I hope I take after HER side of the family

April 17, 2008 4:53 PM

Help me think of a kickass gift for my grandmother's 100th (!!!) birthday.

Tomorrow I am flying out for my grandma's 100th birthday. Two big parties are planned, dozens of relatives attending, it's a big deal. I want to bring her a little something, but it's very very hard to shop for a centenarian.

About Grandma: She's in amazing shape, all things considered. Her memory gives her trouble, and she walks with a cane with some difficulty, but she's still just about as bright and chipper as ever. She finally moved in with my parents last year, so she doesn't need any household stuff. She likes to read, history is a favorite genre, so a good book is an option. She lives in a relatively small town, and I live in Brooklyn, so something particular to NYC might be nice. She already has DOZENS of smelly soaps and lotions and things of that nature that she never uses. She doesn't watch a lot of TV or movies beyond the news because she has a hard time following along. She loves chocolate, so if all else fails I'll get her some really fancy chocolate, but I suspect that's going to be the fallback gift for a lot of my relatives, too. We expect her to be around for a while longer, but it doesn't hurt if it's something that she can use in the near future, if only because she'll probably forget about it otherwise.

She's not expecting anything, and something big would probably make her uncomfortable, but it would be a nice gesture to give her something.

posted by doift to shopping (19 comments total)

Congrats to grandma!!!

When my Great-Grandma turned 100, all her grand kids pitched in to make her a family tree with caligraphy which started from her and decended to my generation. Although I suppose this takes more planning than you have time to give, she was really appreciative.

Also, my uncle gave her a shawl made of alpaca wool which came from his alpacas he raises in New Zealand. Again, not something which might be appropriate here, the point is mainly to get something that will mean something to both you and her.

She also got a letter from the Queen, but again ... uh... yeah.

So enough about my great-granny, and on to your granny. If she's not expecting anything big, how about writing a letter telling how much she means to you? Or framing a blown up picture of the two of you (if you have one)?

My great grandmother lived for a year and a half past her 100th, but I know it was the small things we did on that day that made it special to her, even though she couldn't remember them by the end.
posted by Planet F at 5:05 PM on April 17, 2008

A bouquet of 100 daisies. I did this for my aunt several years ago and she loved it.
posted by netbros at 5:05 PM on April 17, 2008 [4 favorites has favorites]

My congratulations as well! All I can suggest is that you definitely show her this story if she hasn't seen it—talk about a NYC kickass centenarian gal!
posted by languagehat at 5:07 PM on April 17, 2008

Does she enjoy puzzles? If so, (and her eyesight -- unaided or aided by glasses can focus on small print) I suggest a Handheld Crossword Puzzle Device, a Handheld Sudoku Puzzle Device or a Nintendo DS with Brain Age and/or Big Brain Academy.
posted by ericb at 5:17 PM on April 17, 2008

How about some perfume. Something light and fresh, and if possible not a new fragrance but one she would remember from long ago. My gran used to love to get a bottle of scent.
posted by anadem at 5:47 PM on April 17, 2008

A slide show made from as many old, old family photos as you can gather, augmented with relevant images of each decade, perhaps?
posted by fish tick at 6:32 PM on April 17, 2008

How about some gardening stuff......books, seeds, trowels......old people love that shit.
posted by pilibeen at 6:34 PM on April 17, 2008

A subscription to XM, which has stations devoted to 30s and 40s radio shows and music (I can't speak to whether Sirius has similar offerings). It brought back many memories for my father-in-law, who recently died at 102.
posted by carmicha at 6:45 PM on April 17, 2008

What about a cd with music from 1908 - 2008? It might be a bit tricky for the early years but I bet there's some good stuff out there. Ask other family members if there are any special songs they know about and include those as well.
posted by allieger at 6:58 PM on April 17, 2008

This is maybe kind of random, but you mentioned your grandmother likes to read. I recently bought my grandmother a subscription to The Week. It's a magazine that collects and summarizes news from around the world. My grandmother has always like the newspaper but now tires quite easily, so I figured it would be a way to let her keep up with events, but not be faced with terribly long stories.

