Forum Girls!!! Little help please....

[mede8er]

I need to buy a B-Day present for my friends birthday tomorrow. She is turning 40 and is not my girlfriend. I am stumped and would be forever in your debt for some ideas....Thanks.....

[MissMillie]

1. Clinton's new book?

I know I hope I get it for my birthday next month.

[TrustingDog]

2. more details, please.

how much you want costing?
what kind of personality type is she? for starters.

[laruemtt]

3. i second miss millie's recommendation!

[Insider]

4. gift certificate

not girlfriend, you say? at 41, that's what i would love. to choose my own book or music.

good luck.

[SW FL Dem]

5. When I hit 40, the gifts I most appreciated were

gift certificates to a book store,a restaurant and Bath and Body Works
some friends took me to dinner and a movie
my secretary gave me a good bottle of champagne
if she's not married or dating, a small bouquet of flowers may also be appreciated - Don't go overboard, you can get a nice fresh bouquet at Costco for $10

[Sequoia]

6. Spa certificate

with body massage maybe.

[TrustingDog]

10. certificates are ok... but

tells the reciever you didn't spend too much thought and took the easy way out. Why not just hand them some cash and not limit where they have to shop for their present....

[mede8er]

7. She's got the book.......

Gift cert is on my list but I'd like something out of the ordinary...Probably around $100.00......she was a very high energy chick but lately is having probs with discs in her neck......it is really bumming her out...

[Renew Deal]

8. Do you want her to be your girlfriend?

[eyesroll]

9. What's she enjoy?

Whatever you do, unless you know for a fact she'd like them, avoid the "bath products" category -- it screams one of two things -- desired intimacy or "I don't know what the hell else to get and you're female, right?"

Does she cook?
One gift I've given is a set of Henkel's utility knives, with the multi-colored handles. They're good knives; it's about $40 for the set of four in a block, but you can usually find them on sale for less at Kohl's or online. (My sister had no decent knives -- just a utility knife with a melted handle that she used for everything -- so this was an appreciated gift.)

Is she a reader? A booklight, or a gift certificate to a local bookstore, could work, as could a magazine subscription.

Esoteric hobbies? I bet there's an association out there. I'm a member of the World Future Society. A membership's not too expensive. I bet there's a membership in something for everyone.

Wine drinker? A nice bottle and/or a few stems, or a subscription to a wine mag. Or a bottle of single-malt scotch, or botique gin (I can recommend both if need be), if she's interested in that.

And don't rule out the traditionally "manly" gifts -- I'm at the hardware store way more often than my husband is, and I go to look. One of the best gifts my husband gave me was a rechargeable drill/driver (it was a much-hinted-at gift). His parents looked at us like we were on crack -- but nobody would have thought twice if it had been the other way around.

[tigereye]

31. one of my closest female friends is very handy

hardware and building wise. She has drills and saws and builds stuff such as shelving and cabinets all the time. I envy her. And she is the last person you would think would do this... she's kind of a party girl, but very practical. I think it is very cool when women are "handy." In my house, I do all the car stuff, my husband wants no part of it.

More and more women are interested in Lowes and Home Depot type stuff, they are even making more hammers, etc that fit women's hands better.

[HFishbine]

11. Pedicure/Manicure

Gift certificate. 40ish women seem to like that.

Flowers. Especially if she hasn't received any in a while (have 'em delivered to work for even more joy)

[Beaverhausen]

12. Massage- definitely

I'm a massage therapist (among other things)

Ask around to see if anyone can recommend a massage therapist who they either go to regularly or who will come to their house. Get her a gift certificate. Massages are wonderful...

[HFishbine]

14. Perhaps, but

And I mean no offense, if you go this route, get a gift certificate from a spa, not an individual unless you know that the recipient has used that massage therapist before. Some people are picky about who is going to rub them and might like to have some choice.

[Beaverhausen]

18. that's why I suggested that he ask around

and see if someone has a recommendation. You might be surprised how many people get massages regularly. It's a very healthy habit to get into.

But a spa certificate is a good idea too. That way she can choose the kind of treatment she wants.

