Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gift and ideas

Gift for a woman I barely know?

Phire — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:48:31 -0800

I need help coming up with a gift idea for a 40-50 year old woman that I don't know very well at all. My dad and I will be visiting Chicago for a few days in the near future, and we'll be staying with a friend of his. They were pretty close about ten years ago when both our families lived in the same city, but now we live about a thousand miles apart and they very rarely see each other.

Last time he stayed with this family a few years ago he brought a gift that was more oriented towards the dad, whom he knows better. This time he'd like to bring a gift that the hostess can really appreciate. I've been tasked with finding such a gift.

The only things I know about her is that she's not religious, that she has a daughter who is around 21-year-old, and that she works as a technician at a Big Pharma company. What can we bring in the price range of $60-80 CAD that would be appropriate as a thank-you gift? We're in Ottawa, but bringing the usual maple syrup and whatnot would feel kind of tacky.

Wedding/anniversary gift ideas for hard-to-shop for couple!

pseudostrabismus — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:47:03 -0800

Gift ideas for close friends' wedding / first anniversary, please! I didn't get my friend a wedding gift (she demanded that her bridesmaids not get gifts) but it's almost a year later & it still bugs me. Their first (paper) anniversary is fast approaching, and I'd like to get them something special.

Budget = under $200.
I'd be happy to get them some kind of experience rather than an object. Maybe a meal somewhere? I have thought about this daily for over a year, and I have NO idea what to get.

About them:

Her: 30, actor, very urban; likes cooking, dancing, shopping, film, Alvin Ailey dance company. Dislikes camping, wilderness, hunting, plant life, computers. Taste in home decor runs towards "South Asian hippie bordello" - dark, carved wood, bright fresh flowers, coloured glass jars, candles, rich, intensely-coloured indian silks draped over Xmas lights. Fave colours: baby blue, grass green.

Him: 40, animation painter, very nature-oriented. Loves camping, wilderness, hunting, canoeing, guns & crossbows, painting. Dislikes urban life. Taste in home decor runs to "Hunting Lodge"- canoe strapped to the ceiling, dark distressed wood, paintings of pine trees, antlers on the wall. Fave colours: chocolate brown, moss green.

They are both gregarious, playful, messy, funny, laughing, lovely party animals, generally adventurous & up for anything. They both like good food (avoiding refined sugar), dancing, and Christmas. They tend to be a little strapped for cash. They both tend to dislike "cookie cutter presents" like alcohol or gift certificates. They have a black lab which serves as a fur-child for her and a hunting dog for him.

Ideas I have considered:
Portable dishwasher - this would have been ideal but they got one from someone else, dang!
Maid service (I think they'd appreciate it, but it seems weird)
Small video camera or lomo camera (they don't really take photos, though)
Vintage steamer trunk (this would be pretty good but I dunno where to find one)

What the heck should I get them? This is in Toronto, by the way.
Thanks!

Help me be an awesome uncle

special-k — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:31:27 -0800

My nephew turns 10 soon. I got him The Dangerous book for boys. What else can I add to make it more awesome? So far I have some rope, string, and a pocket knife (although I am not entirely sure I should give him one). I don't have the book yet (should arrive tomorrow) but if you've given this to someone, what other small items would make this more awesome?

Valentine's Gift for Him

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:09:14 -0800

A Valentine's day question - mea culpa! I'd like to go for something handmade and creative for the dude, but I'm afraid school is sucking up my imagination. Ideas? So I realized just today that there were two weeks left till Valentine's day, and I'd like to get a head start on figuring out what to do. I've read through the old Valentine's Day posts on Metafilter - good ideas, but none of them quite as relevant as I need them to be. I'm a girl, he's a guy, we've been together a couple of years, I've been crazy busy for the past month (and will be for the next two weeks), and am on college student budget.

Things I've done in the past for various occasions: Mix CD with custom liner notes, Video game montage set to music, Origami stars, cartoon drawing of us, hand painted mug, mini scrapbook made from scratch (hand bound and everything)

He's pretty ambivalent on flowers - he'd like them 'cause it's me, but not much beyond that. I thought of doing origami flowers, or stealing the wire butterfly idea, or combining them, but there seems to be something missing. He's not a crossword puzzles kind of guy, though I wouldn't mind trying to set up a treasure hunt - but even then I'd still need ideas for how to set it up, as well as the finale. Also, caveat: I have a midterm on the 15th, and I'd only be free after 7 PM.

Other info: We're usually pretty low-key. His vices: video games, hardware, sound systems, 3D modelling, electric guitar/bass, Monty Python, local wildlife (chipmunks, squirrels and birds primarily) and chocolate/candy. He lives in residence. I have access to the local craftstore and lots of origami paper. Dinner and desert will be par for the course, I imagine. We do go out semi regularly (once every month ish). Hope me?

Actually. If anyone can recommend a low-key, not-toooo-sappy love poem intended for a guy that I could calligraph or something, I would love you forever. Something like When You Are Old by Yeats, but less ... feminine.

Anon 'cause I occasionally ask questions for him and he checks my profile.

Gifts for a loved one with an interest in Economics and Russian

codybaldwin — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:19:54 -0800

Gift Ideas for a person interested in Economics and Russian For various holidays, birthdays, anniversaries I am brainstorming ideas within these interest areas. So far I'm thinking maybe the Indexed book when it comes out, an subscription to the economist, etc. Shes probably already got Russian Dictionaries and things. Any suggestions?

