Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gift and present

What gift(s) could I request for Christmas that would make my life more interesting, social, or creative?

Kirn — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:41:00 -0800

What gift(s) could I request for Christmas that would make my life more interesting, social, or creative? I've been asked by my mother for suggestions of what she could get me for Christmas. Recently I've realised that I spend too much time reading books, watching movies and playing video games, and not enough time doing creative or interesting things, attending cultural events, or being sociable and meeting new people. This is particularly daft as I live in the interesting city of Brighton, an hour outside the even more interesting city of London.

What gift(s) could I ask for that would help me to have a more interesting, social, creative 2010? There's infinite interesting stuff happening in London (and Brighton), so what would give me an excuse to see/do more of it? There's infinite new creative activities I could get involved in (none of which I really engage with currently) so what would give me an entry into them? What would get me out the house? What would get me outside my comfort zone? What would bring a bit more culture, a bit more social scene into my life?

Absolutely any and all suggestions welcome, I'd love a wide grab-bag of ideas. Thanks!

Looking for a colorful desktop nameplate

yersinia — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:41:06 -0800

Looking for a colorful/artsy name plate to sit on an office desk. Does such a thing exist? If so, where? And if not, what might be some possible substitutes? I'd like to get this as a gift for someone who was recently promoted-- one of those desk name placards seemed like a nice way to recognize the person in their new role. The job is in higher-ed administration, so not a very formal working environment; her office is filled with lovely, colorful objets-d'art, and I was hoping I could go beyond the usual blah Lucite/marble/brass/wood rectangles and get a colorful or otherwise artsy and unusual nameplate holder that'd fit into the existing decor. Bonus points if engraveable, and/or possessing a math-y or abstract theme or feel.

I thought such a thing should be easy to find-- heck, I'd like one. But after combing pretty much every single website in this list and on the Gift Wiki, I've had zero luck. Does anyone know if this kind of nameplate exists? And if no, does anyone have any ideas for creative substitutions-- personalizeable, colorful, office-desktop-appropriate-- that might serve the same purpose?

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!

Help me wrap and present delicious but frozen food.

anderjen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:24:16 -0800

This Christmas, I'm giving everyone the gift of delicious and healthy home-cooked meals, but I'm blanking on how to wrap and/or present them at the Christmas Eve festivities. Everything will be pre-frozen, which probably rules out putting them by the tree with the other gifts, and the only other solution I can think of is leaving them in my car and letting everyone take theirs on the way home, which is lame. There must be a better way. As I'm picturing it, everything will be frozen and packaged into reusable Gladware-type containers. Once frozen, are there any cheap ways of keeping them cold and dry to the point where I could actually wrap them and set them under the tree for a few hours until we get to the gift opening, and then again until people can get them home? I don't want anything to defrost too much, obviously.

The one thing I really do not want to do is buy each recipient a mini-cooler and ice packs because that kind of defeats the purpose of a low-cost/all-consumable present in my mind, and also there are 10 people, which would blow my budget.

If I do have to leave them in the car (which is a viable option, as I live in Minnesota), any cool ideas on what I could use or make to represent the meals for maximum effect? The rest of the gift will consist of other homemade treats and snacks, so there will be something open for sure, but the main meal is kind of the piece de resistance, so I'd like to make sure it doesn't get missed in a pile of wrapping paper.

I am certainly open to better ideas and suggestions if you have any. Thanks, all!

Gifts for my Conspiracy Theory Obsessed Friend!

batonthefueltank — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:05:41 -0800

Every year I am at a loss of what to get my best friend for Christmas. He is a man who really has everything. He likes electronic gadgets but they are usually fairly expensive, and he usually wants something very specific that he ends up buying himself. When I ask him what he wants, he hems and haws and just says, “Nothing, I don’t need anything.” I always struggle for material things to give him, so last year for his birthday I wrote him a very heartfelt letter detailing some lovely memories I had of him from our times together. He loved it!

He is not into reading a lot, but loves watching tv and movies. He loves science fiction and tv dramas. He likes movies like Contact, The Last Mimzy and Braveheart and tv shows like Battlestar Galactica, The Closer, 24, Big Love, Law & Order and Burn Notice. He listens to music by Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and Jewel. He enjoys spending time with his family, and eating out. He is not very active at all. Every once in a great while he plays a game on the Wii.

His big interest of late is conspiracy theories (and the like). I am thinking that this may be the way to go regarding the gift(s). He is big into people like David Wilcox, Alex Jones, David Icke, Keith Olbermann and Ron Paul. He likes watching movies online about 9/11 truth, preserving the US republic, one world government, the Bilderbergers and radio shows about “The Creature from Jekyll Island.” His latest acquisition is the movie “Zeitgeist”.

