Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

50 gifts for a 50th birthday

277 replies

PurpleSock · 23/04/2019 19:56

My auntie turns 50 in July and she's been like a mum to me since my own mum died when I was a teenager so I want to go all out for her birthday

I was thinking about getting her 50 smaller gifts that I could maybe make into a hamper (or maybe gift separately depending on what they are) but I need some inspiration.

I also don't want to fall in the trap of getting cheap rubbish just because it's cheap and I need to get the number of gifts up

Any suggestions or recommendations would be great, for background, she works in a school full time but not a teacher, and dotes on her 3 grand children, she also speeds a fair amount of time caring for/helping out her mother in law and is the most wonderful loving and generous person I know and I really would like her give her something wonderful back after all she's done for me!

OP posts:
littlebillie · 25/04/2019 22:32

I think perhaps an experience,
we are very careful what we buy and 50 gifts is a kind thought but tat would creep in - kind thoughtful presents are good and one good personal one is better than lots. (This doesn't mean expensive)

Purpletigers · 25/04/2019 23:53

What does she enjoy ? A couple of beautiful trees for her garden would be a lovely present or some jewellery or art. I’m afraid I wouldn’t like 50 smaller presents . I’d rather have one present which I’d treasure.

HowardSpring · 26/04/2019 01:36

I am thinking along the same lines as most of the other posters. Awful idea - and all about the giver as so many of these things are. (No-one could, (surely?), receive 50 things that they actually want but haven't bought themselves and that really are perfectly chosen.

I have finally convinced my friends and family never to buy me another present again. I have just had a birthday and did not get a single present> And couldn't have been happier! No stuff!!
I got one bouquet, dinner with my two best friends, lunch with some other friends and the theatre with my DD. Perfect. People gave me their time.

And as for money - I work with people in debt and Christmas and birthday presents always come into the equation because it's about being seen to be able to afford it, being seen to "come up with the goods", saving face, making a show, being the one who makes it all happen, not disappointing others, having to reciprocate, feeling obliged. Sad.

Still if OP is going ahead - so be it. Make them easy to unwrap, (50 x 2 minutes is a long time to be grateful), consumable but with long shelf lives, and some experiences - and I hope it goes well OP.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Events & celebrations General shopping
HowardSpring · 26/04/2019 01:44

Oh and of all the random things that have been listed as suggestions there is not one of them - with the possible exception of good bottles of wine - which I. (as a 50+), would want. (And as for all the toiletries and mugs and pens and photo frames and scarves and packets of seeds or plants - unless supplied with a hunky gardener - I can't think of anything worse!)

Helmetbymidnight · 26/04/2019 07:40

not 1-1O chocolate bars?

bookmum08 · 26/04/2019 07:55

HowardSpring you say you wouldn't want more 'stuff' but I am curious to what you do in life - hobbies and interests I mean. You must 'do' something surely. So why would it be terrible if someone got you a gift that is for something you do and enjoy. The list I wrote (further up the thread) has a lot of 'stuff' on it but they are for my hobbies.
Don't you have any hobbies?

ExpletiveDelighted · 26/04/2019 08:00

The thing with hobby stuff is that you are likely to already have what you need or prefer to choose it yourself. I have lots of hobbies but can't think of anything anyone could usefully give me for them right now apart from giftcards for the relevant suppliers.

Helmetbymidnight · 26/04/2019 08:08

im not as anti-stuff as some- but i am going that way!

hobbies? i have a few! but i see no reason why a hobby means you need/want shiny new kit - why would you? the joy is usually in the hobby itself not the merchandise.

SchooledUp · 26/04/2019 08:10

Haven't RTFT so sorry if someone already mentioned this but what I did for a relative's 40th where they wouldn't have appreciated 40 actual presents was give them a '40 hour present'.

Basically we paid for 2 nights at a hotel (so assuming they checked in around 6.30pm on day 1 and checked out around 10.30am on day 3 = 40 hours - they could and did actually check in earlier but it was the idea that counts!). We also then got a basket of nibbles and toiletries for them to enjoy in the room and a voucher for afternoon tea on day 2. Not cheap to be fair, spent about £150, but no more than 50 little presents could easily add up to. Could easily adjust for a 50th by adding something to do on day 1 or 3 to extend it a few hours.

FiremanKing · 26/04/2019 08:10

ExpletiveDelighted

Exactly!

My main hobby is crochet which I’ve been doing for decades. I have everything I want and but what I want to my taste.

EdtheBear · 26/04/2019 08:10

Op seriously rethink this idea. The vast majority of posters in their 40s and 50s are saying don't do it. Those who are saying do it are producing lists that would add up to a heck of a lot of money.

One poster suggests 10 small lego sets. They normally start around £8 that's £80 to start with. I'm sure most adult Lego fans would much rather have 1 set aimed at adults rather than 10 sets targeted at children. I would end up sticking them in a cupboard to give to a Christmas toy appeal.

