Friday Five
Shelter-in-place is going to change a lot of our favorite summer holidays, starting with Mother’s Day on May 10 — womp, womp. But that doesn’t mean it’s #canceled — given everything they’re probably juggling right now, there’s even more reason to pamper the moms in your life.
This year, we’re tasked with finding new, pandemic-proof ways to celebrate — and there are plenty of ways, even though your tried-and-true brunch at your favorite restaurant, or surprise tickets to a concert or sporting event, are off the table. We’ve found a bunch of unique gifts to buy that both support local businesses and give mom a unique gift with Bay Area-flare. If you’re looking for other ideas, check out 20 ways to shop online locally here, and don’t forget to order takeout.
Sign-up for The Bold Italic newsletter to get the best content about life in the Bay Area in your inbox every week. What could go wrong?
1. Shelter-in-place spa day
Staying at home this year means making sure mom is doing all the #SelfCare. While she can’t go to the salon, you can bring it to her. San Francisco spa Skin Remedy is offering virtual facials — essentially, for free, anyone can consult with one of their estheticians, and then they’ll send the necessary products for a facial at home, which will cost around $200 ( if you spend $50 on one of their Botnia product line for Mother’s Day, you’ll get a free delivery of flowers, too.) If that’s a bit steep or you’re looking to get creative, you could also put together a basket of things to pamper herself with from local shops — ideas include jade rollers, hand cream, or a sleep mask from Russian Hill boutique shop SF Picnic (free shipping in SF), skin and body care from budget-friendly SF-based Cocokind, and throwing in a card and herbal tea from Foggy Notion.
2. All the wine, please
Chances are, if your mom likes wine, she is liking it even more during the current state of affairs. A gift to a wine club could be the best pandemic Mother’s Day gift of all, and lots of local options to spruce up her evening drink. Oakland’s beloved Ordinaire wine shop offers a box of wine each month with tiered options ($50 for 2 bottles of seasonal wine; $75 for two bottles that are more “esoteric”; and $125 for all four.) The quaint Swirl on Castro also offers a wine club with local and curated wines ($50 for two bottles a month, $73 for three bottles, and $100 for four.)
Another option if you want to source from different wineries is to pay $92 for a one-time Women-Owned Wineries subscription, which sends members three bottles of wine from three different female-owned wineries.
3. Don’t forget the flowers
Whatever you get mom, you’re going to need flowers to accompany it. Lucky for us, the much beloved SF Flower Mart (a flower wholesale market) is partially opening up. It’s not open to the public, but vendors can source from it. A few of our favorites that are opening for online orders and curbside pickup are Delano Nursery in Daly City, and Marigold in the Mission, which will be delivering bouquets that are ordered in advance. Farmgirl Flowers, which ethically sources flowers from local farms, are available to deliver pre-made bouquets, too.
4. Help her stay busy
Living in a pandemic can mean taking up hobbies you wouldn’t have attempted in your normal life. Some people have turned to baking sourdough bread. Others are learning to play an instrument. If mom falls into the latter category, perhaps consider signing her up for a private Zoom music class offered by the Fort Mason Center’s Blue Bear School of Music. The organization is offering various digital classes ($75 per lesson, or $290 for four.) Another option: an interactive online cooking class. San Francisco Cozymeal is offering a virtual $39 paella-making class or a $29 pizza-making class. You could also consider gifting a digital membership to The Assembly, a women’s only fitness and co-working space that has pivoted to being a digital wellness club during the shelter-in-place — offering everything from virtual yoga classes to Reiki healing events and other seminars to stay cultured.
5. Spruce up the house
Last year was the year we Konmari-d our homes. This year is the time we fill them back up with stuff so we can Konmari them again in another 10 years. Since mom is spending a lot of time at home, it’s a great time to get her a little something to bring new energy to her space — when you do, consider buying local. SF’s General Store is a perfect spot for getting beautiful and unique home decor, including dishes, blankets, coffee-table books, and plant holders. Rare Device has an entire section of its website dedicated to Mother’s Day gifts — check on its neon prints that will brighten up any space. And there’s always Big Daddy’s, where you can virtually shop for antiques that will impress any mother.
