Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gift and birthday

Help me give my husband a 40th birthday he'll never forget

geekgirl397 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 11:05:02 -0800

Good "experience" gift for my geek husband's 40th birthday? My husband turns 40 in a few days. We already have too much "stuff" and he's not very materialistic in any case. We're both geeky techies, and he loves music. Last year I bought him a great guitar, and he's already taking guitar and voice classes.

I want to buy him a great "experience" that he wouldn't treat himself to and that will be special and memorable.

We don't have any kids and we do go out fairly often - although I'm not a night owl so it tends to be quiet restaurant meals etc. We already have a 3 week trip planned over the holidays, but that is to visit my family in England.

I'm thinking something involving vehicles and speed - he likes to drive, but we live in Chicago and don't travel much by car (and have a small city car in any case). He did some flying in his youth - in another life, if he had had better vision he would like to have been a fighter pilot. He's a slightly reformed risk-taker, and I'd like to give him a taste of his reckless youth in relative safety.

One thing I thought of was maybe a session in a race car at a track .. I've done some searching on this and found some packages sold at the Chicago Speedway but I don't know how good they really are and it quickly gets very expensive.

My budget's a bit flexible but ideally I'd spend less than $1000 - but if I were to go more than $200 or $300 I'd want to be sure it was really worth it.

His birthday's coming up in just a few days, but as long as I have the gift planned I don't think it's important that he "redeem" it before then or before our UK trip.

All thoughts and ideas welcome!

What is a better gift for my recently laid-off girlfriend?

smoothvirus — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:09:41 -0800

One for the ladies - should I get my unemployed girlfriend some nice jewelery, or some nice green cash? So I've been dating my current girlfriend for more than three months now and things are going really well. But, she got laid off a couple of weeks ago, and she's worried about paying her rent come January if she has not found anything.

I have been in the jewelery store looking at some nice things in the $100-$200 range but have not purchased anything yet, her birthday is tomorrow. I am planning on taking her to a nice dinner tomorrow, but now that I've thought about it a bit, she might appreciate a little cash in lieu of a nice pendant.

Just for the record, her job search is going well, she has four interviews just this week. She's never been laid off/unemployed before, but I have and I never got that many interviews in a week. So I'm proud of her. She's been very worried but I have been very reassuring. I know she'll be fine.

Two rings become one... or two...

SNWidget — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:36:05 -0800

My wife's birthday is at the end of October, and I want to do something with two rings that we used to wear before we got married. Any ideas? My wife's birthday is the last week of October, and I've been trying to think of something personal to give her. We have two rings that we used to wear before we got married - both silver (at least, I know mine is).

What are some good idea to do with these rings? I've thought of things as simple as tying them together in a nice framed box with a picture of our wedding (which was just in May). But that's about the extent of my creativity.

Any other ideas about what to do with the two rings?

Happy Birthday! Love, Canada

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:32:57 -0800

Birthday surprise from far away - I need help with ideas for a friend in NZ. I've gone through tons of old posts about birthdays, surprises, gifts, and long distance gift ideas, but nothing really helped.

A good friend is going to school in New Zealand. Her core group of friends (4 others and myself) are in Canada. She won't be home for her birthday in November, and we would like to arrange a great surprise for her. Since none of us will be visiting her before her birthday, it might be difficult to set up a surprise from here. We might be able to enlist her housemate to help, but the less work needed to be done on that end, the better.

What we would like:
- have something "ready" on her birthday (i.e. call her to say happy birthday, then tell her to go look in her closet, or visit Restaurant X down the street - and voila, birthday surprise is waiting!)
- something that won't make her feel more lonely (someone suggested we have a party in her honour and take pictures, then send them to her, but I think this would make her feel lonesome)
- something that isn't too expensive - we're trying to brainstorm now in case we need to mail things or contact her housemate, but the cheaper the surprise the better because we're all close to broke

Factors to Consider:
- she is in Christchurch, and none of us has ever been there so we know nothing about what's around, what might be fun to do, etc.
- she is turning 24
- we have a birthday card that we will all sign, so if we need to use it to tell her something (i.e. "you're going bungee jumping!") we can write it in the card
- she finishes school a week and a half after her birthday, and so we don't want to send large gifts or things she'll have to pack up and take with her when she leaves (she'll be traveling for a month or two before coming home)
- she loves hockey, Canada, outdoorsy stuff, word games, and coffee
- we have sent care packages throughout her time away, so anything she has been missing from home, we've sent to her (she has been away since last November)

Any ideas, thoughts, or suggestions? We're a fairly creative bunch but this challenge has us pretty much stumped.

