Mother’s Day is right around the corner and figuring out how to stay socially distanced and still treat your travel-loving mom might be a tough one.
I popped on to CHCH Morning Live this week in my comfiest ensemble ever to share some ideas that work – whether you’re celebrating mom (or your favourite travel partner) and whether you can be together this year or you’re going to have to spend it apart.


Book them some time away

InterContinental Toronto Centre


This one might be hard to hear but chances are high that after the year we’ve had, the thing your mom wants most is some time away to herself. Add in a spa visit and some treats and you’ve got a winner.
For those of us in lockdown that might be tough for now but offering your mom a gift card to the SPA at the InterContinental Toronto Centre is like gifting her permission to dream.
Just imagine:
* swims in a 48-foot-long indoor saline pool,
* a soak in a saltwater hot tub,
* hanging out in their eucalyptus steam rooms
and more.

Your job is to do the heavy lifting: Book her spa treatments and load up the card with a variety of massages, build in an overnight stay in a Junior Suite with views of Lake Ontario. With room service meals, the indoor solarium and the outdoor terrace – all without ever changing out of her robe and slippers – mom will have the getaway she deserves.
The gift for you – there’s a 20% discount applicable to all SPA services currently offered, and contactless Valet parking is included. Plus, she will love you more when she comes home, guaranteed.


Feed the one you Love


Good food is such a huge part of celebrations and a huge part of travel and right now when its so tough to even see mom, never mind take her to Paris for croissants, it can be tough to find a way to enjoy something together. These options from Farm Boy have you covered either way.

Can’t get to mom? Pick up one of their dinner for two menu offerings that regularly feature cuisines from around the world. Farm Boy launches a Dinner for 2 every three weeks that is made to celebrate a variety of different cuisines. Their next Dinner for 2 meal is the perfect way to kick off the May long weekend. These are perfect for 1-2 people, it’ll be just enough of a treat to remind your mom of the places – and people – she loves.


And if mom lives with you or is in your bubble, Farm Boy’s Mother’s Day Brunch option is perfect for enjoying together. Made to feed 4 to 6 people, it’s a great choice at $129.99 and is the perfect sweet and savoury spread that can be reheated in less than 25 minutes. The key is to get your order in at FarmBoy.ca by May 5th, and then plan to pick up the box from your local Farm Boy on Mother’s Day.


Personalize her Floral Picks



While you can’t whisk her away to beautiful gardens like The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia or the majestic Kingsbrae Garden in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, you can use them as inspiration for helping mom create an outdoor or indoor oasis at home.

Start by reaching out to the garden centre in your neighbourhood or one of the many apps available online to help you identify plants from photos or websites she loves. When you’re ready to get her started, consider a delivery app like Cornershop by Uber. Launched in Canada in 2019, it operates in cities across Canada, allowing you to order from different grocery and specialty stores and have them delivered in as little as 90 minutes! Plus, you can customize your gift and keep it local: maybe add a gift basket from a local retailer or Wine Shop? It’s a great way to support local, pamper mom and stay safe.

Put her travel memories on display



Our travel photos have been a constant source of joy for me during the pandemic but key to that has been getting them off my phone!

One of my photographer friends, Cherie -Lynn Buchanan always says, “Don’t let your kids grow up to be jpegs.” Now we can return the favour. Pick a few of your family’s favourite travel memories and create art that mom can use or view. I’ve got two great, easy ways for you to do that quickly:

FUJIFILM Printlife: Upload your photos and create metal prints, books, blankets, puzzles, playing cards, masks and more! Items are printed right here in Canada and what’s better than offering grandma a blanket plastered with her favourite grandchild, right?



Mixtiles! I’m obsessed with these. I’m one of those people who has been trying for years to build a wall display of photos and failed miserably every time. These affordable tiles changed my life.
All you have to do is upload the photos to the Mixtiles app and choose your frame option.
They’ll mail you 8″x8″ photo tiles that stick and re-stick to your walls without nails or damage. There’s no shipping charge, tiles arrive in days and it’s great on the budget – at as little as $11/square.



In these times when we can’t be together. Remembering the moments when we were and celebrating them with the ones you love – is a gift all its own.