50 gifts for a 50th birthday

[PurpleSock]

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!

WTF is this insistence (sorry!) on Afternoon Tea? I like scones and clotted cream as much as anyone - and afternoon tea is a pleasent experience. But honestly nothing more than that. I’m middle aged - I don’t give a fig for gentle or genteel entertainment. If you’re taking me out I want to roll in the following morning in my most extravagant frock, knowing we’ve drunk the restaurant dry of cocktails, vintage champagne and single malts and laughed ourselves sick.

Away with your Earl Grey!

I wouldn’t want any stuff at all but if the gift was a thank you gift as well as a birthday one I would love a rose named after me as a lasting thank you

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=701

‘pleasant’!

Stupid phone.

WTF is this insistence (sorry!) on Afternoon Tea? I like scones and clotted cream as much as anyone - and afternoon tea is a pleasent experience. But honestly nothing more than that. I’m middle aged - I don’t give a fig for gentle or genteel entertainment. If you’re taking me out I want to roll in the following morning in my most extravagant frock, knowing we’ve drunk the restaurant dry of cocktails, vintage champagne and single malts and laughed ourselves sick.

This. I'm nearly 50. I do the same things now as I did when I was 30.

There isn't an insistence on afternoon tea. Its an option (for the right person, as we don't know her). Lots of other options mentioned!

You can also get quite a lot of gin or champagne included with afternoon tea.

It doesn't have to be a staid old lady experience and is something that is quite popular amongst many age groups.

Not picking on you Kez but it is worth the OP bearing in mind that most people who are 50 do not consider themselves in the handkerchiefs and afternoon tea category at all. I'm surprised the OP's aunt has 3 grandchildren. My 50 YO SIL has her own four year old.

I’m 55. Honestly? Would rather have had one, meaningful gift. Doesn’t have to be huge.

I'm surprised the OP's aunt has 3 grandchildren

Why? All the women in my family were grandmothers before they were 40. My 41 YO DSis has 2 grandchildren.

I'm in my 50s and I am constantly trying to get rid of STUFF. I would not appreciate 50 things for my birthday. One beautiful thing, yes.

Dont do it. As someone who turned 50 recently I'd quite honestly have hated to get the stuff on peoples lists. Glasses cases,tea lights travel mug??? No thanks. They're all things that if I wanted them I'd buy them

Buy her ine nice present that she can keep and treasure instead of a lot of stuff that shell probably have no use or space for

50 gifts given now are likely to have been used up/thrown away/given away/unused/stored away in a years time.

The same money to buy all those gifts could instead by one lasting gift that she will keep for the rest of her life and always be reminded of how she is loved and well thought of.

I'd far rather one nice thing or day out and so would any aunt of mine.
Working in a school I get lots of kind small gifts that I barely ever use. I end up donating them but it does seem a waste.
I'm getting my mother a dressing gown from onehundredstars for her 70th.

My MIL recently went vegan so we included some spices,spice racks, coconut oil etc and all the bits she couldnt usually afford x

I'm surprised the OP's aunt has 3 grandchildren Why? All the women in my family were grandmothers before they were 40. My 41 YO DSis has 2 grandchildren.

Ok yes of course I know it's possible but its increasingly the case that a 50 year old is more likely to have her own school aged children then grandchildren. Or it is amongst the people I know anyway. I was just making the point that 50 is not old.

Even if she is a youngish Granny I doubt she wants loads of old lady type tat .

There's always a scarf.

I'm 50 and already desperate for people to stop buying me stuff I don't need and have to find somewhere to store. It's a sweet idea but not very practical.

I'm almost having a panic attack at the thought of having 50 cheap things (that I could buy myself if I wanted to but haven't bought because I don't want them in the house) and having to pretend I'm grateful on top of it.

hollowtalk or 60

I too am 50 and would loathe this for all the reasons that have been mentioned:

(1) I'm trying to get rid of tat and clutter, not add to it. I don't want or need a pile of random stuff.

(2) I can buy myself things that I like and the thought of getting a "poundshop mug" with "a posh teabag" is ridiculous. I have a cupboard full of nice mugs that I carefully chose and bought myself. I know what teas I like and I have boxes of them.

(3) Really, who needs or wants crap tealights, packs of pens etc just to make up the numbers of gifts?

(4) Even if you spent £5 on each gift, most of it would be crap tat. I cannot think of 50 things costing a fiver that I'd need, want or like. And there's £250 spent - that's a massive amount of money - you'd need to spend a lot less than that to get a beautiful treat instead.

(5) Yes, I like the same stuff I liked when I was 30, pretty much. I would like an afternoon tea, though.

Should she also cancel the cheque?!

The OP knows her aunt. Some of us nearly-50 yr olds would love this.
Yes we all get some people wouldn't, I suspect the OP has got that message by now!

Can we get back to a nice thread about inexpensive but thoughtful gift ideas now, please?

I like afternoon tea as a casual “we must catch up” fun afternoon - but as a statement of what I’ve meant to you over half a century (or as long as you’ve known me,) it’s a little lacking in pizzazz. (Defined as a combination of vitality and glamour.)

I know everyone's already said they'd hate this present, but just take a second to think whether you're excited to have such a fun clever present to arrange or if you genuinely think your aunt would be over the moon with this present?

Can we get back to a nice thread about inexpensive but thoughtful gift ideas now, please?

Noooooooo! Because it’s ecologically unsound. And those of us currently being blamed by millennials fir global warming are absolutely obliged to protest against such needless profligacy.