What does your mom prefer this May?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

What does the mom in your life prefer? Whether you’re thinking about your wife or your own mom – not to mention anyone who’s given you a motherly nudge throughout your life – consider the gift of travel this may. The Preferred Hotel Group’s Mother’s Day program, IPrefer, offers a unique set of resort escapes at hotels across the United States. The “IPrefer Resort Escapes are valid until July 31, 2010. Sign up online (it’s free), and your favorite mom will enjoy a $75 daily activity credit, breakfast for two every day, a guaranteed room upgrade, late check-in and check-out and complimentary internet access.

Also, every participating resort will have a special amenity waiting for your favorite mom upon arrival. At The Palms Spa, a luxury Aveda spa at The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami, Florida, discounts are available, and the theme is culinary at The Sanctuary Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

Don’t forget your mom!

by Annie Scott on

No matter where you’re traveling this May 10th (cough cough that’s Mother’s Day), it’s easy to send flowers to your mom and any other moms in your life who are special. You don’t even have to call 1-800-FLOWERS, you can just go to 1-800-FLOWERS.com.

They’re making it extra easy this year with their Spot a Mom project. Moms are divided into types like New Mom, Green Thumb Mom, Foodie Mom, Pet Lover Mom, and so on. Just pick your mom’s type and they’ll recommend a bouquet.

Also on spotamom.com, you can submit stories about moms you know for a chance to win the daily $100 gift certificate prize. And, if your story is picked, you might even win a Beaches Resorts trip to Jamaica or the Turks and Caicos — just get lots of people to vote for you.

Don’t. Forget. Mother’s. Day. Yes, you can order this far in advance. Do it now.

Bring mom to flowers for Mother’s Day

by Jamie Rhein on

Several botanical gardens are having Mother’s Day events this Sunday. One of the advantages of going to a botanical garden, I’ve found, is that they usually have wonderful gift shops that are perfect places for picking up that last minute present.

If you’ve forgotten to buy your mother a gift, when she’s not looking, perhaps, when she’s basking in the fragrance of a floral paradise, slip into the shop to buy her a little something. Since the wedding season is upon us, pick up a wedding gift as well. Here are the first 10 botanical gardens I came across that listed a Mother’s Day happening. Nine are in the U.S. and one is not.

(This photo is from a tribute to redbuds and mothers at the Children’s Garden at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. My mom taught me to love redbuds too, so I thought this fitting.)

  1. Botanical Conservatory, Ft. Wayne, Indiana: Free admission and enjoy the butterflies besides.
  2. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine: Free admission to moms and there’s a special brunch. While your mom is eating, slip out to buy that gift.
  3. Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Cleveland, Ohio: Like the Web site says, the redbuds are in bloom and they’re gorgeous
  4. Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, Belmont, North Carolina: Moms get in free with a paid admission and the first 250 moms get a potted plant.
  5. Denver Botanical Gardens, Denver, Colorado: The Mother’s Day brunch is sold out but you can bring your own picnic.
  6. Fernwood Botanical Gardens, Niles, Michigan: Enjoy music, food and a plant sale.
  7. Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Huntsville, Alabama: Moms can get a hydrangea, as long as they are available. There’s a dinosaur theme going on, but this has nothing to do with your mother.
  8. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia: Free family photo for moms while supplies last and free plants to the first 500 moms who come.
  9. Tuscon Botanical Gardens, Tuscon, Arizona: Mom might like to learn about the dinosaurs here as well.
  10. And one not in the United States: Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. If you took your mother to Australia for brunch, would she be impressed.

If you take your mother somewhere else on Sunday–or if you are a mom–ask for a discount. I got into a museum for free in Lugang, Taiwan once on Mother’s Day because I could claim motherhood. The museum gave me a rose as well. The one catch is, I think you probably need to have your child with you.

Word for the Travel Wise (05/14/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Word around town is it’s Mother’s Day and since we here at Gadling love mom’s worldwide I figured I’d provide you with a number of ways to wish your own mum the happiest of days. The New York Public Library online has a list of greetings and expressions for several holidays so use it today and then prepare for Father’s day just around the corner. Here’s a just few from their list:

  • Catalan – Feliç Dia de la Mare
  • Dutch – Gelukkig Moederdag
  • Hebrew – Yom ha’em sameah
  • Italian – Buona festa della Mamma
  • Japanese – Haha nohi omedeto
  • Norwegian – Mors dag
  • Russian –  S dnëm Materi

And again, Happy Mummies day to all the mummies of the world!!!!