Mother’s Day Made Easy!
Mother’s Day is obviously about celebrating, and showing your love and appreciation for, your mother. 
And unfailingly, every year I find myself torn between how to divide my time, and Mother’s day, to accomodate my mother, and my husband’s mom. Never mind that I’M a mom and would just love to spend the day with MY family and kids, hanging out, going to my favorite restaurant, or seeing a movie together. It just never happens that way. 
So, instead of feeling stressed about Mother’s Day this year and how I’m going to divide my time between my mother and mother-in-law, I decided to have them come to ME. I’m having a Mother’s Day brunch here at my house and I’m making quiche, wood-smoked bacon, potatoes, pastries, fresh fruit, and Mimosas. Sure, I’ll be doing most of the work (actually, Don’s the better cook, so he’ll be doing most of it!), but the best thing is, I won’t have to go ANYWHERE, because my mom and mother-in-law will be coming to my house. I can stay at home, relax, and enjoy the day at MY leisure! Now that’s my kind of Mother’s Day! 
We all have mothers, or are mothers ourselves. So, how are planning on spending Mother’s Day?
Smart move Janelle LOL.
My mom lives 2 states away, so I’ve already sent her a snarky daughter card and lots of scratch-off lottery tickets. That’s her favorite gift for every occasion, and it’s easy on me. It’s a perfect deal. Happy Mom’s day to all you ladies out there. :cocktail:
Comment by Stacy ~ — May 10, 2007 @ 6:17 am
My mother has decided to go boating. She asked me to go…you, I’m sure, know my answer. I’m cooking for her Monday night instead. My MIL, I’m still not sure of. Me, I want the restaurant movie thing!!! Last year we went to Busch Gardens in leiu of EPCOT, my favorite MDay destination. This year, I’ll skip the theme parks.
Comment by Julie Leto — May 10, 2007 @ 6:33 am
I’m like Stacy, my mom is too many states away so I’ve sent her a Birthday/Mother’s Day combo present and card and I’ll call her. Ditto for my step-mom.
My MIL lives shouting distance away and we always celebrate Mother’s Day and my hubbies birthday together, with his family. Mother’s Day is usually iffy for me. Last year, like many years, it’s the day AFTER his birthday party. Not always the best of days.
And my oldest is going to be out of town this year. Maybe I’ll designate a different day to be MD this year!
Hope everyone has a wonderful one!
Comment by Jodie — May 10, 2007 @ 7:13 am
If I am not working I plan on making dinner for my mom. Have no clue what to get her though.
Comment by BadBarb — May 10, 2007 @ 7:54 am
Both my mom and Science guy’s mom live out of town. I sent the gifts and the cards and of course will call each of them on Sunday. For me, my oldest lives out of town so we’ll talk on the phone and because she is who she is I’ll receive her card…in oh, about a week.
My son is coming over. I’m not sure what we’re going to do but it’ll be good I’m sure. I’m exetremly easy going on these things. Which means I’m happy to go out to eat or do the cook out thing.
Hope everyone has a great day!!
Comment by Vicki — May 10, 2007 @ 8:05 am
Vicki - are you my mother?
That is exactly what my mother would have said! In my earlier post I neglected to say that my mother’s BD was 4/29 and the actual combo gift hasn’t arrived yet.
Comment by Jodie — May 10, 2007 @ 8:49 am
My dad and I are going to spend Mother’s Day with my sister. Her youngest is being dedicated at church on Sunday. After that, we have a 3 hour drive back to my house and my dad has another 2-3 hour drive home. I’ll send my grandmother a card and bring her present home with me in a couple of weeks(well me visiting is her fav gift, but I’m getting her some chocolates to go with me).
Comment by Liza — May 10, 2007 @ 9:09 am
Since I’m not a mother - nor do I have an in law (out law), This day becomes all about my mother and my sister in law (more like a sister - she’s either very smart or a saint to have married my brother). Both women swear they don’t want gifts - so we buy gifts. Both swear they don’t wan’t to go anywhere - so we have reservations for brunch. Thankfully, I haven’t heard any more swearing. I’ll help my nieces make cards for both - throw in a couple of scrabble games and or mah jongg games and we call it mother’s day.
