ML Interest Tag: baby-advice

Because She’s Worth It: 11 Ways to Celebrate Mom in the DMV

by Meghan Yudes Meyers

Put a reminder on your calendar for May 9 because before you know it, Mother’s Day will be here. For many moms, it’s a welcome day of pampering and acknowledgment, flowers and homemade cards. Traditionally, it’s an opportunity for a delicious brunch, but the DC area (and beyond) offers so many more ways to celebrate: tours of historic homes, champagne toasts and even a flying circus act. Here are 11 ways to celebrate Mom on her big day. 

Practicing Ikebana at H St. Farms

David Brooke Martin via Unsplash

Instead of handing mom a simple bouquet this Mother's Day, sign her up for this class where she can relax over the meditating practice of Ikebana. Mom will learn about the history of this Japanese art form while learning how to structure simple, elegant arrangements. 

Cost: $35-45
When: May 9, 1-2 p.m. 
Where: H St. Farms (Rooftop), 910 Bladensburg Rd. NE, H Street Corridor 
Online: eventbrite.com

A Private Showing at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

iStock

Let Mom skip meal prep on her big day and take her for dinner and a movie. Mom will feel like the star she is when you roll out the red carpet at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema with a private screening of her favorite film. For $150, you can rent a screening room at either the Woodbridge or Loudoun location and choose from dozens of classic films for your big event. Get ready to indulge in endless buckets of popcorn and their classic milkshakes (yes, they do have adult versions!). Note: there is a minimum food purchase of $150 for private screening events. 

Cost: $150
When: By appointment 
Where: Woodbridge: 15200 Potomac Town Place, Woodbridge, VA; Loudoun: 20575 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn VA,
Online: drafthouse.com

Weekend at Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

George Washington is often called the father of our nation, so spend Mother’s Day with the mother of our country, Martha Washington – or at least at the place she called home. Tour the house where they lived and entertained in a spectacular aqua-colored room that doesn’t look a day older than its 200-plus years. Meander through the property’s well-kept and blooming gardens. There are plenty of places for that perfect family photo op, too.

Cost: $28/adult, $15/child age 6-11, free/child 5 & younger
When: Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon
Online: mountvernon.org

Take Flight with The Flying Circus

Daniel Eledut via Unsplash

Let's be honest, there are plenty of days when mom feels like the ringmaster of her very own circus. That's why Mother's Day is the perfect time to celebrate her daily juggling and nimble acrobatics. The Flying Circus, the airborne show that takes place every Sun. from May-Oct. in Warrenton, VA, is celebrating mom with a special flower drop on Mother's Day. And if you're celebrating a daredevil, you can sign mom up for a biplane ride before or after the show. 

Cost: $15/adults, $7/children 5-12, free/under 5
When: May 9, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 
Where: Flying Circus Aerodrome, 5114 Ritchie Rd., Bealeton, VA 22712
Online: flyingcircusairshow.com

Champs at the Mansion on O Street

The Mansion on O Street via Yelp

Keep the history buff happy with chocolate, champagne and a tour of the quirky Mansion on O Street. After indulging in a bit of bubbly, tour the mansion, made of five interconnected townhouses, more than 100 rooms and 70 secret doors. It dates to 1892, and the rooms offer varying architectural, artistic and design periods, ranging from the Victorian Age to Art Deco.

Cost: $40/person
When: May 9, 11 a.m.
Where: 2020 O St., NW
Online: omansion.com

Tourat Darnall’s Chance House Museu

Prince George's County Parks & Recreation

One more for the history lover, this location is fitting for moms because its goal is to show what colonial life was like for former owner Lettice Lee and the other women who lived there. Youngsters can have a chance to fight for independence during a hands-on program and pretend to be part of a spy mission for Washington (there he is again!).

Cost: $5/adult, $2/child ages 5-18, free/child ages 4 and younger, $4/senior
When: Sat.-Sun., noon-4 p.m.
Where: 14800 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro
Online: pgparks.com/3055/Darnalls-Chance-House-Museum

Weekend at Clark’s Elioak Farm

Viva C. via Yelp

Recently reopened for the season, this farm offers a cow train, pony rides and a chance to pet farm animals. Plus, there are the Enchanted Forest attractions, which features larger-than-life features of classic fairytales. For instance, there’s the Cinderella pumpkin coach, Mother Goose, Papa Bear and the Old Woman’s Shoe, to name a few. Don’t forget to wish a happy Mother’s Day to all the new animal moms on the farm!

