Guide to Mother's Day 2024: Things to do in NJ, places to eat, stories to read about Mom

Mother's Day is when you serve mom breakfast in bed, give her flowers and pamper her.

Or, we could take her out to dinner, proffers our NorthJerseyEats food team. (They also suggest some great gifts for foodie moms.)

Or we could just celebrate her — as many of our stories, photos and videos have over the years. We thought it would be nice to gather them here, and we hope you enjoy reading our tributes, profiles, essays and suggestions for great things to do, make and buy for Mother's Day.

Here's to Mom!

Enjoy a delicious Mother's Day Brunch at these seven North Jersey restaurants

Along with an amusing but cautionary tale about mishearing what kind of gift mom would like for Mother's Day, our food writer Kara VanDooijeweert offers lots of great suggestions of where to take mom for brunch on Sunday. Go out: Enjoy a delicious Mother's Day Brunch at these seven North Jersey restaurants

Think outside the brunch this Mother's Day: 7 ways to celebrate mom in North Jersey

The possibilities for celebrating Mother's Day in North Jersey are limitless, so make this May 12 unforgettable by making some unique memories with mom. Whether she enjoys learning a new skill, exploring nature, or just having a day of rest and relaxation, we have some suggestions for you. Take mom out: Think outside the brunch this Mother's Day: 7 ways to celebrate mom in North Jersey

Stanley is dropping 2 new collections: Soft goods and Mother's Day

Do you need a Mother's Day gift? How about a new cooler or a place to store your water bottle on the go? If so, Stanley has you covered with two new collections that will be dropping over the next week. Here is everything you need to know about the trendy tumbler company's upcoming releases. Read it: Stanley is dropping 2 new collections: Soft goods and Mother's Day

Want real home cooking? Go to Mom's Restaurant. Any of them

With Mother's Day — Sunday May 12 — just around the corner, we dare to ask: Why are so many restaurants named for mother? Mom's Kitchen (Fort Lee), Mom's Restaurant (Ringoes), Mama’s Café Baci (Hackettstown), Mom’s Golden Griddle (Manalapan), Madre & Son Soulfood Café (Newark), Mom’s Kitchen (New Brunswick), Mom’s Kitchen to Go (Mahwah), Momma’s Place (Linden), Mama Suegra Café (Parlin), Meemom’s (Brick, Middletown, Wall) are just a few in New Jersey. Née mother's: Want real home cooking? Go to Mom's Restaurant. Any of them

On Mother's Day, spare a thought for that eternal punchline: the mother-in-law

The mother-in-law is — or was — one of the most reliable punchlines in show business. She was bossy. Domineering. Overprotective of her daughter, and endlessly critical of her choice of husband. Worst of all, she was none of those things from a distance. Always, she was depicted as being on a visit that never ends. This Mother's Day, as you're giving candy and flowers and singing "M is for the Million things she gave me...," spare a thought for the poor, unhappy mother-in-law. Cue the laugh track: On Mother's Day, spare a thought for that eternal punchline: the mother-in-law

Songs only a mother could love

M is for the million songs that have been written about Mother. But not lately. Bouquets, baubles, Hallmark cards — those are the kinds of things we buy for Mother on her big day. The sheet music to the latest popular song about mother, not so much. But once upon a time, Mother was a song genre. More than that, she was an industry. Mother — not just on Mother's Day, but any time of year — used to be considered one of the few surefire topics for a Tin Pan Alley songwriter in search of a hit. Strike up the band: Songs only a mother could love

Yankee Stadium honored this North Jersey woman as 'Veteran of the Day' on Mother's Day

In 2023, Nancy Radoslovich was honored with a standing ovation at Yankee Stadium's home plate on Mother's Day as the Veteran of the Game. For a self-described lifelong die-hard Yankee fan, it was almost as good as being in the lineup. Radoslovich served with the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps from 1986 to 1994, including a tour as an operating room nurse in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm from 1990 to 1991, retiring with the rank of lieutenant commander. "Think M.A.S.H. television show and that's a pretty good idea what I was doing," Radoslovich said days after the honor at the stadium in the Bronx. "Living in tents, wounded soldiers." Read more: Yankee Stadium honored this North Jersey woman as 'Veteran of the Day' on Mother's Day

A Mother's Day gift to remember: NJ daughter donates kidney to ailing mom

When Teresita Sayasa's kidneys began to fail last year, her daughter Tracy Montemayor immediately offered to donate one of her own. But Teresita, 71, was hesitant. What toll would transplant surgery take on Tracy? Would her daughter be able to live a full life with one kidney? What if Tracy's teenage son or another younger relative needed one of her kidneys in the future? "I told her that she wasn't going to be able to survive this without me," Tracy said. In 2023, mom, daughter and other family members gathered at a Korean barbecue restaurant to not only celebrate an early Mother's Day but to mark Teresita's new lease on life. It was a long road to that point. Read about their journey: A Mother's Day gift to remember: NJ daughter donates kidney to ailing mom

This North Jersey mother-daughter duo are changing the luxury clothing industry

Growing up, Margot Adams’s relationship with her mother Gina Kuyers wasn’t always smooth. But as adults, they learned to work well together ― literally. In 2019, Adams joined her mother's business, Luxeire, which creates comfortable women's clothing using ecofriendly fabric, as head of marketing and sales. Mom and daughter duo: This North Jersey mother-daughter duo are changing the luxury clothing industry

This story is from our archives. Please call ahead to check on whether restaurants are still open, prices are still the same or menus are still being offered.

Best Mother's Day brunch at every price point, including secret gems you might not know of

if you're planning on taking Mom out for a delicious brunch, don't wait any longer to make a reservation. Do it now! It's Mom, after all. Where should you take Mom? That depends on your budget, of course, and what mom likes to eat. So to help you, here's our Mother's Day dining roundup that includes a variety of North Jersey restaurants that offer different cuisines and different price points (including some smaller chain restaurant options, if that's what your mom prefers). Note that many of the listings for prix-fixe Mother's Day meals do not include taxes and gratuities. Where to take mom: Best Mother's Day brunch at every price point, including secret gems you might not know of

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Mother's Day things to do in New Jersey, brunch spots, gift idea guide