Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with presents and birthday

Help me make my boyfriend's birthday awesome with fiendishly delightful present wrapping and delivery!

t0astie — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:32:15 -0800

It's my boyfriend's birthday soon, and I want to make the present giving AWESOME! Have already purchased presents and booked flights to be with him. Am organising special birthday meals for him, and a couple of activities too, so most of the day is pretty much sorted. But I really really want the present giving/opening experience in particular to be super fun for him. I'm thinking along the lines of a treasure hunt with clues so he has to hunt for the presents... Or wrapping the presents in a giant box and painting it like a cake with sparklers on top! Or multiple layers of wrapping disguising the present...Or, um, something else. But I don't know what exactly. I just want to make it a completely excellent fun surprise for him. Some background

Him: mid-thirties engineer. Likes:dinosaurs, robots, sci-fi, machines, beer, puzzles, poker.

Me: mid-thirties journalist / photographer. Handy with glue, cutting, drawing, writing, pics, collage and general crafty stuff. But even simple woodwork or electronics would be beyond me.

Equipment available: minimal. Can go to the hardware store, and there's a not-very-good craft store in his town too. I don't have a sewing machine. Everything basic like glue, paint etc is easily available where he lives, but more complicated stuff not so much.

Finances: low. Am broke after present and plane-ticket buying. Could go $20-30AUD extra. Aiming for ingenuity and surprise over extravagance.

Location: Outback Australia. Really.

Timeframe: Nine days til I catch the plane and another eleven days in his town before B-Day. If it's going to be massive in size, must be constructed in 11 days. I won't be bringing a papier-mache fort or birthday banner on my discount flight, for example.

Help me hive!

He is really the best boyfriend in the world and deserves the Best Birthday in the History of the World Ever.

What to get the guy I just started dating for his birthday?

blithely — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:59:35 -0800

What is an appropriate birthday gift to give to someone you've only just started dating? His birthday is next week. Although we've only been dating for about a week, things have been going well so I don't think I'm getting too ahead of myself by assuming I'd see him then (at least I hope not!).

Maybe at this early stage of dating a gift wouldn't be necessary, but I would like to give him something anyhow. However, I'm kind of at a lose as to what to give someone you've basically just met. I would like to give him something a little more thoughtful than a giftcard. Would something like a book, CD or mixtape be appropriate?

Thanks guys!

Be sneaky to my 3 year old, with my blessing!

artifarce — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:17:54 -0800

What gift would you give to a three-year old to tease her for her half-birthday? We've decided to do small celebrations for our kids' half-birthdays, mainly because we wanted the excuse to see their reaction upon waking covered in stickers. In other words, we want it to be silly, goofy, quirky, and an "un-birthday" (for more context, they love April Fools' Day). We've also planned the "dinner that looks like dessert" and "dessert that looks like dinner," but we don't have a gift. Given this theme I'm conveying, what small gift would you give a playful 3-1/2 year old, that's silly or tricky in either its nature, or wrapping, or how she has to go about getting it? Because of her young age, she probably wouldn't be interested in practical joke gag items, but she is relatively precocious otherwise, or likes to think she is at least. ;) She also pretends that she's a cat most of the time, if that gives any more ideas, but I'd like the gift to still be something she'd enjoy after the party (i.e., no cans of cat food).

Thanks in advance, creative sneaky mefites!

Sugar, Spice, and....?

niteHawk — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 06:05:04 -0800

Ack - 1yr old girl BirthDay Gifts? yep - there's... I completely spaced out - my god daughter's first birthday is very very soon, and I neglected to get presents for her... I have very few Ideas, as my son is almost 4, and in addition to being a boy, I just don't remember what he liked at that age.

Anyone have some good ideas on some "classic" toys for a 1 year old? Neither her mother or I are into electronic whiz-bang toys, but like more of the traditional things for the kids. I have some ideas I have been thinking of, but Im not sure they are age-appropriate... help me oh great Hive mind..

What presents should people give to me for my own birthday?

mr_silver — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:17:47 -0800

It's my 30th birthday soon and my friends are telling me that I'm really difficult to buy presents for. They’re pretty much right as I don’t really know what I want. Can you help me come up with some interesting ideas for them? Based on my own present buying habits, I'd say they're looking for about £30 (approx $56) each although some may group together if the present is right. Previous years they've relied on a girlfriend giving them some hints and ideas but this year they won't have that advantage and as such, they're looking at me to suggest things.

Herein lies the problem as I don't really know what I want.

I like music, but I already have an iPod (and many accessories) and every album I currently want. In addition, CD's aren't really that exciting as a 30th present.

I'm trying to buy my own place but have most of the furniture already from relatives and asking for a toaster and kettle is so boring (I also already have them). In addition, I can't ask for specifics until I know exactly what the type of house will be and how I'm going to decorate it. What I do know is that it'll be a flat in London and so I won't have a garden.

I've got some skiing items I'd like which I've already asked for. I have a bunch of gadgets that I'd like (wireless router, PVR, PS2) but they're pretty damn expensive to ask friends to buy. My computer has no components that are out of date (I also don't use it much) and I already have a nice monitor.

I'm not a big reader, which means I've got all the books I want. I have plenty of alcohol of the spirit and wine nature. I don't own a car. I like playing the odd computer game, but since I’m not very good at them, you can’t call me an avid gamer.

I like squash but already have a decent racquet. I like tennis but asking for a racquet for that means they'll need to give me money (as the season is now finished here thanks to the UK weather) and as I'm pretty reasonable I'd be looking at a £100+ one and will want to go to a place that allows me to try them out.

I've already asked for clothes. I’d quite like to try Sky Diving, but that is rather expensive.

I've looked through Amazon, IWantOneOfThose, ebuyer and John Lewis and haven't found much inspiration. I've also wandered around the big department stores and not seen anything that has leapt out at me.

Can you suggest anything I might like to ask for? Alternatively if you know of places that I can look to get ideas then that would also be appreciated.

Quotation For My Mum's Birthday Gift

biscotti — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 10:06:19 -0800

QuoteFilter: For my mum's seventy*coughcoughcough*th birthday this year, I found a bunch of postcards from her hometown in England. I'm putting them into a book, and I'd like a nice quotation or something to write in nice script on the outside. Something about roots or birthplaces or something, and amusing Oscar-Wilde-style or touching-but-not-saccharine would be preferred to glurgey-sugary-weepy.