I hope everyone enjoys their day.
Comment by Barbara-Jo — May 10, 2007 @ 9:09 am
My mom & mil never really want you to do much for them. I already have mil’s gift but not my mom. She’s hard to buy for. Now me I’m just hoping I don’t have to clean or cook that day..
Comment by Stacy S — May 10, 2007 @ 9:16 am
My mom is coming down here (we are celebrating my oldest’s birthday the day before, so she doesn’t have to make two trips). Hubby is cooking for us…..because I go on strike that day. My MIL lives two states away and doesn’t travel, so we sent her a plant (which she probably won’t open until that day, even though it is supposed to arrive today or tomorrow). So, it will be dead, again (she did this once a couple of years ago, also) and then she complains that we sent her dead flowers (we have told her to open them). Face it, she just complains…LOL!
Comment by katie — May 10, 2007 @ 10:14 am
I usually struggle with the same thing. My mom is many states away now but when she was here, I spent the entire day visiting mom, stepmom and mil. Last year I did it the day before and my hubby and daughter took me to the beach and we had dinner. I sent my mom her gift but still figuring out what to do with the other two and when.
Comment by Michelle — May 10, 2007 @ 10:32 am
While I am sad that my mother and mother-in-law have both passed away, they are always remembered on this Special Day. We now spend the day with our children and their families; sometimes at our home and other times at one of theirs…whoever feels up to having the whole group. It is always a wonderful time and a day for making new and happy memories.
Comment by Shari C — May 10, 2007 @ 11:02 am
For all of you that have moms that live in different states, I know I’m fortunate to have both of my mothers here in the same state!
Julie — I think the best Mother’s Day gift for you would be finishing the book! I hope it happens!
Comment by Janelle — May 10, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Jodie — I like your idea of designating your OWN Mother’s Day!
Comment by Janelle — May 10, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Katie — too funny about the plant/flower thing!
Comment by Janelle — May 10, 2007 @ 11:26 am
My sisters and I try to always plan something special for Mom but we always want her to have some imput because it’s her day. This year she wants to have a giant cookout with all the family(LOTS OF PEOPLE!) She spends 364 days a year doing for everyone so we can at least spend 1 day doing for her. She’s the GREATEST!:love2:
Comment by Carol R — May 10, 2007 @ 11:31 am
My mom and mother-in-law live in Georgia while hubby and I live in Mississippi. As you can guess, we don’t get up to see them very often and although hubby slipped and said something to his mom, we’re going to surprise mine! She hasn’t got a clue! At all! We’re leaving tonight and I really wish the drive would already be over!
Comment by Jen — May 10, 2007 @ 11:33 am
Carol — sounds like a FUN day!
Jen — Sorry about the drive (UGH), but think about how excited and thrilled your mom is going to be to see you! What an awesome Mother’s Day gift for her!!!
Comment by Janelle — May 10, 2007 @ 11:44 am
I like to stay home and relax on Mother’s Day and avoid the crowds eating out. My hubby and son said we’d go out to eat Friday or Saturday night. Fine by me.
My Mom’s birthay is May 6th so we had the family over my house last weekend for dinner and presents. My hubby always buys me, my mom, & his mom a plant for MD and they were hand-delivered last weekend.
Happy Mother’s Day to everyone out there!
Comment by Carolyn A. — May 10, 2007 @ 11:54 am
going to baby shower for my best friend first child.
:love2:
Comment by kim h — May 10, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
Janelle I like your idea, but unfortunately we will be going to my MIL for an early brunch, and then to my sisters for a barbeque where we will also be celebrating my brother in-laws 40th birthday. I don’t mind doing either, I just hate doing both, it’s too much rushing around when I would really like to just put my feet up…but we both have big families and we both feel fortunate to have Mom’s that we can celebrate with so that’s what we will do.
