mother’s day tea

As you may know, Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday, May 8. (Isn’t it amazing that it’s already May?) We had an early and impromptu celebration for my beautiful mom last week while my parents were visiting.

Our menu was incredibly simple, but the table was pretty and I think she felt very loved. We used the same tablecloth as in our Easter pictures (it’s an extra-long tablecloth from Amazon, so it fits our very long tables). I pulled out our mismatched, chipped tea sets and some beautiful linen napkins we found at an estate sale. John picked up some petit fours at the grocery store.

My dad and I made some very kid-friendly sandwiches: peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, and radish slices with butter and salt. (Many people might not consider radish sandwiches to be kid-friendly, but a few of our kids think they’re exotic and special. We told them the sandwiches are French, so they use a French accent when they eat them.) Dad and I cut the grilled cheese sandwiches into fourths and used a biscuit cutter to cut the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into circles. And we chopped some veggies and cheese for a platter of crudités.

The kids made cards for mom, and we bought her some personalized stationery from Minted. (Lately I’ve been wrapping gifts with Chinese newspapers gathered during our San Francisco trip. It’s whimsical and and a great way to recycle!)

If you’re planning to toast an important mom in your life, maybe some part of this easy celebration will inspire you. And if Mother’s Day is hard for you, I hope you’re able to get through this weekend with strength and grace.