Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gift

What to get for the man who has a green thumb/happy feet?

lackutrol — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:37:43 -0800

Gift ideas for a person with different interests than me: gardening and dancing... Person in question is my Dad (don't worry, we usually exchange presents after Christmas). He's not a big reader but spends a huge amount of time on his garden (flowers mostly) and likes to go dancing with his girlfriend (I am under the impression they do a bunch of different kinds of dance). He's in his 60s. I am kind of clueless on both areas of interest. He lives in the Seattle area, if that makes any difference.

Where can I buy pashmina scarves in Montreal?

niccolo — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:42:51 -0800

Where can I find pashmina scarves in Montreal? Not the super-expensive ones, but the many-coloured, mass produced ones. I saw loads in Chinatown in Vancouver, and I am wondering where I can find similar ones here?

Good etymology book?

helixportland — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:29:32 -0800

My friend recently mentioned that he'd like to have a good (American English) etymology book. Can anyone suggest a good one? It can be simple and short or long and detailed, but I'd prefer to err on the side of long and detailed.

Happy Feet slippers around Austin?

sentient — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:21:42 -0800

Where can I buy Happy Feet slippers in or near Austin, TX? Alternatively, where can I buy other fun/novelty slippers for kids in or near Austin? Hoping to luck out on this one. Is anyone aware of where Happy Feet slippers are for sale in Texas, ideally within an hour by car of Austin, TX?

The slippers look like cartoonish oversized sneakers, and I've seen them in other states in mall kiosks.

The website doesn't list locations, although an article [pdf] about the company says that there are 190 locations in forty states.

I tried the 800 number and got voicemail (large volume of holiday calls, etc.), and I emailed them to ask. No response so far. The website's "Live Chat" feature is offline as of this post.

Has anyone seen them? Any tips? I'd like to get them today!

As a backup, what places in Austin definitely sell fun/novelty slippers in big kid sizes? (Animals, paws/claws, giant-and-fluffy, look like other stuff, that kind of thing.) Thanks!

More technology plz!

sarahj — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:44:57 -0800

How can I help my parents hook up their computer to their TV? My parents have a nice wall-mounted big screen Pioneer lcd tv and my dad's dream is to have their Dell desktop system in the same room wirelessly networked to it, for music-playing, presumably netflix and online video viewing, and general happiness. I've googled this in as many different verb-noun combinations I can come up with and I'm still not sure what I'm looking for. Is this possible?

My dad mentioned something called RocketFish, and I saw some BluRay players that potentially had wireless networking capabilities but I wasn't sure if that capability was usually used for some other purpose. I'd like to help him on this for a Christmas gift - what would I need to buy and do in order to do this?

Thanks so much! I can definitely provide more information if it's needed.

Looking for a seaworthy gift for my dad.

synecdoche — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:41:18 -0800

Book-recommendation-filter: help me choose a book to get for my dad for Christmas. I'm hoping somebody can recommend a book for my dad for Christmas. Growing up, I remember him reading mostly books about naval warfare (he is a former merchant seaman), World War I and II, and British Cold War spy novels. He loves anything to do with ships; his favourite movie is The Cruel Sea and he is a fan of Monsarrat's novels as well, including The Master Mariner. He also LOVES documentaries like Victory at Sea and more modern ones about naval warfare, especially in World War I and II. He's also expressed a fondness for Frederick Forsyth (especially The Shepherd). Lately, however, he's also enjoyed Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men and The Road.

I had originally thought about getting him either Blood Meridian or All the Pretty Horses but I don't think he'd enjoy those as much as the McCarthy he has read. Blood Meridian is too abstract and possibly too violent, and All the Pretty Horses might be too much of a Western and maybe, for lack of a better phrase, too "American." (My dad's Irish.) As much as I love it, I don't think Moby-Dick would be up his alley either, in spite of the nautical material.

Any ideas for books I should consider? I guess it needn't necessarily be a book—interesting DVDs would work, too, but this is a supplement to another main gift so I'm hoping to keep it fairly inexpensive.

Am I crazy to offer a gift of financial planning services to my cousins?

