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Original poster

50 gifts for DH

55 replies

Deminism · 28/05/2019 20:40

Planning ahead - he's 50 in November, but I want to get dh 50 gifts for turning 50. Small ones fine - not going to buy anything expensive (except one proper gift). He only has me and DCs so the only presents he has to open are from us.

So I thought I might split it into category - so ten types of food for example so I could get a nice cheese and a bottle of wine, and fancy snacks etc. Then ten types of clothes so that can include socks and a t-shirt etc.

And I will include things like a pic of the kids in a frame.

And one will be a 50 balloon.

I may buy 10 books in the charity shop - ones he would like but I have time to hunt them down.

But I am grateful for all ideas please. Great gadgets for the kitchen, tools for his bike etc.

He likes football, food, wine, books (history, politics, contemporary novels), the beach, singing....

Thank you!

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 28/05/2019 21:54

There was a very similar thread recently, where many 50ish year old, include me, said how much they’d hate this.

NannyRed · 28/05/2019 21:56

Face balm, beard balm, tie, pen, nice soap, memorable photo in a frame, a mix tape.

IncognitaIgnorama · 28/05/2019 21:58

I did this about 40 years ago for my aunt's 40th: it doesn't have to be consumerist or harmful to the environment - or expensive. I assume that OP knows her husband better than we do: my aunt loved everything, as, like OP, I'd been thoughtful about what she liked and used and wanted. 40 daffodils picked out of the garden aren't responsible for climate change Hmm

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General shopping
BikeRunSki · 28/05/2019 21:59

Recent thread

TBH, I am rapidly approaching 50 and I have all the socks, gloves, mugs, pens, notebooks etc i’ll ever need.

Original poster
Deminism · 28/05/2019 22:08

Thanks all. Indeed, asking for ideas not whether YOU would like it. Some fab ones here. 50 beers a great idea!

Btw the socks dh got for Christmas were his favourite - and most useful - gift!

OP posts:
dmango · 29/05/2019 07:09

I did this for my husband and he loved the thoughtfulness involved. It was a mixture of little things (fav choc bar) and larger experience type (theatre tickets) culminating in 50 balloons with 50 reasons why I love him attached and tickets for weekend in Prague.

CatToddlerUprising · 29/05/2019 07:14

Can your DC choose some presents? For DP’s birthday I took DD (3.5) to the local Poundland and she chose some presents for him- a book they can read together, sweets he (and she) likes,
Shower gel etc. She absolutely loved giving them to him. You could easily get 10 gifts from the DCs somewhere like that

Sizeofalentil · 29/05/2019 20:46

My husband would love this! I'd include...

Wonky steak / chicken breasts from musclefoods.com (non standard size restaurant quality steaks etc)

X12 or more of the top-selling customer favourite wines from Aldi

Some delicious breakfast items (ocado frozen croissants, posh bacon, duck eggs etc)

Herb plants (he loves them and uses them like I would cut flowers)

Runner beans seeds / seeds for the garden

Bamboo coffee cup and a selection of 'beanies' flavoured coffees

Coffee syrups / hot sauces / spice rubs etc from TkMaxx

A washbag of grooming products that he loves

Solar lights for the garden

I'd theme it in to X5 groups of X10 themed presents

Sizeofalentil · 29/05/2019 20:52

You could theme it for different dates. Eg. Wine and cheese tasting, Netflix and chill (popcorn, snacks, sweets, drinks and condoms and massage oil!), Picnic in the park etc.

Could also buy cinema vouchers. Oh, and X5 lottery tickets and scratch cards

falgelednl · 29/05/2019 20:58

We did this recently for my DP who was 50 in April. We included some vouchers that the children made; these included things like ‘daddy gets to choose where we go fir s family day out’ and ‘daddy gets an uninterrupted afternoon to make his (airfix) models’. Basically things he never usually gets very often. He has enjoyed using them.

BlackcurrantJamontoast · 29/05/2019 21:44

culminating in 50 balloons

not biodegradable, those 50 balloons will probably be outliving your grandchildren. Even worse if helium and released.

Lots of people at 50 can afford to buy anything they want themselves and/or are trying to reduce the crap in their lives.

