Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gift

What to give a hostess for a thank you gift?

Night_owl — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:24:00 -0800

I'm joining my long-term boyfriend at his godmother's house for a week for Thanksgiving this year. I want to bring her a gift to thank her for having me in her home. What are some good ideas? I like to cook, so things in that vein sound good. However, ideally I could give her something that would last til after we leave, since we'll be eating a lot because of Thanksgiving. Also, canning is not an option for me.

Not Prince Michael. Prince who, though?

samsarah — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:36:44 -0800

Looking for an out of print children's book entitled Prince _________, about a dog. Help? A friend is getting married, and for her wedding gift, I'd like to buy her a set of books she remembers from her childhood. Unfortunately, I forget the most important part of the name. Things I do know:

-She read them in the mid-80's.
-There was a series of books, all about the adventures of a dog. (He was possibly a detective?)
-The word Prince was in the title. I believe it was part of the dog's name.
-I for some reason think the second part of the dog's name began with the letter M.

Suggestions for good rare or out of print book dealers also welcome. Thank you!

Giving the gift of deliciousness

sararah — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:32:56 -0800

In previous years I've made a lot of cookies to give away to friends and family around the holidays. This year I'd like to do something a little different, but still make it a gift of food. So I've done my holiday-cookie-palooza for the last three years or so, and I'd like to change it up a bit this year. For one, making all of the cookies tends to be a lot of minutiae since it is like 10 different recipes. Also, a lot of people (including yours truly) are trying to eat better, and there are more than enough holiday cookies that will make their way on to our plates throughout the season. I recognize not all of the ideas below are "healthy," per se, but some of them will last a lot longer, are used in small quantities, or are freezable for enjoyment after the holidays.

I'm not ruling out cookies entirely, and I may still make a few favorite batches. I'm not really interested in making the jars of brownie mix/cookie mix or whatever, I feel as if those often go unused.

Some ideas I have rolling around in my head:
-Breads: either a sandwich-type loaf or a sweet fruit bread
-Jams: I have recently learned how to preserve and have successfully made strawberry jam and apple butter. Considering making pumpkin butter, cranberry jams/chutneys or some sort of citrus jam/marmalade as oranges, etc hit their peak.
-Frozen baked goods: fully prepared pies, scones, chocolate chip cookie dough or cinnamon rolls that you would just have to bake.
-Granola
-Would be awesome but also a lot of work: homemade bacon

So I'm wondering what you would personally like to receive in a holiday-themed gift basket of food? Have you ever done anything like this or received one from a friend? Ideas on clever packaging are also welcome.

Nifty Computer-related Gift for Friend?

oracle bone — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:18:05 -0800

Gift filter: I'm looking for a nifty computer-related gift for a friend's birthday. A friend's birthday is coming up in December. She's a thoughtful girl that's quiet and shy most of the time, but has got a sense of humor. She's also into computer science. I'm wondering if anyone can suggest some nifty computer science gifts I could get her? I've thought about getting her an extremely fancy mouse, but I'm wondering if there's anything more 'personalized'/'unique' than that (as in, would not be too common place). Budget at this time is not an issue, and I'll most likely be ordering this over the internet. Please post a link if possible. Thanks for your time!

It's almost holiday time - let the neroses begin!

pointystick — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:59:19 -0800

Holiday gift giving going out of my comfort zone but I don't wanna be a scrooge. Please hope me. Longish explanation inside. My family Xmas list is feeling unmanageable. I know some big families draw names, but I have 2 medium sized families (dad/stepmom's & mom's). It has been tradition in both families to exchange gifts between everyone with couples generally giving a gift jointly and sometimes receiving jointly and adults give gifts to the kids too.
Mom's side used to be manageable but family has grown. Xmas includes gift giving between all my grandmom's family (grandmom's kids and spouses, my cousins, and cousin's kids). Dad is remarried now (stepmom, half sister & kid, stepsiblings & spouses). So I'm up to 20 people or so without even getting into my close friends (my non-blood family). I'm the only single person (besides the young folk) and I have no kids and no full siblings so I can't even use the excuse of "only exchanging gifts with a nuclear family".

