About Town: Mother’s Day Weekend

Mother’s Day is Hallmark’s biggest selling holiday, and well it should be. Who else would we spend $11 dollars on an oversized card for? A card that requires extra postage? Yes, you have to actually have to get out of the car, have the card weighed, and then buy the extra postage stamps! (Psst…the Post Office is located on Main St. Red brick building with the mailboxes outside.)

Not only is it Hallmark’s biggest holiday, but it’s one of   Metropolitan Plant Exchange’s, as well. Mother’s Day is Metropolitan Plants’ version of Black Friday; that’s how crowded it gets. And they never disappoint—they have tables and tables filled with the most gorgeous selection of plants at the best prices. They also have cut flowers if you prefer to give mom a bouquet.  Or, you can order flowers and have them delivered right to mom’s front door.

Metropolitan Plant Exchange is located at 2125 Fletcher Ave. in Fort Lee. 201-944-1050.

If it’s a one-of-kind gift you want to get mom but don’t want to deal with the mall traffic, there’s The Craft Lounge. This hidden gem of a gift store is located right down Fort Lee Rd. on Broad Ave. in Leonia. The Craft Lounge has a wonderful selection of jewelry, artwork, clothing, bags, accessories and more, all made by expert (and we mean expert) master crafters. This would be the place Martha Stewart would have founded if Martha Stewart didn’t have a bionically crafted ego. The Craft Lounge even looks like a page out of Martha Stewart Living. 

But let’s talk jewelry. About Town loves, loves, loves jewelry, and we’re going to let you in on a secret—The Craft Lounge is our favorite place to buy jewelry. Oops! Let’s rephrase that. This is our favorite place to have jewelry bought for us. From rings, to earrings, to necklaces and bracelets, the pieces you find here (and they are pieces) you will not find anywhere else. And we guarantee that you’ll get miles of compliments from the pieces you wear. Because the jewelry is designed by master crafters, all the pieces are one-of-a-kind. It’s like buying pieces of original art and wearing them to the A&P. And they’ll keep a “wish list” on file for you for those times when your hubby wants to bring home a surprise that doesn’t actually involve you calling the insurance company and writing a check.

If your mom wears glasses, ask The Craft Lounge for the necklace that holds glasses. It’s a piece of jewelry that holds your glasses when you’re not wearing them and a top ten favorite gift of our mom’s.

The Craft Lounge is located at 324 Broad Ave. in Leonia. 201-944-3311.

If breakfast is your mom’s meal of choice, what better place to take her than to The Original Pancake House? Pancakes, waffles, crepes, omelets, eggs…TOPH has something for everyone, and their coffee is really good (the standard by which we measure all establishments). TOPH can be tough if it’s crowded (and on Mother’s Day, it’s sure to be) because the wait can be crazy long. So, either get there really early or be prepared to wait by bringing something to distract your mom—like your brother’s new girlfriend. 

The Original Pancake House is located at 1638 Schlosser St. in Fort Lee. 201-585-0905.

Instead of waiting on a long line for breakfast, why not take Mom to brunch at Khloe Bistrot, our new fave place in Fort Lee? Not only is it more civilized, but Felix and Nina are cooking up some great dishes that mom will absolutely love. Not only will she love the food, but the place is so chic that she’ll feel like you’ve taken her to a chi-chi Manhattan bistro. It’s B.Y.O.B. (that’s bring your own booze, not bring your out-of-work brother, despite what he says). Mom will just adore the flask-ready drinks and you’ll just adore how relaxed they’ll make her if you remember to add the flask to the ready.

Khloe Bistrot is located at 200 Main St. No.9 (it’s actually right off Main Street in the old Jerry’s Pizzeria space). 201-461-7900.

If Mom’s the outdoorsy type, then take her on a Mother’s Day Hike. There are three hikes going on in the area on Sunday. Eric Nelsen, Historical Interpreter for the Palisade Interstate Park Commission, is leading a hike to the Women’s Federation Monument. This monument, nestled deep in the woods of the Palisades, was built to honor the New Jersey Federation of Women’s Clubs and their crucial role in preserving the Palisades and helping to create the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. About Town will be there! This hike is FREE for all. Meet at 11a.m. at Park Headquarters, Exit 2 off the Palisade Interstate Parkway.

Flat Rock Brook Pond Nature Center is hosting a Mother’s Day Hike that will take mom on a stroll of the trails looking for animal moms, who are hard at work taking care of their young in the wild. Moms are FREE! Registration required. Hike starts at 1:30 p.m. Per person cost: $5 for members, $8 for non-members.

Flat Rock Brook Pond Nature Center is located at 443 Van Nostrand Ave. in Englewood. 201-567-1265.

Tenafly Nature Center is also hosting a Mother’s Day Hike that will begin at 10 a.m. Stroll through the trails and see spring in bloom! Moms and members are FREE. Non-members are $5. Registration is required.

Tenafly Nature Center is located at 313 Hudson Ave. in Tenafly. 201-568-6093. 

Hopefully the weather will hold out for mom on Sunday. If not, how terrible is it to spend the entire afternoon going through all your baby pictures? It’s mom’s day, after all!