RecalcitrantYouth — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:10:13 -0800

My Aunt, Uncle and cousins have never been good with money, and have also never had well paying jobs. My Uncle has just inherited a (low) six-figure sum. Do I try to help them out by offering to build a financial plan for them? I'm a well-off thirty-something professional, with some accounting and finance training. My Aunt and Uncle are in their fifties, and the cousins are in their twenties and still living at home. From what I can tell, they have lived paycheque to paycheque for years. They own a home rather than renting, but that is mainly because of an earlier inheritance (and the home is not paid off). Without help, I fear that they will fritter away this latest windfall, and there's no more inheritance money to come.

They live about two hours away from me, so most of the planning work (other than an initial consultation) would be by phone or email.

I'd like to help them out, but I'm afraid it's just a recipe for unhappiness and family strife. Has anyone tried this before? Did it work out well or poorly? Any other ideas for ways to help?

Know a good B&B in the North Georgia Mountains?

shrimpsmalls — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:57:55 -0800

Recommendations for a bed and breakfast or similar lodging in North Georgia or Tennessee? I would like to gift a night or two getaway to my lovely parents for xmas. They live just north of Atlanta, so a b&b in Appalachian country would be an ideal place to send them. They regularly visit blue ridge and enjoy hiking there, but I'm still looking for a place that is more luxurious than it is "roughing it." Most b&b websites are pretty shoddy, so personal experiences or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Wii group games?

Anonymous — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:40:18 -0800

Buying a Wii game for my parents. They have the sports and resort games, I'd like it to be something that multiple people can play, ideally at a party, as that's when they use it the most. Great group Wii games?

Dear Santa,

simbiotic — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:04:02 -0800

Where can I buy a "pink dinosaur bathrobe" and slippers for a little girl? It can be a print of dinosaurs or one with the hood that makes her look like she's a dinosaur or dragon. She is a tall 5 year old with size 11 feetsies.

Sewing it myself is not out of the question if you know of a good pattern.

I'm near L.A. but would prefer to order online.

Other historical works like 1776?

kingjoeshmoe — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:13:43 -0800

I'd like to buy a book or books for someone who really liked 1776, by David McCullough, but who now wants to know more about the Revolutionary War. I'm looking for both (a) other books that expand on the time period of the revolutionary war in the same breezy style (the book, as implied by the name, stops at the end of 1776), and (b) books about other historical periods or persons that she might like. She's a fan of biographies and politics as well, and also a fan of Toni Morrison.

I'm not interested in buying other books by David McCullough, because I think someone else might buy her one of those, and I don't want to get the same book.

Last, as this is for a gift, I'm perfectly open if you think there's something else she might like that is not strictly a book. This is not my area of expertise. My books have dragons on the cover. Any help?

gift for drummer who has everything???

dublin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:06:13 -0800

Please help me find a noise making gift to give to a drummer. my husband is a professional drummer/percussionist who lives, breathes and eats music. he collects anything (and i mean ANYTHING) that makes noise and has literally put it to use. kitchen utensils, decorative metal bowls, children's toys, turkey calls. i would love to come up with something that would surprise him. he just bought himself wind wands, which i was mad about - that would have been the perfect unusual thing. does anyone have any suggestions? i know this is a crazy request. i am too uncreative to come up with anything. :(

Maybe she can avoid my years of blurry pictures of flowers

dreamyshade — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:48:54 -0800

Gift-filter: I'd like to find a book about fun photography projects for a very smart 14-year-old girl. A family friend, a freshman in high school, likes to take photos out on walks around her neighborhood. That's the age I started to get into photography, so I'm really happy for her. What book can I get her for Christmas that would give her some good ideas about how to expand beyond shots of roses? She's brilliant and very artistic, and she has a typical small Canon compact camera.

I found Click: The Ultimate Photography Guide for Generation Now and Digital Photography for Teens, but I don't know if they'd be good. I'm hoping to find a book that would present some principles of interesting photography, samples of styles, and a bunch of good examples -- something encouraging and fun to browse, but not childish, and not focused on DSLRs. It doesn't have to be "digital photography for young people", but an Ansel Adams formal technical book would probably be too serious (I looked at this previous question). What's in between?

