Present to represent every year alive

[Bluesprinkles12]

Hi all!

Hoping for your help. It’s my best friends 30th this year and hoping to do 30 presents each representing every year of her life. So either something personal, something that represents that age or an event that year.

So far this is what I’ve got (very early planing days) and looking for some more ideas!

1994- the year you were born card
1-95 milk bottle with a drink in it
2-96
3-97
4-98
5-99 Younger sibiling was born- picture of her brother

6-00
7-01
8-02
9-03
10-04
11-05
12-06
13-07
14- 08 First Marvel movie come out- get the DVD
15-09
16-10 paracetamol that you’re going to need tomorrow
17-11 Year you’ve learned to drive
18-12 drinking age/lottery
19-13 First time
20-14 Ice bucket challenge
21-15
22-16
23-17 The year you’ve met me- art of the both of us
24-18
25-19 year we went Italy- Italian desert, pizza making kit?
26-20 COVID- something covid themed
27-21
28-22 Year she met her other half
29-23
30-24

Please, no! I would hate someone to do this for me - just piles of unnecessary junk. And who would want any kind of reminder of Covid?

Pencil for first day of school?

It's a sweet idea but will just end up with loads of tat if you're insisting on theming to each year. If you really want 30 presents, just do small things, like chocolate bars, etc that will actually get used.

Sanitary products for year she started her period?

A donation to charity for the year she first did a fundraising event?

Please keep the 30 items small, useful and environmentally friendly!

Did she go to Brownies or Guides? Badges for those.

Card for passing exams.

Rather than giving her 30 things could you use the idea but have it made into a piece of art or something? You can commission some local artists quite reasonably and it would still be personal but not loads of stuff?

New pants to represent successfully potty training (age 2/3ish?)

Well I think it's an adorable idea. Sounds like you really love your friend

I agree 30 things is going to be a lot of tat you wouldn't want. It's a lovely idea but I'd maybe go for images of the items on a poster or picture instead.

I’m with the tat crew I’m afraid , got so many bucket list books , cd’s from year of birth etc over the years it’s just such a waste

God no, I'd hate hate all that, nice of you to care but just no

Lovely idea but what is she going to do with it all?

I agree with maybe a collage of some type incorporating images of all the years.

13 - some sort of teenager themed present?

This is a lot. I can barely remember my friends birthdays 😬

You sound very thoughtful and kind. I must admit I'd hate to get 30 things. I'm always trying to declutter and just don't want lots of stuff in the house. I'd much rather have one special gift.
Instead, could you do some kind of art gift? I like the idea suggested by a pp of commissioning a local artist to do an image incorporating the years she's been alive. Or just a scrap book with images from all the years of her life would be fun. Could include news headlines etc.

My idea of hell. Who wants to wade through all of that? Massive cringe fest.

How about 30 memories or reasons you love them? You could get other friends or family involved x

Could you not do a photo book instead. Just sounds like rubbish she will be obliged to keep.

Do people still have DVD players?

I like pp suggestion of a photo book. Maybe work with her family and friends to get a photo for every year and get people to write a story or memory about something they remember from when she was that age

It's a nice idea in theory, but a load of tat and stuff that will either be thrown away or stuffed in a drawer.
I'd get something personal or an experience day.

Yeah erm no.

What about 30 fun facts one for each year if you really want 30 things.

Nobody would want 30 bits of tat would they? Or actually 31 as you're including her birth year. It sounds like a nice idea in theory but there's no way you can make it anything other than 31 pieces of clutter.

This is just cringey, please don’t.

I wouldn't get the dvd. It will never ever ever be used. It's a total waste of money.

I'd just get 30 nice presents.

For DH’s big birthday, I decorated his cake with symbols of things that had been important to him. So little “gifts”, but not one for every year, and they were all edible.

This is a really fun idea, OP, and I'd be so touched. Just want to throw some positivity in as you've somehow hit a seam of miserable people.

As always, mumsnet is weird.

I also thought photobook with some messages or short annecodotes from friends and family.