Saturday, May 10

How to make Mother’s Day extra special for your cottage mama

Location: Trenanthia Cottage located in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada (90 min north of Toronto)
If you’re heading up to the cottage for a weekend celebrating the loveliest lady in your life, here are some surprising ideas (in more ways than one) for making her Mother’s Day extra special:

batman figurine with a really, really big gun


Well, hmm . . . the weather is shaping up nicely just in time for Mother’s Day. Coincidence? Obviously not. When moms are at the helm things always seem to come together in perfect order, don’t they? It’s almost suspicious. No, no, not in a bad way, just . . . look, all I’m saying is: have you ever seen your mom and Batman in the same room together? Yeah. Think about it.

This year marks the 100th Mother’s Day, if you can believe it. It started as a way to intimately acknowledge and thank women who commit their lives to a notoriously thankless job. And now here we are a hundred years later, still not taking candy from strangers and trying not to sit too close to the TV.

Surprise, surprise breakfast

Mom munching on a hot dog with a bit of gusto.  Yum.
Alright, it probably goes without saying that Cottage Mama won’t be doing the cooking on her own international holiday. But you can go beyond the pancake routine and make a special effort to create an amazing spread full of her favourite indulgences.

Eggs benny? Homefries? Homemade lattes? Hot dogs.  Y'know, whatever floats her boat.

Bonus points: serve outside


Cottage accoutrements


You don’t realise it when you’re a kid but a lot of time, love and energy goes into getting ready to visit the cottage.  Mom has probably got the packing down to a rare science resembling something from Marie Curie's laboratory.  But what if you could slip in a little something magical?

vintage photo of two women laughing, one is twiddling her fingers against her nose at the camera
Perhaps her favourite well-loved-and-so-tattered-she-wouldn't-bring-them-herself slippers?  Maybe "that photo" of you when you were three years old and had chocolate smeared all over your face?  You know how much she loves to em-bare-ass you with that lovely little number.  Ooo, or how about some feel good photos from her own childhood?

How impressed will mom be when she sees you’ve added a few loving touches?

Get real


you're beautiful mom (just let me wipe that paint smudge off your forehead so i can say it with a straight face)
Wanna put Hallmark to shame? Try handwriting.  All it takes is one genuine, heartfelt sentiment. Words and acts of kindness go a long way - every day.  (Photo creds: my mad mother's day effort)

Whether your mother is a Betty Draper or more of a Claire Huxtable, make sure she knows you appreciate her. Like, beyond cards and candy.

A bottle of wine never hurts, though.  In fact, it'll make hallmark-quality photographic evidence moments.


Okay folks.  Now you have the idea, let's see some super surprising Mother's Day celebrations.


Happy Mother’s Day