If you're having trouble keeping track of time, it's now May and Mother's Day is just a few days away.
We know moms are usually juggling lots of things, but particularly now there are lots of moms putting in some serious overtime working from home and helping school-age children stay on track as best as possible with online learning. And moms of adult kids are seriously missing hugs and being able to get together.
Celebrating Mother's Day (it's May 10, btw) will be much different this year but you can still treat the moms in your life (or yourself!) to brunch, pampering and flowers from these Tucson spots.
She deserves it.
Things to do
Creative Juice Art Bar is packaging art supplies for pickup and livestreaming classes during the coronavirus pandemic. The livestreams are free to watch on Creative Juice’s Facebook page, facebook.com/creativejuiceartbar.
A few ideas for things to do — for a mom, with your mom and on their own time.
• For the mom who looks forward to having a homemade gift every year, Creative Kind is hosting a free online workshop where you can learn to make a cactus-themed Mother's Day card using a tracing of your child's hand. You'll need to have some colored paper, scissors and glue handy and the Creative Kind staff will lead you through creating the final product. The workshop is Friday, May 8 at 2 p.m. Register here to get the Zoom link.
• DIY your own floral arrangement for mom with the help of some experts at Creative Kind. They're hosting an online floral arrangement workshop on Saturday, May 9 at noon, using flowers you can find at your local grocery store. Find the supply list and register for the class here.
• Invite your mom to join you for a virtual paint class you can participate in from your respective homes, where you'll spend the afternoon on Mother's Day creating a rainbow and desert-themed masterpiece with Tipsy Picassos. There are three ways to participate: Pick up a pre-sketched canvas for $10 at a designated time and location; get a whole kit with the pre-sketched canvas, paints, mixing plates and brushes for $25 or two kits for $40; or use your own materials and follow the directions on Facebook Live (if you go that route consider contributing a few dollars for the instruction). The lesson starts at 4 p.m. and you can find more information on the Tipsy Picasso Facebook page.
• Creative Juice is also hosting a virtual painting class on Saturday, May 9 where you can paint two hanging cactus paintings. Register for the tutorial and order paint kits here.
• Let mom take a break and unwind from a long week with a free class from Crooked Tooth Yoga on Youtube Saturday, May 9, from 10:30-11:30.
• Lucky Cat Social Art has put together free tutorials for making a DIY bookmark and DIY picture frame using items commonly found around the house, so kids can work on their own handmade gift for mom. The videos are posted on the Lucky Cat Social Art YouTube page.
Mom-approved gifts from local stores
Diana Charbonneau sent us this photo of her, her mom Donna and her daughter Danica wearing their #ThisIsTucson tees.
Shop local online to pick up a special gift for mom (or yourself) using curbside pickup. Or have it shipped to their door.
• #ThisIsTucson has a collection of maternity t-shirts, onesies, regular t-shirts, and tote bags featuring our super cute baby cactus and happy cactus logos. We also have virtual gift cards, so mom can choose her own gift.
• Shop for shiny accessories on Sunday, May 3 and May 10, from 4-6 p.m. at Silver Sea Jewelry's Facebook live event. Shop over 50 items from local artists, enjoy musical entertainment and a gift with every purchase. Free local shipping and free domestic shipping with a $100 purchase.
• Bring the spa home with pedicure kits, bath bombs, handcrafted soap, spa salts and other self care items from Old Pueblo Soapery.
• MAST has Mother's Day gift bags that come with a collection of items from the store starting at $45 that can be ordered online and picked up on Mother's Day weekend.
• Creative Kind has put together a Mother's Day gift box that comes with a bath bomb, brass cuff, cocktail mixer, sea salt and a card in which they'll handwrite a message in for you for $59. You can also choose a mystery care kit with a few small items from the shop starting at $20, or send mom a home craft kit with several different DIY projects starting at $25.
• Give mom a little break and some extra help with an online gift card for services like essential errand running, virtual homeschool help or a virtual nanny from Trusting Connections Nanny Agency.
• For the crafty mom, Arte Bella has to-go paint kits and string art kits that come with all the materials you need to create a new work of art.
• Pamper mom with hair coloring kits, hair products and skin care products from these local salons offering curbside pick up.
Danielle Cantrell makes all of these bath bombs by hand and is now selling them at her new, Fourth Avenue shop, Old Pueblo Soapery.
• Give your mom some new reads from a local bookstore, both Mostly Books and the UA BookStores are offering mystery bundles of books starting at $20. You tell them mom's favorite genres and they'll put together a surprise collection of books. Antigone Books is also offering curbside pick up of books, puzzles and gifts.
• Tucson Shops Tucson an online marketplace has a huge collection of gifts from local makers and artists including a category for mom, dad and kid gifts.