I may just resort to a gift card or offer to take him to dinner, but I wanted to see if you all could help me come up with something creative. I'm open to any and everything in the $50-$150 range. Thanks!

Maybe someday he'll be my sex toy.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:14:11 -0800

What to get my long-distance lover for Christmas? (NSFW) I'm female, he's male. We're in our late twenties.

He's usually dominant in bed, and we've had a lot of fun with that. He wrote an erotic story in which the female protagonist was dominant, so I know he likes that, too. That's something we haven't explored yet. We don't look to the BDSM culture for our fantasies (though there certainly must be some parallels), but tend to prefer our own. We're not into anal sex.

I would like to get him a toy he can play with while I'm away (which is usually, for the next year or so). I'm sure there's a lot out there, but I don't know what it is or where to look. Tell me everything!

Gift Ideas for my Super Girlfriend

moonroof — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:45:20 -0800

My girlfriend wants superpowers. What should I get her for Christmas? My girlfriend is pretty into Heroes. And X-Men. And Harry Potter, Piers Anthony novels, that superhero game on Facebook, and pretty much anything with people who have super or magical powers. I asked her want she wanted for Christmas several weeks back, and she said, "Superpowers."

Now, instead of taking a chance on some radioactive waste, I've decided to put together a little kit. I've already ordered a copy of this book and , and I want to put together a box of little things like a glove with magnets in it for magnetism power, a little handheld fan for wind power, etc., for her to "try out" different powers.

So, what other things can I put in this kit that will give my girlfriend super/magic powers? Budget-friendly a plus.

I think fuzzy dice are actually kind of cute

kerning — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:50:56 -0800

What's a good present to buy a 25 year old newly licensed driver? My female coworker is (maybe) getting her driver's license this weekend, after 25 years of begging rides from her friends. I thought it would be nice for my department to give her a little congratulations present, since we have done nothing but listen to her stories about her driving lessons progress for the past 6 months. But I have no ideas.

One hitch is that she actually doesn't have a car, nor does she have plans to get one anytime soon - she'll be relying on Zipcar when she needs to go somewhere outside of the city (DC). So we can't buy her the normal fuzzy dice/carmats-type present.

Anything Prime-eligible from Amazon preferred, or things I can get locally (NoVa/DC area).

absent anniversary

chronic sublime — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:06:52 -0800

Myself: absent during anniversary. Boyfriend: potentially finding gifts around the house. You: help me! I am going away for a short break next week, but it happens to coincide with my 3-year anniversary with my boyfriend. I also missed last years'; I was OS. This distresses me to no end, which is where you come in.

What potential "surprises" can I leave around the apartment for him to discover while I'm gone? They can come in the form of little notes, small gifts, etc, or a more elaborate treasure hunt. He has been very stressed at work lately, and want to potentially cheer him up when he wakes up/gets home. Preference for cheap/free/thoughtful, please!

Potential problems: we live together, and the living space is a cosy two-bedroom apartment. I will have a small window of approx an hour to plant all the goodies before I leave for the airport, but have plenty of time to myself in the week leading up to prepare.

I am a good writer, a not-so-good craftsperson, a mediocre musician, and a consummate purchaser of consumer goods. He is a geek with a wicked outdoors streak.

I can use Facebook or my mobile phone to send messages, if that helps to orchestrate anything.

Go crazy!

Thoughtful wedding gift ideas

alice ayres — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:09:16 -0800

What would make a good, thoughtful gift for this newlywed couple? My boyfriend's childhood friend decided to ditch the plans for a planned desitination wedding in favor of quickly getting married this past weekend in a very small ceremony (<30 people).

Because of the quick timing (think: hey, what are you doing tomorrow morning?), we were not able to get a gift. After having met the couple for the first time, we would like to get them something thoughtful. I know money could and would help out, but would prefer that be a last resort or an add-on.

About the couple:
Late 20's
He's an aspiring football coach.
She's in the first year of her residency. I think she will be an OB/GYN.
They were in a quasi long-distance relationship, and it will continue to be a long-distance marriage for at least the next 4 years. They will be in the same state (NY), but one will be in NYC, and the other in upstate NY.

I am open to any suggestions because I don't have much to go on either.

Custom wine bottle and engraved wine glasses as gift? HELP!

jdlugo — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:07:35 -0800

I would like to give custom wine glasses and wine with a custom label as a gift to my SO...advice?? I have looked around the internet and have seen several places to get personalized/engraved wine glasses. Riedel seems the most common brand.

I'm just looking for some advice for the best place to get these or other's experience.

I would like the engraving to me two letters/initials but would be interested in having a simple image or saying engraved as well.

