I need budget ideas for bday gift for my Mennonite friend, can you help?

[mommytobug]

Ok, I have a very close friend who is Mennonite. Her birthday is this week and I want to get her something personal but budget minded. I was going to get her a "family" necklace like mine but remembered she cant wear jewelry. I thought about a Vera Bradley bag, and i found one at a great price but I am unsure she knows what that is. I thought of movie passes and remembered she cant go. We are very close, she takes care of my dd sometimes and cleans my house at times but our relationship has really grown into more of a friendship than someone who dose stuff for me. She has no family here and I am really the person she is closest to. Help me budget disers! If I could, i would give her a disney trip on my points, this is how much I care about her, LOL!

 

[englishteacha]

Could you make her something? Perhaps a casserole and dessert so she doesn't have to cook one night? Is she allowed to go out to dinner? Maybe you could take her to dinner somewhere.

 

[1bandaid]

I asked my coworker who is from an Amish background, and has many practicing mennonites in her family. She recommended a gift certificate to a restaurant since her aunts do go out to eat.

 

[peanut12392]

Well, I dont know your friend, but I have alot of Mennonite and Amish family, and grew up in an area that is almost all Mennonite. Some do wear simple jewelry, it varies alot as to how conservative the church is. Many shops in the area where I grew up sell Vera Bradley, and the shops are mennonite owned. I see alot of Mennonite ladies carrying Vera Bradley Bags.

 

[dogodisney]

What about a gift card to a bookstore?

 

[disneyandme]

Maybe a nice journal and pen, hairbrush and comb set, simple sweater.

 

[mommytobug]

Thanks everyone, i knew you could give me some great ideas. I asked her about the jewelry and she said the only place she could hang it would be around her rear view mirror, . She is a hoot. Keep the ideas coming, I would love to hear more.

 

[AndreaDM]

I'm sorry but I'm laughing my butt off at the thought of Mennonites not being allowed to go out to eat. I grew up in a Mennonnite home and still belong to a Mennonite church, we are very liberal and you could never tell us apart from anyone else. Yes, we wear pants and jewelry, we go to the movies, our pastor is even a divorced woman. There are certainly very many "types" of Mennonites and some of them are much stricter. We pretty much have no "rules". I know not everyone is as familiar with the Amish & Mennonites as I am, but I still crack up at some of the assumptions. I also work for the Tourism Bureau in Ohio's Amish Country, and you wouldn't believe some of the calls we get!

BTW, back to the OP's question, I think a VB bag would be a GREAT gift!

 

[mommytobug]

I'm sorry but I'm laughing my butt off at the thought of Mennonites not being allowed to go out to eat. I grew up in a Mennonnite home and still belong to a Mennonite church, we are very liberal and you could never tell us apart from anyone else. Yes, we wear pants and jewelry, we go to the movies, our pastor is even a divorced woman. There are certainly very many "types" of Mennonites and some of them are much stricter. We pretty much have no "rules". I know not everyone is as familiar with the Amish & Mennonites as I am, but I still crack up at some of the assumptions. I also work for the Tourism Bureau in Ohio's Amish Country, and you wouldn't believe some of the calls we get!

BTW, back to the OP's question, I think a VB bag would be a GREAT gift!

Thank you! I ordered one earlier. I, of course, knew she could go out to dinner. We go out to dinner all the time, well when we can afford it. But, the Mennonite church here is very very strict and will bring you before the church in a heartbeat. While I love and adore my friend, i would never give her or do anything that would disrespect that. We Baptist get the bad rap sometimes too, Yes, there are different types just like different churches who are the same religion but I can tell you this church would never have a woman pastor, much less a divorced one. I really do love the simple lifestyle and she and I have had some really good conversations about the pros and cons and how we both feel. I will stop rambling now, but yes we are very close.

 

[AndreaDM]

Yes, the church I grew up in was much stricter, I grew up with a lot of guilt about everything. I feel so much more at peace with our church now. I think the basic principles are the same, our church now just doesn't feel the need to meddle in the members' every day lives.

Joke for the day:

Why are Mennonites against pre-marital sex?
Because it might lead to dancing!

Haha, seriously, Footloose could have been filmed in our town!

 

[PrincessParty]

My DD just did a book report on Milton S. Hershey. His mom was a very strict Mennonite. Even she ate his chocolate. Maybe some Hershey's chocolate on clearance from Valentine's Day?