come and help choose special presents for my sil's 40th birthday

[teafortwo]

We are organising a surprise family get together for my sil's 40th birthday. We need to buy either a big present from all of us or lots of little ones from the following people - her children (one boy 11 one girl 9), her mother and our nuclear family (dd 2, dh and me).

They all keep saying they don't know what to buy - and I think it is getting to the point where it is down to me to organise them a bit - but I don't know what we should buy either .... so... HELP!!!!! MNers!!!!PLEASE!!!!! With your help I think I can do this!!!

and p.s she loves dogs, gardening, cheerful clothes, her job (she is a journalist) and her children who really should have been top of the list!!!

mmm - maybe a really good pen?????

Digital Photo Frame always my favourite, vary in price too.

A Super Soaker.

Sponsor a dog with Dogs Trust.
Conde Nast subscription.
National Trust membership.

Or an actual puppy if you are very sure that she would appreciate it.

oooh thank you ladies!!!!

AllyH I will have a look at digital photo frame at the mall tomorrow, cantsleepwontsleep - sponsor a dog is a great idea too but she already has a gorgous puppy!!!!

Doodle2u....mmmm.... what is a super soaker????

here!

Aaaaaahhhh!!!!!

Thing is.... doodle2u... you need more info on this lady.... she started and also won a massive cake fight at my dds 1st birthday party! I think she might fill one of those with anything but water and we would not survive if we gave her one of those!!!!

Or... hey.... actually.... maybe it is just what she and we need - for a birthday to remember!!!! ....? I think we need a trip to toysrus - are they expensive???

Could you do 40 little presents? DD1 did this for DD2's 21st (21 presents that is ) most of them small & cheap but nice & very much appreciated

WendyWeber - aw aw aw!!! How sweet!!! I am going to tell dh about that one about 2 weeks before my next birthday and then again at every meal until my birthday!!!! Or maybe I will wait until I am 100.

I can't decide between all these lovely ideas!

why not make a photo-album of photos of the family?
x

I had thought of making a newspaper of her successes in life but she is just going through a messy divorce and lots of the successes included her ex-husband... maybe the family photo album in a good idea because we can be very selective over pictures!!! Good one Lola!

DH said (at last) perhaps a few little presents from us all and an envelope filled with a wad of cash to give her some breathing space - which is the best present of all if you think about it.

But seriously the place we are hosting the party is perfect for a water-fight and will make a change from the normal cake fights!!! So I am keen on getting everyone super-soakers too and it can be a water-fight birthday party. One to remember!!!

Also... it is worth considering the longevity of these toys - you see every time we are invited to anyone elses party we can take them with us !!!

I would have to carry all of this stuff across my city to catch a train then three and a half hours later transfer it all into the taxi to take us to her charming, beautiful but middle of nowhere village - sounds like 40 presents ontop of all my clothes, my toddler and her clothes might.... kill me!!!! It is definately an idea to put on file - I love it to pieces but maybe not great for this occasion!!!

Just had my 40th b'day party - presents I LOVED were gorgeous matching necklace and earrings (costume not diamonds), framed sign from a Routemaster London bus, accessories for my digital camera, and v nice big 10 x 8 silver picture frame.

WOW WOW WOW Wilbur (my favourite Dick King-Smith character alongside The Hodgeheg of course)!!!! What fab prezzies... but weren't you a little bit sad that no-one bought you a super-soaker????

Seriously... Wilbur... what did you do to celebrate? What was your party like? I am asking because I am worried a little family get-together might be a bit sober...well... not spicy enough for her!?!

Ruby btw - love the nappy cake on your member page!!!

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - ha ha ha ha ha ha ha -

Doodle2u just read the super soaker thread properly!!! But if the party is a surprise water fight party between family with spare clothes and towels in a massive garden near the sea with no proper house - just a hut and a swimming pool ... it is quite different!!!!

I will get to toysrus at 6am to join the queue as the 10 o clock news said it is this summer's must have toy thanks to mn!!!! ha ha ha!!!!!

A silver cuff bracelet, that's what I want for mine!

Serin - good one - have you seen the page dedicated to them in this months red magazine???? Go buy a copy and SWOOOOON!!!

Teafortwo - I had a brilliant party at our home - we did food along with help from Waitrose, hired 3 staff for the night so dh and I could have fun and partied until the wee small hours. It was a lot of organising, but so, so fab to see old friends, new friends and just drink cocktails and have a laugh. To make it a bit more special, I rented really nice wine glasses and martini glasses for the drinks, borrowed a big garden gazebo thing and decorated it with fairy lights and just made it all look nice when people came in. Dh made a v lovely speech, bless him, and some friends had written a silly poem about my life, which they read out - hilarious. I think what felt extra lovely was that for once, people were fussing over me - I look after people all the time and even though dh is wonderful, there's nothing like getting a bit of nice attention for yourself for once. I'm sure your SIL will just love the fact that people have made an effort.

I would also have LOVED a super soaker party .

wilbur - wow wow wow - what a party!!!! By the way happy birthday (It is a bit late but any big birthday should last at least three months!!!)

Me and dh are going to prepare a big Libanaise lunch for her in a garden by the sea.

Today I went to our local mall and I bought her this book...www.titouanlamazou.com/. Titouan Lamazou is one of her favourite artists and it is the book of the show on women of the world he has just had in Paris. I hope she likes it!!!

Tomorrow me and her ds are going to go to toysrus to organise the super soakers and also to look for party decorations too!!!

What do you think??? Does it sound o.k?

I think that sounds brilliant, and so lovely that it's a surprise. Good luck with all the preparations!