For all the times you slammed her door open at 2 am and whisper-yelled “MOM.” As our screen time rockets up almost 45%, we’ve been exposed to a solid 45% more ads on our phones, laptops, and commercial breaks. Think of the ads that slip in between the Instagram stories, the trending hashtags, the discounted food. In my best Dora voice… “Can you find the gift?” Consider me the map as we journey through the tumultuous terrain of a mother’s mind.

Sendables

Your mom doesn’t want COVID-19 for Mother’s Day, so let’s try to keep a distance here.

Flowers and/or Foliage. Predictable, yes, but never unappreciated. Keep it simple and classy, just like her. Some of our favorite companies include, Fresh Sends (Denver locals sending nationwide), Urban Stems, and Bloom. For the plant-loving mother, might we recommend Bloomscape or The Sill.

Greetabl. These tiny, underrated boxes pack a heavy punch. Greetabl boxes let you build your own box design, write personalized messages, embed pictures in the design, and include confetti and a gift. It’s like buying a Hallmark card with your face on it, folding it into a box, putting a gift (as large as a small candle), and delivering it right to her mailbox.

Home-made is where the heart is. Make an extra loaf of banana bread.

Fun fact: Mother’s are quarantining. They are also wearing sweats. Next time you go to order more WFH fits, grab an extra for your mom. BONUS – tie-dye the sweats. Homemade AND fashionable.

WFH Goodies. My mom swears by her little bike pedals that she keeps under her desk. She works til 5:00 p.m. but rides til dawn.

Candles. Again, basic, but has anyone been upset they got another candle? Some of our favorites include:

Ranger Station - glass bases can be used as whiskey glasses after use.

Image Retrieved from Ranger Station Instagram

Diptyque - for the high-class woman who happens to be your mother. A little bit pricey but comes in mini-sets at a lower price point.

Otherland – Three packs feature solid Mother’s Day puns – sure to make even your dad laugh.

Image Retrieved from Otherland Instagram

Roen - These are too beautiful not to smell good.

Anthropologie – Volcano will never not be relevant.

Alcohol. Pay her back for filling her vodka bottles with water when you were 17. You have to go this one alone as lightning does not strike twice and no mother has the same taste in liquor. For example, my mother is a Gewürztraminer girl and I could not make that up.

Wine – Chances are some of her favorite restaurants are selling bottles for pickup or delivery. Check out Postino, Barcelona Wine Bar or Noble Riot.

Cocktails – One of the silver linings in quarantine is cocktails togo. There are so many restaurants offering this service. If she’s into making cocktails at home, WithCo delivers pre-mixes for almost every kind of liquor.

Mother’s Day Brunch

Olive & Finch (3390 E. 1st Ave. and 1552 E. 17th Ave., Denver)

Owner/Executive Chef Mary Nguyen, herself a mom to two busy children, is offering a Mother’s Day Brunch special available for pickup and free delivery (within 3 mi). The special fit to serve 4-6 for $65 includes:

· your choice of O&F’s fresh craft quiche

· a seasonal fresh fruit salad

· Olive & Finch’s Valley salad

· monkey bread (option to add cream cheese frosting to the monkey bread for $4)

· chocolate covered strawberries

· mimosa bar with 1 gallon of orange juice and a bottle of champagne.

a la carte items include

· monkey bread: O&F’s decadent ring of cinnamon monkey bread for $14 (add a cup of cream cheese frosting to it for $4)

· 9” quiche Lorraine or quiche Florentine for $16

· seasonal fresh fruit salad for $12

· goat cheese & vegetable strata or ham & cheese strata $6.00

· matzo ball soup for two for $12

Of course, O&F will also have decorated Mother’s day cupcakes, Baby Yoda cookies as well as day-of pastry specials for take home sweets. Call Cherry Creek at 303-955-0455, for Uptown call 303-832-8663 or place your order online here.

A Spice of Life (5541 Central Ave, #272, Boulder)

The caterer-turned takeout spot is offering an elegant Mother’s Day Brunch for at-home dining; the special menu just for the day includes a starter of French onion soup, short rib arancini, smoked salmon deviled eggs, assorted mini quiches, a spring berry salad, grilled lemon caper chicken with creamy polenta, garlic broccoli and lemon beurre blanc; seared salmon filet with lemon basil butter, herbed orzo and a sweet pea, corn and tomato relish; sesame rolls with whipped butter; and lemon raspberry cupcakes and chocolate decadence tart with fresh berries for dessert. You can find more details here as well: https://www.aspiceoflife.com/holiday-boxes/

Comida (2501 Dallas Street at Stanley Marketplace)

The team at Comida is pulling out all the stops on Mother’s Day, offering a series of brunch and dinner kits for families to pick up and enjoy at home – they’ve got the whole day covered:

· Boozy Brunch Bundle 1 $45: Includes 2 cans of Lorenza Spritz (or sub in a Suerte Paloma for 2), pack of Tender Belly bacon for frying up and Comida chilaquiles kit which includes Comida’s own house-fried corn chips, 2 whole eggs [so you can scramble or fry.... up to you!], Comida ranchero sauce, three-cheese blend, house crema, vegetarian black beans and pickled red onions. All instructions for preparation, plating and presenting included).

· Boozy Brunch Bundle 2 $68: Includes a bottle of Casa de Valor sparkling wine, Comida Comosa mix (fresh grapefruit, house made ginger simple syrup), Tender Belly bacon and Comida chilaquiles kit which includes Comida’s own house-fried corn chips, 2 whole eggs [so you can scramble or fry.... up to you!], Comida ranchero sauce, three-cheese blend, house crema, vegetarian black beans and pickled red onions. All instructions for preparation, plating and presenting included).

Steuben’s Uptown (523 E. 17th Ave. Denver 80203)

Get your Mother’s Day Brunch plans set with Steuben’s Uptown. Mother’s Day Brunch for Take Out $80, serves 4, please order by May 7 via online contact form here or by calling 303.830.1001. Pick Up: 10am-2pm on 5/8, 5/9, 5/10. Special meal includes:

· Vegetarian Quiche (Gluten Free)

· French Toast Bread Pudding

· Grilled Asparagus w/ Béarnaise Sauce

· Applewood Smoked Bacon

· Fresh Fruit

· Six home-made biscuits

· Six Deviled Eggs

· Four Vanilla Cupcakes

Optional add-ons:

· Bloody Mary kit $65: Liter bottle of Ketel One, bottle of Tabasco, giardiniera, pepperoncini, green olives and 2 bottles of Steuben’s Bloody Mary Mix

· Steuben’s signature chicken pot pie. Frozen ready to reheat meal for 4, $45.

Written by Jenna McGoldrick

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