I know, I know, Mother’s Day is supposed to be about YOU, right?! Well, one thing I’ve learned through this journey into motherhood is that I would be nothing without the other mothers in my life, helping me along the way. Call it your tribe, your squad, your mom group, (is fan club going too far?), or even just a neighbor across the way that you don’t very know but can smile or wave to when you see her troop of little humans coming down the street by storm. Call it what you want, but having a baby was your ticket into this show and created this immediate bond between us all. It’s because of that bond, I wanted to find a way to thank and love on those mommas in my life.
It was around this time last year I was scrolling through my email when I had an email from a popular mom’s blog I follow, Coffee and Crumbs. They write beautiful essays about the realness of motherhood and while I always look forward to their new posts and newsletters, this particular email was a “host your own” Coffee and Crumbs brunch. It was essentially a kit to host a Mother’s Day brunch for the moms in your life and I immediately signed up. The kit came complete with printables, menus, recipes, playlists, and it’s very own hashtag. That was the start of my new obsession and commitment to myself to make it an annual event.
We had a blast. My own mother and mom friends from all the “areas” of my life came together to just talk kids (or not!)! It’s a kid-free time for moms to relax, unwind, and mingle with other mommas (food and drink in hand!). In fact, we had such a good time, I completely forgot about the playlist I had queued up on the stereo (and made a note for this year). I think I started planning this year’s brunch about 3 days after last year’s brunch. I’m not even kidding. I loved it that much! So my gift to you this Mother’s Day is a quick list of things to do and how to plan your own Celebrating Mom’s Brunch for next year. Full disclosure, I can’t think of any witty names or hashtags so if you think of one, please comment below because I’m all about sharing the love.
Guests
- Make your list – decide the type of event you want. Last year I was major last minute planning. I kept it small and told the women to feel free to invite a mom friend or their own mother if they wanted. This year I wanted to go all out and invite and spoil every mom in the world, but I reigned it in and kept it at a manageable list. I also omitted the “bring a mom” line from the invite to keep the guest list under control.
- Invites – I use an email invite because it’s super quick and easy! I also ask for RSVPs because of name cards, place settings, etc. Also, I’m so Type A that trying to plan food without an accurate count might make me lose my mind.
Food and Drink
- KEEP. IT. SIMPLE. Ladies, seriously. Do not try 100 new recipes for the first time for this event. Be realistic. These are moms. They get it. Life is busy and hard and you do NOT have to do it all. In fact, your mom friends will likely roll their eyes at you if you try. Pick one or two new things if you must, everything else keep simple.
- Make food ahead. Things like muffins, breads, pastries, etc. can all be made ahead. DO IT. Keep the morning of your brunch simple. I try to limit it to things like spooning yogurt into dishes or chopping fruit if needed.
- Buy pre-made where you can. This is especially helpful with egg dishes. Last year I made a frittata. It might have tasted great, but 20 minutes before people were at my house I was babysitting eggs on my stove and with 5 minutes to go I was watching a broiler perfectly brown the top of my eggs without burning them. It was the first thing I nixed this year. Go with pre-made or frozen quiches. Most grocery stores have them and so many are delicious.
- The same advice goes for drinks. I bought a couple of juices, some sparkling water, a couple bottles of bubbly and we were off. Decide if you want to do a juice/mimosa bar or a coffee bar, but save yourself from going crazy and don’t do both.
Extras
- Keep it kid free – this may seem hard or harsh but it’s important! This is your time to spoil your mom friends! Unless you’re offering a daycare service, nicely tell them to leave the kiddos at home.
- Consider music if you want – like I said, we didn’t even remember to turn it on last year so it wasn’t necessary.
- Gifts – I like to have a little gift for each momma. Last year I found these beautiful (plastic) leaded glass looking cups at Target. I bought a flat of flowers and planted one in each cup and ta-da. Gifts for all. Handwritten notes are also always nice.
