiting in the future.

If your mom lives in a different city, you could ask other family members to get involved and help put together a PowerPoint presentation of everyone holding up signs individually with their favourite memories, messages or jokes.

Take an online class together 

There are so many online classes available right now – from art classes to yoga or cooking classes, why not book an online class for you and your mom to take together! There is something for all age groups, and for moms with young children as well as moms with adult children - a great way to get grandma involved too!

Watch a movie online together

If you have Netflix of another streaming service, book a day and time, grab a bowl of popcorn and watch an old favourite or a new movie together! If mom or grandmother is in another city and they have Netflix, you could do the same activity together - virtually!

Host a Virtual Happy Hour

A virtual happy hour is perfect for adult children looking to celebrate their mom, but don’t live at home. Whether it’s wine or tea time, book a time where you can have a drink and chat together with mom or grandmother and any other siblings. You could even play a game virtually, such as Battle Ship or cards, or make it fun by choosing a theme, such as Wild West, fancy hats, or the 1980s.

Book a Virtual Wine Tasting

If mom or grandma is a wine lover, send her and yourself some new wines and, if you’re an adult, schedule a time to have a virtual wine tasting together. Wine Country Ontario has a great list of wines you can order online.

How do you plan on celebrating Mother’s Day during the pandemic?

Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas in Ottawa

Sunday, May 12th 2019 is Mother’s Day! To help you plan ahead, we're listing some go-to Mother's Day brunch spots in Ottawa. We'll post more information about each as it becomes available, but in the meantime, simply click on the highlighted name to be redirected to their website and plan ahead!

If you have one you would like to add, leave a comment and let us know.

Mother's Day Brunches at Museums

Numerous museums and historic spots in Ottawa host brunches or teas for Mother’s Day, including:

Billings Estate National Historic Site* sold out!!
The Fairfield’s Heritage House

Be sure to check out the City of Ottawa website for more details on these unique events. They usually run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mother’s Day.

Canadian Museum of Nature
For the price of Museum admission plus the cost of brunch for each guest, you can treat the special moms in your life to delectable breakfast fare, followed by a tour around the museum’s galleries. For more information and to book your spot, click here!

National Gallery of Canada
Treat your mom this Mother’s Day to a delicious buffet brunch hosted by the Gallery’s exclusive caterer, Gourmet Cuisine. Sip mimosas while enjoying live music, and enjoy the most picturesque view in Ottawa.

Local Events and Restaurants

Mother’s Day Watercolour and High Tea
Held in the transformative space of the beautiful and woodsy Misiwe Ni Relations Healing Lodge, this event is dedicated to offering a relaxing and restorative experience comprised of both an afternoon high tea, and an easy watercolour workshop designed for beginners.

Brookstreet Hotel – Kanata
Celebrate Mom with a special Mother's Day brunch at Brookstreet on Sunday, May 12, from 9:30am to 1:30pm!

Lago - Dows Lake Pavillion
Hosted upstairs in the Riviera Ballroom and the Veranda at Lago Custom Events! Mimosas and brunch!

NEXT - Stittsville
Known for their gourmet brunches, this Mother's Day brunch is not to be missed!

Le Café - National Arts Centre (NAC)
The famous brunch at the NAC gets creative for Mother’s Day with some innovative Canadian cuisine presented buffet style. There’s also a second buffet at dinner time. Details, menus and reservations available here.

The Herb Garden - Almonte
Brunch will be held Sunday, May 12th with catering is provided by the Mixing Bowl. 

Les Fougères – Chelsea, Quebec
Take a short road trip to this charming spot in Chelsea, Quebec. Order the three-or four-course special Mother’s Day table d’hote for a tour through some of Quebec’s amazing cuisine! 

Stoneface Dolly’s – Preston Street
Named after an actual mom, Stoneface Dolly’s offers patrons a home-style brunch that perfect for families! 

Fraser Café – New Edinburgh
Fresh food at reasonable prices, this is a gem of a spot to bring mom for Mother’s Day – but don’t wait too long to book, it will book up quickly!

OCCO KItchen
With locations in Orleans and downtown, OCCO will be your mom’s new fave!

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

There are SO many Mother's Day brunches taking place around the city - most are probably fantastic, but we know it can run a hefty bill for a family of four (or more!). Instead, I've compiled a number of brunch-worthy recipes you could try for Mom on Sunday (but let's be honest, we'll probably only have time to whip up one of these options!!) Throw in a plant or bouquet of flowers and I'm sure Mom will be swooning! Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups

Strawberry Cucumber Salad

Peach Breakfast Cobbler

Raspberry and Goat Cheese Breakfast Strata (YUM!!)

