50 Presents

[LoopyLoo89]

I know this is the Christmas thread but you have such great ideas I am hoping you can help. It is my mum's 50th in two years and I am planning on doing 50 presents for her (she did it for my 21st and we did it last year for my dad and she loved buying bits so I know she will love it)

I don't want to buy bits that are a waste and end up in the bin so I am starting now so I can buy bits and put them away and the cost won't hit me at the last minute. Have you got any ideas that are not necessary big or extravagant presents but you love receiving them or just a comedy gift that you still use. Below is what I have come up with so far, some are related to the holiday which will be the last present for the following day.

Photo Album
Handbag
Purse
Holiday
Theatre tickets
Brandy
Wine
Favourite chocolates
Jellyatrics sweets
Lottery ticket
Scratch card
Perfume
Nail varnish
Slipper socks
Moisturizer
Hand cream
Pj's
C.D
Engraved pen
Something handmade by my daughter
Favourite bubble bath
Beach towel

Any idea's are really appreciated.

Voucher for lunch with you and your daughter
Afternoon tea with friends
A book of letters from people who love her
A book by her favourite author
A book of poems

Socks
Bus pass/travel card holder
Wine glass/mug
Lip balm
Hair clip

My mum (similar age) usually asks for / gets things like:
scarf / Gloves / Hat
hand cream / Luxury body wash
sudoku
book (ie. call the midwife)
CD (ie. Cliff Richard? !)
brooch
Cinema ticket
Tights / socks
Dvd (ie. Downton Abbey)
Nightie
Slippers
Handbag / purse
Umbrella
Lipstick
Toiletries bag
Chocolates
Bucks fizz / babysham!
photo frame (& family photo)
jumper / top
mug
magazine subscription
notelets / writing set
pen

Thank you for the ideas, I have added lots to my list.

[http://clarinascontemplations.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/60th-birthday-present-its-arrived-at.html?m=1]

This has nice ideas.

clarinascontemplations.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/60th-birthday-present-its-arrived-at.html?m=1

50 books to read before you die bookmark or its £3.99 in Waterstones unpersonalised

What about some home made bits such as fudge/cookies/cake?
To go with nail polish some other nail care bits? Files, toe separators?
If she drinks tea/coffee maybe some posh bits for that? If a coffee drinker could also add syrups and other little accessories?

really nice mug (next have a cup and saucer that is lovely)

eye- glasses case

baileys or fave bottle of drink

pretty tea towels

voucher for cinema

ceramic teaspoons

clarins hand and nail treatment

estee lauder mascara

As you have two years you have time to do this one:

Who is her 'idol'? Google the name and address of their agent, and write to them c/o the agent. Tell them about your mum, and why she likes them, and ask for a signed photo / little note. Enclose a A5 SAE. You do need to allow a lot of time for this.

I did this for DD for her 16th birthday. She received the most beautiful encouraging letter and signed photo from her favourite comedian.

(It was Jo Brand, if anyone's interested.)

Lavender bag
Scented hanger
Drawer liners
Travel soaps / gels etc
Nice small biro to go in a bag
Tiptree wild strawberry jam
An iou to do something for her so she doesn't have to, eg a week's ironing
A small strong or wind up torch
A mini collection of scents
A lovely pair of knickers or matching underwear set
A cook book
A cocktail book
A pomander
Her fave chocs
Her fave sweets
A cushion
2 lovely pillow cases
A lamp
A photo album / frame of all of you
A mini camera
Pretty costume jewellery to go on the holiday with
A sarong if she is going to be swimming
Nice flip flops
Cheap binoculars
A travel diary
One of those useful filter water bottles
A nice thermos
A detailed map of wherever she is going
A sun hat/ woolly hat
A small umbrella
A really nice hairbrush
A photo frame
Some saffron if she cooks
A cheese board
A mug, perhaps with a photo on it, or one of those with a teapot on top
A subscription to Red or Cosmo
A plant for the garden.
A bird table or feeding thingy that you can attach to a window
A guide to birds
And a cheap set of binoculars
Some wonderful biscuits eg the Duchy original ones or nice Belgian ones
A really nice little handbag mirror

Er, Cliff Richard? If so, fine and s great joke but afair and I am even older, I listened to

The Who
Queen
The stones
Abba sometimes
Led Zepp
Leonard Cohen
Neal Young
Alice Cooper
Rod Stewart
Paul McCartney if I had to
Simon and Garfunkel
Debby Harry
Tubular bells when with people who were out of it
The Bay City Rollers if I was in the wrong company

Bloody hell, a Cliff Richard CD? She's going to be 50, not 100!!

Cliff Richard, babysham, pretty tea towels, ceramic spoons
She's FIFTY not ninety!!! Poor woman!

Ha ha cross posts imperialBlether!

Why is this in Christmas. The thought of having to open 50 presents makes me feel slightly sick. Apart from that I agree that lavender, Cliff Richard and nice hairbrushes are more suitable for 70 year olds.

She was actually a bit young for punk and they're trying to give her Cliff Richard!

I often read a thread about a MIL (usually) or a poster's mother and my heart sinks as I realise halfway through that she must be younger than I am, but posters are treating her like someone who's ancient.

Ha, I see your point re Cliff Richard though I was just telling you what my mum (aged 54) likes & asks for!
And she does drink babysham! !

I agree this may be a little odd though, my mum is a bit nuts!!

Hang on , lavender is lovely. And it all depends on the tea towel. It could be amusing, sweet if from a dc school or printed with a fave photo, or raunchy. You don't have to go Peoples Friendy on it, unless that's what she likes. As an idea of a small but useful present, accompanied by other stuff, it's fine. Unless she, like me, has 42 other ones. It's all question of putting them all together. The unusual, the useful.

I personally would avoid babysham like the plague, but was drinking scrumpy and ale in my youf. Depends on the person.

A candlestick, candle and extra long matches

Seriously lovely soap. Eg if you like it ,Floris?

Incense?

Cheese, with a jar of chutney? Or just the chutney?

A book mark, eg one of those electric ones you can use without disturbing people?

If she is musical, a score?
A dish for olives?
Really nice olive oil?
Did I say a small lamp?
A beautiful biscuit tin full of home made biscuits.

And I love my giraffe patterned washing up brush, and my bright pink beringed rubber gloves.

It is a lot of stuff to find a place for. I'd make as much of it consumables as possible.

I did this for my sister when she was thirty. I broke it down into three categories under a fiver, up to a tenner and then bought five presents which were about £25-30.

The challenging category was the under a fiver one - but it was good fun. I bought usable things like a handbag mirror, mini hairbrush, hand cream, oyster card holder, then I bought silly things like crazy straws, cocktail umbrellas.

Try buying ten presents in five categories for example

Handbag Things:
Make-up bag
Umbrella
Mirror
Handcream
Mini nail file
Foldable shopping bag
Pen
Mobile phone case
Keyring
Refillable perfume bottle

You could then perhaps buy:
Home Spa Kit (bath stuff, face pack, book, champagne, chocolates etc)
How Does My Garden Grow Kit (gardening gloves, head gardener mug, seeds, kneeler)
Cooks Kit (baking beans, silly pinny, quirky cookbook, good quality olive oil/vanilla/balsamic vinegar, cake stand)

There's loads you could do but if you theme kits it's less of a headache to buy ten presents than 50.

I am sure it will be wonderful whatever you do.