There are the planners, and then there are those who, despite their best intentions, often wing it for a special day. This Mother's Day weekend, don't beat yourself up over missing another opportunity to show Mom you care. Whether your mother relishes afternoon teas or likes letting her hair down at a Mamapalooza concert, we're here with some ideas to help you make it special for her. 1DINNER FOR MOM The Cooking School at Central Market's Dallas location offers an appetizing menu. Pair up with your mother and learn how to make shrimp salad with white beans, mint oil and watercress; champagne chicken; spinach timbales; chocolate soufflé; and more at a hands-on cooking class. Call to check on availability.

Tonight from 6:30 to 9 at Central Market,

5750 E. Lovers Lane. 214-361-5754.

{TriRight} $60 per person, $110 per team of adult child

and mother.

2RENAISSANCE ROMANCE Mom might not need much prodding to renew her vows with her significant other at a ceremony performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury (actually, an ordained minister) in the Wedding Garden at Scarborough Renaissance Festival, a re-created 16th-century English village bringing to life the world of knights and chivalry.

Saturday and Sunday at noon at Scarborough Renaissance Festival, 2511 FM66 (at Interstate 35E's Exit 399A), Waxahachie. 972-938-3247. www.scarboroughrenfest.com. Festival hours are Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day from 10 a.m.

to 7 p.m. through May 26.

{TriRight} Free with festival admission: $19.99, $6.50 for ages 5 to 12, free for children 4 and younger.

3"PASSING ON THE ARTISTIC TORCH: A MOTHER DAUGHTER ART EXHIBITION" Take a look at the exhibit featuring the creations of local mother-daughter artists Yvonne Myers and Simone Howell at Studio 2600 (a gift gallery and working studio). The studio is celebrating Mother's Day by offering discounts on paper arts, jewelry and items in glass, mosaic and ceramic. Free gift wrap and chocolate chip cookies will be available.

Mother's Day celebration: Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Studio 2600, 2600 Hibernia (at Routh Street). 214-855-9197. www.studio2600dallas.com.

{TriRight} Free admission.

Exhibit: On display Tuesdays through Saturdays through May 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

{TriRight} Free admission.

4TRADITIONAL AFTERNOON TEA Whether Mom has a yen for iced tea, hot tea or green tea smoothies, she might enjoy exploring the display of various flavors at Celebrity Cafe and Bakery. After she's finished, treat her to Traditional Afternoon Tea, featuring a hot tea of choice, finger sandwiches, petits fours, scones and fresh strawberries. Accompanying kids don't need to feel left out. Celebrity also offers Junior Afternoon Tea, an abbreviated version of the adult menu, for children 12 and younger.

Afternoon tea is available daily at 2 at area locations. Reservations not required. www.enjoycelebrity.com.

{TriRight} $11.99, $6.99 for Junior Afternoon Tea for children 12 and younger.

5MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND DURING MAY FLOWERS FESTIVAL The Dallas Arboretum has set aside this Saturday and Sunday for honoring moms with a blooming good time at its May Flowers Festival. On tap are free carnations for the first 250 mothers visiting the arboretum each day; live music on Sunday; and crafts for children. The grounds should be a visual feast, with more than 80,000 blooms, a large butterfly topiary and a walk-through house adorned with flowers. After all that walking, a Mother's Day buffet (in Rosine Hall on Sunday) featuring cold foods, a carving station and more, should hit the spot.

Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road. 214-515-6500. www.dallasarboretum.org.

{TriRight} Admission is $8, $7 for ages 65 and older, $5 for children 3 to 12, free for children 2 and younger. Parking is $5.

Mother's Day celebration: Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free with admission.

Mother's Day buffet: Sunday, with seatings from 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2:30 p.m. $34.50, $23 for children 3 to 12, free for children 2 and younger. 214-515-6610 for reservations.

May Flowers Fest: Through May 31, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free with admission.

