Life

9 Things You Should Do With Your Mom This Mother’s Day That Aren’t Brunch

While treating your mom, or someone who's like a mom to you, to brunch for Mother's Day is a tried and true way to show your love, there are also some pretty rad Mother's Day activities to do with your mom this year that aren't brunch. Since your mom is likely expecting brunch, she'll be totally surprised when you treat her to something else instead. After all, variety is the spice of life, and you can go to brunch any old time. Plus, every place will likely be jam packed full of moms on Mother's Day because everyone and their sister is taking their mother to brunch. It's time to give brunch a break. According to the website Golden Moon Tea, brunch emerged as such a popular Mother's Day activity because when it originally began in early 20th century England, it was only for the white-gloved wealthy.

Thus, giving mom the same treatment on her special day elevated her to the status of the elite. Once Hollywood caught on in the 1930s, brunch became a coveted activity. "It was a meal championed by hotels since most restaurants were closed on Sundays and, with church attendance flagging after World War II, people were looking for a new social outlet that also let them sleep in a bit," Smithsonian Magazine reported. "Restaurants soon hopped on the bandwagon and began offering the decadent spreads of food and signature morning cocktails, such as Bloody Marys, Bellinis, and Mimosas." While brunch is certainly boss, there are a lot of other activities that will let mom sleep in, and that she likely gets to enjoy much less often. And, because brunch isn't as bougie as it used to be, it's doesn't hold the same allure as it did in the 1930s. So, consider upping your Mother's Day game for 2018 and thinking outside of the brunch box.

1

Have Your Own Wine Tasting

Bring the party to mom this Mother's Day by having a wine tasting. "Set up your in-home tasting just like one at a winery tasting room for the best experience. Provide each taster with a glass for each wine so comparing across regions, styles, and grapes is a breeze. Pour each glass one-third to one-half full to have ample room for swirling and inhaling wine’s juicy aromas," Vivino Partner Sommelier Laura Burgess tells Bustle. "Plus, one bottle is enough for four-to-six flights, so invite the cousins, sisters, adopted Moms and everyone else to the table — that beats brunch on price and fun every time."

Here's what Burgess recommends for your Mother's Day wine tasting. You can also pair these wines with your favorite cheeses and tapas.

Rosé Flight

#RoseAllDay applies to Mother’s Day too! From strawberry to tangerine, and raspberry to cherry these fruity, dry rosés pair perfectly with almost anything, and their color means you can skip the bouquet of roses and opt for a bouquet of rosé instead.

White-Wine Flight

With offerings from rich, full-bodied Chardonnay to crisp and tangy German Riesling, there’s a white in this flight for every palate.

Red-Wine Flight

Whether spicy, earthy, Italian Chianti reigns supreme or jammy Zinfandel from California’s Gold Country takes the cake, look for berry flavors and hints of vanilla in all the right places.

2

Self-Care Massages

For a pre-wine tasting Mother's Dat treat, get massages delivered right to your door for you and your mom. You can order a massage therapist via the Soothe App in more than 60 cities across the country. Your massage therapist will arrive in about an hour, set up their table in your home, and help you and your mom ease your tired muscles. The best part is that this is a treat you can give yourself as well as mom.

3

Create A Spa Day

If you want to go for a Mother's Day trifecta, after your massage and before your wine tasting, create your own spa day with your mom. Order up some all-natch, and uber-affordable, skincare products from Odette & Joni. Give each other facials, scrub off that massage oil, and order some extra products to give your mom as a gift.

4

Get Outdoors

If the weather is warm, invite your mom on a hike, trip to the beach, the botanical gardens, outdoor yoga class, or whatever her favorite outdoor activity is. After a long cold winter, getting some sun on your faces and wind in your hair is an ideal way to spend some quality time with your mom on Mother's Day. You can also pack a picnic lunch and find a grassy spot to eat and talk.

5

Get A Tarot Card Reading

Have a magical, mystical Mother's Day by booking a tarot card reading for you and your mom to see what's in the cards for each of you. You can also ask the cards to reveal your mother-daughter relationship dynamics. If you don't want to venture out, you can book an online birth-chart reading to see how your birth chart stacks up against your mom's. Even if you don't believe in tarot or astrology, this is a fun way to spend an afternoon with your mom, or anyone else for that matter.

6

Get Gardening

After those April showers, May is the perfect time to plant flowers. If your mom has a green thumb, make Mother's Day an afternoon dedicated to sprucing up her garden. Head to the nursery together to pick out plants and flowers, put on your matching gardening gloves, and get to digging in the dirt. When you're finished you'll have a beautiful garden, and the invaluable gift of some quality time with your mom.

7

Take A Class Together

Does your mom love to cook? Is she into yoga? What about crafting? Whatever your mom's favorite activity, find a class in your area and sign up. Your mom probably spends a lot of time catering to your interests. Give her the gift of your time, and surprise your mom by choosing something she loves to do. She'll be happy to share her passion with you, and you just might learn something yourself.

8

Make It A Movie & Pizza Day

If, like Lorelai Gilmore, couching and marathoning movies or a series is your mom's idea of an epic Mother's Day, order some pizzas, fire up the Netflix, and spend a day with your mom watching some of her favorite films or TV shows. Even if you don't share her love for Casablanca, this day is all about your mom so make sure she gets to pick the movies and the pizza.

9

Serve Her Breakfast In Bed

When's the last time you cooked a meal for you mom? Never? Your mom has likely cooked you a lot of breakfasts over the course of your life. If you live with your mom, get up early and start cooking all of your her favorites. If you don't live with your mom, sneak in early and take over the kitchen. Make sure to include all of your mom's favorites for her Mother's Day surprise. Then serve her the breakfast you made with your own two hands on a tray in bed. If you can't cook your way out of a paper bag, you can also surprise mom with a box of pastries and fresh coffee from her favorite bakery. Whatever you choose to do with your mom this Mother's Day, make sure it's all about her, which is really the best gift you can give her.