Since becoming a mom myself, I have become a lot more aware of the things my mom does for us. Around the holidays, we still maintain a lot of family traditions that we had as kids. We have our annual Easter egg hunt, pyjamas on Christmas Eve, and raving about the Thanksgiving turkey after she spent all day making every other side dish and dessert.
Thankfully, we are out of the stage of giving her candles, soap gift boxes or slippers. It finally clicked that she is a person with real interests outside of being a mom (or grandma).
Over the past six months, our parents have been tackling some major renovations. The next item on the list is replacing the living room’s green carpet, which has been absorbing stains since the ’70s. They are also tackling the small tasks of a bathroom reno, and moving an entire wall over. However, removing the green carpet is the star of the show (in our eyes).
So this year, we are pitching in some of our own blood, sweat and tears for Mother’s Day.
The Decor: Renovation Nation
The timing worked out well in that my husband, our baby girl and I are staying with my parents for a large part of May for his work. Chasing around an almost one year old in a house under renovations is no easy task. There are things everywhere, often covered by a thin layer of drywall dust. This is on top of the house not being baby-proofed at a baseline. Still, the time together has been really nice.
On the actual weekend of reno-help, I was often busy with my daughter. However, the rest of the dinner party crew was able to get a lot of work done. This included installing a mirror, vanity, and toilet in the bathroom, as well as a significant amount of priming and painting.
Also, for those interested, using flux turns out to be a very important part of soldering. Without it, you just end up using a torch in your in-laws’ bathroom long enough to misunderstand the question “are you getting a free buzz?” Even after it was repeated three times. Yes, we opened a window right after.
For the actual decor of the brunch, we made just enough room on the table to place everything down. The house is in complete chaos, so we did not attempt any decorating. Instead, we focused on the plating to try and capture what we could of the classic Mother’s Day Brunch vibes.
The Menu: Is it Even Mother’s Day without Brunch?
We ended up putting together a cold Mother’s Day Brunch. We had smoked salmon, cream cheese and bagels, meat and crackers, pastries, fresh fruit and mimosas. My husband even made his signature apple swans. If you have the time to learn how to make an apple swan, do so; it is a family favourite.
Most years, my sisters and I reference the notes we keep on our phones for gifts. We each have a list containing ideas for each significant person in our lives. The ideas come from things they mention, or things we notice they need. It can be a bit hard to get in the habit of doing this, but if you can manage it, I would highly recommend.
This year, with the renovations, we had lots of options. She had mentioned she wanted a TV wall mount just a couple of days prior. We ordered that, and added in a new plaid jacket that matched her granddaughter’s.
Final Thoughts: Was It Worth It?
Of course! She’s our mom. I think even without having a major project like renovations, everyone can utilize a few extra bodies for a weekend to tackle some outstanding tasks. I would highly recommend offering this up as an option next Mother’s Day.
One final note. As a new mom myself who just experienced her first Mother’s Day, please take pictures of the moms in your life with their children. It was the case when we were growing up, and it still very much is now – moms seem to end up on only one side of the camera. I treasure the candid photos that are captured of me with my daughter. They mean a lot more than fancy soaps, slippers, or candles ever will.
