Ideas for mums 50th birthday present

[PizzaForOne]

Hi all

Would appreciate any ideas for my mums 50th birthday present - I feel like its a big birthday and deserves something larger than usual.

I have about 2 weeks to get something.

Usually for birthday and christmas (close together) she basically tells me exact things to get her (e.g. a particular perfume or gin) , but this year she is being coy and I guess wants to be surprised or something not so usual. I've got her the m&s snow globe gins for christmas.

She did have plans to go to New York over her birthday with my stepdad - but with covid and a recent cycling accident where she broke her leg - that was cancelled some time ago. I would have just spent $100-200 on a pair of broadway tickets on the date of her birthday - but now its not so easy sadly.

Some info:

• I am an only child so cant club together with brothers and sisters to get something really big
• I am not the soppy type of person and wouldn't say my mum is either - so don't think she'd either expect to receive or like to get things like multi-photo frame of pictures of us.
• She is the type to be disappointed if you don't get her exactly the right thing and is not scared of asking for a receipt and exchanging for the correct thing - has done this to my stepdad before and exchanged expensive gifts he has bought her for a different colour or brand etc.
• Things she's into - yoga/pilates (at least prior to her accident - she is still getting physio to walk properly without crutches atm), skull themed anything, gin, white wine, fairly premium clothes/accessories (mulberry, hobbs, phase eight)
• She has mentioned wanting a smartwatch - specifically a garmin one but I'm guessing stepdad has this sorted for either her birthday or christmas. She acknowledged they're pretty expensive (>£200 for the one she wants) and so presumably knows they're not in my budget range.

Was thinking to perhaps get her a pair of AirPods as there's been some offers where they're close to £100 which is kind of my price range. She uses wired earphones at the moment and I guess they could be useful for when she's back on her feet properly as she was always a fan of walks and bike rides. She is also allowed to listen to music at her job through earphones so could use them there.

Any other ideas?

I’m 53, and got AirPods for my birthday last month - I love them.

That and a Spotify or Amazon music subscription?

Things my DM has loved which are about your price range:
Hotel Chocolat velvetiser
Instax camera
Emma Bridgewater Hepburn Voice smart speaker
Radley backpack (floral oil skin navy one)

Airpods (well cheap versions in my case) are great compared with wired earphones, especially for outdoorsy people, because the wired ones always get tangled up when you want to take off or put on layers because you're too warm or cold.

and if she's 50 she's probably menopausal so will spend her entire life being too warm or too cold.

I've used mine just about every day since March to listen to podcasts during daily walks.

I’ve just replaced my cheap ones with the real thing - the difference is amazing, so I now recommend AirPods to everyone.

I only listen to podcasts on mine, not music, work properly, no sound quality or volume issues, fine for calls.

What am I missing? I have a Moto phone, not an iPhone.

Birthstone earrings? 🙂

@Horsemad

Birthstone earrings? 🙂

She had a phase of this about 10 years ago and has so much turquoise jewelry it got to the point where I mentioned that some years back as a potential present and she declared she didn't want any more of that she's got enough of that and is sick of it

@BarbaraofSeville you don't need an iPhone for airpods. Mine work fine on my android. The only benefit for iPhone is they can be set up to work near instantly on an iPhone by holding them to the screen whereas on android at first set up you have to manually go into Bluetooth menu and do the pairing (probably just like you did with your cheaper ones). You can also easily change the double tap functions in iphone settings (e.g. Double tap left one to skip track, right one to pause). On android I think you can find some third party apps to do that (not sure) but I changed mine to how I wanted it by pairing them with my ipad and doing the settings there.

@Fivemoreminutes1

Things my DM has loved which are about your price range: Hotel Chocolat velvetiser Instax camera Emma Bridgewater Hepburn Voice smart speaker Radley backpack (floral oil skin navy one)

Not sure any of these are her kind of thing. She used to like Radley and my stepdad got her several things from them over their first few years together but her tastes slowly get more expensive over time it seems and she has upgraded from Radley to Mulberry some years ago. I honestly think she would turn up her nose if me or my stepdad got her something from them... because we should/do know she prefers Mulberry now

Could you ask all her close friends and family to send a happy birthday video message and a funny memory of your mum to you and compile it into one film for her to watch using an app like IMovie.

Totally free as well!

I'm a similar age and like my airpods (I wouldn't say love them though). They fall out quite easily, get caught in my hair and mask elastics and I sometimes have problems connecting them to windows devices and then back to my iphone. I also love our Velvetiser.

I love Skagen fashion jewellery (simple elegant and matchy). I also love Brora Cashmere - £100 won't get you much but luxury gloves, a hat or a scarf. The classic 50th is afternoon tea for two- she could take you or a friend. Mulberry do small accessories, perhaps a key fob?

Vintage New York scarf www.etsy.com/uk/listing/563076610/new-york-city-map-scarf-vintage-nyc-map
Martini glasses? Ah happy days drinking martinis in the Big Apple...

How about asking all her friends and family (ideally 50 of them) to write a letter or card with a memory about her. Or the story of how they met. You could ask them to post it 1st class the day before her birthday. It would be lovely to receive all that post on her birthday.

I am approaching 50 very quickly...

Love my AirPods

I would like some cashmere lined leather gloves, a really cool key ring, a kindle upgrade, and an Echo Show