Mark CF, I love you, but go away :P

divabat — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:58:43 -0800

What are some good (preferably experience-based) birthday gifts for a 21-year-old Australian programming geek who thinks he's Danish? My boyfriend's (whom you all so nicely wished Happy Birthday to in code) 21st birthday is coming up in February. It's going to be a big birthday for him so I want to make it special.

One thing he loves about me is that I'm always doing interesting things and that I often involve him in them - I've dragged him to the Gold Coast to help me stage manage a show, and I've brought him to damn near every multicultural festival that exists in Brisbane. We spent a weekend away in Redcliffe a few months ago and it was awesome. I would like to gift him with another awesome experience-style gift, but I'm at a loss for what to get him.

Some facts about him:

* White Australian male; I'm the most exotic thing about him
* favourite motto is "You can't be young forever but you can be immature indefinitely!" (to him it means he doesn't have to be boring and serious all the time)
* Obsessed with Magic: The Gathering
* Studying IT (Web Services) in uni; currently in 1-year work experience with a performing arts company managing their Web stuff. Often programs stuff in Javascript as a hobby.
* Went to Denmark for a year on exchange and now thinks he's half-Danish. Can speak Danish reasonably fluently. He yearns for opportunities to speak with Danish people and re-experience Denmark. I think he's saving up for a trip to Denmark in a year or so.
* Likes pandas a lot and has assorted panda paraphernalia. (I tried adopting a panda from WWF for him but their web form broke.)
* Enjoys cycling a lot. Also somewhat sporty, but he often needs an excuse (like a school sports team) to play
* Introverted and shy, but quite open and friendly to people he's familiar with
* Says he misses going out drinking; hasn't been to a bar in about a year or so. Doesn't drink much however.
* Likes Indian food; sometimes is more Asian than I am
* Likes to read, especially crime thrillers; Harry Potter fan

I've looked at sites like RedBalloon but nothing there seems to fit. While he is techy, I don't want to get him an iPod or other presents of that nature because I think other relatives will cover that for him. He knows I'm coming so I can't surprise him like I did this year!

I also don't have a lot of money (otherwise I would have bought him a plane ticket) but I could try talking to his mum (whom I'm close to) to see if we can work together on something.

Thanks folks!

I don't know what to get them...

triggerfinger — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:09:36 -0800

Help me decide on a gift. I have to take an exam for my job in December. It is notoriously difficult to pass and I have been struggling with some of the concepts. My work friend, who happens to have remained close to one of his former university professors, mentioned it to the professor. The professor then told my friend that I could come and sit in on one of his university courses (for free), which happens to cover the same subject matter that I am struggling with.

I have been to a few of the courses and have found them to be very helpful. Professor has shown great concern that I am understanding the concepts, has offered to sit down and explain anything to me that I struggle with and has even visited the website to obtain the actual exams of past sittings of my test to see what kind of stuff I need to know. He has even emailed me practice questions and told Work Friend that he needs to check my answers! Work Friend has also offered to give me any help that I need as he has taken the exam before.

This exam is very important to my career (I will get a promotion if I pass) and I am obviously very grateful to both Professor and Work Friend for their kindness. What can I get them that would be appropriate? As they spend a lot of time together socially, I thought of getting a gift certificate for a nice restaurant for them to go to with their spouses but don't know how I would present something like that.

They are both dedicating a lot of time and energy to helping me and I would like to get something a bit more than a card to express how much it really means to me. Thanks.

a box inside a box inside a box inside a box

777 — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:00:51 -0800

I've already got the xmas gift figured out, now I'm trying to figure out how to give it...so what are some creative/clever/funny ways you've given gifts? I've got a digital camera and various accessories, and I'm looking for a fun way to wrap them or otherwise present (*cough*) them...

Also, what are other creative gift-giving methods you've come up with for gifts not necessarily digital-camera-sized?

No idea is too big or too small...

thanks!

dark chocolate gift ideas

null terminated — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:27:35 -0800

A special lady in my life has an insatiable lust for all things dark chocolate. What outrageous dark chocolate related present can I get for her? If Hershey's 5lb Milk Chocolate bar came in dark, I'd get that. Crazy suggestions are welcome. Also she's far away, so I can't, for example, pump chocolate through her window with a concrete truck.

Gift for a special occasion

dragonbay — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 20:26:57 -0800

I need to get a gift and I'm struggling with coming up with an appropriate idea. All suggestions appreciated. My nephew (late 20's) had a problem with substance abuse but has done really well in a rehab program and is about to celebrate the anniversary of his first year clean. I'd like to get him something as recognition of that accomplishment and as a token of support for the future.

It can be something he carries with him, or something he can leave on a bookshelf. I'd like it to be meaningful, but not overly maudlin. Any ideas?

What do I get her for X-Mas

trox — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 21:18:50 -0800

Okay, I'm stumped. I have no idea what to get my girlfriend for Christmas. I got her some nice jewelry for her birthday in October, and I got her art last Christmas (shortly after we started dating). I'm not ready to be buying any rings, but don't want to trod down the same path giftwise.What do I do? Any ideas (she has an iPod) would be welcome!