Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 8 this year, offering the opportunity to spoil and pamper Mom just as she deserves. A centuries-old tradition, Mother’s Day dates back to the early 1900s due to the efforts of social activist Anna Jarvis. Following her mother’s death, Jarvis came up with Mother’s Day as a way to honor the sacrifices mothers make to raise their children.

Rather than opting for the traditional bouquet of flowers, here are some ideas to help truly pamper Mom this Mother’s Day:

Take Her to a Restaurant

Give Mom the gift of quality time together and a delicious treat to boot. Here are some great restaurant options for Mother’s Day 2022:

Great Restaurant Options in Chicago

  • The Albert: Located inside an Einstein-themed hotel in Chicago, The Albert offers a beautiful, contemporary atmosphere, scientific-themed cocktails, and delicious menu options.
  • Robert et Fils: This gorgeous French restaurant offers a delectable menu in a warm, welcoming ambiance. Diners love the cheese board, served with a chef-curated selection of cheeses, herbed sourdough crackers, and caramelized apple butter.

Great Restaurant Options in Dallas/Ft. Worth

  • Ellie’sWe can’t think of a better place to spend Mother’s Day in Dallas than Ellie’s, named after owner Craig Hall’s mother, a teacher, artist, and confident trailblazer for women’s rights.
  • CRÚ Food & Wine BarThis relaxed, Napa-style wine bar offers stone-fired pizzas, tasty cheese plates, and indoor and outdoor dining options.

Great Restaurant Options in San Antonio 

  • ClementineLocated in Castle Hills, Clementine offers a seasonal menu as well as exquisite gamebird options such as quail and pheasant.

Great Restaurant Options in Saint Louis 

  • Café la Vie: Show your appreciation for Mom by treating her to lunch at this French restaurant that’s famous for its cocktails and sharable plates.A husband embraces his wife in the kitchen while their daughter hands her mother a gift. A quote reads: "Mother’s Day dates back to the early 1900s due to the efforts of social activist Anna Jarvis. Following her mother’s death, Jarvis came up with Mother’s Day as a way to honor the sacrifices mothers make to raise their children."

Treat Mom to a Fun Day of Activities 

Rather than buying Mom a gift, consider gifting her with an activity you can share together, such as a ceramics class, wine tasting, jewelry making, cooking classes, and more. Here are some other ideas:

Go to a Paint & Sip Class

Pinot’s Palette offers fun paint-and-sip classes all around the country, including six locations in Chicago. They also have a paint-at-home option if you and your Mom are unable to attend in person or if you would rather imbibe at home!

Host Afternoon Tea

Hosting traditional British afternoon tea is great for both Mom and Grandma. Afternoon tea typically includes sandwiches filled with meat or vegetables and scones served with clotted cream and jam. Pastries, petit fours, and biscuits can also be included, and don’t forget the tea! Teas often include chamomile and mint or black tea and Earl Gray.

Attend a Wine Tasting (or Create Your Own)

Reserve an afternoon at a winery or do some research on wines ahead of time and create your own wine flights for Mom at home. This is also a great activity to do over Zoom if you won’t be able to spend Mother’s Day with Mom in person this year.

Small Indoor Gardens (Better than Flowers!)

If your Mom has a green thumb, consider giving her an Ingarden or a Sage & Sill propagation vase. Ingarden uses LED lights to grow herbs and vegetables indoors and can easily fit on any windowsill or bookshelf. The Sage & Sill propagation vase comes in a beautiful wooden frame and adds a great pop of greenery to any space.

If you think Mom would prefer a traditional bouquet instead, some of the best flower companies include The Bouqs Co.Farmgirl FlowersUrbanStems, and Venus et Fleur.

Electronics That Will Make Mom’s Life a Little Easier

Thank Mom for all of her hard work by giving her the gift of convenience with some of these new and popular gadgets:

  • Google Nest Hub: With the Google Nest Hub, Mom will be able to control all of her smart home devices. The Google Nest Hub has a tablet touchscreen feature that is great for scrolling through family photos, watching Netflix or YouTube, playing music, reviewing the calendar, and more. It also connects to the Nest doorbell so she can answer the door from anywhere in the house.
  • Apple HomePod Mini: The Apple HomePod Mini has tons of great audio features and will allow Mom to stream music, check the weather, set alarms, and stay organized with everyday tasks.
  • Nixplay Smart Digital Photo Frame: If your Mom has tons of family photos on her phone, this is the gift for her. The Nixplay Digital Photo Frame connects to WiFi and stores thousands of images that Mom can play as a running slideshow. A motion sensor turns the frame on and off automatically and allows you to share photos on the Photo Frame instantly via email or through the Nixplay app.

Luxury Gifts to Make Mom Look and Feel Her Best

Pamper Mom with these indulgent and unique beauty products:

  • Dyson Supersonic Hair DryerWhile a bit on the pricier side, if Mom uses a hairdryer every day, this is the Ferrari of hair dryers. The Dyson Supersonic measures air temperature over 40 times per second to help prevent heat damage.
  • Longchamp Makeup Case: If your Mom is constantly on the go, help her travel in style with this beautiful Longchamp cosmetic case from Saks Fifth Avenue, which is made with soft pebbled leather.
  • Cashmere Travel Set from Lingua Franca: This travel set is another great gift for Moms who plan to travel a bit more this year. This travel set from Lingua Franca includes a blanket, socks, eye mask, and travel bag with a zip closure, all made with 100% cashmere. They also offer embroidery options to get it customized for Mom.

Host Mom in Style

If Mom will be visiting you for Mother’s Day weekend, an added bonus of living in a Draper and Kramer property includes guest suites that residents can book for guests, which are offered at several of our properties. Similar to a hotel room, guest suites offer a great opportunity to make Mom truly feel like she is on vacation and help ensure a comfortable night’s sleep. If you are a current Draper and Kramer resident interested in booking a guest suite, contact our management office.

If you are currently in the market for a new apartment in Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Saint Louis, or San Antonio, view our apartment availability today.

A woman holds her young child why she reads a card he made for her.

Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 8 this year, offering the opportunity to spoil and pamper Mom just as she deserves.

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