It’s not too late to treat mom!
Great last-minute ideas for Mother’s Day gift procrastinators
There’s the traditional brunch, obligatory flowers, the perfume, the “World’s Best Mom” T-shirt. There are so many things to give Mom for Mother’s Day. What’s not an option? Waiting till the last minute and then phoning in the celebration.
If you’re like many, you’ve procrastinated and now you’re panicking about what to do for Sunday. Relax, there’s still plenty of time to plan an experiential gift for Mom. Here are some inspired last-minute things to make Mother’s Day special.
THE NEXT BEST THING TO PARIS>> You wish you could take her to Paris (and I’m sure she wishes you could, too), but what’s a good runner up? Skip the usual omelet brunch and take her for a full-on French dinner at the beautiful, art deco brasserie, Rochambeau (rochambeauboston. com). Urge her to order the French onion soup (made with a real oxtail base and oozing melted gruyere) and a legit steak tartare with confit of garlic aioli that’ll have her swooning.
SOAK UP BOSTON’S EUROPEAN-INSPIRED HISTORY TOGETHER>> If the weather cooperates, take her for a stroll through the Public Garden (boston.gov/parks/ public-garden) — the country’s first botanical garden. The tulips and daffodil beds are looking beautiful already, and the weeping willows are starting to green up nicely. Then exit the park onto Boylston Street. It’s just steps to Bistro du Midi (bistrodumidi.com) — another homage to Euro classics — where you can overlook the park while toasting with chilly rose over a special Mom’s Day menu including smoked white asparagus soup with poached egg and wild mushrooms. SHARE THE FLOWER POWER>> If you haven’t taken Mom to Lilac Sunday at the Arnold
Arboretum (arboretum. harvard.edu), this year is its 112th and it’s time to go. The bad news? It’s crowded. It always is. The good news? It’s incredibly beautiful, with all of the Arboretum’s countless lilac trees in full bloom. Once you’re both so inspired, take Mom for a quick drive to nearby Allandale Farm (allandalefarm. com) to let her pick out her own lilac shrub for her patio
or garden.
PUT THE ‘TREAT’ IN TREATMENT>> There’s still space to book a body treatment or facial at my day spa at Foxwoods, GSpa. I especially love the Garden Mint Algae Scrub & Wrap ($150 on foxwoods.com/hotels/ overview/g-spa/), which organically boosts body firmness and vitality. And with any treatment $80 or more, you get access to the pool, whirlpools and dry sauna. INDULGE HER LOVE OF ART>> With new big deal exhibits now on display (Philip Guston and J.M.W. Turner among them), the Museum of Fine Arts (mfa.org) is back in all its glory. Soak up all of that culture, and then go relax and discuss it with Mom over a lunch in the soaring glass-enclosed courtyard of the museum’s New American Cafe.