Show Mom You Care

One of the natural first ideas is breakfast in bed or brunch at a prettily-set table. You know you mom's favorite b-fast foods, but if you're looking for some inspiration, here are some suggestions:

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• French toast. Feel free to dress up this before-lunch staple with some grated orange zest and chopped pecans or grapefruit compote and lavendar buds. Or you can go so far as to stuff it.  
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• Pancakes. Normally, I wouldn't be a fan of ousting a classic, but if your mom is a savory kind of lady, then check out these scallion pancakes. Feeling fancy? Try out these crepes.
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• Eggs. There are almost too many ways to prepare them, but keep these in mind: scrambled, fried, poached, quiche, and omelette. 
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• Potatoes. Like eggs, there's really no way to go wrong. My favorite early-morning potato form is hash browns, but you can also turn them into pancakes, biscuits, or simple breakfast potatoes. 
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• If you'd like a little more inspiration, check out this list of breakfast foods. If you can't find inspiration there, then you're uninspirable. (If that's not a word, it is now.)
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If you do decide to do a brunch, dress up your table with a bouquet, cloth napkins, and nice plates. Time to break out the fancy china? Maybe.

But, if that seems like a little too much work, then you can always take mom out (you won't have to clean up!). Here's our list of local mother's day brunches.

Now you need to think of something to get her. Flowers are an obvious idea. So are chocolates and bath-products. But, why not go for something a little less generic? (Although, I would never turn down flowers).

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• Flavored popcorn. Mmm...
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• A handmade coupon book offering your services, a night out, and other "mom-approved" activities. I recently found a coupon I made my mom once for "an hour of no bugging." She's still waiting to cash it in. I should have put an expiration date.
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• Assorted teas or coffees. It's kind of like chocolates, but with a more practical "I get up early every day" approach. 
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• A recipe in a jar. So cute, so simple. 
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• New slippers (you don't have to get them online!). The ultimate in luxury. 
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• A handmade gardening kit. Get a pretty basket, and fill it with seeds, gloves, and spades. Perhaps some gardener's lotion (Burt's Bees makes a nice one) and a ribbon.
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• Potpourri satches. 
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• Cards and letters. You can get your mom any number of gifts, but the thing she'll appreciate most will be hearing from you. And if you can get in touch with her in a way she can hold onto, that's even better.
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