Now for the questions:

-How do I do gifts without being chintzy? I like to buy nice gifts (especially for mom & dad) but I can't afford to splurge on everyone. What's reasonable? I can't afford what I used to be able to when I was in a 2 income family.
- Am I scrooge? I do make a decent living and I could afford more gifts if I cancelled my upcoming vacation. (OTOH, since my divorce a few years ago, I have been enjoying traveling to places I enjoy & having hobbies so I'm loathe to do it. Is that awfully selfish?)
- I like to give gifts to my close friends, too. Is it appropriate to spend more on my best friends than on stepsiblings I see a few times a year?)

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.

Gestalt Prayer Poster

emilyd22222 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:07:24 -0800

Help me find a poster with the Gestalt Prayer (in its entirety) on it! The Gestalt Prayer:
I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
and you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.

I've seen this and this, but both are missing the last sentence. This is for a gift.

Print-on-demand presents?

cuddles.mcsnuggy — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:27:43 -0800

Is there such a thing as an online vendor from whom I can purchase print-on-demand gift certificates as a wedding gift that I can put in today's mail? So I have some friends who were married several weeks ago and I couldn't go to the wedding. Mainly out of forgetfulness (with a touch of lazy), I have not yet procured a gift. They've said they don't really want gifts but I still wanted to send a token of some sort. The couple is in their late 40s who already have an established home and children and don't need appliances or other things to get their household started. They live in another town so I'd like to mail them a modest gift card or certificate -- something fun or sweet and appropriate for a newly married couple, that they can use online or at some kind of specialty retailer.

I've had the wedding card here waiting to be sent for some time, so if there's a way I can print off a gift cert. today that would be ideal -- instead of ordering something and waiting for it to come to me before I can send it. I'm not interested in generic retailers like Amazon, Target, William Sonoma, etc. Also not interested in "(Edible thing) of the Month" arrangements. I'm thinking more along the lines of a certificate for something like wines, desserts, interesting/odd household items, or other newlyweddish stuff. Anyone have ideas?

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).

Help me find my Dad a wide-brimmed hat to hike in!

There's No I In Meme — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:23:20 -0800

Where in Boston can I buy my father a wide-brimmed hat to hike in? The old man's birthday is this coming weekend and I would love to buy him a hat he can hike in and wear in town afterward.

I've looked at Stetson a bit, but think I would like something a bit less cowboy. If possible, I would also like to limit myself to things that don't scream 'hiking gear' such as neon colors or funky construction/materials. I'm hoping to buy in Boston this week, so I would only go online if it's a far superior choice.

Thanks for the recommendations!

Damn you, clever homophones!

mllrstvn — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:12:31 -0800

Help me find a t-shirt I've only heard described ambiguously! Okay, so the girlfriend's birthday is coming up. Some months ago she mentioned a favorite t-shirt that was ruined in the wash, and I'd like to replace it as a birthday gift. Unfortunately, I never saw the shirt, and I can't go and ask her for details without ruining the surprise. What makes this shirt particularly difficult to find, I think, is that all I know about it is that it says "I carrot vegetables." Maybe. It could also be "I ^ vegetables" (caret), which would be sort of witty, I guess. Or maybe it's "I <3 vegetables," where the heart is replaced with a carrot-looking-hearty thing. I just don't know.

Any help in finding a place to purchase it online would be groovy. I googled some without success. Thanks!

Social customs for anniversary engravings confuse me.

MysticMCJ — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:33:53 -0800

I need help with engraving an anniversary gift - Specifically, the text. Is it OK to have a two initial monogram? What about additional text? My wife doesn't have a middle name - Should I pass on the traditional circular monogram -- Would it look odd with only two letters as opposed to three?

Assuming I don't, would it be weird to have additional text beneath that commemorating our anniversary? Should I put the wedding date without the year, or should I include the year? Or should I put some more meaningful text?

I'm very good with gifts in general, and I know she will love specifically what is being engraved (Circular flask with pop-out shot glass built in, she's not a MeFi reader lucky for me) but the fact that this is a rather non-traditional anniversary gift, combined with the fact that it's our first anniversary, combined with my complete lack of knowledge of social customs for this sort of thing has made me very confused. Any help appreciated!

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?

Need Help Reading Vidal

Jireel — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:15:41 -0800

What Gore Vidal book would you recommend to start with / which of his books has been your favourite ? (Could apply to non-american readers). ...am asking as his tone and general outview seem to match what a friend is looking for in writing. Yet he seems to have explored quite a few writinggenres, and i'd like to let Friend discover him as a gift.
Thanks for your help

How to save for travel as a gift?