Earplugs for thirty, please!

Knowyournuts — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:35:12 -0800

ChristmasAngstFilter: What should I give to the workers at our day care? I am at my peak of Christmas shopping stress, and I just realized that I should probably do something nice for the workers at my daughter's day care. They are terrific, and underpaid, and deserve some recognition. If you are or have ever been employed at a day care center, what gift would you want?

There are about 30 employees, and at least half of them have had extended contact with my daughter since she's been attending. So I don't think it would be fair to just give private gift certificates to anyone. Plus, she's going to be there a while longer, and will be interacting with the other half of them pretty soon. Every last one of them knows her by name.

I am thinking of putting together a gift basket and having it taken to their break room. (There was a previous thread about gifts for daycare workers, but it was oriented toward personal, take-home gifts.) Is it holiday overkill to do candy and chocolate? Hot drink mixes? Headache medicine (ha ha)? What would have helped you get through your day as a daycare worker?

Help me find a poem!

nataliecay — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:34:49 -0800

Help me find a good inspirational poem to frame as a Christmas gift for someone going through a hard time. With the economy in the tank, my dad is going through a hard time with his company and I wanted to find a classic uplifting poem to frame for a Christmas gift. Something inspirational that makes you think. Googling fails me as it only seems to bring up the cheesy poems that don't have any deep thought behind them.

Not being one who studies poetry, I am kind of at a loss. Does anyone have any favorites that they feel might fit the bill?

Thanks in advance!

What to get for a future Naval officer for Xmas?

timetoevolve — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:41:58 -0800

What can I buy for Christmas for my best friend who will soon be in her third week of Navy OCS? My best friend is currently an indoctrination candidate at the US Navy Officer Candidate School. She will apparently have some leave during the holidays (although I'm unsure of how much) and will be staying with us in the DC area for a few days. The trouble is, I have absolutely no idea what to give her for Christmas.

Normally, I would buy her high-end makeup or something flashy/fancy/cashmere, as she's a pretty glammy, luxury-loving lady otherwise, but I've been told that she can't wear makeup until the last two weeks of the program (and I doubt she'd have the time). I was thinking hand-knit socks or something for warmth, since the facility is in Rhode Island, but I don't know if that would be permitted with her uniform. I'd prefer to get her something she could use now, but if that's not possible, whatever I do give her would have to be able to withstand a few weeks' stay in the trunk of her car during January in New England. Edibles are also an option, although I think she's concerned about maintaining her weight (and she can't consume any caffeine at the moment).

Can y'all help a best friend out? Anyone who has gone through OCS, what would you have wanted? (Please assume that I know nothing about any military restrictions.)

Promotional Item

alice ayres — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:14:46 -0800

Please recommend a gift for my newly promoted boss. Posting for a friend:

I am new to my position, and in the month I have been here, my boss has been promoted to a new position/property. Her last day is the end of the year, but we are having a luncheon and collecting money to get her an awesome promotion gift. She's a very nice and compassionate boss, but sweet isn't what I would use to describe her.

I worked as a temp for about 3 months before that, but we're self-contained and busy, so even though I've known her for 4 or 5 months, I don't know much about her likes and dislikes. So, I'm gonna rattle off everything I know about her and maybe it strikes a chord with someone.

She recently got a Kindle for her birthday and loved it.
She already has a case for it, but it's proven to be shitty.
She has a one year old son.
She drives a Subarau.
She's not a girly girl.
She's 30, married, dog owner.
One of our coworkers recently passed away and she placed a framed black+white photo of this coworker smiling/laughing on her wall to eternally laugh at her. (included for a sense of her humor)
She's very sarcastic.
She's into sex humor, I think.
She watches NCIS.
She doesn't seem to be into crafts.

Please help me! Suggestions are all appreciated. The budget is about $150.

(Oh, and we work in commercial real estate.)

