The Gift Suggestion Thread

[mrpancake]

OK, everyone. The perfect thread...help me! My sister is getting married this summer. I want to get them something nice, but not necessarily something that's going to be on the registry. Any ideas? I'm thinking my price range will probably top out at around 250 dollars, seeing as I'm a poor college student.

[batmom]

Batguy and I were given a pair of handpainted martini glasses that are freaken awesome! They're one of my favourite gifts. Another thing we love is our crystal decanter (we're scotch lovers). His and her spa treatments is another idea.

[hamhock]

I have some prank phonecalls to give as gifts. The recipients will never know they're from me though.

[Deleted]

Giftcards to the couple's favorite restaurant or store. It saves me the trouble giving something that they won't want and it's less tacky than giving cash (according to Mr. Star!).

[anne]

Mrpancake - for someone as special as a sister, I would say that the most important thing in a wedding gift would be for it to be something that they will have forever, and that will be unique. You want them to be able to look at the gift and remember that YOU were the one who gave them that for their wedding. Something like very special glasses, a crystal clock, etc would fit the bill. I would avoid something like a couple of place settings of china which would be one of many. I'd also avoid something such an activity that would be used and then gone. Keepsake is the name of the game IMO.


I'm working on a gift for my brother-in-law - he's VERY interested right now in internet sales and marketing opportunities. He runs a couple of web based businesses right now, and his forte is more in the hardware and programming areas. Now that he is looking to branch out into sales and marketing, he knows he has some studying to do. Does anyone know of any good books on the topic of internet sales and marketing I could get him? Books on tape would be even better than books.

[dwanollah]

The Husband-Type Man's birthday is coming up, and I've been stumped for what to get him. He's spectacular, and he always gets me the bestest and most thoughtful (and fun) gifties (everything from antique jewelry to Strip Monopoly), so he deserves something wonderful.

And today, I hit on an idea.

I'm making up a set of a dozen envelopes for a game called "Hey! Let's do that thing we've been meaning to..." and in each one is a place -- like a museum or a restaurant or an activity -- based on our saying to each other: "You know, one of these days, we need to have dinner at Dolce." "Hey, we should visit the Museum of TV and Radio sometime!" Plus I've incorporated some more chore-like things, like some pictures we have to organize or music we have to sort through -- into fun activities as well, so a couple of the dates are things like "Take the wedding photos to that groovy place to have an album made, and after, hit Farmer's Market for some fresh fruit, bread and cheese at Mr. Marcel's for a dinner al fresco on our patio."

I'm also gonna book us a couple nights at Shutters in Santa Monica... another thing we've been saying we should do. And we're in need of a couple days of quiet, just the two of us.

[sleepy]

I really like your idea, Dwan. And way to hoodwink the Mr into getting chores done!

My boy-man is impossible to shop for. He never wants anything when you directly ask him (but you know what he wants, and it's expensive tech stuff we can't afford), and to make matters worse, when he does want something, he usually goes out and buys it for himself. No sense of delayed gratification in that one.

Lucky for me, we're not exchanging gifts with each this year because we are buying some stuff we need for the house. Chief item: a new bed!!!! Woohooo!!! We got our stupid old sagging mattress ten years ago secondhand, and I swear it was 20 years old when we got it.

[zivvie]

Two gift suggestions which always work for me are candlesticks or picture frames. They can be made more personal for specific family members and loved ones, or be just nice and tasteful for those you don't know so well. mrpancake, you could give your sister a really nice pair of candlesticks made of something really durable, like silver, that are pretty enough to be used every day. Our sister will think of you every time she and her future husband use them. Picture frames can also hold dear family photos; maybe you can give her a fram for a photo of the two of you.

[batmom]

Mrpancake - for someone as special as a sister, I would say that the most important thing in a wedding gift would be for it to be something that they will have forever, and that will be unique. You want them to be able to look at the gift and remember that YOU were the one who gave them that for their wedding. Something like very special glasses, a crystal clock, etc would fit the bill.

You do have to be careful that it is a keepsake that they will want, though. I, for example, would not want a crystal clock. I don't have space in my house for tchokes. Many people do treasure experiences over stuff, so gift to something they can do together can also work. It depends on the recipients and on what they value.

We have to do a very lean Christmas this year since my company got bought out and the new company doesn't do Christmas bonuses (which I used to finance past Christmases). Any ideas on going lean without looking cheap?

[anne]

What sort of people are you needing to go lean with?