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:08:22 -0800

For his birthday, my boyfriend has suggested that we set up some sort joint savings account so that we can put money in it as our gifts to each other (birthdays, holidays, etc.) to later spend on travel - a passion of both of ours. I like the idea of somehow starting our little "travel fund" for our next trips and keeping it going through the years (and avoiding spending the money on "stuff" that we don't appreciate as much as the experiences we share together when we travel). How can I fulfill this great gifting idea that we can use for each other without feeling nervous about the non-married money-sharing aspect? Seeking either alternative ideas or advice on the shared bank account route? I know his intentions are good, and we speak of marriage/our future all the time - this guy is a keeper, not a "random" boyfriend. Marriage hasn't happened yet, but it is in the plans & we travel at least a few times a year, so far.

Where can I find trustworthy autographed items?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:39:36 -0800

I'm looking for an autographed picture as a present, but $200 seems like much and I've seen people selling copies of autographed pictures for $10. What are good sources for autographed pictures, either high quality downloads or pictures with original signatures? In particular, I'm looking for a Gene Wilder signature. I realize I could use computer magic and get a high quality photo and overlay a signature digitally, or fake it, but that seems shady. I'm tempted to buy the less costly reproduction from someone online, but I imagine they could have done faked it just that.

Are there any reliable websites for signature purchasing? I could also go in person to the LA area, as I live a few hours away - are there any decent autograph or memorabilia shops for this sort of thing, or are they all tourist traps and money sinks for rabid fans?

I'm asking anonymously because it's an idea for a present, and the recipient checks MetaFilter from time to time.

What do I do for our first anniversary?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:53:08 -0800

I have no idea what to do for our first wedding anniversary. There are time and money complications. This is the first relationship (for me) that's even made it to the year mark, so I've never celebrated an anniversary before (we never made a big point of it while we were dating). What's the tradition? Do we give each other gifts?

It's next Monday, so I don't have a lot of time to plan. We both have to work that day. He has a Big Important Meeting and is likely to be stressed out that evening and the one before. I can take the day off if I need to. I'd like to do something on the actual day, although logistically the main event should be on the weekend.

We don't have the money to go to a nice hotel for the weekend so we are staying at my parents' cabin in remote northern Wisconsin. His boss has offered to pay for a nice dinner (short version: he knows I hate his guts and he's trying to get on my good side, plus he's trying to keep an employee). There are no nice restaurants in the remote area we're visiting. I am sure the evenings will involve the obvious romantic activity, but I'm trying to think of other special things I can do for him. Our first year of marriage has been immensely stressful, and I'd like to do something that marks a new beginning. We're changing jobs and locations soon so this is an ideal time.

We're in our 30s, live in the Chicago area, no kids, not much of a budget. I'm a frequent contributor to MeFi and my identity will be pretty obvious to those who know me so feel free to also contact me via other means; I just don't want my husband reading my past questions.

He's born to run--I'm born to shop

bookmammal — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:07:31 -0800

Help me come up with a gift for a marathon runner! A good friend/coworker will be running in the Chicago Marathon next month. I'd like to get him a small "Good Luck--Go Get 'Em!" gift or two that I could give him the day before the race--perhaps something that I could hide in his desk or around our office that he would find. He's already completed this marathon once, so it's not really a matter of bolstering his confidence--but I still think it's a huge deal for him to be doing this and want to wish him good luck!

He's running for a charity, so he already has one of their Tshirts to wear on race day, and I'm pretty sure he already has plans to get a massage after the race. Any other ideas out there? Not really looking for anything super inspirational--maybe more on the humorous side--but any ideas are welcome. Thanks in advance!

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!

How to give Minneapolis theater tickets as a gift?

Salamandrous — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:43:28 -0800

I want to get theater tickets or maybe a subscription for my 'sister' in Minneapolis. I know that she and her partner are somewhat into the alternative theater scene there, and she also has a strong background in literature and music, so more classical theater works as well. They're also super busy so it has to be possible for them to fit the show(s) into their schedule. I know nothing about Minneapolis, or really about the theater world in general. Is there such a thing as a gift certificate to a theater? Which Minneapolis theater would you recommend? Other related present ideas are also very welcome. Thank you!

