remember my Instagram post on how I Decided Once on alllllll our gifts?

(ps: it’s the best.)

by popular demand, here’s the three traditions (and gifts) we do for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

(spoiler: it’s veryyy similar to our three birthday traditions.)

we go on a new-to-us adventure

I love referencing My Local Places list for ideas. this year I’m thinking of spending a morning at a new-to-us State Park for Father’s Day or exploring a local preserve + brewery, with the help of our Year of Beer joint Christmas gift.

we grill and chill a little fancier

we partake in our beloved Sunday ritual, of course. but we do so a little fancier than normal. like, this year, we’re thinking about making some really special margaritas with a yummy fajita spread for Mother’s Day, and picking up a really nice steak from a butcher and having a steak dinner with some special steakhouse-inspired sides for Father’s Day. (although we may do the actual celebratory meal on a different day than the big aforementioned adventure - it’s all flexible!)

we get an investment gift we benefit from for years

Brett receives a Father’s Day gift related to the grilling, and I receive a Mother’s Day gift related to the chilling. let me explain.
for Mother’s Day, I get some sort of adventure gear that relates to whatever Mother’s Day adventure we’re going on - and it also ends up being a great investment that we use time and time again for many years. the gift that keeps on giving!
- here’s a list of our favorite adventure gear.
for Father’s Day, Brett gets a nice tool or two for grilling/cooking (either something new, or something we already have that needs to be replaced/upgraded), and we use it every single Sunday all year long.
- here’s a list of our Grill and Chill must-haves - a round-up of our favorite grilling things!

and for the special mothers + fathers in our life:

my parents - since we’ve grown - have gone on a trip every Mother’s and Father’s Day. and they don’t want gifts from us. ever. so they’re easy. :) my mom also is big into saying it’s my turn to celebrate Mother’s Day, so she usually makes me a dessert before she goes on her trip - she’s the best.
and we usually see Brett’s parents sometime the weeks surrounding Mother’s and Father’s Day. for Brett’s mom, we have KK pick out a plant at a local nursery - one of Grammy’s favorite gifts. and for Brett’s dad we take a small treat and note like this. they’ve said before they want time with grandkids above all else, but we still like to bring them a small gift when we visit to celebrate. :)
for other special mothers and fathers in our life, I like to send handwritten cards in the mail. or - at a bare minimum - send a text their way. :) i know this holiday can be joyful for some and sensitive for others, so sending a personal, heartfelt message is one of my favorite ways to remind some of my favorite people that they are both seen and loved.

ta da! the end. I love the intentionality this brings to our days, but I also love that it decreases my mental load. all in all, a system that really, really works for us.

and of course, like any of our systems and routines, this is just what works for us right now. we’ll definitely adapt this as our needs change!

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