To do this week: Celebrate a mom
To do this week: Nine ways to celebrate moms, plus where you can volunteer in a garden, and the region's best pizza.
On the to-do list this week: Show a mom some love. It can be yours, or a friend who’s been through it this year and could use a bit of TLC. We have lots of ideas for feting moms in your life, below. We also have the city’s best new pizza, and a good reason to get gardening, plus places where you can do that if you don’t have a green thumb or your own green yard.
And remember: We’ve collected our best Philly tips all in one place here.
Stay healthy, stay safe, and, as much as possible, it’s still a good idea to stay home.
Know this
The primary is coming up. Here’s everything you need to know to vote, by Patricia Madej
These are your rights as a tenant if you identify as LGBTQ, by Nick Vadala
Here are the best kid-friendly road trip destinations near Philly, by Nick Vadala
» Ask us a question through Curious Philly: Inquirer.com/askus
Do this
Here is one highlight from our weekly events calendar:
🌼 East Passyunk Garden Days (Seasonal event / in-person / multiday) Stroll East Passyunk Avenue this month and find floral displays decorating storefronts, seasonal food and drink specials, pop-up performances, a plant-themed selfie station at the Singing Fountain, flower installations, and more in anticipation of the coming-soon Flower Show at FDR Park. On opening day, Saturday, May 8, stop by the Neumann Goretti parking lot for a plant swap, the Singing Fountain for music and a stilt-walking performance, or Good Buy Supply for a composting lesson. (May 8-31, visiteastpassyunk.com)
🔎 Find more of this week’s events, and we even have a kid-friendly events calendar, too.
Celebrate moms
It’s May, which means it’s time to show some love for mothers, whether it’s your own, or a mom in your life who could use a break (which, after this year, is maybe all of them?). Here are nine ideas for expressing gratitude to matriarchs everywhere:
Grab a foodie gift. Our food team assembled a little gift guide with their food and drink choices for Mother’s Day this year, including the classic: brunch.
Buy her some chocolate. Classy, decadent, always a winner. Pick up a treat at one of the best chocolate shops in the city and region.
Pick her up a little self-care something. A candle. Some really nice skin cream. A little self-care goes a long way. And we have the best shops to get exactly what the doctor ordered.
Bring her a cozy new sweater. One benefit from the pandemic: We’re all just down for cozy clothes. (Let that trend continue, please.) Here are the best boutiques to grab some nice stuff.
Make plans for an outdoor event. The spring is filled with outdoor concerts, theater, dance, and more. Good stuff here for some grown-up time, or, if she can’t get away, there are options here to bring the kids, too.
Buy her a book. If she has time to read, that is. We have a collection of some of Philly’s best bookstores, and even if you don’t love shopping, these spots are a pleasure to browse.
Take her to a vineyard. Get out of town, support local winemakers, and try a few bottles. Seems like a no brainer.
Bring her a cake or cannoli, or cookies. You get the idea. Here’s our list of the best bakeries in the region.
Cook her something. Last year, we asked Philly chefs for recipes inspired by their moms. Seems like a good place to start to DIY something nice.
Eat well
Food & Wine magazine just named New Jersey the best state for pizza in the U.S. (Pennsylvania came in 7th). While we’re sure they applied a rigorous scientific model to their ranking, we have eight spots in Philly (and, OK, one in New Jersey) that are definitely winners. Seriously, don’t read the list while hungry. Beyond making excellent pies, some of Philly’s new spots have other reasons to make you feel good. Here are a few reasons why:
Good Pizza. This spot is a passion project run by Philly transplant Ben Berman, who bakes 20 New York-style pies a week in his Center City apartment and gives them away. All you do is donate money, and when the pizza is ready, Berman lowers it to the street for you to pick up. To get a pie, you have to win a lottery for a spot. 🌐 goodpizzaphl.com, 📷 @goodpizzaphl
Down North Pizza. This new shop in North Philly was created to provide career opportunities and fair wages for formerly incarcerated people. Check out the Detroit-style pies named in honor of Philly rappers, as well as a vegan pie, as well as wings, fries, and milkshakes.📍 2804 W. Lehigh Ave., 🌐 downnorthpizza.com, 📷 @downnorth_pizza
More hot pizza and warm feelings in our full story.
» READ MORE: The best new pizza to eat in Philly right now
Life advice
Gardening is good for you. But we’re not all blessed with a plot of dirt to muck around with. Luckily, there are lots of local farms and gardens where you can volunteer, and have the satisfaction of planting, weeding, harvesting, mulching, and more. It’s a good way to give back, but you get something, too. Here’s a quote that explains it perfectly:
“When I walk into our epicenter in Kensington, my entire body feels a shift. You’re transported from being in the density of urbanity into the sensuality of our land and our connection to the natural world, whether that be through the critters, smells, or vibrancy of the flowers,” — Meg DeBrito, executive director of Greensgrow.
Find a spot where you can help out in the garden in our story about local groups that take volunteers.
» READ MORE: 7 places to volunteer in a garden or farm in the Philly area this summer
COVID-19 resources
💉 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids and teens: Safety and side effects, explained
😷 How do the mask rules work now? Use our guide.
📅 What’s safe to do after you get the vaccine? We asked 7 experts to rank them.
😱 What if I’m afraid of needles? Use these strategies
🌸 Here’s what you need to know about taking allergy medicines before getting the vaccines
🤢 What if I have no vaccine side effects?
» More at Inquirer.com/covid-tips