Mother's Day Gifts: Show Mama some Love

Mother's Day is coming up and you do not want to be caught out there with no gift for your Mom.  That would not go well! She is that special someone who deserves to be treated well...every day and May 13th will only bring about some extra special treatment! Here are a few gift ideas on how you can celebrate your Mom on her special day through cupcakes, tea and jewelry to name a few.

Cupcakes for Mom
Have kids visit one of my all-time favorite cupcake places, Polka Dot Bake Shop on Saturday, May 12th between 10:30am-1:00pm to decorate a gourmet cupcake for their Mom. Each child will have one-on-one time with expert decorators to create their cupcake masterpiece. Once completed, their cupcake will be placed in a box with a bow, ready to be presented to their #1 Mom. To  reserve your spot or for more information, call 704-523-5001. Spot must be reserved by May 11th.

Chocolate Afternoon Tea
Everyone is familiar with the tradition afternoon tea but The Ritz Carlton-Charlotte takes it up a notch by adding chocolate from their infamous Bar Cocoa. In addition to a selection of loose-leaf teas, the world's greatest Mom will enjoy tea sandwiches and sweet treats like chocolate and salted caramel tart and white cholocate and orange scones.

Cooking with Spices
Treat your Mom to a cooking class at Savory Spice Shop in Southend. The classes vary but the main ingredient is always--you guessed it--spices! Some upcoming classes include How to Make Mustard (May 4th) and Healing Spices (May 17). During the Healing Spices class, you will learn about spices that have a healing effect and Chef Karen will teach you how to make a delicious pizza. These classes book up fast so be sure to secure your Mom a seat soon.

A Day at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens
For Mother's Day weekend, take your special lady to Daniel Stowe Botantical Gardens to enjoy beautiful flowers and fresh air. To honor Moms, their entrance fee will be waived and the first 250 Moms will receive a potted plant from Rountree Plantation Garden Center. Other special activities going on that weekend include a tiffany style stained glass demonstrations by artist Bob Yost and mosaic art demonstrations by artist Pat Groome. These demonstrations will occur on the hour starting at 10 a.m. You can also snag artwork that day and  picnic baskets created by Best Impressions can be pre-ordered (do so by May 7th) to enjoy during your visit.

Jewelry
This may sound cliche but jewelry for Mom never goes out of style. While keeping Mom's style in mind, pick out a small gift at one of the many local jewelry stores around town...and to add a twist to this gift make sure she creates a "wish list" so the next time you want to gift Mom something special you have a few items to choose from. You can have her create her own by writing it down on the spot or most jewelry stores will help you create a list and keep it on file for future purchases.



sources: Polka Dot, Savory Shop, Ritz Carlton, DSBG, prettythings.tumblr.com

Experience: Southern Cake Queen Mobile Cupcakery

This is a dream come true for me- delicious cupcakes that could greet me at my door, by way of a cute pink truck, no less! According to their website, Southern Cake Queen (SCQ) Mobile Cupcakery made its first stop on February 19th in the NODA neighborhood. I first met Owner Emma Merisier at one of her special "stops" during an event at a local boutique. She was bubbly, personable and ready to sell some cupcakes. She did not have to twist my arm--her lemon cupcake was delish!
Giftwise, I could see Emma's truck pulling up to a kiddie birthday party where children gather around for one of her rainbow (vanilla cake w/vanilla buttercream topped with sprinkles) cupcakes or a family reunion or cookout where Pina Colada cupcakes are served to the crowd. Who wouldn't be impressed by their party having its own cupcake service?

In addition, to SCQ Mobile Cupcakery, Merisier has a home bakery where she creates special occaion cakes and other delicious treats like sweet potato pie and pound cake. For more information, visit her site here.

Polka Dot offers free cupcakes!

Many of you know my love of Polka Dot Bake Shop from a previous post I did on the business. In celebration of their two-year anniversary, Polka Dot will open its doors on Sunday, November 22nd (they are usually closed on Sundays) to entice you with a free cupcake.

That's right, stop by Polka Dot and they will give you one of their yummy treats for free. I encourage you to stop by between 1-4pm, pick up a cupcake and purchase one for a friend...or for later:) Trust me you will thank me for the sweet tip. Although, it may add a few minutes to your workout, it is worth it.

Polka Dot Bake Shop is located at 1730 E Woodlawn Rd. Their website is http://www.polkadotbakeshop.com/.

source: polkadotbakeshop.com