Chicken breed?! Poll here.

check out the henderson breed chart and the ALBC charts to see which fit your needs more.

Personality, laying ability, confinement/pasturing ability, climate preferences, etc.

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

http://albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparison.pdf

I like the BOs, I also have black leghorns (1 even went broody and raised chicks for me) and wyandottes. RIRs tend to be the bullys of a mixed flock.

Do you mean Ameraucanas or Araucanas?

I have to agree with your mother.  Those three birds are most winter hardy, and considering where you live, that will play in your favor.  I live in Southern PA, and don't heat our coop in the winter.  Therefore, I don't purchase single combed breeds, because they get frostbite.

If you are ordering from a hatchery (more selection then a feed store) then other breeds you may want to consider include the Dominique, Chantecler, Russian Orloff, and Buckeye.  If you want a light weight white egg layer then try a rose comb brown leghorn, or perhaps a hamburg.

Also, if Ameraucanas are not coming from a private breed, they will be Easter Eggers.

YOU GOT TO LOVE A WYANDOTTE!!! THEY ARE MY FAVORITES.

My vote is for a bunch of Easter Eggers.

Your supplying hatchery, feedstore, or local breeder calls them "Araconnas/Araucanas" but they're actually mutts called Easter Eggers. Real Araucanas only lay blue eggs, have no tails, no beard, and are quite rare. Plus, no hatchery or feedstore has them no matter what they claim.

But anyway, best go with the Easter Eggers as their egg color ranges from blue to green to light brown/pink, their plumage color is quite crazy and varied too, and they can be a fun "box of chocolates."