Cost: $8/person ages 12 months & up
Hours: Tues.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: 10500 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City
Online: clarklandfarm.com

Tour Rippon Lodge

Rippon Lodge

Tour at all Prince William County’s historic sites Hang onto your historian and take mom on a tour of the county’s many notable sites. For instance, take a guided tour of Rippon Lodge (15520 Blackburn Road, Woodbridge; $5/adult, $3/active military), built in 1747. Besides the house, there are walking trails and formal gardens. Or head to Lucasville School (10516 Godwin Drive, Manassas), a reconstructed one-room schoolhouse that interprets post-Civil War African American education in the county. Cost: Free for mothers and children under 6 When: May 11-12, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Where: Online: pwcgov.org

Virtual Tea with Green Spring Gardens

Mareefe from Pexels

This year, Green Spring Gardens will be hosting their Mother's Day tea virtually, but you can still stroll the gardens when you pick up your take-home tea box. Take mom to this historic property for a chance to take a family stroll through the gardens, which include a greenhouse and wooded stream valley. Before you go, grab mom's tea box and pour her a cup to enjoy at home while she logs on to Green Spring Gardens' Bringing Up Baby lecture, an entertaining and fun look at some of the absurd baby advice mothers have been given over the years. 

Cost: $12/lecture, $24/tea box, free/ground tours
When: May 9, 2 p.m. for the lecture & tea; dawn-dusk for Green Spring Gardens grounds
Where: 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria
Online: fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/green-spring

Mother’s Day Cruise Aboard the Odyssey

Odyssey Cruises Washington DC

Depending on the time of day, take a two- or two-and-a-half-hour cruise along the Potomac River, seeing historic DC landmarks from the water. All three cruises have live music and dancing. The brunch buffet includes choices such as smoked salmon and build-you-own Belgian waffle, while the lunch menu offers prime rib, salmon and a dessert station. The dinner cruise offers a plated menu featuring lobster soup, jumbo lump crab cakes, braised beef short rib and a salted caramel cake with dark chocolate ganache.

Cost: $99.90/children; $109.90/adults 
When: May 9
Where: 600 Water St., SW
Online: odysseycruises.com

Breakfast Boards at Bluemont Vineyards

Bluemont Vineyards

For get basic brunch. Bluemont Vineyards is creating family-style breakfast boards little fingers can help themselves to. Loudoun Valley serves as a scenic backdrop while you enjoy breakfast and wine service. Established in 2007, the vineyard has seven varietals of grapes and produces an average of 6,500 cases of wine each year. Note: Reservations are required.

Cost: $20/person 
When: May 8-9, 11 a.m.-noon 
Where: 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont, VA
Online: bluemontvineyard.com

—Meghan Yudes Meyers an Stephanie Kanowitz

featured photo: Pexels 

 

RELATED STORIES:

28  Gifts Moms Really Want for Mother’s Day

13 Mother’s Day Gifts You Can Totally Pull Off

 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Fool-Proof Phrases to Deflect Unwanted Baby Advice

By Lisa Aihara

Among the other secret hidden joys of parenting like explosive poops and… well, pretty much all the poops, no one warned me of the advice hurricane coming inbound as soon as my egg has been fertilized. No joke, in the few months between announcing my pregnancy and the baby’s arrival, I heard alllllll the cliché advice, phrases, and jokes a thousand times over.

I imagine it’s the same feeling someone has towards a joke about their name (“Oh man, haven’t heard THAT ONE before Jim!”), or the marriage advice you started hearing when you got engaged (“Wait, so just to be clear, should I go to bed angry or NOT go to bed angry?”) And trust me, it doesn’t end with the pregnancy because, at every stage of development or ailment of the day for your little bug, there is a lady at the grocery store coaching you on what to do.

Over the years, I got pretty tired of smiling politely and nodding while grinding your teeth down to a powder, so I began to amass a list of fun conversation killer responses—which means you don’t have to listen to another second of that unsolicited advice.

