Anyone who tells you Mother's Day isn't a competition is an only child. In the annual jousting for motherly affection, here are a few ways to up the ante. 
 
Tacoma Musical Playhouse kicks off Sister Act
Sister Act at Tacoma Musical Playhouse
Just like real life, Mother’s Day at Tacoma Musical Playhouse ends up being all about the sister. You remember the 1992 movie Sister Act, with Whoopi Goldberg. TMP is bringing to the stage a feel-good musical comedy based on that film, and the show just happens to debut on Mother’s Day weekend with a performance on Mother’s Day itself. For a very-affordable $31 per ticket (discounts for seniors, students, military and children), you can give the gift of laughter. If another weekend works better, buy tickets in advance for another showing, any weekend through June 4. Slip them into the Mother’s Day card for the easiest (for you) and best gift (for her) she’ll get this year.
 
Sweets for the sweet
Brown and Haley's Almond Roca
A standard box of See’s chocolates shows that you care enough to pick something up from the checkout line of the grocery store. A local South Puget Sound confection shows you have excellent taste in sweets and that you care about supporting small businesses. You could go with the local favorite Brown & Haley – producers of Almond Roca, or local niche chocolatier Emily's Chocolates makes a perfectly giftable chocolate-covered fortune cookie set. Micro-chocolatier Tease Chocolates serves up truffles and confections and Johnson Candy Company is a third-generation family chocolatier with 90+ years at the same location. And since your mom (and my mom, and everyone’s mom) loves fudge, Tacoma Boys makes an odd assortment of flavors that just seem to work – like creamsicle fudge and green tea fudge. And over in Sumner, marshmallows take center stage at Madyson’s Marshmallows, with treats like gourmet marshmallow doughnuts and stuffed marshmallows.
 
 
Take her out to the ballgame, take her out with the crowd
Cheney Stadium
Great baseball doesn’t just happen in the major leagues. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t even happen in the major leagues. But the Tacoma Rainiers give fans both a great Triple-A baseball game, as well as the excitement and spectacle that’s associated with minor-league baseball. If you’re making this Mother’s Day a multigenerational affair, the younger kids can play in the brand-new kids zone (with whiffle-ball field) and run the bases after the game – the same as they can after every weekend Rainiers game. Great seats are still available for Mother’s Day, and as is the standard with minor-league ball, the tickets are affordable, the parking is plentiful and the hot dogs are spectacular.
 
Take a gander at a garden
Point Defiance Park Japanese Gardens
No matter where you are in Pierce County, you’re not far from an epic garden. In Orting, Chase Garden’s views aren’t limited to the flowers and foliage inside the garden, but include magnificent views of Mount Rainier beyond and the Puyallup River Valley below. Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood is a 10-acre National Historic Landmark filled with state-champion trees, rhododendrons, Japanese maples, a statuary and a Georgian-style mansion. Point Defiance Park’s rhododendron garden, rose garden and dahlia test garden are all set to be blooming with magnificent colors and smells.