mother’s day
Is our mom culture ‘grief illiterate’ and past feeling?
According to Nikki McCahon, “Our (over) culture is grief illiterate. Especially in motherhood. When mothers are surrounded by a cultural narrative that tells them that grief has no place in their experience of becoming a mother, they shove that grief down, down, into the deepest darkest parts of themselves, when really, what that grief needs is to be expressed and tenderly seen, heard and held. One of the biggest challenges of mothering can be reconciling your imagined experience with your actual experience. We all come to mothering with a conscious and unconscious ideas, fantasies and rules about what mothering will be like, what kind of mother we will be, what our child will be like and how those around us, like partners, family and friends will be. These conscious and uncons...
Letting our bigger kids know they’re not alone
I slept on my teenage daughter’s bedroom floor last night. It wasn’t a slumber party. It was just all I could do. She’d gone to bed early, as she does on nights she has that option, which aren’t many. I’d gone to bed early, too, but was awakened around 10 by my mom radar, which is almost never faulty. Sure enough, light and sobbing were coming from her room. I went in to find her sitting up in bed, an assigned-reading book from one of her classes open on her lap and tears streaming down her face. She was crying because she was upset because she wasn’t sleeping. She wasn’t sleeping because she was so tired she knew she should be sleeping but she was stressed about needing to sleep, which was keeping her awake. Also, her typical teenage body clock...
Mom Blog: On Being a Good (and Bad) Mother
For the past several years, we have run this article on Being a Good (and Bad) Mother on our mommy blog for Mother’s Day. It is a good reminder of why we’re in this together and you are enough. Every year, mothers are celebrated on that one special May day (which is not to be confused with “mayday,” another word with which mamas are familiar). And every year growing up, I remember my mother was consumed with guilt and inadequacy, the very antithesis of what Mother’s Day is supposed to be about. Was she the perfect mom? Of course not. None of us are. But she loved, sacrificed and cared for her children as best she could. A few years ago, I was at a resale children’s clothing store. As I poked around, the shopkeeper asked the age of my son and she confided...
Denver Deals: Moms Day Out, $25 Live Nation Tickets
I recently spent a girl’s night out at Lob Play Denver. It is a fantastic family place too. Lob is a wildly fun indoor game that blends elements of bocce and golf in a 9-track course full of unique topographies and challenges. Stay tuned for our ticket giveaway! Taco Tuesday at Taco Bell. Taco Bell is celebrating Taco Tuesday with a special deal on Tuesday through June 4. Get a Taco Discovery box for $5. The box includes three tacos: Canina Chicken Crispy Taco, Crunchy Taco, Doritos Locos Taco and a fountain drink. If Movie. You and your family (and IFs) are invited to a free advance screening of the upcoming movie, IF! Screening is held on Saturday, May 11th at Harkins Northfield at 10:30 am. Visit http://gofobo.com/IFMHMDEN to download your com...
Denver Mother’s Day 2024: The Ultimate Gift Guide, Events & Brunch Ideas!
Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 12, 2024, because Mother’s Day is almost here! From unique gifts from your favorite Colorado artisans to brunch to tea, we have the Ultimate Guide to enjoying Mother’s Day in Denver. Don’t miss our annual gift guide and scroll down for Mother’s Day events and brunch. Tip: We will be updating this list frequently so be sure to check back! Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Denver Moms 2024 Wellness Getaways For experiential gifts, there’s nothing better than Colorado’s unique wellness getaways, retreats, programs and clubs. A few of our favorites: Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks offers Shinrin Yoku, the Japanese art of forest bathing, a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests. The...
Celebrate isolated moms in Denver with flowers and gifts
Are you looking for a Mother’s Day gift to show your mom or maternal figure that you are thinking of them? By supporting Volunteers of America’s “I Remember Mama Fundraiser,” you can give in honor of a loved one and, in return, we will mail them your special message for Mother’s Day. This fundraiser supports VOA Colorado’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), which delivers handmade cards, a program with kind messages, goodie bags, and other treats for older women who would otherwise spend Mother’s Day alone. “It is so nice to hear someone ask about my well-being. Receiving the card is the most inspiring thing. I have it on display. This card lifted my spirits. It gave me the energy to go outside and enjoy the nice weather”. – I Remember Ma...
