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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:
HollowTalk · 25/04/2019 14:33

I'm just imagining the rictus grin on your aunt's face when she opens that fiftieth present.

That poor woman.

HollowTalk · 25/04/2019 14:34

And she'll be absolutely dreading her sixtieth.

Snowymint · 25/04/2019 14:39

I did similar for my DH - but with letters/ photos/ messages from friends and family/ etc in 50 envelopes. He’s not remotely sentimental but really loved it and it’s a slim stack tied up with ribbon as a small keepsake.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Events & celebrations General shopping
Fazackerley · 25/04/2019 15:18

And she'll be absolutely dreading her sixtieth

😂😂

BlingLoving · 25/04/2019 15:26

Personally, I agree with other posters that one meaningful gift would be better. But the idea of 50x something is great. What about (either to replace your overall idea or as one of the gifts) a note/card or something with 50 moments you remember her being wonderful? Or something related to that. You could even have it written up and formatted then printed on a big A3 card or canvass or something? Or a photo album with 50 photographs that mean something to you/her? Something like that?

behindlocknumbernine · 25/04/2019 15:34

howmanyleftfeet
Sorry, I have no idea what the cancel the cheque reference is. I have been here since 2006 but have managed to nicely avoid most in-jokes :)

missmouse101 · 25/04/2019 17:56

The OP is ignoring the many, many posts advising how the majority of 50 year olds would really dislike this. She's going ahead anyway. Confused

HollowTalk · 25/04/2019 18:21

I assume the average cost of each item will be £5 or less, making a total of £250. I'm trying to think of lovely things in my house that cost less than that and can't think of anything. Yet I can think of tons of nice presents that I'd like for £250.

If the average cost is lower eg £1 or £2 then the OP really needs to think again. Poundshop tat is all she'll be able to get.

howmanyleftfeet · 25/04/2019 18:36

Sorry, I have no idea what the cancel the cheque reference is. I have been here since 2006 but have managed to nicely avoid most in-jokes

Cancel the cheque is from a thread where the people kept on telling the OP to cancel the cheque, when if they'd bothered to read the thread they'd know the OP had made it clear that wasn't a possibility.

The OP on this thread has posted again to say she is definitely going to do this.

She knows her aunt and none of us do. Some not-so-far-off 50 year olds would love this (I would for one). The OP presumably knows her aunt and what she'd like, and has decided to go ahead.

The zillions of posts saying "I wouldn't like this" are getting silly now!

The OP has had a very strong message not to get loads of tat, and that lots of MNers wouldn't want this, does she really need to hear it another zillion times? It's getting a bit repetitive, don't you think? What's the point?

joaninthesun · 25/04/2019 18:41

The point is that she might get the point with a zillion replies telling her that it’s not a good ideaHmm

Drum2018 · 25/04/2019 18:44

I'm not far off 50 and would hate 50 gifts as suggested. At that age I'm sure she has enough mugs, keyrings, photo frames, candles etc. 5 decent gifts, 1 per decade, would be better.

howmanyleftfeet · 25/04/2019 18:55

The point is that she might get the point with a zillion replies telling her that it’s not a good idea

You reckon? Hmm

What if she's my niece? (She isn't, but just suppose). I'd love this. And I'd be sad if an army of people who didn't know me, talked my niece out of getting something she knew I'd like.

Helmetbymidnight · 25/04/2019 19:00

what is it you'd love about it?

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 25/04/2019 19:02

The point is that this is a chat forum in which people are allowed to offer opinions. And lots of people (a huge majority) have offered the opinion that this is a really terrible idea.

howmanyleftfeet · 25/04/2019 19:31

what is it you'd love about it?

Well, if you actually read the OP's posts, you'll see she comes across as thoughtful, and has taken on board the comments about not giving a bunch of tat.

If my niece did this for me, and did it well, then I'd love that she and my other family members had bothered to put in such a thoughtful effort for my birthday. That's the thing I'd love the most.

Then, I'd enjoy the nice booze, chocs and other foods I love in it (what's not to like?!). I'd look forward to reading the good books she'd given me. I'd appreciate the few small thoughtful gifts that don't cost much but work for me, because my niece knows me and what I like. (eg soaps! I like them even if no one else does!). I'd enjoy looking at the photos of my family and the nice things they'd written on them about how I'm their favourite aunt! I'd appreciate the new scarf (have only really got into them since putting on weight recently so I'm building up my collection), and I'd like the book of vouchers for days out together and offers to help me fix up my house, that my niece had thoughtfully created.

