Mediterranean Jasmine Gift Suite by Agraria - Photo Agraria

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and I always find it great cause for celebration to pay homage to the woman responsible for bringing me into this world. My dear, darling Mamma has always been at once a wonderful balance of vulnerability and strength, beauty and brains, kindness and discipline. I owe the woman I have grown up to be to her care and wisdom. 

That said, in these uncertain times those perpetually unselfish mothers of the world do not want their children to go broke while trying to show them a good time. What moms want most this 10th of May is their kids’ time, a celebration that involves some sparkling conversation, good food and a tiny gift as a token of love. 

Lucky for me, I work in a field where inspiration is always available, at times as easy to find as turning on my computer for the day. But for those who may not know about the latest products and best places to eat, I am sharing my plans for this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, something simply divine and worthy of all our loving mothers.

I have personally become addicted to the Mediterranean Jasmine soap from Agraria. I know the intoxicating flower scent will take Mom back to her travels through Morocco and Rajastan, so I have ordered a boxed set of their signature jasmine home fragrance, which includes the soap, a perfumed tassel and liquid essence (see image above) to arrive just in time for our celebration. From now through the end of May, Agraria is offering a US $25 gift card to all registered users on their website. This offer is online only, too good to be true and Mom will love the scent and my wise thriftiness.

Fresh flowers are only as wonderful as the amount of time they remain — oh, how shall I put this — FRESH! I typically shy away from buying beautiful arrangements or ordering a selection online because the poor things arrive to destination already weary and worse for the wear. Within hours, the whole bouquet is ready to be dried and frugal moms are complaining about their children’s missed money sense. A great solution to this dilemma is the godsend bbrooks fine flowers, an online service with member florists who are carefully chosen by these flower agents of sorts. You order the selection and color scheme, indicate what kinds of flowers mom likes and which ones make her sneeze and the folks at b.brooks find a local florist on their selective list to fulfill the order, pronto! Their products are always guaranteed fresh and the creations go from breathtaking to spellbinding.

So, we have flowers and gift covered, all that is left is conversation and the food. For the former, it’s enough to ask mom how her week has been going. If yours is anything like mine, she will open up to share with you all the latest headlines, throw in some insight on the book she has been reading and mix it all up with some light gossip about family, friends and the man you used to date. As far as food, well here in NYC — and now in Las Vegas as well — there is one company which always comes to mind, for a reliable brunch which will not cause a hole in your purse. B.R. Guest Group offer a variety of restaurants, for all tastes and palates. From the Mexican Dos Caminos, to the marine Blue Water Grill, to Isabella’s on the Upper West Side, I have yet to have a bad meal in any of their eateries. Oh, and they have recently been certified “Green Restaurants”, which is one more reason to eat there.

So, go ahead, make your Mother’s day!