Mother's Day 2021: Ideas for a memorable celebration with mom

Mother’s Day around the world

Here are how some countries outside of the U.S. normally celebrate their own versions of Mother's Day:

LOS ANGELES - Mother’s Day, much like last year, may look different than normal. Whether you are seeing your mom in person or socially distancing due to the pandemic, the special occasion doesn’t need to involve huge crowds.

Here are some ideas to still make the day extra special:

Gardening together

Sign up for a virtual flower arranging class or plant a garden together. It’s the perfect mother-daughter activity — and it won’t break the bank. Plus, it’s a great stress reliever. Break out your seeds and gardening gloves and show off your green thumb to mom.

Virtual spa day

Pack up all of the spa-day essentials and send them to mom. Candles, essential oils, bath salts and throw in a bath bomb. Once it arrives, set up a virtual spa date with her and chat while using some of her favorite face masks and exfoliators.

Personalized video message

Create a video of compiled Mother’s Day messages and send it via email, WeTransfer or just through a simple text. Here are a few video editing apps that are easy to use, and also allow the user to do it all on a phone:

Movie date

Stay home, relax and watch your favorite movie with your mother. If you won’t be seeing your mom in person, there’s an extension for Google Chrome called NetflixParty. You can download the extension on your browser and it enables you to chat and have synchronized playbacks so whatever you see, your mom sees. Pick a movie she’s been wanting to watch or dig into the archives for a classic from your childhood — she’ll just love spending time with you.

Fitness class or outdoor workout

Does your mom like to work out? Enjoy the great outdoors with a run or hike with mom. Or, help yourself and your mom get fit and stay healthy by attending a virtual fitness class.

YouTube is home to thousands of yoga and pilates videos that are easy to follow. Working out at home has become a popular pastime during quarantine, so even if you won’t be seeing your mom this year, send a link and have a workout session together.

Brunch date

You and mom can enjoy a yummy brunch at home or outdoors at your favorite restaurant. If you’ll be socially distanced from your mom, don’t worry! Order food and mimosas from the same restaurant and video chat while eating a delicious breakfast/lunch. There are many food delivery apps to choose from. There are also hundreds of Mother’s Day brunch events available online and many of them are free.

Order matching meal kits and cook together

Order yourself and your mom a matching meal kit and cook them together. Whether you are cooking in the same kitchen or setting up a conference call, you can cook the same meal and have a Mother’s Day cooking date.

Learn together

Learn some new techniques with mom by attending a virtual cooking class or sign up for online classes and refresh your brain with lessons in finance or science. You can also learn a language together: Many apps offer language instruction either at no charge or for a nominal fee.

Virtual wine and cheese tasting

Attend a virtual wine tasting and learn about the different types of wine, all from the comforts of your home. You can also have a variety of cheeses delivered to you and your mom and attend a virtual cheese tasting.

Speaking of wine and cheese, set up a video conference call with all the moms in your life and have a virtual happy hour or cocktail party. Get dressed up, turn up the music and drink responsibly while celebrating all moms.

Customized message from a celebrity

You can have a celebrity send your mom a custom message. Cameo offers a plethora of actors, comedians and even drag queens that can send your mom a memorable virtual Mother’s Day gift.

Virtual museum tour

Even if your favorite museum is still currently closed, you and your mom can go on a virtual museum tour at institutions all across the globe. From New York to Paris, here are just a few museums that offer a virtual tour service:

Gifts that make you feel closer

There are a number of gifts that can help you feel closer to your mom with just the touch of a button. There are bracelets that change colors or vibrate to let the other person know you miss them. There’s even a long-distance friendship lamp set that changes colors to show whoever has the other lamp that you are thinking about them.

Delivery reminder

Planning on just sending a gift to mom? Remember to keep in mind the delivery delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of businesses have disclaimers at the top of their websites that caution buyers about this hiccup.

Gift cards

If you don’t fancy delivery delays and have a picky mom or one who says, "I don’t want anything" this year, an e-gift card is always a safe bet. You can order an e-gift card to her favorite restaurant and have a virtual dinner date on Mother’s Day via food delivery apps. You can also buy a gift card from your mom’s favorite local business and have her earmark it for a future shopping trip or date.