Birthday Gift for sister

happydude123 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:52:05 -0800

Hey, my sister is turning 21 and she just finished a 4-year undergraduate degree and has been accepted in Med School in the fall. What cool gift can I get her (possible Med School related) Thanks

Perfect Birthday Gift for 7-Year Old Girl

jimmyjimjim — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:23:31 -0800

I need the perfect birthday gift for a seven year old girl. I don't know her well...i.e. what her interests are (so nothing too skewed). But she's clever and draws very well (though it doesn't need to be an arts/crafts item). I'd prefer something that would really make her eyes light up. But I need to be able to find and buy it easily tomorrow morning here in Suburbia (there ARE a couple "hip" toy stores not too far from here, if that helps). Preferably under $60. Thanks!!!!

What birthday present should I get my mother?

idyll — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:34:43 -0800

Birthday gift ideas for mom? My mother is turning 60 in just a month and my family has assigned me with the task of creating a present for her from all of our family members.

I have had the idea of having all of us write our wishes and memories in a book along with photos of us and/or our times together, but a lot of our family members have moved thousands of miles away. I am curious as to whether there are sites out there that allow you to do that and then they print the book for you?

I want my sissy to have an awesome 30th birthday!

mattybonez — Sat, 16 May 2009 07:40:08 -0800

What's a good gift for my little sister's 30th birthday? I'm arranging this from across the country, and she's going to be on a motorcycle in the middle of nowhere. More details inside. My sister and her husband are on a motorcycle trip. I sneakily got the name of hotel that they will be staying in Fancy Gap, VA on the night of her 30th birthday (mid next week), halfway through their trip.

I want to have a special gift for her, but it really can't be anything bulky, since they're on a motorcycle, and space is very limited. I think the ideal gift would be one that could be used and enjoyed that night, like a food, or some sort of service. That way, all she needs to pack are happy memories.

Budgetwise, I'm thinking about spending around $100, but that's pretty flexible. Also, it needs to be something that I can arrange over the phone or internet from Dallas.

Please help hive mind!

29 things I like about you

jrichards — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:13:07 -0800

Fun/unique ways to present a list of things we like about a friend? It's become a tradition amongst my friends to make a list of things we like about a person for their birthday (like 30 things for a 30th birthday). Usually we just go around in a circle naming things, but lately it's gotten more elaborate.

Today is my friend's 29th birthday and she REALLY likes this tradition. What fun/unique things could we do to or give her that would list the 29 things we like about her? Today is her actual birthday, but we won't be celebrating for a week, so we have time to make something.

We're a pretty silly group and the things we like about a person are usually about half serious/half funny.

The perfect gift for an aspiring musician

fvox13 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:38:52 -0800

Recommend inspirational or otherwise awesome gifts for an aspiring opera singer, please! I have a very close friend who is in her sophomore year as a vocal Music Performance major, and her birthday is coming up. When I heard about this I thought it would be perfect, except it's not coming out for a few months.

Can the hive mind suggest similar videos? Or other gifts in this vein? I'd like to spend no more than about $30 - $40 USD.

Birthday present ideas for grandfather

feathermeat — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:09:47 -0800

I am looking for birthday present ideas for a 95-year-old man whom I barely know. My 95-year-old grandfather's birthday is this week. For a variety of reasons, I don't really know the man, and I am at a loss as to what to get him. He is a moderately devout Catholic. He does not see very well. His hearing is a little better, but not great. That's about all I know. Any ideas?

Baby, you've come a long way!

Leezie — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:45:41 -0800

I need gift ideas that are unique and perhaps a bit quirky for best friend who's baby turns 1 next month, kind of like a Yay! You survived the first year! presesnt. Bonus points if you can recommend a good gift for the baby that isn't clothing, battery operated or will be tossed in the junk pile in 6 months.

What to get an ex?

Kam1761 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:33:42 -0800

Ok, I have been invited to my ex-boyfriend's surprise 50th birthday party. WHAT do you get an ex for a major birthday? We dated for 4 years back in the day and have remained friends. Problem is his wife does not appreciate our friendship, yet she is the one who invited me. Do I get a serious gift or gag gift? Are there any tasteful gag gifts? HELP!

Prison-themed presents

lunalaguna — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:53:04 -0800

Help me think of prison-themed presents for a Down by Law screening party. My best friend is turning 35 next week, and we'll be having a screening of one of his favorite films, Down by Law, and an accompanying Italian-themed potluck. I'd like to make him a gift bag with prison-themed presents (soap on a roap, a shank, etc.) or gifts related to the movie. Any ideas?

So I'm Giving My Boss Zip-Ties for his Birthday...

