I need a heartfelt gift for my mom and her soon to be amazing (2nd) husband.

September 7, 2009 8:25 PM

I need a heartfelt gift for my mom and her soon to be (2nd) husband. She is my best friend and she met the man of her dreams, I want them both to know how excited I am for them.

She is moving about an hour away with my school age brother, in to his house with his 1 son. They love the country, outdoors, horses etc. They are simple, down to earth, good ol home cookin love birds! For my wedding I gave her an amazing quilt, I dont really want to do that again, and gift cards are not really our thing. Any other suggestions would be great!

PS I have found wedding gift posts around but none that are about Mom!

posted by kgreerRN to human relations (9 comments total)

i know you're not a fan of gift cards, but what about a gift certificate to the spa? if you want the gift to be couple-y, find a spa that does couples massage. this is a really nice gift for people who wouldn't otherwise go to the spa/treat themselves - and it would be a great way to wind down before their wedding.

or, if you want to do something else, what about putting together a package of things that you, mom, new husband, brother, and new step-brother can do together? a basket of snack foods, a board game, a family movie, etc. you can write in the card that you're looking forward to spending some time as a family. making the new members feel welcome and loved will surely mean a lot to your mom!
posted by gursky at 8:51 PM on September 7

Do you have any photos of the two of them together? A nice, large photo (especially one you've taken) in a good, silver frame would be a lovely gift that will remind them both of their happiness and of your love for both of them.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:51 PM on September 7 [1 favorite]

Maybe have someone paint a picture of the two of them from a photo? Or take a picture of you, your brother and soon to be step brother and present it to them as their "new" family. It would be symbolic of all three of you children being happy about the union and coming together as one.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:51 PM on September 7 [1 favorite]

Depending on where you live and what your budget might be, some kind of vacation package might be nice. If you live in California, for instance, you could give them a weekend at a B&B in Napa or a few nights at a hotel in Yosemite (and plan to take care of the boys for the duration). Ideally it would be something they could use a good six months after their honeymoon.
posted by you're a kitty! at 8:59 PM on September 7

Put your feelings down on paper. Write your own poem, a letter or whatever on a decorative piece of paper. There a lots of great poems on the net if you need ideas. Or just write down how you feel about them being together and their happiness. You could either frame it or roll it up and tie a ribbon around it. Maybe give it to them inside one of those silver scroll holders. You could even engrave that. Or tie it to a bottle of champagne. You said they were down to earth, this would be perfect. If you hand write it (as opposed to typing it), all the better! Nothing means more than reading a persons kind thoughts and wishes over and over through the years. Something she'll cherish for sure.
posted by Taurid at 10:49 PM on September 7

Something with the blended family theme would be good.
when my father remarried, his blended family was going to include 5 dogs. I took photos of his and her dogs, mine and my brother in photoshopped them into the famous painting of dogs playing poker. It took hours but they both loved it - his wife carried a smaller copy of it in her wallet.
posted by metahawk at 11:37 PM on September 7 [1 favorite]

Give a birdhouse personalized for them and include a note about the lovebirds building a new nest/home. Speaks to their love of outdoors and living creatures; plus, symbolizes their creation of a new home.
posted by mightshould at 6:53 AM on September 8

What Taurid said. To infinity and beyond.

My man has 3 adult children, I have 2 younger kids, and that sort of written recognition from any of them ("YAY! You found a good one! I'm so happy that you're so happy!") would mean the world to us.

Handwritten, or scrawled across scrap paper, or typed, or calligraphied (I know that's not a real word) and presented in a beautiful frame, it wouldn't matter.

IANYM, but that's the sort of thing I'd rescue from my burning home before photos and birth certificates.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 8:13 AM on September 8

Seconding that it is the thought, not the gift that counts.

One key factor in your mom's day-to-day happiness is likely to be the two boys being OK together. A practical gift (whether or not it is named as such) might be to take them out on an adventure together -- or even just on a boys-only run to the movies. Bias the choice of topic towards the stepbrother, make him feel you think he is special. Help your brother to understand how much peace in the family will mean to your mom.
posted by Idcoytco at 10:08 AM on September 8