Think carefully about it would you rather have 1 nice piece of jewellery or a pile of fake stuff?

FiremanKing · 26/04/2019 08:11

SchooledUp

That’s a lovely gift. Practical and I bet it was very well received.

ExpletiveDelighted · 26/04/2019 08:11

Fireman - me too, I am very fussy about my hooks and have all the scissors, needles etc I need, but a Wool Warehouse voucher would be welcome.

bookmum08 · 26/04/2019 08:14

My hobbies are mostly craft based so I need new and replacement stuff all the time. I bought a new pack of pens and new colouring book (the grown up type) for myself yesterday. £3 for the book, £2.50 for the pens. But at certain times in the month I wouldn't have that £5.50 spare to treat myself. So that's the type of hobby related gift I mean. I would love that for my birthday.
I also bought a couple of books from a charity shop. £1 each. I love books. The last few Christmas's me and my sister have bought a selection (say 3) of random books from a charity shop for each other. A mix of a genre we like, something completely different to try something new, an old classic never read etc.

Helmetbymidnight · 26/04/2019 08:15

i write- i suppose 10 biros would be handy coz i can never find one but...

a new pc maybe? Grin

a pretty notebook signed by loved one would be a nice thing perhaps.

Helmetbymidnight · 26/04/2019 08:16

that sounds lovely, bookmum

bookmum08 · 26/04/2019 08:20

I am the one who suggested Lego. I am an afol (adult fan of Lego) but I prefer the smaller sets. I collect certain Lego ranges rather than just having one big set. All afols are different!

bookmum08 · 26/04/2019 08:33

Another idea. A dvd of the Oscar wining film of the year of birth (bought for pennies on line) + bag of popcorn + homemade tickets for a movie night. You don't have to keep the dvd afterwards (donate to charity). A fun and cheap thing to do that doesn't involve tat or clutter.

bookmum08 · 26/04/2019 08:37

The Oscar wining film of 1969 is Oliver! Now that would be a great sing a long Movie night!

BarbaraofSevillle · 26/04/2019 08:54

The thing with hobby stuff is that you are likely to already have what you need or prefer to choose it yourself

Exactly this. I have several hobbies, but if I want a new thing, I want to research exactly what I want and then shop around for the best price. And once I've done that, I might as well just buy the thing.

I can think of very little where someone could think 'Barbara likes doing X, I'll buy her Y related thing' because if it's not the right one, I won't want it. Maybe walking socks. They're bloody expensive for good ones, so they might work. But I just buy them when I need them, or when I see them in a sale somewhere.

I like reading, but I buy all my books on kindle, and just get them when they're on a 99p deal. And who would know what books I've read?

I would happily accept gin, or fizzy wine, but the trouble is that I'm a bit of a bargain hunter, so if I see something on a deal, I'll buy it then, and I'm in a constant cycle of trying to use up the too many bargains I've bought without drinking at unhealthy levels. My booze cupboard is currently quite full and will probably last until Christmas at sensible drinking levels. So anything like this will just get added to a 'must use this up' pile or I might donate it to a summer fete or similar.

Next big birthday I have, I want a big adventure holiday with DP and some sort of boozy meal out or three with friends/family etc. I don't want lots of little gifts that I could easily buy myself whenever I wanted, and am constantly trying to not buy and use up/give away etc.

AndAHappyNewYear · 26/04/2019 09:02

I like LEGO and like a lot of the smaller sets but if you're spending £80 (and I think it'd probably cost more if you bought based on what the person already owns and actually likes rather than just picking the cheapest sets available) on 1/5 of the gifts, you're heading towards a very pricy present unless some little LEGO sets are essentially the main part of it.

Don't think OP ever said what her budget is though?

Fazackerley · 26/04/2019 09:02

No coins or DVDs from my year of birth please. Don't wish to be reminded!

I'd like an apple watch.

ExpletiveDelighted · 26/04/2019 09:04

My hobbies (crochet, gardening, dance classes) don't need a steady input of new items in the same way as some crafty hobbies, apart from wool which I prefer to choose myself. I don't really drink alcohol so wine would end up going to a tombola.

Books is the one thing mentioned here that I'd really like, there is a risk you've already read them but its also a great way to try one you wouldn't have chosen yourself.

notacooldad · 26/04/2019 09:13

My sons gf did this for his 18th
We all got bored at around present #7 so God know how she will feel by present 30 unless you are buying dome up eg 10x so.etng 3x something else.
After the birthday a lot of stuff was just disregarded.
The gf would have been wiser paying for an afternoon tea or getting a hotel vouvher from Groupon or something for the amount of money she spent.

I agree it was a thoughtful idea and a lot of effort went into it.

fourquenelles · 26/04/2019 09:23

For my significant birthdays I would have liked one exclusive and exquisite present that I could not justify buying for myself. For example a small bottle of Joy perfume.