My Fav Mother’s Day: An Easy, Thoughtful (and almost fancy) Breakfast In Bed

By
Shana
-
15
31992

Over the years, my husband has developed a…formula, if you will, for celebrating Mother’s Day that knocks my socks off. It’s meaningful, affordable, and starts the day off with the rosiest of glows so that it really doesn’t matter what else we do. We tend to do this instead of traditional gifts, per se. (If we did gifts, then hypothetically I’d want this. In copper. Mike.)

But our usual Mother’s Day morning is simple, really. Simple and genius, and based on breakfast in bed. The crucial components are:

  1. Coffee (duh)
  2. Something special to eat – This could be chocolate croissants fresh from the oven (Trader Joes’ makes some yummy ones, but my favorites are from Williams-Sonoma), fancy little baked goods from the French bakery, a box of chocolates, a gorgeous quiche — the goal is to treat Mama to something that’s out of the ordinary.
  3. Art (done by the kids, obviously)
  4. Flowers (or a plant)
  5. Something FANCY – This is the big one. A pretty tray, a cool new mug, special cloth napkins…these go a long way to making an epic Mother’s Day morning. One year they even surprised me with a new picnic basket, filled with fresh croissants, strawberries, and a pretty new tablecloth that we promptly spread out on the bed. Or heck — even a group of balloons would work! The point is this: BRING THE PARTY.

NOTE: This article was originally published in 2017…and since then, we’ve been faithfully sticking with this formula — it always works. Here’s our 2023 update.

For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
 
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.
 
For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.

Breakfast In Bed: A Pretty Darn Perfect Mother’s Day Gift

Mike now has Mother’s Day down-pat, but notice that my oldest is NINE. (*Now…FOURTEEN.) There’s nothing wrong with giving a little…nudge in the right direction. I’m a firm believer in crystal-clear communication.

For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.

shop DIY Mother’s Day morning

1. Start With The Basics…

Beach blankets (as tablecloths), picnic baskets, trays — find something to delineate the special Mother’s Day ZONE.

Blankets, Throws or Towels (To Define The ZONE)

Pretty Trays To Transport The Goodies…

…Or Maybe A Practical Picnic Basket Or Portable Table

2. Make Breakfast In Bed A Little Fancy…

A special coffee mug (or a cool travel one if you’re worried about spills), pretty napkins, cute vases for flowers or succulents, a fun frame for your kiddo’s art, and a gorgeous plate (or cutting board) to hold the goodies — these are all easy ways to add a little pizazz.

First Things First: The Coffee (Or Tea)

…Use a Special Mug

…AND A Pretty Napkin

Then Add Something Green

Lastly, Extra Credit…

3. Get Yourself Prepped With Cute Pajamas

We’ve been working hard all year. Nothing wrong with splurging on a cozy little something before the big day. My top picks are virtually any of these gorgeous PJs from local designer, Printfresh (you can see them on us here, and shop our TME collab with them here). They’re gorgeous and a such a joy to wear.

NOTE: Anthro does have some Printfresh in stock (see below), but there’s much more availability on the Printfresh website.

The Prettiest Printed Pajama Sets

Solids & Stripes

Just for fun, here’s my personal Mother’s Day wish list….

For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.

shop my wish list

High-five, Mamas. Here’s to us.

xo,
S

Photo credits: Redfield Photography

Heyy, Pinners…

For us Mamas, there's a simple (yet genius) Mother's Day gift idea that wins the morning w/ the fam. Here's how to make breakfast in bed somethin' special.

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15 COMMENTS

  4. LOVED Pax’s whole deal – the in-character thing, his incredibly sweet description of his art – all of it. And Raines too. And your writing! Just fantastic as always. I enjoy the content a lot – but I enjoy your brilliant writing even more. Thank you, Shana!!

  5. Oh my word this makes me nostalgic! My boys are now teens and oh how I miss these snuggles! Enjoy these moments. Question- I am on the hunt for a delicate diamond necklace for a Mother’s Day gift something small that can be worn all the time…Any thoughts?

  9. Can I just say I love y’all? 🙂 I agree…I got over the idea that my husband was supposed to magic up exactly what I wanted a long time ago!

  10. Funny. I came to comment that I could have sworn this post was from last year bc I remembered it so well and then saw earlier comments from 2017 so I guess it’s an evergreen kind of thing.

  11. Ugh hate to be a downer but I dread Mother’s Day every year. I wasn’t able to have kids of my own yet I feel I’ve been very motherly to many in my life, as an aunt, a step-mom, a fur mom, a friend and even a daughter. But I don’t get the recognition that all the women who went through labor do. It sounds petty but it makes me sad and over the years I’ve really learned to hate Mother’s Day.

  13. Janine, I have two close friends all the way back from middle school. They were the responsible ones of the group, “motherly” even as teenagers. They both married but never had children. I think of them every year on mother’s day. This year I’ll make sure to let them know. I am sure you are special to many people in your life.

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