Sadly, moms in Toronto will be having a second Mother’s Day in lockdown. After the past year, it’s now more important than ever to support our local, small businesses. Below, you will find a list of some of my favourite Mother’s Day gift ideas from local small businesses in Toronto.
This past year has been incredibly difficult for everyone. Motherhood has also been particularly challenging for many of us, and we have had to take on more than ever. We have had to juggle work and childcare simultaneously, as schools and daycares were closed. On top of that, we were isolated from our ‘village’ and support networks. So now is the perfect time to show some appreciation and love to the mom in your life.
Personally, I became a mother for a second time in July 2020. I am so grateful that my mother, who lives in another province, was able to stay with us for a couple of weeks when my son was born, in between the first and second wave of the pandemic here in Toronto. Since then, we have only been able to chat and see her on FaceTime (thank god for technology!).
Needless to say, we have all had quite a year. One little thing we can all do to help, is to shop local and show our love to small businesses.
A Mother’s Day Bouquet
I know, I know, this is the typical mother’s day gift, but who doesn’t love a beautiful flower arrangement?!
I love Bloom Bar Studio, where you can order a Wine and Blooms package, including a beautiful spring arrangement and a bottle of wine to be delivered on Mother’s Day weekend within the Downtown Toronto core and the GTA.
Another of my favourite local independent florists is May Flowers . Their Mother’s Day collection this year includes beautiful arrangements inspired by iconic TV moms from TV shows we’ve been binging on over the past year, such as the Moira Rose, the Mother of Dragons, and the Lorelai Gilmour.
A Thoughtful Gift Basket
I love Caribou Gifts, a gift company owned and founded by a local Toronto mom, who prioritizes products by Canadian and women-owned businesses. A percentage of all sales is donated to community-based charities. Their Mother’s Day collection includes a variety of gift baskets for various tastes, such as the Spa-Inspired gift basket, the Coffee-Lover’s gift basket, the Chocolate and Strawberries gift basket, and more. Prices range from 25$ to $350, and orders can be customized. Visit https://caribougifts.ca/collections/mothers-day to shop their collection.
Mother’s Day Brunch
Help support your local favourite brunch spots by ordering a Mother’s Day brunch via takeout or delivery.
My favourite local brunch spot is Emma’s Country Kitchen, located on St-Clair Avenue West. They offer take out and delivery of their brunch menu items, such as their amazing pancakes. I highly recommend the pancake party pack which includes 4 different types of delicious pancakes. We ordered it recently for my husband’s birthday, and we all loved it.
Another favourite of mine is Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, in Liberty Village . You can order from their brunch menu for pick-up, or delivery via uber eats or doordash. Or if you want to put effort in cooking up your own Mother’s Day brunch, you can order the Mildred’s Pancake Motherlode, which includes all ingredients necessary to recreate a Mildred’s Mother’s Day brunch at home.
Tea and Scones
My mother and I had a lovely time once at Kitten and the Bear, a little Tea and Scones shop, located at 1414 Dundas St. West. This Mother’s Day, you can order a Mother’s Day Scone Gift Bundle (available for pick-up) which includes Scones, a jar of Strawberry & Rose preserve, a jar of whipped Crème Fraîche, a Gift Wrapped Box of Nadia & Co. Handcrafted Truffles, a Caddy of Kitten and the Bear House Blend Tea, and a Bottle of TÖST. They also offer a variety of other Mother’s Day gift ideas here: https://www.kittenandthebear.com/collections/mothers-day
Fitness for Mama
For the fitness-loving mama, get her a subscription for an online fitness program especially designed for moms. I love my membership to Mama Reset, founded by local Toronto Moms and fitness trainers Laura Wood and Dara Bergeron . They offer a variety of on-demand fitness videos in different lengths and styles and intensities, as well as a bunch of great bonuses, all tailored to new moms.
You can also sign her up for a special Mother’s Day yoga session. Breathe Yoga and Wellness Centre, located in the Junction is hosting a special online Mother’s Day Movement and Meditation class that is suitable for moms and kids of all ages.
A Memorable Photo Gift
Nowadays, we all have a million photos on our phones, but rarely print them out to actually enjoy them. I love using a special occasion such as Mother’s Day as a great excuse to create a new photo book to look back on life’s beautiful moments. Or pick one or a few beautiful family photos to print out on canvas to display at home.
Order a custom photo book or gift (check out their Mother’s Day 30% off special) from local Toronto business Pikto here: https://www.pikto.com/ca
Books by the Rebel Mama
For the new mama, get her THE REBEL MAMA’S HANDBOOK FOR (COOL) MOMS (new 2020 edition), and GET YOUR $HIT TOGETHER, The Rebel Mama’s handbook for financially empowered moms, written by local Toronto moms and bloggers Aleksandra Jassem & Nikita Stanley. Both books are full of funny, interesting and useful advice to help new mamas navigate through motherhood and managing a family. Available from Indigo, amazon and other book retailers.
A Beautiful Inspirational Print
I am a fan of the ‘Femme’ positive I AM Affirmation Cards set from Love Powered Co., a small business owned by two local moms. I try to pick one every day to keep me feeling positive and inspired. For Mother’s Day, you can purchase a beautiful 8 x 10 (unframed) print with one of 5 inspirational quotes by Sarah Nicole of The Birds Papaya, for Mom to hang up and be inspired every day. As a bonus, 50% of the profits will go to Women in Crisis Charities. https://www.lovepoweredco.ca/products/sarah-nicole-x-love-powered-collection
I hope you’ve enjoyed the list of Mother’s Day gift ideas above, and were inspired to shop local this Mother’s Day!