Are Riedel wine glasses the brand to go with? I'm looking to spend anywhere from $100-$200.

Additionally, I would like to give a wine bottle with a custom label. Any advice on how to do this? I am pretty artistic and could print something up myself. Can I just soak any bottle of wine in soap and water to remove its label to add mine?

Thanks!

What should I get as a graduation present for my sister - quickly?

Kirn — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:19:22 -0800

What should I get as a graduation present for my sister - quickly? My sister is about to graduate from university/college and is hoping to work in mental health. I've only got a couple of days before I go up to see her so I need to pick up a little present quick - I was thinking a really nice book would be ideal, but I wasn't able to find one just browsing. (Ideally it'd be both a beautiful hardback book and something appropriate to the occasion - about life after university, or life in your early to mid-20s, or something..) However I only have a couple of days to get this, so speedy suggestions much appreciated!! Not only books, anything else as well (I was also thinking a nice pen or journal or something) but something I can probably pick up where I am (Brighton, UK) without having to order online. I was thinking up to about £40-50 or so but don't let that be a factor in your speedy and helpful suggestions!! :)

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?

Help me choose a gift for a hard to buy for female friend.

t0astie — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:46:00 -0800

I want to buy a small cheering, comforting, gift for a friend who has recently endured financial troubles, a relationship breakup, the start of a new job and an interstate move - and moved back in with her parents. But we have very different tastes and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what, exactly, I might get her. She's had a really rough time and while things are looking up, she's still quite sad a lot. She's the epitome of a good egg - a really decent chick - and I'd like to send her something that will provide a little comfort and good cheer. We know each other through work and are good friends, but not best friends.

The sticking point is, everything I think of as a nice gift, I know she wouldn't like! She doesn't drink tea or coffee, so those are out; she's on a very strict low carb diet so sweeties and gourmet goodies are out; not a big drinker, so booze is out; she doesn't do cute, so Etsy stationery or funky craft is out (I know this for definite because I gave her something like this once and she was just nonplussed); and she doesn't really go for fancy bath/body /candles/ homewares either. Gift certificates are no good - we don't have the kind of friendship where I could send her what is essentially money.

Things she *does* like, and what she's like: she's a journalist, a really good writer and whip-smart, but everything journalism related just seems a bit too heavy for the kind of cheer-up experience I'm after. The only other thing I can think of is she likes sudoku and crossword puzzles. But I gave her a sudoku book a while ago.

Arrrrrrgh! Also, I have $30AUD to spend, we're both in different parts of Australia, and it has to be postable.

Help me hive!

Gifts for Japanese Families?

bassooner — Sun, 03 May 2009 21:03:46 -0800

What are some good gifts for Japanese families? Also, are there any cultural taboos that I should be particularly sure to avoid breaking while staying in Japan? I'm a twenty-year old male American college student. This summer, my college's band will be doing a tour of Japan and China. The Japan section of the tour involves a number of homestays with Japanese families (either three or four stays). The stays are being arranged through local schools in the cities we're performing in, so our only information about the families are that they'll have at least one child between the ages of 6 and 18. What kinds of gifts should I be bringing to give to the families?

I've done a couple of similar tours in Western Europe, as well as spent a semester studying in Ghana while living with a host family, so I'm fairly comfortable with the guest/host intercultural dynamic. However, I'm not all that familiar with Japanese culture/language. Is there anything I should be especially careful to avoid doing or saying? (e.g., while in Ghana, coming out of the bathroom and then diving into the communal dinner bowl with my left hand).

Extra special Mother's day

charmston — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:44:06 -0800

I have an amazing, incredible mother. Really, she's awesome. This will be the first mother's day that I have the fiscal resources to show her, rather than just tell her, how much I love her. I'll be getting her flowers, that much is sure. In addition to that, I'd like to do something meaningful. My (boring) idea was make a donation to a cause in her honor. But you have more creative, but still meaningful ideas, right? :)

Really long distance anniversary gift?

zinge — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:33:26 -0800

What is a good, relatively cheap, long-distance anniversary gift to give to someone on the other side of the world? We talk on skype, but I think it'd be nice to actually get her something. My two-year anniversary of when my girlfriend and I started dating is coming up in a few weeks. Unfortunately, I'm in Florida, and she's in Australia at the moment. Background: We're both in college, she's doing a semester abroad in Townsville. I was actually able to go and visit back in February for about a week, so visiting again as a gift is not really feasible. She'll be back in the States in June, but I won't see her again till August, so I'd like to do something nice. For our 1st anniversary I was the one out of the country, but I had internet access and was able to send her some things through the internet (wrote a long letter, had it sent to her as a message in a bottle). I tried finding local gift shops in Townsville through the internet, but haven't had much luck. She's not much of a flower fan, and I've already gotten her a teddy bear. Actually mailing something from here gets expensive, and I toyed with the idea of making a digital mix tape or photo-collage with music and sending her the link, but she only has sporadic internet. Maybe I'm thinking along the wrong lines, but what kinds of things would I be able to find websites for, local to her area, that I could have shipped to her dorm? Also, I have someone (a mutual friend also studying abroad) that said she'd be willing to help out on the Australian end if I plan something. I've read through the other LDR threads, but most of the suggestions don't seem to apply very well to another continent, as opposed to another state. Thanks.