Hope everyone has an enjoyable Mother’s Day.
Comment by Tina Martinesi — May 10, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
My husband and I will visit our mothers. I am not a mom yet so it is all about our moms.
Comment by Crystal B. — May 10, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
My Mom passed away in February so for the first time we won’t talk on the phone. She lived in Oregon & I’m in northern California. One of my daughters lives in Oregon & the other nearby but she will be working. We are going to try to get together tomorrow on her day off. On Sunday I’m going to just indulge myself & do what I want–read!! Seems a good thing to do.
Everyone enjoy whatever you do. :present:
Jen, enjoy the drive instead of making it a chore! I love long car trips & make the journey enjoyable instead of dreading it!
Comment by Donna M — May 10, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
Well, this is the first year I will be having my very own mother’s day without traveling anywhere. Ususally we didvide the day between my mom and his family (his mom is deceased) and I get left in the lurch.
This will be my second mother’s day since my mom moved to Arkansas last year, so I sent her a plate.
The other day his family called and invited me to their get-together, they explained they would be at one of the nephews houses starting at one w/snacks and then order pizza.
Well, since my 7yr. old wanted to take me to Red Lobster and the 30 yr. old only wanted to give the moms pizza. I declined.
This year I decided to have my own mother’s day and finally said NO! to other people’s ideas of fun. So the hubby and kids are taking me out to a nice dinner and proably are gonna buy me some books, it is the traditional gift.:love2:
Comment by Debbie — May 10, 2007 @ 1:33 pm
Janelle: I wish it wasn’t true (the plant), but it is…..I hope she opened it
:
We’ve been hosting the Mother’s day breakfast (and then, my folks hit the road to get home, because they have a drive) for the past two years because my (soon to be 7 year old with autism), just can’t handle a restaurant (other than his favorites). That’s fine with me, I’d rather just have someone cook for me and peace in the valley. Hubby is cooking me lobster (leftover in the freezer from Valentine’s Day) for dinner. Now, if I can just get him to do the laundry all day and make my boys not fight, life will be bliss……he always gets me flowers, cook books (or something off of my amazon list) because I love cooking and then sends me for a day of pampering later (at a SPA). Blissful….
Yesterday, I have to brag, my oldest had a special Mommies/Muffins/Manicures event at his school. His teachers worked SO hard to ‘let’ me come to school (working with him, because it’s against his ‘rule’…I am not allowed at school according to him)….it was so much fun, I cleaned up in the present department and had a wonderful hour with him. Last night, he cried for two hours because he didn’t want it to end (he wanted to have another ’special day’ with me at school). This is the first year I am getting a handmade Mommy items from each of my cuties (my youngest is in preschool and he made me a special card!). Life is bliss…..
sending out hugs to all of the special women at this site (okay, men, too!). There are so many special ladies at this website (some of them I will probably never meet, but have been like a mom at times to me!). :cocktail::cocktail::cocktail::cocktail::cocktail::cocktail:
If anyone wants to adopt me, I love having extra moms!
Comment by katie — May 10, 2007 @ 3:49 pm
My family is always wonderful on Mother’s Day. I know I can look forward to breakfast in bed, complete with fresh plucked flowers from the yard–often with broken stems and ants crawling on them, in a glass of water–is there anything better than flowers picked by your own child’s hand?
That’ll be followed by pampering all day long. Then hubby will make a fabulous Caribbean themed bbq dinner. Jerk chicken, grilled plantains, black beans & rice…yummmmmmm!
I LIKE Mother’s Day.
Comment by Leslie — May 10, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
Leslie: I am with you!
Comment by katie — May 10, 2007 @ 4:21 pm
Katie - I am so happy for you. I think you mentioned last week that he didn’t want you at school. I’m sure it meant the world to you to have him change his mind and let you be there with him. What a wonderful present in itself.