Smarson — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:25:52 -0800

Boss's Birthday meets Traveling Work Bag Essentials Filter: I need to give my boss something more than just a handful of zip-ties...help Here's the deal, my boss's birthday is coming up and he hates it. Primarily because he can't stand useless gifts & cards. He is always appreciative of them, but secretly loathes their non-functional place in this world. This only hints at the underlying inferno of efficiency that consumes this man's life. He is almost certainly the living embodiment of productivity. He also travels constantly and anything that can't fit into his work bag is dead to him.

On the rare occasions that he has enough free time to chat we've spoken about our mutual tendency to carry everything we could ever need in our work bags. Electrical chargers, ear phones, kleenex, cough drops, bus schedules, etc., etc. Today I brought up the fact that I keep half-a-dozen zip ties of varying lengths/sizes in my bag since they take up almost no space and can come in super handy in a pinch. I could tell he made a mental note to pick some up and that's when I had my idea for a birthday gift -- things he can add to his work/travel bag. Obviously I need something more than zip ties though.

Lifehacker had some great articles on "go bags," but what I need are things streamlined for air travel. Also, he is all about function over form so pricey travel gadgets from SkyMall are out.

Any and all suggestions welcome.

Some more background on my boss:

*He used to participate in half-iron man competitions
*He is the epitome of "all business, all the time"
*He often gets labeled as a jackass since he doesn't have time for bullshit and is more apt to bypass all social niceties and cut straight to the point
*We're on great terms, but he scares the ever living crap out of me

Lincoln for Lefty and Reagan for Righty?

Seeba — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:09:18 -0800

Where can I find, or how can I make a spider-man bra? ... or Nixon/Churchill bra? ... or... etc I've a friend's birthday coming up and want to find/make a humorous bra as a gift.

I'd like to find a store/shop/ebay search term that'd help me find places that sell these-- alas, my google-fu has failed me.

If they really don't exist, I've no problem making it... except I sew very poorly, and would worry about taking fabric and sewing it onto an existing one to the benefit of neither.

Are bras something that can be silkscreen-printed?

Anyway. I'm looking for something with superheros on it (anyone but wonderwoman), or political figures or... things delightfully random. (Spectacular vistas might be a bit too close to "maybe he was being serious"... but a panoramic photo of a wal-mart parking lot is just about the level of classy that I'm looking for)

I know depending on the fit it's either a 32DDD or 34DD (she mentions having trouble finding ones that fit sometimes, so I'll pay closer attention if I end up making this from a normal one), so somewhere that has relatively larger sizes would be necessary.

Which Harry Potter Lego Hogwarts Express Set is better?

davebug — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:03:14 -0800

My girlfriend is a big Lego fan and a big Harry Potter fan. (Sadly, yet thankfully, she's not yet a big Ask.metafilter fan.) I'm going to get her the Hogwarts Express Lego set for her birthday. The question: 4708 or 4758? Essentially, Lego put out two versions of this for two different movies. They both roughly go for the same amount on eBay, and have roughly the same number of pieces. Any insight into which one would be more fun? (She enjoys the build taking awhile and having lots of little things that do stuff afterwards. I think less important is which characters come with the set.) I had to choose between the Hogwarts castles over Christmas and opted for the newer of the two, mostly because it had a lot more pieces. I think that went well, though it's not like I was going to get an honest answer of which she'd preferred.

A gift for the man who has everything but introspection.

Help, I can't stop talking! — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:42:34 -0800

Help me find an appropriate (guided) journal to give my father as a birthday gift. My father is turning 60. He's got everything (actually, he's remarried so he has two of everything), and I really want to get him something a little more symbolic. I'm thinking of a nice pen and a journal, but I know that if I get him a blank journal, he'll never actually write in it. He's not particularly in touch with his emotions and he's spectacularly concrete in his thinking. I know there are guided journals out there, but so many of them look like the kind of New Age smiley stuff that he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Anyone know of a "Self-Insight for Dummies" or "Guided Journaling for People Who Think Like Spreadsheets" or something similar?

6YO girl BD Present

preparat — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:57:32 -0800

Birthday present recommendations for 6 year old girl. I would love to find something that would get her interested in science, cost no more than $100, and have nothing to do with a princess of any kind. Other cool ideas not related to science also welcome.

Birthday gift for a blogger

telsa — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:25:50 -0800

Looking for a birthday gift for a blogger friend. Female friend's birthday is coming up and she has a passion for writing/blogging. I'm looking for a gift that is special and will stand out and won't be the type that everyone else will get. As for pricing, anything around $150 seems reasonable.

Also, she already has a personal domain.

What is a good creative gift that I should give my girlfriend?

jModug — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:48:30 -0800

What are some good birthday gifts to get my girlfriend? My girlfriend's birthday is in a little over a month and I need some creative ideas for her birthday. I want to get her something that isn't that traditional, something more unique and meaningful. I realize that something meaningful should come from my own head, but I need some help brainstorming and I felt like this community would be helpful for that.