6QUEEN FOR A DAY SPA PACKAGE Cleopatra had her beauty rituals, so why shouldn't Mom? The spa package at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel includes an aromatherapy massage, a manicure and a lavender pedicure, a facial and eye treatment, and champagne lunch. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance.

Through May. Spa hours: Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays 8 a.m. to

6 p.m. The Spa at the Crescent, 400 Crescent Court. 214-871-3232.

{TriRight} $325.

7SWISS AVENUE MOTHER'S DAY HOME & GARDEN TOUR The 35th annual home tour, showcasing preservation efforts in the Swiss Avenue Historic District, features a tour of about 10 properties as well as the Cathedral Church of St. Matthew (on Ross Avenue at Henderson). Other highlights include entertainment in Savage Park, a parade on Saturday down Swiss Avenue and a brunch (food provided by Metro Grill) on Sunday at Savage Park.

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday noon to

6 p.m. at featured homes on Bryan Parkway, Gaston, Swiss and La Vista. 214-841-4293. www.sahd.org.

{TriRight} $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Free for children 12 and under.

Parade: Begins Saturday at noon at Swiss Avenue and Fitzhugh. Free admission.

Brunch: Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 214-577-7171. $20 per person. Reservations are recommended.

8HEART LIGHTS Kick back with Mom at the Women's Chorus of Dallas concert honoring mothers and other women who make a difference in people's lives. The program will include songs such as "Wind Beneath My Wings." The performance will be followed by a dessert reception.

Saturday at 4 p.m. at Northaven United Methodist Church, 11211 Preston Road. 214-520-7828. www.twcd.org.

{TriRight} $15 to $25, $10 for seniors and students.

9MAMAPALOOZA Merry & the Mood Swings, a five-woman area band, will headline the Dallas edition of Mamapalooza, a festival designed to inspire women to live large and pursue their passions. "It's an opportunity for moms to live front and center stage ... It's also a chance to be inspired by women who are doing something creative," lead singer Mary Hestand says. The local program will begin with sets by other local musicians before Merry & the Mood Swings take the stage for songs such as "Pick Up Your Socks," which Ms. Hestand playfully describes as a mother's lament.

Saturday at 7 p.m. at Opening Bell Coffee,

1409 S. Lamar. 214-641-5751. www.merryandthemoodswings.com.

{TriRight} Free admission; tips are welcome.

10MOTHER'S DAY AT THE NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER It's easy to spend quality time at the museum while perusing modern sculpture or enjoying the Nasher garden. A Mother's Day celebration featuring brunch, an art scavenger hunt for children and a concert by the Arts District Chorale (program includes John Rutter's Birthday Madrigals) should make the day extra special.

Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St. 214-242-5100. www.nashersculpturecenter.org.

{TriRight} Admission is $10, $7 for ages 65 and older, $5 for students, free for children 12 and younger.

Brunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Nasher Cafe by Wolfgang Puck. $30, $15 for children.

Art scavenger hunt: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

Arts District Chorale concert: 2:30 p.m. Free.

11MOTHER'S DAY AT THE CARTER The Mother's Day celebration at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth would be a good opportunity to explore the museum's extensive collection of American art and look for depictions of motherhood among the works. There will also be cookies and lemonade as well as hands-on activities for children (including making gifts for Mom such as memory boxes).

Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Amon Carter Museum, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. 817-738-1933. www.cartermuseum.org.

{TriRight} Free admission.

12MOTHER'S DAY CONCERT WITH GUSTAVO TOLOSA Mom really does take the stage here. Argentine-American pianist Gustavo Tolosa will perform with special guests, including his mother, pianist Raquel Rigotti-Tolosa, for an evening of music by Dvorák, Saint-Saëns and other composers. The concert will be followed by a dessert reception featuring Argentine baked goods. All mothers will receive a small take-home gift.

Sunday at 6 p.m. at South Side on Lamar,

1409 S. Lamar. 214-789-6677. www.mothersdayconcert.com.

{TriRight} $20.

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