And to be fair, yes, sometimes the advice that you get is actually just small talk because that person actually doesn’t care about your baby (spoiler alert: no one really does, not really, but that’s another post). With that said, these phrases are a nice way to put both of you out of your misery so you could just get back to gossiping about a mutual acquaintance instead, guilt-free.

Respond: “Oh, is that what you did with your kids?”

This is especially effective for your coworker Stacy who you know doesn’t have kids but has the expertise and confidence of an incompetent regional manager. The conversation might then play out like this:

Stacy: “Oh no, I don’t have kids remember!” You: “Oh that’s right…”

Don’t let the silent moment scare you, just let that last bit trail off. The beauty of this is, Stacy likely won’t get the joke even after all of this, but your coworker who happened to be getting coffee at the same time will be trying super hard not to start laughing, at which point you can catch her glance and talk about Stacy over lunch later. It’s a phrase that keeps on giving.

Respond: “That’s so interesting, I JUST read a study that found the exact opposite! I guess we just gonna see what sticks, huh?” 

Confidence is key with this one, and just say it as matter-of-factly as you can, no judgment on the statistic or best practice or whatever that the other person cited. The thing is, most likely there has been a study done, and even if there hasn’t been they’re not gonna know, they’re just filling the moment with jibberish anyway. This is especially nice for the aunties at a family gathering because you don’t want to be mean to them, they’re just being nice and mean well, but you also want them to know there is more than one right way to do things. No matter what they believe.

Respond: “Do you think so? Only if they could talk!”

I want you to do me a favor and start a note on your phone where you tally the number of times someone tells you they think your baby is cold. It’s of course pretty rampant in the winter, but I kid you not someone asked me if I thought the baby was cold in July when he was red and sweaty because he wasn’t wearing socks (which he pulled off, mind you, because surprise, he was hot). These statements are especially annoying since they’re usually a pretty captain obvious kind of observation. So hold yourself back from screaming “Wow do you really think that I, the parent, the only person besides my partner in this whole entire world who actually cares about my child, haven’t thought of that? Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention!” and just ham it up. But don’t worry, I see you, and I thought the same thing too. It’ll be our secret.

This phrase especially comes in handy if you’re holding the baby because you can use the baby as a prop and ask her the question as a show to lighten the mood. If you’re lucky she’ll do something funny like foam at the mouth or something which gets the people going every time, and the conversation has been diverted.

Respond: “You know, we’re just lucky to have him here and healthy so we really can’t ask for or have thought about anything more than that.”

This usually shuts them up pretty quick too because like, it’s true, and what is anyone supposed to say to that without being a royal jerk. This response is effective for all the seemingly innocent but pretty judgmental generalizations and assumptions people make about things like gender preference or timing of arrival, or just to get you out of discussing topics you just don’t want to like names you may have picked out or whether you’ll breastfeed. Some people don’t mind sharing these details and that’s totally okay too, but having a way to get you out of things you don’t feel comfortable talking about is a fantastic tool to have in your belt.

Practice these in your most innocent delivery, and enjoy the silence that ensues.

Lisa Aihara is a writer and artist based in Los Angeles. When she's not busy keeping her toddler alive, she's growing another human and has no time for any BS. For an honest, practical take on motherhood, relationships, and just life's struggles through comics and stories, follow her on Instagram and her Blog.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Free Baby Shower Games for Your Next Celebration

by Haley Burress

Don’t break your baby-shower budget purchasing supplies for games to keep guests entertained. Save a few bucks and still have a fun celebration with baby shower games you can pull together with things you may already have, or by firing up your printer. Here are a few of our favorites—along with links to some free printables!

Give Timely Advice
Set out colorful index cards and pens, and label mason jars with tags like “Newborn Days,” “Toddler Drama,” “Kindergarten Already?” and “The Teen Years.” Guests can write an encouraging note or piece of advice for the mom-to-be that applies to the different categories and slip the paper into the corresponding jar. Months or years later, when mama is tending to a baby who’s wide awake at 4 a.m. or wondering how her child is already in kindergarten, she can take comfort in words of wisdom from loving friends and family.

