Every year, I wait until the last possible minute to put something together for Mother’s Day. I am a mother and I live with my mother, but unless we somehow coordinate with one another to figure out what to do, no one else in this house is going to take the initiative.
Look, it’s a pandemic. This is the year I tell you, CELEBRATE YOURSELF, MOTHERS, AND KEEP CELEBRATING. I kind of hope I’m not having to type the same things to dads in June, but why not celebrate us all? Are you nurturing yourself? Are you nurturing animals? Are you nurturing plants? HECK YEAH YOU’RE A MOM. What can you do?
Give yourself a present
Get yourself something that screams CELEBRATION: Balloons! Give Groovy DC a call. Yes. they are operating remotely and can do delivery. Honestly, I’m thinking about getting a piñata and filling it with chocolate chips (filling it with bottles of wine could get painful). You do you.
Will a mom ever pass on jewelry? Sure, moms may not wear what YOU picked, but if you give mom carte blanche and let her get what she wants and pick up the tab, she’ll be happy. Point her to these local, woman-owned businesses: Love, Lori Michelle and Enise. Spend some time browsing through both of their catalogs and enjoy.
Get mom a cool District t-shirt. Yes, maybe it’s a little predictable to use a photo of myself for this Mother’s Day post, but hey! I’m a mom and I love that Bailiwick Clothing is giving all the proceeds from the shirt I’m wearing with my loves to the restaurant industry, thanks to their partnership with Hook Hall and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. Kindness is, indeed contagious. Look– even my teenager looks like he’s vaguely smiling, and I credit the shirt for that.
You can also shop now at Clothes Encounters! After being closed for almost two months, they are back this week and they are killing it! Go visit their Instagram and shop for unique clothes while supporting sustainable fashion.
You know what else would be fun? An online tarot reading with me! I promise, I’m really good. Contact me via Instagram DM @TheMadameMeow.
Mother’s Day foods: A truth Universally Acknowledged
There is always a time and a place to be #Basic, and there is nothing as delightfully basic as a Mother’s Day brunch, or a Mother’s Day Special Meal That Was Not Made By The Mother And Which is Not Made Of Air And Pretend:
You can order amazing vegan pastries from FareWell through today, so get on that. A pain au chocolat always feels more decadent from bed, so DO IT and order here.
Joselito is one of my favorites on the Hill, and they are having a truly out-of-this-world sounding three-course Mother’s Day menu for $55 per person. Email them at info@joselitodc.com to pre-order, or click here for more info.
I’ve always loved Bistro Cacao, and their three-course meal for two for $70 is an incredible deal (and most moms I know LOVE a deal). Click to pre-order here.
Capitol Hill Kid put a great list of places to order special things for Mother’s Day meals. Go check it out!
To the Hostess with the Sweatpantss
Yeah, yeah. Look: You need a cocktail, even if it’s a mocktail. Let me rephrase that: You need a drink that makes you feel happy and a little silly, and alcohol is definitely optional.
Go support a fellow mama and proud Latinx like myself: Get some natural wine from Dio Wine Bar.
Support a local woman-owned distillery: Republic Restoratives gives you a free bottle of hand sanitizer with every order. The Civic vodka is dreamy and mixes well with e v e r y t h i n g.
Mix your own cocktail with local syrups and garnishes. Woman-owned Pratt Standard syrups (formerly True) are really, really great– especially their grenadine syrup, which may bring tears to your eyes because it tastes like childhood mocktails. Rounding out the locally-owned garnishes is Gordy’s Pickle Jar, obviously.
I love supporting the liquor store physically closest to me, which happens to be Schneider’s. You should support your own liquor store or corner store– the less time we all spend walking around, the healthier we’ll be in the long run. I will be mixing Palomas this weekend, because tequila is delicious and I love grapefruits. Here’s my own recipe (serves two):
- Juice of half a corner store grapefruit (about 4 oz) plus a tiny bit of zest (I suggest rolling the grapefruit before you juice it)
- 3 oz. tequila (or mezcal, you smoky minx)
- 1.5 oz triple sec
- Plenty of ice
- Kosher salt for rimming
- Lime to garnish and to rim your glass
Rub a lime on the lip of pretty glasses that aren’t a pain in the butt to wash. (rubbing grapefruits is cool too, but just physically harder). Put some kosher salt on a plate and rim your glasses. (I prefer a tumbler to a stemmed glass). In a cocktail shaker (if you’re fancy) or in a pint glass (if you’re me), add all the liquid ingredients over ice and stir. Carefully pour into your pretty, rimmed glasses. Sprinkle the bit of zest and add a lime slice for that extra pop of color and for the ‘gram. CHEERS, MAMACITAS!
Variations: If you like it sweeter, add a teaspoon of sugar or invert the ratios of tequila to triple sec. If you like it mellower, add club soda or Fresca and skip the triple sec.
Oh, apropos of nothing, get yourself some Chocotenango chocolate, because it’s probably the best local chocolatier I’ve tasted.