Help me identify this tpy

alshain — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:08:59 -0800

Help me identify this toy. Here is the pic: http://picasaweb.google.ca/solroger/UntitledAlbum#5415850742094906690

Honey Treats

mccarty.tim — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:07:58 -0800

Help me come up with candies and/or baked goods based on honey and/or comblike structures! This Christmas, I'm getting my sister a crocheted skunk doll, partly because she loves stuffed animals, and partly as an inside joke. Earlier this year, we had yellow jackets, and the ones under the ground were eaten by a skunk after we poured peppermint hemp soap down the holes, who left bits of comb on the yard. My mom and I were thrilled an animal took care of it for us, but my younger sister said that skunks were gross animals and that she didn't like having one near the house, voicing a lot of her concerns through her stuffed rabbit.

To complete the joke, I'd like to bundle the skunk with some kind of honey candy or other treat that's either based on honey and/or comb-like. I thought about comb honey, but that's not quite what my sister would like to eat (she's high-functioning autistic, so some more exotic textures like beeswax are daunting) and it's surprisingly expensive. If anyone has any suggestions for a treat that would be stable overnight under the tree (ie it won't melt/go stale), I'd like to hear it.

Bonus points if it can be quickly and covertly made, especially well in advance.

I'd give her some booze to cope with the job, but I don't want to scare her too soon.

hasna — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:11:43 -0800

I'm making a "Welcome" gift basket for our new live-in nanny, in Turkey. What should I include? I'm the current, departing nanny for a family in Istanbul, and I'm making preparations for our new nanny who arrives in a month. I want to make a gift basket for her, but I'm lost on ideas. I will be staying a few weeks after she arrives to help her transition, but I still want something nice for her when she arrives.

She's 20, pretty "hip", and from the southern States. Currently a nursing student, taking time off school for this job. I only know her from a dozen or so emails exchanged, plus her Facebook profile, so I'm not really sure of her specific interests.
I don't think typical American stuff would be right, as she won't be missing them yet. So far I'm including small sized (but nice/luxury) toiletries, a nicely wrapped box of lokum ("turkish delight"), a loaded public transit card (Akbil), a Starbucks gift card, and local maps and phone numbers. The family will be giving her a cell phone, and she'll use the house number for long distance calls, so she doesn't need a phone card.

I'm seriously stuck for ideas. If you were arriving for 18+ months in a foreign country (I don't think she's traveled too much internationally, aside from Caribbean cruises), what would you want?

Thanks in advance!

What goes in a cold-weather survival kit?

sugarfish — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:21:39 -0800

What should I put in a cold-weather survival kit for my father? For Christmas this year, my sister and I have decided to make a cold-weather survival kit for my dad, who moved up to Illinois from southern New Mexico a few years ago and still hasn't quite acclimated to getting up at 5a to shovel the driveway.

We're thinking about putting in things like:
those chemical handwarmers
long johns
hot water bottle
nice pair of gloves

You get the idea. Our whole family has only been here for a few years, so I'm sure there's some magic stuff that we have no idea about that makes winter less bitter and rage-making.

Oh, and by survival kit, I'm really speaking more figuratively, and not necessarily something that's like, live-saving.

We have a budget of about $100 and access to amazon and a farm supply store, plus the usual suspects like Target.

Thanks!

Help! I need some Beatles!

etc. — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:41:44 -0800

Making a Beatles DVD from YouTube videos. Looking for suggestions for clips. For our family's second annual MAKE our Christmas presents party, I drew my sister-in-law. She's a huge Beatles fan. She owns a fair amount of albums and reads every book about the Beatles she can get her hands on, so I was thinking of grabbing a bunch of YouTube videos and making a DVD compilation. (I'm also going to make a few other things, just in case you think this is too weak from a maker standpoint.) I realize they won't be HD quality (to say the least), but she won't care. She's not web savvy, so she'll never find this stuff on her own and would just be happy to have it.

The question is, if I want to make a 30-45 minute DVD, what YouTube videos should I grab? I searched YT for rare Beatles stuff, but I quickly realized--being only a casual fan myself--I don't really know what would turn a die-hard fan on.

