May seems like an ordinary month, but honestly, it’s so NOT. The days get warmer, the trees greener and the sun starts to stay out longer. May gets you past the mud and is the tease towards summer. So many things to do in May and so many reasons to celebrate – May Day, Cinco de Mayo, America’s Mother’s Day and Holidays (Bank and Memorial Day). Get your diaries out and start planning May now.
1 – May Day
While May Day is a legitimate holiday, it doesn’t get a lot of public attention like the others. For me, May Day means goldy lion flowers, chocolates and warm late nights visiting our neighbors. As a child, May Day provided a reason to celebrate spring and stay up a little later. It’s honestly the perfect excuse to meet the neighbors!
Here’s the “how to” for an aBroad purpose May Day experience:
- Plan to deliver on May 1st.
- Find a basket you don’t mind giving away.
- Pick flowers from your garden or anywhere that’s not going to get you or your children into trouble!
- Add chocolates.
- If your basket is for children, add bubbles for each child, otherwise, a bottle of wine or bubbly is nice.
- If the basket intent is for you to meet the neighbors, then add a postcard or note so that they know it’s from you. Don’t forget to leave your phone number.
- If the basket intent is for your kids to give to another neighbor with kids, then let them drop off the basket and ring the doorbell. Upon ringing the doorbell, the kids run and hide. The point is for the children to find the children who left it. Now, in the country, you can get away with this. In the city, it’s likely not the safest of games. So, use your judgment and tweak it to suit your own family and neighborhood situation. No matter what you do, your kids will thank you for years to come for this May Day family tradition.
2 – Cinco de Mayo
Even if you don’t know much about the holiday itself, it makes sorting out the dinner menu a breeze. I mean honestly, what better excuse to eat guacamole and chips, and meet the neighbors over a pitcher of margaritas.
Having relocated from Texas, finding Mexican food in the UK has been a challenge. Being so close to the Mexican border, we’ve had our fair share of authentic Mexican food. This is why I never ever thought Old El Paso would end up in my pantry, but it has a weekly spot there.
Old El Paso is the only brand you can find in UK grocery stores, but my family doesn’t care because we LOVE Mexican food that much. So, if you haven’t tried it, Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time.
You might not want to meet your neighbors over your first messy Old El Paso enchilada experience, but I guarantee you will with margaritas. So, no excuses! Dust off your patio furniture and invite the neighbors over for a skinny margarita.
Items you need:
- Purchase an Old El Paso kit and whichever meat or vegetables you choose to add to it.
- Purchase a guacamole mix. These are incredibly difficult, if not impossible to find! I, fortunately, have several packets from the USA. My favorite is McCormick’s Guacamole Mix which you can purchase from Amazon UK, but they seriously expensive. The best option may be to make your own guacamole. Do not forget to refrigerate for 30 minutes and add greek style salad cheese as a topping. This will make your guacamole the topic of the night!
- Buy all the sides and fixings for the meal, such as Old El Paso Black Beans, Uncle Ben’s Spicy Wholegrain Mexican Rice, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and tortillas.
- Order Jordan’s Skinny Margarita Mix to ensure it arrives in time. I bought it online for Cinco de Mayo this year, but TK Maxx sells Jordan’s. Look for it in their coffee and tea aisle and you might get lucky to find the skinny margarita option. This leaves you feeling guilt-free on the wallet and the calories!
- Don’t forget to pick up the tequila, Grand Marnier, and limes. Grand Marnier isn’t required but is one of the hubs tricks to making the perfect margarita.
3 – Mother’s Day (America)
Like me, there are loads of Americans living in the UK. Even though Mum’s Day occurred earlier this year in the UK, do not forget to take this opportunity to celebrate your mom in the USA. It’s the perfect reason to remind her how much you love her despite the long distance.
For me, this year is even more special because she’s been fighting against cancer. She completed a stem cell transplant in February and been on the road to recovery since. I’m fortunate to talk to her every day and cheer her on.
So don’t forget to celebrate your mom, no matter how distant she may physically be!
Mother’s Day Ideas:
- English: Fortnum & Mason Hamper
- Personalized: Custom puzzle, like Shutterfly, which will be perfect for doing together during your next visit.
- Experience: Spa treat somewhere local
- Beauty: Live Better With hats for someone you love with cancer. These hats not only make you look beautiful but they feel amazing. My mom loves them!
- Unique: Something totally unique that’s her, to include donating to a charity.
- Homemade: Anything homemade! Those are the best kind.
- Traditional: Flowers
4 – The Royal Wedding
Watching Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot on American tv felt like a privilege, but the fact that Windsor Castle is only a 30-minute drive away makes me feel like I’m practically a wedding guest of Price Harry and Meghan Markle.
The hubs laughed at me when he saw “Harry and Meghan’s Wedding” appear on our family google calendar. I said, “Why not?” We’re here. We’ll never have this experience again – we ABSOLUTELY need to celebrate it.
Though I wish we received a royal invitation, it’s more likely that we’ll book a hamper picnic, afternoon tea, or brave the thousands of other people hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal couple as they make their carriage procession through Windsor.
If the past repeats itself, there will be street parties throughout Hertfordshire. If that isn’t within reach, you can always plan a royal wedding party of your own, wherever you are. It’s the perfect excuse to buy a new dress, a posh hat and host a tea party (with champagne and wine, of course) with these fabulous Royal Heritage cups. They can be purchased at TK Maxx for less than 4 pounds to commemorate the occasion.
5 – Holidays
Having a holiday means 3 things for me:
1 – Sleeping in
2 – Going somewhere fun
3 – Hosting a BBQ
It typically won’t imply that my family does all 3, but we certainly make the most of it. Since May includes a long weekend due to the Bank Holiday, and a week off of school for half term, it’s most likely we’ll accomplish all 3.
Whether or not you go somewhere fun or keep it a stay-cation, now is the time to pull out the grill from storage or simply buy a new one. May is the time to prep for those summer backyard BBQs. It’s also another reason to get out of the bubble, meet the neighbors, or invite some friends over to create bonds in your new place. That’s what we’ll be doing!
There you have it. 5 surefire ways to make the most of May, including fun, food, moms and making friends. Don’t delay and start planning the things to do in May now before it’s gone.