Help me make a music mix

bluelight — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:15:09 -0800

Help me create a mixed music folder for my friend who recently broke up with her boyfriend. She really likes Belle & Sebastian and... ...I like B&S too but I don't listen to music a lot. I'm not music-fluent at all so I'll just list the kinds of music she likes (also, I'm aiming for happy, upbeat yay-ish music):

- She really liked the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack
- She likes Ratatat
- Also, John Frusciante but I think he's a little...depressing for the music folder
- Indie folk stuff

Her birthday is also coming up. I wanted to make this to cheer her up so I was going to download a bunch of albums or songs from these different artists and slap them onto a jumpdrive. Then I was going to put the jumpdrive in a cute little box and give it to her. Is there any other way you would do it?

Thanks!!

A farewell/goodluck gift for my wife while she's hiking the Himalayas

Plutor — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:40:42 -0800

My wife is heading to the Himalayas, where she and I will be incommunicado for an entire month. What can I give her that she will appreciate (and maybe even remind her of me) while she is gone? She will be carrying her own large hiking pack through the mountains for much of the trip, so there's an emphasis on small, resistant to breaking, and useful.

The Intoxicated Aesthete

The Whelk — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:22:18 -0800

Help Me Give The Gift Of Drunkeness: What can I infuse in these little jars? I got a case of them as a gift and I want to turn it around into another gift, little jars of infused vodka, but I have some questions, mostly about making them pretty. 1) I've washed them out and scrubbed off the labels and kept the tops so I can re-seal them with wax later. Anything else I should know?

2) Are they large enough to successfully infuse in the jar or should I make a big batch and then re-fill all of them? I'd to have some whole fruit/spice/whatever floating in them to make em all pretty. What could I fit in them that would look good (raspberries, for example, just turn white and weird looking) and also infuse the vodka? Cinnamon sticks? Vanilla? Mint sprigs? What's in season now (Eastern US) that infuses well/is totally tasty/unusual?

3) How long should I let them sit, considering the size? Do I have to keep them out of sunlight?

4) Anything else I could do to make them super-attractive little art objects you can also consume? Do they make edible glitter?

What gift for staff at my son's nursery?

dimon — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:44:07 -0800

My son will be 2 soon, and is moving to a new nursery in November. He's attended the nursery for 2 days a week for the last 12 months. What do I buy for the (10 or so) nursery staff as a 'thank you'? I don't want to spend a fortune, maybe about £40-50, which equates to about $65- $75.

It's not the best nursery - there's alot missing in terms of the facilities etc - that's why I'm moving my son to a new nursery soon.

Having said that, the nursery staff have been lovely, and clearly do care about my son, which I really really appreciate, and I want to thank them.

So I guess I don't really want to buy the usual chocolates or biscuits. But then, there are about 10 staff I want to thank, so maybe sweet stuff is the easiest way to ensure they all get something? There's also one or two staff members who I could buy something a little extra for - but it won't be necessary to do this if I get something nice for them all.

Just wondered if anyone has experience of this? Comments/advice much appreciated!

Gifts of an "Adult" Nature

Diagonalize — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:40:26 -0800

What kind of stuff does a 20-something "grown-up" not know he needs/wants? No surprise, my boyfriend's birthday is coming up. He's turning 27, and his parents have been needling him to add things to his wishlist. Gifts are a big deal in his family, and the Amazon wishlist has been a crucial part of that for years. In the past, his list was populated almost exclusively by video games and the occasional movie, but lately, he's been trying to move towards a more grown-up selection. Well, that's super, but when he sits down to try to add "grown-up" stuff to his wishlist, he gets this panicked, "deer in the headlights" expression. I know there are plenty of things he likes/wants, but he has no idea where to start.

Him: scruffy, quiet, socially-capable, 27-ish, physicist

Likes: adventure/RPG video games, reading political and science blogs, puzzles (a la MIT Mystery Hunt), food (eating, not cooking), and Philip Seymour Hoffman films

Dislikes: mushrooms, Will Ferrell movies

Mostly clueless about: fashion, cars, power tools, professional sports, fine wine/booze, and any music other than classical or showtunes

Clearly, he's not a guy's guy, and I've had little luck finding a "manly, but not too manly" guide that wasn't just all gadgets. We'd love to point his family in the right direction, but with the lone exception of an iPhone, his wishlist looks about the same as when he was 14 (video games and Star Trek). He doesn't want to be viewed as the eternal teenager, so what do you want/need when you're "all growed up"?