Hey Diddle Diddle
Find out if your guests remember their nursery rhymes by passing out this free printable. Available in multiple colors to meet your shower theme, this quiz asks participants to complete 15 familiar nursery rhymes. Set a timer for 5 minutes and see who can guess the most.

Who Is That Baby?
This game gets guests chatting. Ask attendees to bring along a baby photo of themselves (or email one to you in advance) and post them throughout the event space. Number each photo and give guests a slip of paper to write down who they think each baby is. The one who gets the most correct wins a prize!

Name the Baby Animal
Ideal for showers with an animal theme, test your guests’ animal kingdom knowledge with this free game printout that has guests guessing the name of all sorts of baby animals, from coyotes to kangaroos. Did you know a baby platypus is called a puggle? We love that this game will get your guests thinking…and laughing!

Apple, Blue, or Chicago?
Test guests’ entertainment knowledge with a quiz on celebrity baby names. Do a quick online search for wacky and recent Hollywood baby names (or make it easier on yourself with this free printable). At the shower, you can either give guests the quiz to complete or make the game interactive by dividing guests into teams to guess the baby names. Read the parents’ names aloud,  and the first team to shake a bottle (fill a bottle you already have on hand with M&Ms) gets to guess the name of the baby.

Baby Diaper Relay Race
If you or your guests have kids, you likely already have a few extra dolls and diapers to spare. Put them to use with a baby diaper relay race. Clear a space, divide guests into teams, and set out the dolls and diapers on separate tables. The first person on each team runs to a table to retrieve the baby doll; the next takes the baby and grabs a diaper; the next takes the baby and diaper and bounces the baby while humming a lullaby; and the final member takes the baby and the diaper and completes a diaper change. This is especially fun for a co-ed shower when men can get in on the action.

What’s in Your Purse
An oldie but a goodie, the What’s In Your Purse (or Diaper Bag) game demonstrates that women are prepared for anything. There are a few ways to play, including giving guests points for various items they have in their purse, such as 1 point for a pen, 5 points for a lipstick, and 20 points for chocolate. Or, ask guests to search their purse for something bizarre, something inappropriate, or something edible. Hand out prizes to the strangest items.

What’s on Your Phone
For a more modern take on the purse game, have guests see how many points their phone is worth! Pass out this printable, which assigns point values to items you’d find on your phone, like whether you have the Pinterest app or a photo of your pet as the background.

Name That Baby Tune
Let guests show off their singing talents (or lack thereof) with a baby-themed edition of Name That Tune. To prepare the game, write song titles on slips of paper and put them in a jar or bowl. Each guest chooses a slip of paper and hums the song until someone guesses the tune. You can choose tunes like Rock-a-Bye Baby, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and other favorite childhood songs. Or choose familiar pop songs with the word “baby” in the title.

Guess the Book
Book-loving guests will love this fun quiz on their favorite childhood literature. Use this free printable, which lists 20 quotes from popular books, such as Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Mama or Daddy?
We love this game in which guests guess if a true childhood story is from Mama’s or Daddy’s past. Before the party, work with the parents-to-be, as well as their parents and siblings, to gather fun stories from their past. Read the stories one at a time and ask guests to guess the star of each story.

Relive Bad Advice
Ask guests to share the worst baby advice they ever received. Then have the crowd choose the winner of the worst baby advice. This game is easy, fun, and sure to get everyone groaning and laughing.

Mommy Mad Libs
Have a little fun coming up with “advice” for the parents-to-be with your own take on Mad Libs. Before the party, write a few paragraphs about babies and motherhood, and leave out some of the nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Have guests call out words as you give them the category and laugh as the mama-to-be reads the final product.

Guess the Baby Item
Gather common baby items, preferably in a variety of shapes, like a bottle, wipes container, and rubber duck. Put each item under a blanket and have guests guess what they are. This is a great one to do at the beginning of the event when people are arriving and mingling. Set up the covered items throughout the event space with a number beside each one so guests can write down their guesses. Hand out prizes to the guests who guess the most correctly.

Who Knows Mama Best?
Pass out this free printable to see which guest knows the most about the mommy-to-be. Or, skip the writing and have guests raise their hand or wave a colorful ribbon when they think they know the answer after you read a question out loud.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement