Mam's birthday

louise30_2

Hello All,

Just wanted to tap into your collective creativity!

It's my mam's 61st (don't tell her I told you!) birthday on June 21st and I need a fab pressie for her.

Whatever I get her she will say 'awww you shouldn't have', but I'm sure that if I got her nothing she would be miffed!

I am on a restricted budget (in general), but she is wonderful and has helped me out so much in the past. We speak every day (sometimes several times) even though she only lives 2 miles away (much to OH annoyance) and she frequently looks after my dog when I'm out.

I want her pressie to be extra extra special.

Please help!

oh - a bit of extra info. My bro is having a bbq for her birthday and she is not a go "pamper yourself" type girl - I've bought that sort of stuff in the past and she has never used them.

briona

For her 50th, I gave my mum a box of goodies that had memories from our childhood attached to them, e.g., a jar of honey: my little sister never used to like my mum's homemade jam and when asked if she wanted any would always say "I feel like honey today". Silly, but it's something we all remember!

I also got her some coffee [cos she loves it], some chocolate [cos I love it!], some Crabtree & Evelyn soap [cos my grandmother – her mother – always sent her some] and a few small bits and pieces that would remind her of my siblings and I. I used a shoe box covered in wrapping paper and filled with shredded tissue paper to house the goodies in. I added a gift tag with an explanation of my choice of gifts on it... My mum was so touched, she cried!

This gift can be as cheap/costly as you wish. You can use as many or as few items as the budget allows for. Shoeboxes are easy to come by, as is shredded tissue paper [£1 or so from Clinton cards] and best of all, it's a gift no one else could possibly give her...

Briona

lady_fuschia

Seeing as your bro is having a barbecue could you perhaps make some homemade sweets (nicely presented) or cakes that she can hand around proudly after the meat? You could add a bottle of wine too, if she drinks and if you're not too restricted.
Alternatively, could you take her on a day out- something simple like a special picnic in the grounds of a stately home (the good weather should hold up too!)- the best gifts are the most memorable, and what could be more memorable than special time spent with your daughter?
Last year I made my Dad a little selection box of goodies including a mix CD of his favorite songs (took a lot of research into 60s and 70s stuff I'd never heard of!) some homemade coconut cakes, a miniture bottle of whisky, and some posh organic cheese from the farmer's market.
Another option might be a nice photograph of you and your Mum together in a nice frame.
Hope some of these ideas help!

Molanole

My mum and her twin sister always used to make mix tapes of their fave songs (Randy Crawford, Abba, Dionne Warwick and that "together we are beautiful song" that kind of thing). For their 60th party we compiled a list of all the songs we remembered from their tapes and asked the DJ to play them all. If your mum likes her music you could always put together a CD of her favourite songs.

Also, the present that my mum liked the most was some framed photos of when they were little that her other sister had kept hold of. Doesn't need to be too expensive and the fact that you went to the trouble of digging out old photos is a gift in itself. I did a similar thing for my Dad where I put together old photos and an old local paper cutting from his football playing days. It's still proudly displayed!

louise30_2

Thanks guys!

Lots to think about there!
She loves wine (doesn't love it too much though!) And chocolate, but always says she is trying to lose weight!

I think I might get her a frame with lots of little pics in of me and my bro, or one of those you can flick around and change the pic. She is away this week looking after my gran, so I have the perfect opportunity to have a route around.

If the weather is nice, I might take her for a picnic lunch somewhere (perhaps reveux abbey) as I have just realised her birthday is on a day off I have from work!

Marsie

How about a 'this is your life' type photo album, if you have access to old family piccies of her through the years? Maybe when you get to the stage when you come into the picture, add some handwritten notes with memories of special days?

Virtually no cost (just a nice photo album, which can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be) but lots of effort to show you care.

M.

lady_fuschia

I think Revieulx Abbey would be lovely for a picnic- weather is due to hold up for another week I think!

lynsayjane

it was my mums 50th in march and she'd never had a proper party before so we threw her a suprise one...which my wee sis let out the bag! my stepdad payed and my sis and i gave her money for a new outfit. i wanted her to have summit to open too, but (as i'm on here!) i didn't have much money for it, so i got a photo album (i already had one but it only costs a few squid to buy one) and i decorated it using craft stuff i had around the house to make it a special 50th one. now she has something to hold all her photos of her special night.

jen_jen_2

a dvd of photies and tunes is a combination of the ideas above, your mum can then put it on whenever she wants.

if doing the picnic, dont forget a flower for the table, napkins, cushion to sit on and wet wipes (sticky fingers) its the small things that make a difference.

jellycat40

How about making her a birthday cake to have at the BBQ. As it is outdoors you could decorate it with lots of candles.

Making cards is fun too. You could incorporate the pic of you and your bro theme.

Good Luck

Louise

aurora_borealis_2

My daughters made up three photo albums for my 40th.

There is a box of photos that I keep (I hate to throw any away) that we call the ugly box. All of the photos, through the years, where we have bizarre hair or huge glasses etc.

They used these, in no chronological order, and backed them with handmade paper.

My best present ever, mainly because I could tell that it had taken them hours and had been made with love :grinheart