Most of all, it's a nice thing to do, and I'd appreciate the effort.

I wouldn't have to pretend to like 50 pieces of tat, as that's not what the OP is doing nor is it what a niece who actually knows me would do for me - as she knows me.

Helmetbymidnight · 25/04/2019 19:38

thats about ten lovely things.

shes got to find forty more lovely things presumably.

howmanyleftfeet · 25/04/2019 20:04

It's 50.

1- 10 - chocolate bars I like
11 - 13 - really nice bottles of booze
14 - chocolate truffles
15 - 20 - others small food treats my niece knows I like
21 - 26 good books
27 - 32 - six handmade soaps
33 - 36 - four small gifts my niece know I'd like
37 - 42 photos of my family and the nice things they'd written on
43 - nice new scarf
44 - 50 - vouchers of promises for days out / time to help fix house up / come over to mine and cook dinner / binge watch Fleabag together etc

howmanyleftfeet · 25/04/2019 20:07

That's a list I'd like. The big items are the nice booze and the scarf. The thing I'd like best is the vouchers (as long as we actually did them).

The key is to get a few larger gifts the receiver wants, some free stuff from the heart (if they like that kind of thing) and the filler is lovely consumables or small things you know they'd genuinely like, not random old tat.

ErrolTheDragon · 25/04/2019 20:08

I'm over 50 - I probably would have coped with a box of 50 really delicious chocolates. Or maybe a collection of 50 special bulbs, lilies and suchlike.

But most of the other ideas - not so much.

howmanyleftfeet · 25/04/2019 20:08

(And the books I'd take for granted would be there as my family always gives books!)

AndAHappyNewYear · 25/04/2019 20:23

What would you do about the unwrapping? Either you've got the agony of unwrapping and appreciating a load of individually wrapped, duplicate little bits (however much you love the actual gifts, would you really enjoy sitting and unwrapping ten chocolate bars?) or they get bundled together. If it doesn't look like 50 things, the receiver doesn't realise the significance, I'm sure I'm not alone in that I wouldn't count a pile of ten homemade vouchers as ten different gifts unless somebody told me to, then what's the point?

behindlocknumbernine · 25/04/2019 20:26

howmanyleftfeet
Thank you for the explanation. I see what you are saying. However, if those of us who feel this is a terrible idea (especially those of us nearing 50) would not reply once someone else had offered a similar opinion, the OP may think only one person did not like the idea instead of learning that the majority of nearly 50 year old mumsnetters would not like this gift. In this case numbers count...
Also, the OP posted on a large forum. She is bound to get many replies which repeat themselves.
That's the way this works. If she wanted only 3 opinions she could have asked 3 friends.
It is not a pile on. It is a "please don't do this and here is why".
Please don't pull other posters up on when they should and should not post. Our opinions are equally valid in this case.

Now, your list, with photos, memories, promises of time spent together, that's much more along the lines of what this particular 50 year old would like 🙂

applesarerroundandshiny · 25/04/2019 20:30

@PurpleSock just wanted to say I think it's a lovely idea and is something I would have loved to receive for my 50th (or any other birthday). To the posters who say that 50 year olds would rather have one expensive gift - not all of us - I hate the idea of a lot of money spent on one item.

missmouse101 · 25/04/2019 20:48

Tbh, I'm 48 and if I never had another present again I'd be perfectly happy. I'm trying to live simply. I realise that's not what the OP asked, but we are SO hideously present fixated in our culture and this thread has made me a bit reflective. It's a sweet and kind thought OP, but you are what she loves the most.

BarbaraofSevillle · 25/04/2019 20:57

I hate the idea of a lot of money spent on one item

But what do you think about the same 'lot of money' being spent on 50 small random items, most of which are likely to be pointless tat, or inconsequential consumables that just about anybody can buy whenever they like?

I agree with missmouse that I'd be perfectly happy to be never given another present again, but the '50 presents' idea is going to add up to a minimum of £50/100 or so, even if all the items are very cheap, so I do understand the people who say that if the OP is going to spend say £100 on a gift, that they'd rather have one well chosen item, than a pile of bits.

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