I thought this would be a fun beginning, and I think this Lennon song would be great too, but after that I'd love to hear your suggestions. Rare stuff in general would be great, but fantastic clips of their more familiar stuff would be fine too. I'm thinking I'd like this to be more music video than a behind-the-scenes documentary, but I'm happy to hear all vid suggestions.

She's the kind of person who would put such DVD on in the background and play it over and over. If you were her, what clips would you want on such a DVD?

Much obliged for your help.

Is it a grand gesture to anonymously give a woman I think is beautiful a banjo?

Archibald Edmund Binns — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:09:33 -0800

Is it a grand gesture to anonymously give a woman I think is beautiful a banjo? At the beginning of this semester, I briefly was in a relationship with a woman who I cared a great deal about. It didn’t end well, and really, it couldn’t have ended well. We have nothing in common. But as it is, I still think she is beautiful, and I’d like to do something truly grand, both to make this world a better (albeit stranger) place, and to give myself some closure. I have three reasons for doing this, but by all means, do not feel obligated to read them all. I’m just typing them out to see how they sound outside of my head. Skip to the end for the real question.
A few weeks ago, I had dinner with a different ex-girlfriend. We’d been together for a few months, and had some really happy moments. I was very sad when things ended, and when I went to dinner with her, I admit that I was curious to see what she thought about it. But she didn’t think about it. It was if it had never happened, she treated me the exact same way she had when we first met, with lots of care and good feelings, but absolutely nothing of the deeper connection we once had. It hurt that she didn’t seem sad that it was over, even though I honestly would never wish any sort of sadness on her. It’s seemed to me lately that all of my relationships are like this lately, sort of formal, with no real feeling on either party’s part. Someone told me years ago that they measured their life in terms of the effects they had on others, and I can’t get that thought out of my head. So, here it seems that I have the chance to affect someone that I sort of secretly love in a way that seems fantastically random and kind of wonderful.
I’ve been thinking about the word serendipity lately, how it’s supposed to be the hardest English word to translate and all that jazz. I love that word, what it means, and would like to craft a moment of serendipity for someone.
Finally, and most selfishly, I can think of nothing in this world more beautiful than this girl playing the banjo. I mean, Christ, just that mental image of her sitting under a tree in spring sunshine, picking a banjo. That is something I would keep until the worms picked it from my rotting brain.
So, I’ve got a little extra money around, and I just want to do something grand. Something magnanimous. I realize this all hinges on perfect anonymity, but I’m planning on calling musiciansfriend.com to make sure that none of my information is on the box. I’m sending it to her parent’s house, where I assume she’s spending Christmas, so I’m even less suspect (and, to clarify, I’m not stalking this girl. I have no interest in her except as an admirer, this is probably more about me than about her. I looked up her address in the phone book).
My question for you: Is this really a grand gesture, or is it creepy as hell? There is probably some chance that my e-mail or something ends up on the slip, and is it worth that risk?

Yes, another gift question. Sorry.

Mavri — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:31:22 -0800

What would be a good TV show to give to a person with Alzheimer's? A family member has Alzheimer's. I've always given him books for gifts, but he can't really follow them anymore. (He's a history buff, especially WWII and military history.) His wife says he likes NCIS and the CSI's. She also says she doesn't think he could follow a show with complex, season-long plots, like Lost or the Wire.

I would kind of like to avoid getting him DVD's of a show that's on TV all the damn time, like NCIS and the CSI's. Any suggestions for hour-long dramas that are both engrossing and stand-alone? It doesn't necessarily have to be an American show, but something with thick accents might be hard to follow for him.

Any other suggestions related to the military history and WWII aspects are welcome too--good documentaries, for example.

Gift advice, please!

traceymariel — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:17:08 -0800

What can I give my brother-in-law and his wife for Christmas? They really like ice cream but have a tiny kitchen so an ice cream maker is out. The limit is $100. My husband and I are doing a gift exchange with his siblings, and of course we got his brother and wife who are difficult to buy for. They both love ice cream but have limited space in their kitchen and wouldn't appreciate an ice cream maker. I thought about an ice cream of the month club but it's too expensive, we are only allowed to spend $100. Any ideas?