[HFishbine]

24. Massages are great

for mind and body. I highly recommend them and wish I could get them more often.

I bought a gift certificate once from a female therapist. The recipient wasn't comfortable going to a woman. Kinda pissed me off actually, as I knew the therapist to be highly professional and quite skilled. But some people are picky like that.

[Beaverhausen]

26. You can get inexpensive massages at massage schools

quite often a school will offer massages for around $40 done by their new graduates so they can get practice. That's about half the price of a spa massage.

Search for massage schools in your area and call and ask them if they offer this.

[HFishbine]

28. Thanks

My friend will give me an hour for $50 (yep, she's a friend). But maybe the schools around here would be even less than $40. Thanks for the advice.

[TrustingDog]

16. I would think that if she has disc probs she already has a routine/helpers

I wouldn't focus on her ailment at all. forget the pedicures/manicures femmy stuff, too personal to guess what's right.

Instead of a 'thing' perhaps it should be an 'event' - a concert, favourite bar outting, something like that which will have better memorabilia standing that body shop bottles or toe nail colourings.

[acmavm]

20. That's what I was thinking. I know three women in the 40 - 50 age range

who have gotten a gift certificate for a massage, and they all said the same thing, that it was 'heaven'.

I have never had one, so I'll take their word for it. But I do know some younger women who go and they say that it not only makes you feel good both during and after, but it's sort of an attitude adjustment as well. They always (so I'm told) feel better and refreshed mentally as well as physically.

One of these days I'll just have to ty it.

[MikeG]

13. Borders Books Gift Certificate.

[tishaLA]

15. A few suggestions

Massage
Manicure/Pedicure/Facial (yay facial!)
Kiehl's (or another nice brand) Bath Salts/Oils (perhaps in a gift basket with loofahs and other bath accoutrements)
Chocolate is always good
If she'd like epicurian things, I love to get stuff for myself and others from Dean&DeLuca...deanandeluca.com

[mede8er]

17. Yes...but.....

She's my best friends wife....although she's always inviting me over for dinner (I live out of a microwave!!!)Is the spa cert too intimate???? That was definitely on my mind....

[Beaverhausen]

19. well- you could just treat them to a really nice dinner out

Unless she hates to go out I bet she'd love a dinner in a nice restaurant.

Or a gift cert to a nice restaurant...

[Athletic Grrl]

21. Yeah, if she's married

you might want to go another route. How about a fruit basket from Harry and David?

[TrustingDog]

23. then why don't you ask your best friend instead of us?

methinks he knows her likes and dislikes a bit better than us...


erm?
thread locked.

[DustMolecule]

22. My suggestion

I concur w/HFishbine about the flowers (delivered to work for added joy).

OR

If she seems to have 'most of what she needs', get something impractical, but beautiful, like one of those beautiful perfume vials that she can self-fill with with the perfume of her choice. You can find them in finer department stores. She'll think of you, her good friend, every time she sees it - even YEARS from now.

on edit: oh, didn't see that she was married. These ideas probably won't work :-(

[mede8er]

25. Yes.....

I am taking them out to a very nice place for dinner and I want to give her something in one of those silvery gift bags....something that says I gave this some thought....that perfume thing is interesting.......I may just wander around Bloomy's......

[TrustingDog]

27. NOOOOOO! not the perfume thingy unless you KNOW what she likes....

[HFishbine]

29. Those can be fun

Especially if you decide on a theme. I've put together gift bags with stuff for golf, bath, music, and pets. You can get really creative.

[TrustingDog]

30. Here's an odd idea....

take your friend and birthday girl out for dinner. Just when dessert is about to happen you confess to birthday gal that you have been having an affair with her husband for some time and and watch their faces.... timing is everything here. gotta be quick before the salad forks fork you.
Then say, but hey, he's such a nag so I give him back to you as birthday present.

[mede8er]

32. Thats what....

I'm talkin bout...thinking out of the box...hehhehheh.....just a little too far out for me......

[mede8er]

33. Hmmmmmmmm......

btt