Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with birthday and mom

Good gift ideas for new moms?

Bwithh — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:47:01 -0800

What are some good Birthday gift ideas for new mothers.... ... that are NOT baby-focussed? (I'm sure my friend has plenty of new for-baby stuff recently already!)
Looking in the $20-$50 range....

hip/stylish is good
gadgety is good
foody is good
eco-friendly/new agey is also good!

it's her first kid, if that helps...

thanks for any ideas!

I could just kidnap her...

cabingirl — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 20:25:20 -0800

It's my mom's 75th birthday and I have a great gift planned. Help me figure out how to present it! My mom is turning 75 in December. My gift to her will be a trip anywhere in the world she wants to go. I am trying to think of a good way to present this gift to her.

My mom was a housewife and raised a bunch of kids throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s. She was raised Catholic so she had the kind of life that was expected of her but she always has had a little independent streak. She got involved in politics and served on the town council, likes to write witty letters to the editor, and stuff like that.

I know that she like to travel but she doesn't do it much anymore because my dad refuses to fly and he also has pain in his legs so he doesn't like to walk around much. So, I had the idea to offer to take her on a trip, just the two of us.

The icing on the cake was when I talked to her on my birthday and she admitted that I lived the kind of life that she had always wanted to live (on my own terms, in her words). She doesn't talk like that normally, so it was very touching.

Gift-wise I did something similar for her 70th where I got her an introductory flight at a flight school, because she had always wanted to learn to fly. I think I just put the certificate in a box. I want to come up with a really great way to present this gift. I thought of printing out a fake ticket and putting in one of those ticket sleeves you get at the airport. Or maybe buy her a travel toiletry bag and put the ticket inside it.

For extra credit, Mom has a tradition of presenting intangible gifts (gift cards or things that haven't arrived yet) with a short poem. She spends alot of time writing these little poems. I could use some help with that.

So. Assuming we can't reanimate Rod Serling and invite him over.

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 08:50:53 -0800

What should I get my mom for her birthday? My mom's birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and for the first time in my life, I actually have some money (let's say no more than a hundred bucks) to spend on getting her something cool.

Complications: she's very busy and stressed, I live 1000+ miles away from her, she actively dislikes all the "obvious" things. She's also got breast cancer (diagnosed this summer super-mild form, needs radiation but not chemo) and is being extremely secretive about it. She's still working full time (teacher) while going back and forth to her doctor, so I know she's exhausted, but she won't tell anyone because she doesn't want any special treatment or sympathy.

Things I know she will NOT like:

-any sort of spa treatments or massage
-hiring a maid service (my dad takes care of all the housework anyway)
-"experience" things that would drain her time and energy
-gift cards of any kind
-motivational crap
-a party

Things she likes but does NOT need (i.e. adding more to the pile of unused stuff at this point will just stress her out more):

-relaxing bath products
-clothing
-kitchen accessories

Things I know that she DOES like, but I don't know how to frame a gift around it:

-sci fi/thriller stuff, even if it's campy (she LOVES MST3K, Twilight Zone, Hitchcock...)
-looking for deals online (she's an Amazon Prime junkie) even if she doesn't buy anything
-vegging in front of the computer (I don't know what she does aside from the shopping, but I know that when I was a kid she was obsessed with that Myst game, but then our computer crashed and her progress got lost and even though she brings it up all the time she's never gone back to it) She's not really computer literate, though.
-playing with her iPad (she's got a first generation or whatever you call it)
-her book club (we have very different tastes in books, and even so, she doesn't have time to read anything other than her club-assigned books)

Cliff's notes:
-busy
-stressed
-tired
-not into "girly" things
-likes geeky stuff
-doesn't have a whole lot of time to devote to learning something new

So...are any of you like that? Or know someone like that? What would you like for a birthday present?

Thanks!

healing with whole food for dummies?

andreapandrea — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 21:03:02 -0800

What's a book that is similar to Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, only less intense? My mom is into those 'blueberries will save the world' email forwards, and for her birthday I'd like to encourage her new obsession with healthy foods, teach her how to cook them, explain about health, etc. Healing With Whole Foods is obviously the best book in the world, but I need a 'lite' version of this one, because I think it will be too daunting for my mom. What are some good books out there that explain what foods are good to help with specific problems (or general health)?

my mom is a good cook but it's more in the 'meat and potatoes' category, and she's looking to learn more about 'health' foods.

I'm looking for:
-food-based (not supplement or herb-based) book that has recipes and explanations about food
-accessible enough so my mom will ENJOY reading it
-NOT a particular miracle cure-style book (ie, no 'eat right for your blood type books, or anything of that genre)

thanks, hive!

Monogram my Mom?

functionequalsform — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:16:52 -0800

Help me monogram Mom's pajamas in a hilarious fashion. Mom's birthday is nigh. Last year I ordered/personalized for her two cat collars that read "Fo Shizzle My Nizzle," and "Rollin' In My 5.0." She loved them, for she is strange.

This year I'm going to send her some "really cute" PJs, but before checking out online I noticed that this specific outfit can be monogrammed.

Hehehehehehe!

I need your help in coming up with 1 line, 12 characters maximum. The line shouldn't make sense with the style of the PJs.

My current examples are:
"I HATE MANGO"
"RICO SUAVE"

Thanks for the help!

Mom's birthday is going to rock.

metajc — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:35:56 -0800

Mom's birthday filter: Mom is suddenly all about beading and gems and rocks. Any ideas for a cool, "every-rock-necklace-making-beading-enthusiast-should-have-this-___" present? Mom already has a lamp with a magnifying glass, a box, and a taste for "cool-looking rocks." She goes to gem shows.

I was wondering if you all knew of any cool books or resources where I might find something that would surprise her.

What to buy Mum for her 65th birthday?

deborah — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 13:21:42 -0800

My mum will be 65 on March 18. She can just about buy anything her wee little heart desires. I cannot because money is, well, in short supply. What should I get/buy/do for her birthday? I don't want to be too specific about her tastes/interests. I want to get as many answers as possible. Y'all will most likely come up with something that won't occur to me.

I'm in the Greater Vancouver area in British Columbia. Mum is just north of Seattle, Washington.