"My husband and I have both of our families over for brunch in the backyard. The men cook, serve, and clean up, while the ladies, including my two-year-old, relax and drink tea from my great-grandmother's tea set." --Heather Van Erp, Strathroy, Ontario

"Because my son's baseball tournament usually falls on Mother's Day, to keep it special for us, each player brings a rose to his mom before the game. Afterward, the dads arrange a dinner and we all go out so we don't have to cook." --Carrie Sullivan, Lincoln, NE

"My brother and I become our mom's helpers for the daywe do work around her house and yard while she plays with our kids." --Merry Boegner, Bridgewater, MA

"Since I'm the mom of three boys, Mother's Day is the one day that I get to be extra girly. My husband treats me to a long day at the spa, where I'm surrounded by other women, and takes care of the boys so I can relaxno housework and no cooking!" --Trevetta Bennett, Fort Belvoir, VA

"My family and my husband's family all drive to our favorite campsite. We cook lunch and then we all give the respective mothers (six of us) their gifts." --Stephanie Jedlicka, Manassas, VA

"After years of infertility, we adopted our daughter as an infant. When I wake up on Mother's Day, I sit in my bedroom, close my eyes, and think back to the day my daughter (now four) was born and give thanks to the birth mother who made me a mom." --Janie Cloutier, Gardnerville, NV

What's your tip? How do you take advantage of long summer evenings? E-mail us at momexchange@parenting.com.

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