Basically what I am asking is what kinds of gifts have you given/received that were really amazing?

What to do when you have left someone shortly before an anniversary and birthday....?

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:45:55 -0800

Two weeks after my girlfriend treated me to the most thoughtfully-indulgent birthday weekend imaginable, I broke up with her. Just a week has passed since we went our separate ways, but that means two weeks until what would have been our three-year anniversary and three weeks until her birthday, upon which I would otherwise be reciprocating her generosity. Is there anything I can do or say or give to mark the occasion appropriately? We were together almost three years, but in my heart there were obstacles preventing me from seeing her as the person with whom I might spend the rest of my life. As she is twelve years my senior at nearly 42, one of my worries was that the longer I stayed with her, the more I was forcing her to sacrifice aspects of life such as having children that I suspect, deep down, she would like to explore. I refused to co-habit with her and latterly found myself treating her with less than the respect she deserves, while hating myself for doing so.

She spoiled me rotten on my birthday, not just in terms of extravagant generosity but also in terms of lovingly-planned, meaningful gestures. To some degree I think this may have been a catalyst in my decision to end it with her. It was clear to me then that I owed it to her to set her free to find someone who will care for her and commit to her as deeply as she did to me. She railed against me for making an executive decision, but this was my choice. A choice made partly from selfishness and partly from love and a desire to see her have and be everything she wants.

Ending it with her and seeing her in pain was the most gruesome experience of my life. The past seven days have been the longest, most agonising and empty I can remember. I worry about how she is coping, how she is doing at work, whether she is being looked after and whether, like me, she is mentally looking ahead towards our anniversary that was not to be. Staying away from her, and not making contact, has been excruciatingly hard, though I am just about achieving that.

My previous long term relationship ended with me being the dumpee after eight and a half years. That was painful but in retrospect nowhere near as hard to bear as this breakup, of which I am the architect. I guess the mixture of love, loss, guilt and anxiety that I am feeling now is less palatable than the fragrance of fresh possibilities I could sense last time round. It's admittedly only been a week but I haven't been able to think of moving on or being with anyone else, even though two women have thrown themselves at me in the meantime.

Time and space will heal us, I am sure. But in the meantime, how do I address her impending birthday? I would feel it uncaring if a good friend or long term partner failed to acknowledge my birthday at all. And as I sit here amidst the many wonderful gifts she lavished on me so recently, it would seem preposterous not to offer something in return.

Is a simple card the best way to deal with this? A heartfelt letter? Do I approach offering my company, or continue to keep my distance, as she does from me? Do I avoid things I know she would like, because they are things that would be associated with "us"? Do I avoid offering my company and my presence? Will a useful, practical or fun gift entirely lose its charm because of the context in which it is received?

I don't want to intervene in a way that will cause her anguish. And I worry about offering her something that could be interpreted as symbolic, or that will later be looked upon as an icon of pain rather than beauty.

Help me find a gift for my sister.

OLechat — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:00:36 -0800

Help me find a birthday gift for my sister, who was recently hired as fashion designer... I want to get her something that will surprise her, maybe something related to her field, something she would need or find useful. She works for a sportswear company, and I know very little about that industry. Hints from other designers are appreciated!

Gift guessing that involves height, weight, birth date, address?

acoutu — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:03:42 -0800

Gift guessing filter: help me think of what this could be. My friend, who happens to be my personal trainer, recently asked for confirmation of my height, weight, address and full birth date (but not birth time or day of week). She says it is for some sort of gift that will arrive in a few days. What on earth could it be? I'm baffled. It's not for my birthday. It's just some sort of surprise.

Thanks. (I'll come back to say what it was. And I promise that, given the range of possibilities, you're not ruining the surprise)

I want to give her a Gift, but without all the dying twice.

aristan — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:38:23 -0800

Buffy Birthday Gift Filter: Ack! I got my dates mixed up, and my friend's birthday is this Saturday, not next! Help me think of Buffy The Vampire Slayer themed (not necessarily branded) gift ideas. Looking for stuff that'd be easy to find in the next day or so. Here's what I've got planned so far... I had plans to order a few more things for her big bag of fun online but now there's no time! She's a huge BtVS and Angel fan and owns all the box set seasons on DVD, the original movie, etc. She loves Spike & Angel the most.

Right now I'm planning on giving her a big white box marked, I think appropriately, as 'The Gift'. Inside right now are the first two collections of the BtVS season 8 comics. And... well... right now, that's all that's in there. I'm thinking of buying a bottle of Vampire Wine if I can still find it, and maybe some wax fangs. I'd like some other ideas of items that might be related to the show, but not necessarily branded for the show (meaning, a product that gets mentioned or was important in the show at some point).

Any ideas are appreciated!