Make Mother’s Day special with help from these Oregon businesses owned by women

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, are you looking for ways to celebrate her this year? Whether you’re celebrating a new mom or thinking about where to take your mom wine tasting, these Oregon businesses owned by women are ready to help.

Flipside Hats

Gift her with the perfect summer accessory – the River Hat ($48) from Flipside Hats. Located in Southeast Portland, Flipside is open daily selling baseball caps, sun hats, visors and more for men and women. The company manufactures all of their products in the United States, with a focus on sustainability and using eco-friendly materials. Owner Kori Giudici started the company 22 years ago when her son was still a baby. She fondly recalls bringing him to work and to trade shows with her while growing her business.

“Being a mom and entrepreneur, and doing both well, takes so much time and attention,” said Guidici. Today, Flipside is a family business that focuses on reducing waste by using recycled and up-cycled materials and giving back to the community. “It’s important to me for our business to have a purpose other than making money,” Guidici said.

Details: 7850 S.E. Stark St., Portland and FlipsideHats.com

Cap’n Coconut

Book mom a treatment at Hair Remedies Salon & Cap’n Coconut Sunshine Studio in Cloverdale, which offers facials, spray tans, and lash services. Though the brick-and-mortar location just opened, owner Emily Wenrick has been in business for eight years, selling her collection of deliciously scented coconut products online. Wenrick focuses on holistic skincare using simple and clean ingredients. One of her best-selling products, the Pineapple Face & Body Polish, contains eight all-natural components: organic coconut oil, coconut sugar, cane sugar, Jojoba oil, raw honey, Pineapple oils and essential oils, and Vitamin E oil.

“I understand the importance of self-care for mothers so I offer flexible appointment scheduling, childcare accommodations, and specially curated treatments designed to support both body and spirit,” Wenrick said. “This Mother’s Day, I plan to celebrate by extending special offers and packages to all the wonderful mothers in our community. It’s a small gesture of appreciation for everything they do.”

Details: Hair Remedies Salon & Cap’n Coconut Sunshine Studio 34335 Hwy 101 S., Cloverdale and capncoconut.com

Valley Rock Gym and Ants on a Log Cafe

Take mom for a workout at the Valley Rock Gym, a climbing facility in downtown Corvallis. Give it a try on your own, or enroll in lessons with staff. Afterward, head to lunch at Ants on a Log Cafe next door. The spot is owned by twin sisters Sally and Wendy Starker, whose vision was to nourish, educate and inspire. “We want to make a difference in our community not only by serving healthy, local food but also by being a leader in sustainability,” Sally Starker said.

The majority of their dishes are sourced from local farms and businesses. On any given Saturday morning, the sisters will be at the Corvallis Farmers Market collecting fresh produce for the week. Everything at the cafe is made from scratch, including delicious nut butters. Choose from good-for-you smoothies, sandwiches, and fresh baked goods, and don’t miss their savory house-made scones.

Details: 401 S.W. Jefferson Ave, Corvallis and antsonalogcafe.com

Broken Top Brands

Located in Bend, Broken Top Brands makes soy-wax candles, bath and body products, perfumes and colognes, as well as linen sprays. Gift mom one of their deliciously-scented gift sets (prices start at $73.10). Each set includes a full-size soap and lotion, a 4-ounce linen spray, and a long-lasting candle.

Since Broken Top was established in 2015, founder Affton Coffelt’s passion for creating clean and sustainable products meant she had to juggle multiple hats, being a mompreneur. “As a solo mom to three amazing kiddos (ages 16, 10, and 7), I’ve become somewhat of a pro at this balancing act,” Coffelt said. “I’ve learned to compartmentalize like a champ.”

On Mother’s Day, the Coffelt family keeps a 16-year tradition as Affton and her sister spend the day together with all of their kids, five between the two of them.

