It’s hard to believe it’s already May and that Mother’s Day is just around the corner. There are lots of ways to meaningfully celebrate without falling for the usual flower bouquet and generic card. Read on for ideas!

Farmers’ Market Fun: Spend the morning at a farmers’ market with your mom or your kids for fresh produce, baked goods, and other local delicacies. Enjoy a picnic in the park with your delicious finds. Browse through this list to find a market near you. 

Garden Day: If your mom’s a gardener, take her to the local garden centre to find a new plant or two for her garden. Spend the afternoon planting it or tending to other plants in her or your yard together. Or take a stroll through one of Vancouver’s most loved gardens – Queen Elizabeth Park or VanDusen Botanical Garden.

High Tea Party: Gather a group of your favourite moms, or your favourite friends and their moms, and host a tea party in your home. Serve little sandwiches, cookies, and a selection of tea (or prosecco). It’s an elegant and relaxing way to honour the nurturing women you love. 

Hit the Road: If you’re long overdue for a bit of adventure, enjoy a drive through areas you’ve never been before or the places you know you both love. Venture away from main roads, take side streets, and don’t consult Google (until you’re really lost). Explore farm lands in the Fraser Valley, roll along the windy Sea to Sky, or venture across the border to the views of Chuckanut Drive. 

Photo Love: These days, most of our images are kept in the cloud or on Instagram. Have some of your mom’s best moments or cherished memories printed in a photo book or framed. 

Heart to Heart: This one may be a tear-jerker. Put together a list of questions for your mom that will create a conversation around topics you never thought to talk about. This is based on the book Mum, Tell Me by Elma van Vliet, who sat down with her mom to learn more about her dreams, childhood, and what it was like to be a mother in another time. While it may bring up a lot of emotion, you’ll be glad you spent the time getting to know your mom.

Even More Ideas: Bike ride for two, tour a museum or art gallery, volunteer for a cause, make pottery or other crafts, hike through nature, bake together.

Mother’s Day isn’t about what you buy to show how much you love her, it’s about the time you spend together. And it’s not just a focus for your own mother, it’s a day to honour all the special women in your life – grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends.