Remembering Mom
Mother’s Day is by far the most celebrated holiday of the year. Honoring love of country or an historic political figure never seems to match up to the attention of Mom. There is a sense of duty on Mother’s Day. From the moment we wake up, until we are ready to turn in, we work hard to make it special. A day to show our appreciation for the person who has the toughest job on earth…balancing family and for most, their careers.
What is it about Mom that war- rants such pampering and attention on this day? The answer is clear. She delivers life; the one that carries and nurtures from our birth till her death.
A life’s journey that has driven her to care for us; to encourage and devote her life’s work to us. It’s a big job to keep it all tied together. Mom is the iconic anchor with its deeply rooted foundation that keeps family values intact.
One of my earliest memories of Mom was her coming to open school day. It was a time when parents had the chance to observe our class, while it was being conducted. I was eight years old. As my mother entered the classroom, I remember saying to myself, how beautiful she looked! How blessed I was to have such a Mom. I’d say to my buds, “Yup, that’s my Mom,” as I proudly showed her off.
Though my mother worked a full time job, there was always a deliciously prepared home cooked meal on the table every single day. It was important back then, for the family to join at dinner time. Yes, we live in a different world today; It’s getting even harder today to be a Mom.
I also remember the times when I was unsure of myself. During moments when there was doubt about my ability. She helped me realize and understand that life has it’s obstacles. Mom always was reassuring that with a positive attitude, new doors of opportunity would open. For me, it was her belief in me and encouragement that has left an indelible mark on my character.
Mom was my best friend. She was my confidant, my support system. The one person above all, that would unselfishly sacrifice her time and love to nurture.
The maternal mission of Mom is to keep her family strong. It is why I raise my arm and proudly salute all Moms for their love, devotion and faith in keeping the sanctuary of family alive.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
Gift Guide: Mother’s Day Gifts
Flowers
www.1800flowers.com
You can never go wrong with flowers for mom, not just on Mother’s Day, but any day. 1-800 Flowers offers countless arrangements from roses, to tulips, to daises, in a wide variety of sizes and colors, delivered right to your doorstep.
Jewelry
www.amazon.com
Mom can keep the whole family close to her heart with this custom pendant. Add up to 7 birthstones and initial charms, available in gold, rose gold, and silver ($19.50 + $6 for each additional birthstone and initial).
“What I Love About Mom” book
www.amazon.com
Tell mom exactly what you love about her with this 4.5” x 3.25” fill-in-the-blank journal, available in 14 different colors.
Aura Frame
www.amazon.com
Load up this digital frame with mom’s favorite photos and videos of the whole family! With a 10.1” display and 1280 xx 800 resolution, the Aura frame is quick and easy to set up ($150).
Wine
www.harryanddavid.com
For the mom that loves to unwind with a glass of wine at the end of a long day, this sparkling set from Harry and David is perfect. The set includes two 750 ml bottles, one white and one rosé for $59.99.
Recipe Glass Cutting Board
www.personalizationmall.com
For the mom whose favorite place is her kitchen, spice up her décor with this glass cutting board, $13.99 – $19.99, engraved with the family’s favorite recipe. Available in 12 different colors suited to mom’s favorite.
Picture Frame Clock
www.personalizationmall.com
Engrave this personalized wall clock ($62.99, 23.5”W x 1.75”D) with mom’s favorite saying and add photos of her favorite moments with the family.
Massage
For the woman who does it all, treat mom to a day of rest and relaxation where she can unwind with a massage.
Family Photos Session
For the mom that fills the role of the family photographer, book a photo session so that mom gets time to shine in front of the camera along with the family.
Book of the Month membership
www.bookofthemonth.com/gift
For the mom that loves to have her nose in a book but doesn’t always have the time to browse her favorite bookstore, let the books come to her. Book of the Month offers subscription bundles for 3, 6, and 12 months and offers a wide variety of genres from today’s bestselling authors, shipped right to your door, saving mom the trip to Barnes & Noble.
Intelex Warmie
warmies.com/collections/warmies
Replace mom’s tired old heating pad with a furry friend! These microwavable plushies are lavender-scented to help mom relax and are so much fun to snuggle. Available in a wide variety of animals for $29.99.
Slippers
www.amazon.com
Treat mom to a new pair of slippers this Mother’s Day. Ugg’s top-rated Scuffette Slipper is available on Amazon in 11 different colors for $94.95.
Up Close: Amazing Lash Studio
After being with the same woman for over four decades, I have grown to have a greater appreciation for what it takes to look her best every single day before she steps out our front door. As important as it may be, it is a time consuming routine.
The Amazing Lash Studio has answered the call to those that want to enhance their beauty, while also saving time with their daily beauty routine. Owner Elyse Pedersen and General Manager Ashley Zakrzewski gave me some interesting insight about their revolutionary lash treatment.
Unlike the obvious fake clip-on lashes that look like miniature fans, Amazing Lash uses a patented process where trained stylists attach light-weight eyelash extensions to each individual lash that gives their clients a lash line that is both natural and thicker in appearance.
As manager Ashley explains it, “Our lightweight eyelash extensions feel so comfortable and natural, you’ll forget you have them on. It is our unique beauty treatment that will give you thicker, longer, darker and more glamorous lashes than your natural lashes could ever be. This means you can have lashes you love without spending hours at the mirror curling, applying mascara or gluing on false eyelashes.”
Owner Elyse continues, “What separates us most from our competitors is that we are a national brand that has created a positive experience for our clients before and after the process of applying our Amazing Lashes. In addition, by manufacturing our own lashes, we are able to keep our costs down and pass the savings onto our clients.
Once an appointment is set, a professional stylist escorts the customer back to a private suite where they choose the Lash look that’s best for their eye shape and personal style. At Amazing Lash Studio, you can choose any of their four lash styles – Gorgeous, Natural, Sexy and Cute⎯or create a completely custom look with Amazing Lash specialty eyelash extension options. Stylists will customize the look to suit your brow and face shape. Then it’s time to get comfortable and relax in your own private suite with cushioned massage table, draped under a cozy velour blanket, as the Stylist applies your lash extensions one by one. From what I’m told, it’s an amazing experience that you’ll fall in love with instantly!
Your first visit will take a little longer, up to two hours. Once you and your stylist have zeroed in on your perfect set of lashes, periodic visits will take under an hour. The big benefit of course is that you’ll save hours each week by ditching your mascara applications.
This is your time to wake up feeling confident make-up free with your beautiful and new Amazing Lashes.
The Amazing Lash Studio
6401 Jericho Turnpike #104, Commack, NY 11725
Pictured: Elyse Pedersen, owner flanked by manager Ashley with staff members Gisselle, Lindsay and Kristin
Companion Planting for a Successful Harvest
Rich soil, check. Water, check. Sufficient sunlight, check. Is there anything else to do to ensure a bountiful harvest from your garden? Consider companion planting. Companion planting is a strategy that involves planting compatible or symbiotic plants in adjoining areas of the garden. This can help with reducing pests, enhancing pollination, slowing weed growth, extending crop life, and moderating sunlight, which all results in increasing crop yield.
Companion planting is not a new concept. Evidence suggesting knowledge of companion planting dates back almost as long as plants have been domesticated. The classic combination is the “three sisters” of corn, climbing beans, and winter squash. The corn provides a pole for the beans, the beans “fix” nitrogen by making it more available in the soil for the corn, and the squash deters vine borers.
Here are some more classic pairings to get you started:
If you want to keep it simple, or if you don’t grow a wide variety of crops, you can take advantage of the concept in an easier way. Plant lettuce, radishes, spinach and other early, cool-weather crops in between plantings of tomatoes, squash, and other vined vegetables. This maximizes your garden space, keeps weeds at bay, and the early crops will cycle out before the vines take up all the space. More harvest, same space, a win-win!
Summer ’24 Trends
Now that your goose-down jacket is tucked away in the back of your closet, the front rack might be looking a little empty. A new season is a new reason to go shopping! If you are on the hunt from some trendy new pieces this summer, here are the items and styles to keep an eye out for!
This summer is drawing major inspiration from the stripped back, effortless looks of the 90s. While color is often bolder and brighter in the warmer months, this summer fashion seems to be favoring a more relaxed, subtle avenue. Crisp white button up shirts, in thread-bare cotton or breezy linen, blue boyfriend-baggy jeans, and straight-lined skirts will be sweeping through the office and the streets this summer. Clean silhouette lines and muted, neutral tones are calling back to what is now perceived as a simpler time.
A side-effect of the 90s being back is the fast fading color from the runway. A soft white, eggshell or marshmallow, seems to be the color of the season. Blush pink and cornflower blue and lemon yellow are dominating this season. While fitting with the more laidback trend, these colors add a touch of delicacy, a certain je ne sais quoi that might be missing from a simple neutral toned outfit, making them infinitely more appealing to all those who tied bows to their purse straps last year.
If the cool customer chic of the 90s fashion is not your look, perhaps this season’s flirty hemlines will be of interest. For the past few summers, skirts and dresses have been getting longer and longer, paying homage to the bohemian flower children of the 60s and 70s. This year, however, the hemline has shot back up. Mini-skirts and dresses are back, and so are micro-mini shorts. Splashed all over the runway, teeny-tiny short shorts have been all the rage.
Florals are synonymous with the spring and summer months, but this summer, roses are the prize winners of the fashion garden. Dominating several runways this season, roses are now appearing on the rack, as well. Roses appear not only in print, but in three-dimensional appliques and embellishments, creating a little extra zhuzh through volume and drama.
To cap off your summer shopping spree, the shoes on everyone’s feet seem designed to reveal a fresh pedicure. Open toed is no surprise once the weather gets hot, but even regular-old pumps have keyholes punched into the front this summer. It would seem the sun has finally set on the conservative loafer.
No doubt, one of these trends exists in your closet already, if not most of them. Tailoring your outfits to highlight a certain item or color is easy and cost-effective. But there’s no greater pleasure to walking out of a store with a bag in hand, so, should you decide treat yourself to an afternoon at a boutique, keeps the above list in mind!
A Memorable Mother’s Day
Every year as Mother’s Day approaches, I’m giddy with excitement to celebrate my mom. Gifts often seem mediocre, no matter how extravagant they may be. The one thing I am sure of is that a good meal provides the perfect way to start the day.
If you’re choosing to cook at home for mom, my go-to spread is brunch. Think local bagels from Country Hot in Northport, wild lox, homemade herbed cream cheese, thinly sliced red onion, tomatoes, and capers. Serve with passion fruit mimosas or spicy Bloody Mary’s for a kick. Presentation is equally important, so check your favorite food blogs for a surplus of visual tips. If you’re in the mood to serve up something hot, I recommend Challah French Toast with fresh berries and mascarpone, with a side of chicken sausage, or a homemade sweet potato and chorizo hash, served with eggs. Poached eggs are a bit more difficult to master, but they certainly dress up any entrée.
Whether your mom enjoys breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner – the day is likely to book up quickly, so make your reservations (or start planning your meal) before it’s too late!
Lucky for me, my mom is low-maintenance. She enjoys fresh, local food preferably with large quantities of vegetables. The matriarch of my family is a runner and avid CrossFitter. She also works locally as a registered nurse. She enjoys her eggs every morning, and salads each evening. On the *very* rare occasion she goes out for a meal, she will usually pick Thai food. My recommendations for her are usually Sawasdee Thai, Lemonleaf, Raan Thai or Sawadee Thai Fusion (our local staple). Although my mom may be the exception to the rule, I am sure there are plenty of moms out there who enjoy a healthy meal as well.
My other favorite, local healthier spots include Wild Side Bistro, Lota Veco, The Purple Elephant, Tula Kitchen, Rustic Root, and Tiger Lily Café.
If your mom is a foodie, and looking for a good ‘cheat meal’, I recommend Thyme, Salumi, Love Lane Kitchen, The Shed in Sayville, and/or One10. For something a bit more upscale, try Bijou, Jonathan’s or Sage Bistro. Check your neighborhood favorites for Mother’s Day menus, and specials.
Whether you’re dining out or in, make sure you put some thought into Mother’s Day this year. Make a reservation in advance (or aim to prepare/cook an unforgettable spread), and bring along a local bouquet of flowers. After all, our moms have supported us, fed us, and showed up for us…365 days a year.
Long Island Springtime Festivities
2024 Jones Beach Air Show
U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Sat May 25th/ Sun May 26th 10 am – 3 pm
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Bethpage Air Show! 2024 Bethpage Air Show Mobile App: Text ‘Airshow’ to 516-842-4400 to download the app today for performer and sponsor information, a site map and helpful FAQs to prepare you for the show, and more to come! Available now on the App Store and Google Play.
Eisenhower Park Craft Fair
At Eisenhower Park Field 8
Sat May 11 – Sun May 12 10 am- 5 pm
Spend the day shopping with the family! Pick up a gift for Mom!
Features over 75 vendors, food court, entertainment and more!
Huntington Waterfront Festival & Craft Fair
Mill Dam Park, Mill Dam Road, Huntington
Sun May 19th 10 am – 4 pm
There will be a variety of booths featuring professional artists, photography, handmade crafts, jewelry, clothing, antiques, gift items, recreational equipment, boats, boating supplies and more. Enjoy locally crafted brew at the beer tent and indulge in the food truck cuisines. Live bands. One of Long Islands’ top festivals.
Bethpage Street Fair
336 Broadway, Bethpage
Sun May 19th 10 am – 5 pm
Features over 100 vendors, food court, entertainment and more!Mother’s Day Festival
Harbes Family Farm -Mattituck
715 Sound Ave, Mattituck, NY
May 11th 10 am – 6 pm
Spend the day with Mom! As a special gift for Mom, Harbes Family Farm is offering FREE admission for Moms to Harbes Barnyard Adventure all weekend long! The Barnyard Adventure is an 8-acre, family friendly experience for all age and a great place for quality time with Mom and Grandma! Free Live Music in the courtyard/picnic area both days from 1 pm-5 pm! There will be great food and drinks including roasted corn, delicious tomato/mozzarella paninis, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and of course, Harbes signature apple cider donuts.
20 lucky winners will win $500 each in prizes totaling $10,000.