Central Coast spends big bucks honoring Mom

Americans are expected to plunk down $21 billion treating mom.

“Today’s about caring about your mom,” said 5-year-old Dexter.

On this Mother’s Day, some people are pulling out all the stops to honor mom.

“Just hug her and make sure that she feels like she’s loved so much,” said 8-year-old Ruby Browning.

Some would say being a mom is the hardest job on the planet.

“They celebrate us mostly every day and we don’t really celebrate them,” said 8-year-old Wyatt Schumacher. “So we’re celebrating them on Mother’s Day.”

Some are celebrating Mother’s Day to the tune of spending nearly $200.

“I think it’s ridiculous to spend that kind of money,” said Judy Kalbach, a mom from Summerville, South Carolina. “They can just sit on the couch and talk to you and it would be fine.”

An estimated $4 billion was spent on special outings like brunch and dinner.

“The family wants to give a day off to the mom,” said Carmen Magnusson, owner of Bistro 211.

Bistro 211 told KION Mother’s Day is their second busiest day of the year for brunch.

“There’s not just a rush hour, it’s a constant flow of people,” said Magnusson.

Flowers, jewelry and sweets were also hot sellers. Lula’s chocolates in Carmel, California had an influx of last minute Mother’s Day shoppers.

“Just like on Valentine’s Day, I think a lot of the gentlemen tend to wait until the verylast minute to go ahead and pick up their items,” said Gail Dimaria with Lula’s Chocolates. “But at least with us that makes them so entirely fresh.”

But not everyone is sticking to traditional Mother’s Day festivities.

About 50 percent of Monterey Bay Whale Watch customers were moms and their families looking to do something out of the box by taking an adventure out on the water.

“Thank you to my three children for making Mother’s Day so special,” Kalbach.

One group decided to mix things up with aMother’s Day Fun Run, quality time with mom that did not cost a cent.

“People who spend millions of dollars on their mom that’s ok but it would be better if you make something homemade,” said 9-year-old Diego Caspia.

Other popular Mother’s Day gifts included electronics, a day at the spa and gifts of experience, whether that be tickets to a concert or sports game.