Parenting

10 Last-Minute Ideas If You Forgot Mother’s Day Is This Sunday

It’s the grown-up version of the macaroni necklace.

By Ellen O’Leary @elle_mno

May 7, 2015

3 minutes to read

Sip Your Way Through the North End on a City Wine Tour

Moms and wine go together like Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy: They’re a match made in heaven and their coupling will probably result in things you didn’t really need to hear. For one day a year, you can grin and bear it with a booze-inspired jaunt around the city. Choose from North End, South End, Back Bay or Sparking Wine tours.
(3 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, $66, check for starting locations at citywinetours.com)
Give Her a Subscription to Birchbox

If your mom still uses the same brand of mascara you tried on as a kid, it might be time for an upgrade, and Birchbox is the perfect way to let her test-drive new products, minus the risk. You can add a personal touch by tailoring it to her, setting preferences to indicate whether she’s “classic’’ or “adventurous’’ as well as information about hair, skin type, and more.
(Birchbox.com, subscriptions for $10 per month or $110 per year)
Finally Walk the Freedom Trail

Stop dragging your feet and go on that walking tour of the Freedom Trail she’s always wanted to do. Grab breakfast at a local café – we suggest the Thinking Cup near the Common. Public tours leave from the Common and Faneuil Hall, but it’s just as fun to go on your own. Whatever you do, just make sure you take 294 steps up the Bunker Hill monument. The view is worth it.
($14-$43 for adults, check the calendar for tour options, times, and dates at thefreedomtrail.org)
Relax on a Mother’s Day Brunch Cruise

The ship is called the Majesty, which sets the perfect pampering tone for her day as you cruise around the Harbor taking in beautiful views of the city. The brunch menu includes pan-seared chicken with tropical salsa, scrambled eggs Florentine, and a cash bar for cocktails.
(Noon til 2 p.m., Sunday, $59.95, boards at 11:30 a.m. from Long Wharf, bostonharborcruises.com)
van Goh to a PaintNite

Moms love wine, and the only thing better than getting a piece of homemade art is getting a piece that’s embarrassingly bad but attached to a sweet memory. Not only will you have a blast during the event, but your terrible rendering of Starry Night will serve as a talking piece and souvenir in one. Bonus: Groupon has a $20 off dead on a two-hour painting session.
($45, Search online for an event near you at paintnite.com)
Awaken Your Inner Art Critic at the Newly Renovated Harvard Art Museums

The trio of the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Sackler Museums were under a multi-million dollar renovation until this past November’s grand reveal. Now, you and your mom can walk around, discuss art and try to remember what the Byzantine Empire was. For those who are lukewarm about modern or abstract art, check out the historical photographs of The Social Museum Collection.
(Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 32 Quincy St., Cambridge, 617-495-9400, harvardartmuseums.org)
Make a Day Out of the SoWa Market

The South End Open Market kicked off this past weekend. Wander around tasting local honey, rifling through antiques, and eating lunch at the food truck of your choice. When Mom finds a unique pair of handmade earrings, you can buy them for her, essentially tricking her into shopping for her own present, but…in a fun way.
(Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 540 Harrison Ave., Boston, newenglandopenmarkets.com)
Give Her Shower-Singing Playlist a Boost with Spotify Premium

With summer approaching, a subscription to essentially unlimited music is another gift she’ll actually use (unless she exclusively listens to T-Swift), and probably wouldn’t think to splurge on for herself. Right now, you can buy your first three months for $0.99, a steal over the 10 bucks you’d normally spend.
($9.99 per month, spotify.com)
Take Her to Dirty Dancing Live

If you haven’t yet planned your Mother’s Day activities, grab tickets for a live performance of Dirty Dancing at the Emerson Colonial Theater on Sunday. Music, dancing, romance…she’ll have the time of her life. Cheap joke, we know. Sorry.
(April 28-May 10, 7:30 p.m., $34, Emerson Colonial Theater, citicenter.org)
Get Her Tickets to a Live Concert

Save Boston Calling for your friends. When mom’s in town, help her relive the Woodstock glory days with tickets to see Crosby, Stills & Nash at the Wang Theater. Stop at Teatro for an upscale pre-show meal, or grab a pint at Jacob Wirth down the street.
(May 19 at 7:30 p.m., $36, Wang Theatre, citicenter.org)