Empowering Creativity: The Scarf Studio Lets Kids Design Smiler-Maker Gifts for Mother’s Day
Move over Hermès, there’s a new wave of scarf designers on the scene this Mother’s Day, and they’re not your typical fashion moguls – they’re kids. The Scarf Studio, a Denver-based company, is revolutionizing the world of fashion by giving children the opportunity to design their own scarves, resulting in truly magical creations. What started as a brick-and-mortar endeavor has expanded into the online space, allowing kids everywhere to turn their artwork into heartfelt gifts for Mother’s Day, birthday and beyond. The process is simple yet enchanting. Grown-ups can visit The Scarf Studio’s website to print out a template. Kids then unleash their creativity using crayons, markers, or paint to design their masterpiece. Once the artwork is complete, adults upload it and...
Memories from the poor kid and the mom who saw me
I was the poor kid growing up. My mom used to send me to birthday parties with no present, just so I could eat. I definitely got to a point where I understood and was embarrassed as hell. In fifth grade, my friend’s mom invited me to sleep over the night before the actual birthday party. When her daughter was in the shower, the mom laid out the toys that she had bought her daughter for her birthday. She let me pick one to wrap and put my name on. I’m 37 now. I am still grateful to that mom. That one act made such an impact on me. Always be kind. If you see someone falling behind, walk beside them. If someone is being ignored, find a way to include them. If someone has been knocked down, lift them up. Always remind people of their worth. &nbs...
Kindness counts: A thank you from a special needs mom
To the mom in the baby water park, I talked to you about your kids. Their behavior struck me in such a way that I did something I normally don’t do, and I asked your son where his mother was so I could have a word with her. We spoke and I don’t think you fully understood how your children and their behavior affected me, so I am writing this.. maybe it will find its way to you and you will know who you are. Maybe it won’t but other moms will see it and maybe take something away from it as well. It may not seem like a big deal to other people. But I do know that there are some people who will really get it. I was at the park with Baylee, my 5-year-old. She is autistic and mostly nonverbal. We were practicing very hard on waiting in line, and she was doing well for th...
A love letter to my mom: “I never understood”
Mom, I never understood why you seemed grouchy on some days 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 and realized how bone-tired you were and underappreciated you felt. I never understood why it took so long for you to get ready 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 and realized you were too busy doing everything to get 𝘶𝘴 ready, and you came last. I never understood why you would say give me five minutes when I wanted to play 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 and just wanted a second to breathe in-between tasks. I never understood why you would lose it over the smallest things 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 and realized it was a buildup of frustration, anxiety, and stress that had you snapping and not the spilled cheerios all over the floor. I never understood why you got mad at me when I got out of bed every ten minutes...
Mom judging: We’re ALL in this together
Breastfed or Formula-fed, sleep training or co-sleeping, potty trained at two or potty trained at four, Stay At Home Mom or Working Mom, iPad or no iPad, epidural or natural birth, c-section or vaginal delivery, made-from-scratch-organic everything or non-organic and order in at times, crawled at six months or crawled at one year, pro-junk food or against junk food, portraying a perfect life on Instagram or embracing your mess, Holding the baby “too much” or “too little,” pacifier or no pacifier, all our kids will struggle with something, whether it’s their mental health, making friends, learning, or a tough diagnosis to name a few, and none of them will be perfect despite all the made-from-scratch food and breast milk we get into their gro...
Best Mother’s Day memory: Taking my mom on a date
This Mother’s Day, how about giving experiences instead of just gifts? This son’s date with his mom is on neither of them will ever forget. After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.” The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my 3 children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late-night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. ...