Seasonal Options

Raddish and Fennel Apple Salad Bites

Rhubarb and Strawberry Breakfast Crisp

Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart

Crostini with Ricotta and Pea Shoots

Alright, now I'm hungry! Bon Appetit and Happy Mother's Day!

Mother’s day in and around the Capital

by Jenny After spending a lovely morning at the Billings Estate museum Easter weekend, we knew, as a family, that it was a place we wanted to visit again. Centrally located on a gorgeous property, the museum was a perfect venue for my kids, 3 and 5. The staff was welcoming, friendly and had really thought of everything. There was a chocolate Easter egg hunt (complete with a nut-free option for my eldest), face painting, a giant hopscotch board, an egg basket sewing session and all-natural egg dyeing. We went around from station to station, my kids keeping track to make sure we didn’t miss a one. The Easter Bunny was also on hand for pictures and encouragement on the egg hunt.

While this Sunday is my day (to sleep in a bit, I hope), I can’t wait to get out and explore another one of the great museums in Ottawa. Here are some of the special Mother’s day events they have going on this Sunday, May 13. Take note of the mini-manis & chocolate offerings at the Deifenbunker! Mother’s Day Tea at Billings Estate What better place to celebrate Mother’s Day than on the idyllic lawns of Billings Estate National Historic Site? Enjoy a Victorian tea service in the garden, stroll through the grounds, and explore the new Victorian medicine exhibit in Ottawa’s oldest wood-framed building. Tours, crafts and live music will take place from 10a.m to 4p.m. There will also be a flower and plant exchange from 11a.m. to 1p.m. Mother’s Day at the Diefenbunker :  A celebration of the women who served in the Diefenbunker.  A special women's history tour will be given every hour in English, featuring clips from the Diefenbunker's oral history project. Mothers can relax at the mini-manicure station as children craft. Mini-manicures will be offered to mothers and children from 12-3. A colourful display by Ottawa’s own Cold War artist, Marcia Lea, will surely be a thing to see! And what’s a women’s day out without chocolate? Of course, the Diefenbunker will be partnering up with local and surrounding chocolatiers and bakers to offer fabulously themed desserts. Program runs from 11am-2pm.

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum - Famous Funnies-Family Cartooning Workshop It’s the good guys versus the bad guys as the super heroes take over a family cartooning lesson led by our professional artist! Families can discover early cartoon super heroes like Superman and characters like Little Orphan Annie. Young visitors can dress in their favourite character costumes. Program runs from 1pm to 3pm. Cost: Regular admission applies plus $10 workshop fee.

What are your plans this Mother’s day? Any special requests or are you just looking forward to a day with your family?

Jenny is mom to 5 (and ¾) year old Ryan and 3 year old Jaime. A communications specialist with a love for food, wine and outdoor fun, you can find Jenny on twitter @jblatts or in the Kids in the Capital Facebook group.

Mother's Day gift ideas : Mom jewellery

by Lara I don't tend to think of myself as overly sentimental in general but I will admit, there is no jewellery I like better than the jewellery that commemorates my kids.

With mother's day around the corner, I thought I would share some of my well loved mom jewellery in case you are looking for ideas for your spouse (either as a gift or a request :))

Rings

I had a ring made when Kiernan was about a year old with his name and date of birth and loved it so much I had ones made when Juliette and Quinn were born.  I wear them more than my wedding rings (gasp!) although my wedding ring is smaller and pinches my "will never be the same after having three children, short and stubby" fingers, so it's hardly my fault ;)

But that is neither here nor there.  Back to the rings. I ordered them online from a store on Etsy called Accessory a la Mode and they are just lovely. I wear them on my thumb so I can stack all three on at once.

Necklaces

The last two Christmases my husband has bought me necklaces that commemorate my kids.

Last year I got a gorgeous necklace with a mama and three baby birds on a branch (in retrospect, we didn't realize there was one with a daddy bird too which would have been nice).

This year, I saw Mel's connection necklace and fell in love. I'd seen the pictures of them before but in person they are even more stunning.  I asked for one for Christmas and love love love it.

I asked around and got sent a couple of images of other lovely mom jewellery other moms have.

Like this ring with one mom's son's birthstone:

And Maranda had this lovely necklace made for her daughter:

Mom jewellery is fun, not terribly expensive, and a great gift for Mother's Day!

Do you have any mom jewellery? Do you want any?

Lara is mom to 4.5 year old Kiernan and almost 2 year old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can read her blog at Gliding Through Motherhood.