Mother's Day Without the Cliche

Showing Mom you appreciate her can be free. And priceless. (Dominic Bracco II - For The Washington Post)

When Julia gave you ideas for Mother's Day brunches last week, she touched on event organizers' penchant for stereotyping what moms want. We'd hate to do the same, so we put the personal touch on this list of ideas for Mother's Day events: we're telling you the things we have in mind for spending time with our moms. Read on to see which of our plans match up with your mom's tastes, or check out more events where you can treat Mom like a queen.

Stephanie: If I weren't ditching my mother to head to Europe this weekend, then I'd carry out our Mom's Day tradition. My mother's an early riser and super active, so that means that this one day a year (at least!) I get out of bed at the crack of dawn, and the siblings, Mom and I go hiking at Billy Goat Trail. After working up an appetite, we'd head to Leopold's in Georgetown for some seriously perfect scrambled souffle, (which doesn't taste quite as good as mom's German pancakes, but this way she won't have to do the work). Then, if I had my way, it's off the Jean Shin's crazy installations.

Julia: My mom is fleeing D.C. this weekend, but if she were in town, I might invite her out to the Old Lucketts Store. We both adore the place, which is basically just an old house chock full of kitschy housewares and old-school antiques. It's not too far from wineries like Tarara, so we could make a day out of it by visiting the tasting rooms before or after we shop. (Can't make it out to Lucketts this weekend? Mark your calendar for the antique store's big sale at the end of the month.)

Anne: My mom just left from visiting me this week, but if she were still around on the weekend, I'd take her to the 'Amish Quilts' exhibit at the Textile Museum. She's an amazing crafter and whiz with all kinds of fabric, so I am curious to see what she'd think of the handiwork in these beautiful quilts, especially since some of the pieces in the show were made near where my parents live in Lancaster County.

Rhome: A friend of mine is making her debut at SpeakeasyDC. She'll also be making her debut as a first-time mom in about six months. I think my mother will be entertained.

Fritz: In honor of the childhood trips we took to Germany, I'd take the family to the Old Stein Inn in Edgewater for platters of bratwurst and potato salad and tall glasses of hefeweizen. (Hopefully we'd get seats in the large backyard patio.) Afterwards, I'd suggest a trip to the nearby London Town and Gardens -- a historic 18th-century mansion surrounded by 23 acres of plants.

How are you honoring your mom this weekend? Let us know in the comments.

-- The Gurus