I also figured it would be something new she'd get in the mail every week, and therefore (hopefully) a nice recurring source of interest.
posted by lillygog at 7:06 PM on April 17, 2008

Can you get hold of the NY Times from 1908 from her birthday and get it framed?

A poster from the 1908 presidential election?
posted by sien at 9:51 PM on April 17, 2008

ooh, i was also going to mention the newspaper idea.

on such short notice, how about buying a beautiful, large frame and bring a camera. at her party, get a picture of the whole family together, and then get it blown up for the frame.
posted by thinkingwoman at 10:00 PM on April 17, 2008

For my aunt's 50th birthday, I interviewed key family members and friends who came to her party, recording them a small tape recorder. I then took a picture (actually a couple) of each person. I then put it together in a book. (I hired a friend who is a typist to transcribe the tape for me.) Obviously I gave her this after the party. I also gave copies to her brother and her two adult children.

For my grandmother's 100th birthday, I asked people for a photo of themself and made a collage. My daughter wrote out people's names in calligraphy which in included in the collage with a list of partners/spouses at the bottom.

Depending on her politics, you can also arrange for her to get a letter from the White House (although not in time for the party.) Then again, for my grandmother's 101st, my brother contacted an Impeach Bush organization and in exchange for a modest contribution, they created a wonderful certificate recognizing her a Chief Impeacher. She loved it.

She also liked having a star named after her - you get a nice certificate to give as the gift.
posted by metahawk at 10:07 PM on April 17, 2008

You're in NYC? One of each of the graffiti bars from Chocolate Bar</a.
posted by brujita at 10:36 PM on April 17, 2008

Could she come visit you? I don't know your budget or the distance involved, but maybe you could arrange to pick her up on a Friday and spend the weekend or something together in NYC? Go shopping, get brunch, perhaps take the Staten Island ferry? I know my grandma, who is over 80, LOVES doing things she doesn't normally do...so perhaps some one-on-one time would be great.
posted by mdonley at 3:51 AM on April 18, 2008

On a similar vein as thinkingwoman, you can always purchase one of those digital frames. Just take photos during the party, mix in pictures of loved ones, and give it to her at the end of the party. Amazon has a nice selection.
I'd also second getting a framed copy of the New York Times (or a similarly popular newspaper) from 1908.
posted by itchie at 6:10 AM on April 18, 2008

We gave my grandfather a digital frame one year and he loves it. It holds 100+ photos and rotates through them randomly, and it seems to generate a lot of nice memories and conversation.
posted by Bella Sebastian at 7:54 AM on April 18, 2008

What about a cd with music from 1908 - 2008?

Unless she's extremely unusual, she will not like or appreciate any music after around WWII. I'm only in my fifties, and I don't care about any music after around 1985. Unless you have reason to think she's hip to today's beats, I don't think it would be a good idea to give her something she will have to pretend to like.

Now, a CD with music from her era—maybe some hard-to-find music of the '20s—might be an excellent idea.
posted by languagehat at 8:32 AM on April 18, 2008

Happy Birthday to your Grandmother.///

There sure are wonderful ideas here.
I know my grandmother loves jewelry. In fact, she wears a ring on each fingers both hands. When I asked her if she liked wearing so many rings, she just laughed.
We don't get her rings though, brooches and earrings she likes, especially amber. We also used to get her scarves and shawls, but she has plenty now. Flowers and chocolates, always. We also get a big box for the staff at the home because they're cool and hard working.
We also throw a party at the home and family descends from various corners including some younger friends whom are at the home too and whomever wants to attend on her floor. They do all love the party and the spread of food we bring in. The kitchen at the home is good, but who doesn't like variety and something different.

You may think chocolates are a fall back plan, but omit them and she'll be asking, 'hey, no chocolates¿'. The same with flowers. [100 daisies, Cool./] My grandmother loves her history novels too.
A great big hug is always appreciated and means a lot. Have fun and give her a hug from me. :)

My grandmother will be turning 106 soon./
posted by alicesshoe at 9:40 AM on April 18, 2008