• Many local shops have launched virtual stores and are offering curbside pickup, delivery or shipping of jewelry, candles, art, accessories and clothing. Here are a few women-owned businesses to check out for some inspiration: Chulas, El Be Goods, Why I Love Where I Live, Galeria Mitotera, Pop Cycle, Eastland Alley Design Co., Razorz Edge.
• Monsoon Chocolate is offering curbside pick up of its famed bon bon boxes and bundles of chocolate bars, plus other goodies.
Brunch and booze to-go
Server Julie Swartzentruber tells a customer their dessert options over the phone at 5 Points Market & Restaurant. They're doing curbside pickup for their pastries as well.
Mother's Day brunch isn't canceled, you'll just have to enjoy it at home this year. If you're not a whiz in the kitchen, let the experts help out:
• 5 Points Market & Restaurant is a one-stop shop for brunch dishes, pastries, flower bouquets, self-care items, pantry items and more. You can put together some of mom's favorites and pick them up curbside or have them delivered.
• The Cup Cafe at Hotel Congress has a Mother's Day special offering all you need to serve brunch for four people. The special includes a take-and-bake quiche, spring salad, fresh fruit assortment, maple blueberry scones, mimosa kit and flower bouquet for $70. Call Hotel Congress at 520-798-1618 to place your order. All orders must be placed before 1 p.m. on Friday, May 8. Pick-ups will begin on Sunday, May 10th at 9 a.m.
• The Dutch Eatery & Refuge has breakfast, lunch and cocktails available for carry out and delivery. For Mother's Day they ordered Dear Mom brand sparkling wines that come in the cutest cans and they're delivering those with little notes to let moms know how awesome they are.
• Nook is offering both a ready-to-eat menu and a DIY brunch kit you can take and make from home on Mother's Day for two or four people. The ready-to-eat menu has scones, quiche, avocado toast, fruit and a breakfast hash and is $33 for two or $59 for four. And the DIY kit comes with fruit, pancake batter and syrup, eggs, hash, bacon and all the fixings to build your own shakshuka for $30 for two or $56 for four. You can also add on a mimosa or bloody Mary kit and pastries. Call 520-622-6665 to pre-order or find their full menu online.
• We put together a huge list of 21 Tucson spots to get beer and wine for pick up or delivery.
• The Parish is offering tasty menu items and cocktails to-go and for delivery. Choose from bacon popcorn, gumbo, cast iron corn bread, bunhuggers, cocktails and more.
The Dutch Eatery and Refuge will deliver sparkling wine and a note to your mom.
• Agustin Kitchen's Sunday brunch menu celebrates moms with mimosa and bloody Mary kits, steak and eggs, breakfast wraps, parfaits, croissants and avocado toast.
• Sand-Reckoner has a special Mother's Day package with a bottle of the Arizona vineyard's Rosé and a Bloom Maven bouquet for $74. Order the package online and pick up on Saturday May 9. Sand-Reckoner also has popcorn and wine bundles and wine bottles for curbside pick up or delivery.
• Prep & Pastry has lots of its breakfast, brunch and lunch items, plus cocktails including build-your-own mimosa kits available for curbside pick up.
• Ghini's French Caffe has a full menu of dishes and pastries available for pick up and delivery, plus they're currently offering 25 percent off all beer and wine bottles.
• Blue Willow has a selection of Mother's Day dishes including quiche Lorraine, muffins, scones, chocolate cake and carrot cake plus its full menu available for curbside pick up.
• Hacienda del Sol has is offering the works with Mother's Day brunch and dinner available for curbside pick up. Quiche and crepes are part of the brunch menu and prime rib and crab claws are the main entrees for dinner.
• The Arizona Daily Star has a collection of other local brunch ideas featuring details on menus and pricing.
Plants and Flowers
Flowers at Green Things Nursery, 3384 E River Road, on April 10, 2020.
Add to your mom's plant collection or bring her a little splash of color with delivery and pick up from these local nurseries and flower shops.
• Bloom Maven is offering curbside pick up and delivery of Mother's Day bouquets and floral arrangements starting at $50. See the selection and place your order online by Monday, May 4.
• Find a selection of fresh and dried floral arrangements and mom-approved gifts in Thistle's virtual Mother's Day shop. Dried floral arrangements start at $25 and fresh arrangements start at $65. You can choose local delivery or curbside pick up.
• Green Things has veggie starts for gardens, potted flowers and succulents. Plus, you can choose a different pot for a small fee and Green Things will pot it for you.
• Desert Survivors has plants available for pick up. You can see the list of wildflowers, trees, succulents and cacti available for sale online and place your order with the nursery by calling 520-791-9309 or by emailing jim@desertsurvivors.org and nate@desertsurvivors.org.
• Tucson Village Farm is offering fun activities you can do at home. Choose from take-and-make seed packets, color your own TVF buttons or the #QuaranCarrot Social Media Challenge. Just email tvf.seedpackets@gmail.com for templates and questions.
