by Anna Beth Adcock | May 10, 2023 | Do, May 2023
Mother’s Day—Sunday, May 14—is right around the corner, and we’ve got a motherload of gift ideas for showing mom some local love (and, ahem, proving you’re the favorite). Cheers to some sweet mom-ents and memories!
Picnic at Dorothea Dix Park
Mother’s Day will be a walk in the park if you celebrate with a visit to Dorothea Dix Park (or the NCMA Museum Park!). Play some pop-up disc golf, then plop down for a picnic (snag a charcuterie board from a local biz or make one yourself!). As they say, experiences are the best gift!
Gift from DECO Raleigh
Get the day off to a great art with a handmade gift from one of the many local artists and retailers at DECO Raleigh. Sign a sweet card, grab some kitchen decor, or get a puzzle or activity for the next family game night.
Brunch Rez
On Mother’s Day, we brunch! And nothing says “I love you” like a shared mimosa bucket (aw!). Nosh on a brunch buffet and sip draft Italian prosecco over at Il Falò; sate your appetite with charcuterie selects, a slew of salads, shrimp scampi and more at The Merchant; or down some sangrias with mom at Barcelona Wine Bar (pro tip: Don’t sleep on the gambas & grits, short rib hash and olive oil pancakes (!). What better way to show mom you love her a whole brunch?!
Flowers from Urban Pothos
What in carnation?! Tell mom she’s your best bud with a cute potted plant from Urban Pothos. Make the trip together or pick out some flowers and/or plants that you’re head clover heels to give your mama.
Chocolate from Videri and Spring & Mulberry
Your sweet mom deserves some sweet treats! To make her heart melt, we rec the decadent buttercream caramel crunch candy bar from Videri; or make Mother’s Day a date mom won’t forget with a more healthful date-sweetened chocolate bar from Spring & Mulberry. Yum!
My Wonderful Birthday Suit Play at Raleigh Little Theatre
Snag some seats to see Raleigh Little Theatre‘s rendition of My Wonderful Birthday Suit to unwrap the wholesome story of friendships in question—with the lesson of “it’s what’s on the inside that truly makes us special.” Aw, what better way to feel the love with mom at the theater?!
Wine from Raleigh Wine Shop
Want mom to know she’s grape? Grab her a bottle of wine from the Raleigh Wine Shop to crack open at home or take her out for a tasting. Trust us, she’ll be on cloud wine!
by Anna Beth Adcock | Apr 22, 2022 | April 2022, Do, Web Exclusive
Mother’s Day—Sunday, May 8—is right around the corner, and we’ve got a motherload of gift ideas for showing mom some local love (and, ahem, proving you’re the favorite). Cheers to some sweet mom-ents and memories!
Picnic at Dorothea Dix Park
Mother’s Day will be a walk in the park if you celebrate with a visit to Dorothea Dix Park (or the NCMA Museum Park!). Play some pop-up disc golf, then plop down for a picnic (snag a charcuterie board from a local biz or make one yourself!). As they say, experiences are the best gift!
Gift from DECO Raleigh
Get the day off to a great art with a handmade gift from one of the many local artists and retailers at DECO Raleigh. Sign a sweet card, grab some kitchen decor, or get a puzzle or activity for the next family game night.
Brunch Rez
On Mother’s Day, we brunch! And nothing says “I love you” like a shared mimosa bucket (aw!). Nosh on a plate of shrimp and grits or split some apps over at Midtown Grill; snack on Tupelo Honey’s made-from-scratch Southern menu; sip on mimosas with mom in the morning (or anytime, really) at Plates Neighborhood Kitchen; or get your grub via Irregardless Cafe’s globally inspired, locally sourced (and vegetarian-friendly!) menu. What better way to show mom you love her a whole brunch?!
Flowers from Urban Pothos
What in carnation?! Tell mom she’s your best bud with a cute potted plant from Urban Pothos. Make the trip together or pick out some flowers and/or plants that you’re head clover heels to give your mama.
Chocolate from Videri and Spring & Mulberry
Your sweet mom deserves some sweet treats! To make her heart melt, we rec the decadent buttercream caramel crunch candy bar from Videri; or make Mother’s Day a date mom won’t forget with a more healthful date-sweetened chocolate bar from Spring & Mulberry. Yum!
In The Heights Play at Raleigh Little Theatre
Snag some seats to see (and maybe sing along to?) Raleigh Little Theatre’s rendition of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s lively and powerful Tony Award-winning Best Musical In the Heights. It’ll be hard to upstage a Mother’s Day spent at the theater!
Wine at BottleMixx
Want mom to know she’s grape? Grab her a bottle of wine from BottleMixx or take her out for a tasting. Trust us, she’ll be on cloud wine!
by Melissa Howsam | Mar 31, 2022 | April 2022, Eat
Brand-new Raleigh-based sweet treat is set to sweep the nation.
Bringing new meaning to things that are “naturally”(bitter)sweet is the origin story behind brand-new direct-to-consumer Raleigh-based national sweets brand Spring & Mulberry.
Just launched March 22 from the brains of some of today’s top biz masterminds Kathryn Shah and Sarah Bell—former Pantone VP of global marketing and head of soft product development for Harry’s Grooming, respectively—the revolutionary wellness-minded modern food brand takes the category of treats next level via a simple ingredient list and wholly unique superfood sweet source serving up a decadent taste experience.
But the life recipe that inspired the brand recipe isn’t filled with all sweet moments. After a cancer diagnosis in her early 30s, co-founder Shah quit sugar and took a deep-dive into the healing power of food. While kicking cancer’s ass, the Harvard MBA-grad began experimenting with a trio of healthful ingredients to satisfy her sweet tooth—thus forming the foundation of these globally inspired sweet treats.
Transcending the idea of indulgence, these avant-garde goodies invite an exploration of flavor and depth. “Really the idea is to explore the beauty and the pleasure of whole pristine ingredients,” says Shah, “while showing off the spectrum of sweetness and depth of flavor that lies beyond sugar.”
And before you go thinking this is just another healthful snack biting into a saturated market—think again. Healthful—check. But this isn’t your monk fruit or latest fad sugar substitute. Instead, the local female power duo delivers the first-to-market date-sweetened chocolate bar in all its rich, velvety goodness—with zero grams of
added sugar.
“I’m personally really a fan of dates,” says Shah. “They are just so good for you. They’re packed with nutrition—and they have this jammy, caramelly flavor, which is just so lovely.”
With a base of just three organic ingredients—cacao beans and cacao butter making up the other two—the chocolate shines through in this handcrafted bar. Dropping in five fab flavors that would make Wonka proud (“The strawberries taste like strawberries!”), the bars harbor a host of high-quality ingredients—think lavender, bee pollen, tropical fruits and spices—to round out the pentad of evocative offerings. And—no shortcuts here—they don’t sleep on spice either, sourced directly from Spicewalla in Asheville.
“I’m so excited to put it out in the world,” says Shah. As are we all. To start, the fix is in online, as the brand launches via its website, and at select trendy specialty food stores and lifestyle boutiques locally and in select national markets to follow (stay tuned to the website for deets). The brand is also big on Raleigh—and on community—and is primed to continue to partner for pop-ups and the like (think a potential Mother’s Day chocolate and wine tasting at Hartwell Market).
And while you stay tuned for what’s beyond the bar, one thing is certain: “any product that we launch will kind of follow a similar mantra.” $15 each, gift packs: $45 for three & $75 for five flavors,
springandmulberry.com
