Mother’s Day Orlando, To a Certain Degree

A handy guide to finding the best gift for the most important woman in your life on a fake holiday.

The recommendations below are based on past guests of the show. If you think someone is missing, please let me know because I probably want to interview them and include them on a future gift recommendation list.

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Make her space

Instead of the cliche of mom knitting you something, why not (pun intended) make her a sweater or three? Get some help from the fine folks at Olive & Two Ewe Studios online and during their Knit Knight events at Castle Church Brewing.

It’s relaxing bordering on meditative, and mom will totally be thrilled with the half-formed sock you end up making as your first project.

While you’re knitting, get her set up with projects of her own at a makerspace like MakerFX. It will be worth it to see mom’s eyes light up when she realizes everything she can do with lasers, a CNC machine and 3D printers. The family membership is just $75 a month, and there are individual classes as well.

Top it all off with a workshop from the Macrame Momma. Who knows, maybe that ends up being mom’s intro to shibari, the Japanese rope tying practice that is sometimes (a lot of times) associated with bondage. See how you both react to the knot-tying in the class and move forward accordingly. 

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 68 with Ian and Candy Cole

Episode 99 with Victoria Walsh

Episode 105 with Michelle Christoph

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For moms who love helping people

Get some maternal quality time while giving back to the community. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is an amazing organization that could use a hand year round. Page 15 is another favorite of mine. You and she could help kids with their homework and writing skillz.

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 14 with Dave Krepcho

Episode 19 with Paul Driscoll

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Absence makes the art grow fonder

Let’s face it, we all could use more art on our walls. Since these are local artists, it’s totally okay if you buy one for her and one for yourself.

• The animals, vegetables, and minerals of Katrina Constantine
• The wood burned work of Brian Demeter
• The paper wonderlands of Kelly Joy Ladd
• The pop culture homages of ROBO OHNO
• The colorful illustrations of Ryan Semple
• The sculptures and woodworking of Blair Sligar
• The surreality of Samantha Shumaker
• The repurposed progeny of Scott White
• The darling illustrations of Rhett Withey

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 69 with Rhett Withey

Episode 70 with Robo Ohno

Episode 71 with Katrina Constantine

Episode 84 with Brian Demeter

Episode 110 with Scott White

Episode 112 with Blair Sligar

Episode 118 with Kelly Joy Ladd

Episode 119 with Samantha Shumaker

Episode 123 with Ryan Semple

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How does her garden grow?

Some thumbs are greener than others, so here’s a spectrum of photosynthetic options. The lower the number, the easier to care for the plant. 

1. Self-contained terrariums that mom can wear no matter how many plants she has killed in the past from Urban Apothecary.
2. Succulents don’t need a lot of care, and Potheads by Amber last forever. Find an adorable planter that will remind mom how much you love her.
3. Tiptoe through the tulips at Piante Garden Design Studio and find a plant or three for mom to nurture, much like she did you!
4. Join Fleet Farming for a swarm ride and/or their community events at their South Street urban farm to bring home dope gardening techniques.
5. Grow delicious beer ingredients for fun and profit with some help from Florida Hops. 

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 81 with Amber Weatherford

Episode 87 with Gary Li

Episode 104 with Lee Perry

Episode 113 with Delila Smalley

Episode 120 with Richard M. Smith

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Pick a card, any card

Have you had your mom’s energy checked lately? Introduce a little tarot into her life with Bri.

Confession: I did not know what a reading was all about until I sat down with Bri for one. It was really helpful and fun, listen here:

If you want a traditional card trick or seven, Tony Brent is the man for the job. Men for the job. He does a lot of impressions. Take mom to the Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show for something completely different.

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 32 with Tony Brent

Episode 98 with Bri Sosa

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Eventually, you’ll have to eat

Put yourself in your mom’s shoes. She tells you whatever’s easiest when it comes to where to go to eat, but what she really means is, “Please pick someplace awesome and unique. I was in labor with you for what seemed like 56 hours, so do me a solid and get me some delicious food.”

Here’s my three course suggestion:

Book two seats at the Papa Llama chef’s table for the best tasting dinner in town. Hurry up, they sell out fast.

Stop in at Orlando Meats. Have one of their award-winning burgers or anything else because it’s all amazing. Grab a bunch of stuff to grill on Mother’s Day too.

On M-Day, pick up the custom donuts you ordered from Orlandough the minute you finished this sentence.

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 95 with Maria and Kevin Ruiz

Episode 114 with Eliot Hillis

Episode 121 with Liz Doerr

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Make a scene in public

You and mom already provoke each other in so many ways, why not provoke some stimulating conversation with events from Burrow Press, PechaKucha Orlando, and Theater on the Edge?

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 92 with Marco and Sam DiGeorge

Episode 117 with Eddie Selover

Odd Numbers, Episode 16 with Ryan Rivas

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How many pieces of flair is enough?

Regardless of your answer, she needs more. Get some new pins, patches, and the shirts to put them on from Deli Fresh Threads, Kill ‘Em with Cuteness, and Secret Society Goods.

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 73 with Sean Walsh

Episode 80 with Kali Friend

Episode 100 with Anthony Bencomo

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Pump up all the jams

Mom could always use some new tunes. Get her a sampler pack from these five local musicians:

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 25 with Marc with a C

Episode 57 with Expert Timing

Odd Numbers, Episode 4 with Cat Ridgeway

Odd Numbers, Episode 10 with Landon Noland

Odd Numbers, Episode 11 with SKIP

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A six pack or three

If mimosas aren’t mom’s thing, there are great breweries all over central Florida. Brendan Byrne of WMFE and the space adjacent podcast Are We There Yet? was on late last year, and we discussed several of our favorite brews and the breweries in which they are made:

• Deviant Wolfe Brewing
• Ellipsis Brewing
• Hidden Springs Ale Works
• Hourglass Brewing
• Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company
• J. Wakefield Brewing
• Ocean Sun Brewing
• Playalinda Brewing Company
• Red Cypress Brewery

Suggested listening for more details:

Odd Numbers, Episode 3 with Brendan Byrne

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The entertainment is coming from inside the house

Bring the experience to mom with a group that will perform in her home. You have a few to choose from with Black Cow Jumps and Living Room Theater doing slice of life and some music for the audience. The KitchenKillaz will bring the Friday night party to you with music, food and fun.

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 48 with Tisse Mallon and Jack Graham

Episode 106 with Banks Helfrich

Episode 116 with Billy Floyd and the Commodore

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Back to school

The guilt trips mom is sending you on are getting stale. It’s always the same old “Why all the facial hair covering up your beautiful face?” and “What did I do to deserve a son that spends so much time writing all these Mother’s Day suggestions and gets me a crappy typewritten card?”

If that sounds like your mom, I recommend you get her into an improv class at AdLib Theatre or SAK Comedy Lab ASAP. Think about how much more brutally efficient she can be when pressing your buttons if she fully embraces “yes, and…”

Suggested listening for more details:

Episode 62 with Lauren Morris

Odd Numbers, Episode 13 with Bob Kodzis