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?

Going away present for a friend's upcoming move to NYC/new life at Columbia.

nonmerci — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:04:02 -0800

A good friend of mine is moving to NYC in a couple of weeks, to begin the Master's program in journalism at Columbia. Please help me think of a nice, relatively affordable going-away present! For a few more details: she is quite well-off, so it's not like she needs anything she wouldn't be able to get herself. She's 22, well-traveled, quite cosmopolitan yet, I would say, fairly "girly". She's having a pretty big celebration this weekend and I'd like to get her something thoughtful that she can remember me by. It would be cool if it were somehow related to her upcoming grad program, but a nice pen seems so uninspired.

Thanks for any help you guys can give me!

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.

looking for a netflix surrogate for opening

woolylambkin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:45:07 -0800

I bought a netflix subscription as a Christmas gift and I'm looking for something tangible/creative to put under the tree for them to open instead of just a card with the certificate.

Gift ideas for young girls

backseatpilot — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:32:08 -0800

What are some good science/tech/math gifts for younger kids these days? I have three young cousins - two aged 7, one aged 5, all girls. As the resident geek of the extended family, I've taken it upon myself to indoctrinate them and get them interested in science/math and just generally being more curious about the world. I've been moderately successful with gifts in previous years, but now that they're getting older I'm oddly coming up blank.

So what's the trend in science toys nowadays? I've been told Legos are out, as they already have way too many of them. Software is also probably off limits, since their parents are mostly computer illiterate and I don't want do IT work for them all year. Looking back at my own childhood, I've basically eliminated all the toys I had myself, so now I'm stumped.

Some hazy ideas I had that I could use some help fleshing out - are there any robotics toys for kids that age? What about "The Way Things Work" - I had a copy when I was a kid, is the new version any good? What about "The Daring Book for Girls"? Marble roller coaster sets? Anything else you can think of?

How to gift wrap certificates?

ultraultraboomerang — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:57:54 -0800

Clever/pretty ways to "wrap" gifts that are just pieces of paper? For Christmas this year, I'll be doing a few of these sorts of things as part of my presents for my family. Since the actual gift is intangible, I'll just have certificates printed from my computer to physically hand to everybody. I could of course just roll the certificates up like scrolls and tie with a ribbon, or stick them in envelopes, but can you incredibly clever people think of some prettier/more interesting ways to present them?

Thanks muchly!

A is for Apples to Apples, J is for Jelly Bellies...

Rallon — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:45:09 -0800

Looking for a $15-25 white elephant gift that starts with the letter D My extended family holds a white-elephant gift exchange on Christmas Eve, and this year the rules have been changed so that your gift must not only fall in the $15-25 range but must also start with the same letter as your first name. The evil trio that is myself, my father, and my brother start with "A," "J," and "D," respectively. We've had no trouble with A and J, but somehow we're stuck on a good "D" gift.

Basically, I need ideas for something either incredibly awesome or incredibly not-awesome that starts with D and can be acquired within the price range. The participants are family, and while most are delightfully liberal and open-minded, keeping things family-friendly is a must.

Also, the "D" name should apply as closely to the gift as possible. Categorical things like giving a "D"VD will invite mockery and ridicule, so something with a more specific title/name beginning with D would be preferable.

Gifts for Peace Corps Volunteer?

radiomayonnaise — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:46:46 -0800

[giftfilter] It's that time of year again. I want to send a Christmas care package to a friend who is volunteering with the Peace Corps in the Philippines. What's good to send? She's teaching English language fluency to students in a fairly developed area - she has regular internet access and such. I saw this post and I plan on sending her some nice soaps and stuff, magazines, and some tasty (gluten-free) American food. But I want some more ideas. Things she may not be able to get in the Philippines? Or things you would have appreciated while traveling/living in Southeast Asia?

She's a big reader so I think I might send her an amazon.com giftcard but it seems she'll have to spend a lot on shipping the books. I know she's been enjoying reading free books from Project Gutenberg. Would a gift certificate to something like eBooks.com be better?

Also, anything I should know about shipping internationally?

Thanks!