Leslie - hubby has to work this year on Mother’s Day so I’ll cut him some slack. But the next year that he happens to be off, I’ll be sending him to Bruce for schooling.
Well… now that’s not entirely fair. Now that I think about it, he did make me breakfast in bed a couple of months ago. The only problem was, he didn’t realize I was sleeping in so late because I had a stomach virus and had been up all night throwing up!
I tried really, really hard to choke down the breakfast but finally had to confess. But he tried and that’s all that matters! 
Comment by Jodie — May 10, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
I’m not a mom yet, but we are taking my Mom out to Olive Garden for dinner. She hasn’t been there yet and thought it would be a nice dinner! (I:love2: the OG)
Comment by Jess — May 10, 2007 @ 4:46 pm
We put cards in the mail today (from the kids) for my mom and my husband’s grandmother. The kids will be able to give their cards to my husband’s mom directly because she’s coming over on Mother’s Day to spend the next couple days with them while we go off by ourselves–happy Mother’s Day to me
Comment by Fedora — May 10, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
Donna — big hugs on this being the first Mother’s Day without your mom.
Debbie — Sounds like you have a fabulous MD lined up!
Ahhh, Katie — you got me all choked up. How wonderful that he LOVED you being at school! There are some things in life that are precious gifts in themselves — this being one of them for you!
Jodie —
He definitely gets extra brownie points for trying!!!
Jess — I’m sure your mom will love Olive Garden. That’s one of my favorite places to eat! And I think someone else mentioned Red Lobster — another favorite. There will be lots of good food on MD, that’s for sure! YUM!
Comment by Janelle — May 10, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
Fedora — LUCKY YOU!!!!
Comment by Janelle — May 10, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
I had my mother’s gift sent to her. She told me it already arrived, but she’s waiting to open it until Sunday. :present:
I mailed my ex-MIL and mother cards today. My mom’s may not make it, but luckily the package had one attached. :email:
As for my Mother’s Day. I’ll be lucky if my kids actually remember it is Mother’s Day, much less actually do anything about it.
Comment by Lynn Matherly — May 10, 2007 @ 6:20 pm
Jodie and Janelle…it was a present in and of itself JUST to be there…..he giggled the WHOLE time….
Comment by katie — May 10, 2007 @ 6:40 pm
My family is coming over and after we take my parents and aunt back home, will stop at my daughter’s sis in law for dessert.
Comment by Pat L. — May 10, 2007 @ 7:33 pm
I will be going to the movies with hubby and my son to see
Spiderman and then who knows
Will make a pit stop at my mom’s and maybe mil’s.
Comment by Cherylann — May 10, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
On Mother’s Day I can expect breakfast in bed and then the kids will pamper me throughout the day. But as for my mother and mother-in-law, we will spend Saturday with the mil and Sunday afternoon with my mother.
Comment by Patty L. — May 10, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
Fedora….I am soooooo jealous
Comment by Tina Martinesi — May 10, 2007 @ 11:04 pm
We go to the Village Inn for breakfast with long-time friends of the family and their children. It’s tradition and we’ve been doing it for over 10 yrs.
Comment by Celise — May 11, 2007 @ 12:41 am
Thanks, I’m pretty excited myself! It’s our first vacation without the kids. That means I can pack my carry-on with reading material for ME!!! Yippee!
Comment by Fedora — May 11, 2007 @ 1:44 am
Celise! We used to have a Village Inn here in Southern California (actually, I was even a waitress there when I was 16!), but they closed the restaurant and I miss their yummy breakfasts. Especially their German pancake! OMG, that was sooooo good!
Comment by Janelle — May 11, 2007 @ 2:45 am
I’m not sure what’s going on for Mother’s Day,we’re last minute people and I’ve got to make sure I see my mom and my grandma(my mother in law lives across eh ocean from me) we usually have dinner together, I’m sure they’ll tell me on the day before if they planned anything and I’ll spend the afternoon with my husband and my girlees.:love2:
Comment by danette — May 11, 2007 @ 3:51 am