BringItIn · 29/05/2019 21:55

I know you want to make this beautiful and memorable for your DH, OP, it's very thoughtful of you. I agree with other posters that 50 small presents will have less impact than one really special experience he can remember forever or a lasting gift of something he can use and treasure. I have to agree with others that 50 small presents does seem wasteful and perhaps a bit pointless.

CheddarandCrackers · 29/05/2019 22:27

One would hope that at the age of 50 he would be past the ”oooh lots of presents to open cos it's my birthday” stage.

Most people get over that at the age of 12. Hmm

dmango · 30/05/2019 09:25

I really don’t get why people keep telling the OP it’s a bad idea. She has said she just wants ideas. It’s her plan and she knows her husband better than us, I would imagine?!Hmm.
Sorry about the non-biodegradable balloons..Hmm

CCquavers · 30/05/2019 10:27

How about a a free taster session for Rock Choir?

CCquavers · 30/05/2019 10:29

If people are over having presents for their birthdays then all I can think is that their family don’t bother with them and they’ve talked themselves into thinking ‘only kids like presents anyway’

GeorgeTheBleeder · 30/05/2019 10:39

That was such a great thread BikeRunSki. Grin

One assumes the OP is certain of her husband’s tastes and doesn’t mind about the excessiveness of the idea.

AudacityOfHope · 30/05/2019 12:28

There's a difference between not wanting 50 presents and not wanting any Confused

daisychain01 · 30/05/2019 13:27

If people are over having presents for their birthdays then all I can think is that their family don’t bother with them and they’ve talked themselves into thinking ‘only kids like presents anyway’

Then you clearly place priority on gifts. I can assure you there are many people who don't feel the need to buy excessive amounts of stuff to demonstrate love.

50 presents is excessive when you read on MN on a daily basis how many families are struggling to survive on minimum wage jobs, and where £10 is 'a lot of money'.

Not to speak of the significant impact on the environment that our children and grandchildren are taking time off school to march the streets about. Sadly people are in denial they need to stop and think about their impact, it applies to us all. Giving examples like 50 balloons - if they're helium, it is a non-renewable resource, once it's gone it's gone!

Sorry I rarely post on these issues, it is so upsetting that people aren't listening!

AlrightBabby · 30/05/2019 13:38

I did this for my DH, me and the kids got him 50 presents which included...
a cartoon drawing of us all (lots of caricaturists on eBay)
a personalised t-shirt with a daft phrase he often uses
chocolate 'card' with an iced greeting (Thorntons)
a brass version of our dog that I found in a charity shop
etc

And no, I don't feel the need to apologise to the mardy-arsed miseries upthread!

AudacityOfHope · 30/05/2019 13:39

People with different opinions = miseries.

Confused
daisychain01 · 30/05/2019 14:18

I'm really fine being called a mardy misery on here. In RL people see me with a smile on my face.

The choices we make now in our lifetime will shape the future and the world we will leave our children when we're long gone.

Sometimes saying the unpopular thing is hard, and makes us "mardy" but people will always justify and say 'but my little gifts are OK, they won't be a problem." Join the dots, see the connection between the monster that is throw-away consumerism, we act out the behaviours our children observe and disapprove of, and we create the legacy of their land fill. I'll bail out now.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 30/05/2019 14:31

A few of my friends got together and did t his for me for my 50th. It was great fun opening it all! There were sweets, wine, a small bottle of gin, a few bottles of different flavoured tonic, hand cream, small scented candles, some jokey things (alka seltzer for the morning after, over 50s vitamins), a little photo frame with a picture of us all together, a voucher for a manicure.... so many lovely thoughtful things, some cost just pence so very doable.

If I’d thought of it for my DH I would have included “vouchers” for services only I could provide (including a night of full control of the TV remote 🤭) beer, wine, chocolate.....

gower4 · 30/05/2019 14:33

Sorry, but it does sound awful. Boring, apart from anything else. I always think things like this are done for the benefit of the giver rather than the recipient.

AudacityOfHope · 30/05/2019 14:33

That previous thread has made me even more convinced it's a shit idea.

Someone gave their auntie travel-size shampoo and conditioner, etc, and individually wrapped them all. Literally THE most underwhelming gifts ever. Imagine the pressure on the recipient to keep going 'wow, thank you!' when half of it is just shit you would have bought from the pound shop if you'd needed it.

I feel like this is more about the giver than the recipient.