Details: brokentopcandleco.com

Birds & Bees Nursery

Birds & Bees is brimming with garden supplies and eclectic gifts. Owners Caitlin Gaul and Amanda Lepley Simard opened the store in 2012 and stock it with locally sourced items. Pick up a bird feeder or a decorative flower pot and a plant for mom. Better yet, visit together and spend some time meandering the shop and grounds to take in the wide selection of native Pacific Northwest plants that make great additions to the backyard. You’ll also find a variety of indoor plants and succulents as well.

Since Mother’s Day is one of Birds & Bees’ busiest days, both Gaul and Lepley Simard will be working and plan to celebrate on a different day. Gaul plans on taking her mom to an afternoon of tea and biscuits. Lepley Simard, whose mom died several years ago, plans to honor her mom by planting something special.

Details: 3327 S.E. 50th Ave., Portland and birdsandbeespdx.com/

Lincoln City Glass Center

The Lincoln City Glass Center is a destination gallery full of beautiful glass items curated by owner and artist Kelly Howard. The center sells magnificent glass floats, candle holders, paperweights and bowls from local artists as well as those crafted by Howard herself.

For a treat, book a reservation to make your own glass ornament at the adjacent studio. Prices start at $75 per person (ages 8 and older), and there are many colors and designs to choose from. A seasoned glassmith will help you from start to finish, making it a fun learning experience for everyone. Allow about 30 minutes, though times vary depending on what you’re making. Then you leave your product to sit overnight and pick it up the next morning. The shop will ship your finished product for a fee if you choose.

The glass center has been open for over 19 years, serving its community and tourists. Howard said managing motherhood and a thriving business “has been an incredible challenge. Having been a single mother, I am very thankful I was able to have my kids with me at work. This was also a difficult, but I am so thankful we made it work. Often people would say, ‘wow, I don’t know how you do it” and in my mind I would think–oh dear, I’m barely hanging on. We just keep pushing forward and doing our best.”

This Mother’s Day, you’ll find her taking a stroll with her kids and family dogs on the beach after a homemade breakfast. “The key is spending time together, knowing that time is short and we never know when our song is going to end.”

Details: 4821 S.E. Hwy 101, Lincoln City; lincolncityglasscenter.com

Moonrise Flowers

Tess Wier, owner of Moonrise Flowers, has an affinity for both fresh-cut and dried flowers, which she fashions into creative wreaths and arrangements. Growing, maintaining, and harvesting the flowers from her one-acre farm in Albany, she ships across the United States and also does local delivery. As a special treat, Wier will host several wreath-making workshops in May and June, a great way for mothers and children to spend time together and leave with a special memento.

On Mother’s Day, you’ll find Wier hosting a dried flower wreath workshop at Greenhouse Coffee + Plants in Corvallis.

Details: Albany and moonriseflowers.com

Et Fille Wines

Book a tasting at Et Fille Wines in bucolic Newberg, where owner and winemaker Jessica Mozeico continues her father’s legacy. (Appropriately named, “Et Fille” means “and daughter” in French.) Mozeico co-founded the business with her father in 2003. Designated a certified B-Corporation, Et Fille commits to sustainable winemaking, community, and diversity.

Highly regarded for their pinot noir, viognier, chardonnay, rosé, and sparkling wines, Et Fille sells several wines in support of organizations like Adelante Mujeres, Providence Portland Neonatal Intensive Care, and March of Dimes.

When asked how she’s able to juggle motherhood and being an entrepreneur, Mozeico lamented, “For me, I think the key is to ditch the unattainable goal of work/life balance and to embrace work/life integration. That means that I speak with my daughter about a lot of my work responsibilities and bring her to many of my events so she’s included in the winery and gets to see what it’s like to run a business. In fact, she and my mom started their own cookie business so they could sell cookies at some of our winery events.”

Details: 718 E. First St, Newberg and etfillewines.com/

— Jean Chen Smith, for The Oregonian/OregonLive