What's a good birthday present for a 50 year old? Without breaking the bank?

[TupperMom7]

My sister is turning 50 in September. Her daughter is throwing a surprise party for her but she's not using a gag theme - no gravestones, over the hill type of gifts.

What's a good gift to give someone for their 50th birthday without breaking the bank? She is my sister and I don't want to seem cheap, but we don't usually exchange birthday gifts and I have no idea what to get her. I want it to be special for her 50th, but not something useless and not something so practical like a sweater or something.

Help!

 

[mskayjay]

Well I know what I would want! And I tried to do this for my inlaws anniversary and didn't pull it off in time.

Go to Michaels or ACMoore and get a bunch of really nice scrapbooking paper in complementing colors along with page covers. Put each one in an appropriate sized envelope with your addy on it. Then mail those envies to everyone that you can think of who she would want to have a memory from. Send a letter along with the page and tell folks this is their place to tell your sister in words, pictures, art, whatever, how they feel about her, that all the pages will be bound into a book for her, and then sit back and wait for the mail to come! I can't think of anything more special and I bet she absolutely flips when she sees it! If doing it with all the friends and such is too much, then do it with just family. Still awesome and folks can personalize how ever they want. The can go buy their own scrapbooking stuff or just write her a letter.

 

[tekoa]

fifty $1.00 lottery scratch tickets.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Well I know what I would want! And I tried to do this for my inlaws anniversary and didn't pull it off in time.

Go to Michaels or ACMoore and get a bunch of really nice scrapbooking paper in complementing colors along with page covers. Put each one in an appropriate sized envelope with your addy on it. Then mail those envies to everyone that you can think of who she would want to have a memory from. Send a letter along with the page and tell folks this is their place to tell your sister in words, pictures, art, whatever, how they feel about her, that all the pages will be bound into a book for her, and then sit back and wait for the mail to come! I can't think of anything more special and I bet she absolutely flips when she sees it! If doing it with all the friends and such is too much, then do it with just family. Still awesome and folks can personalize how ever they want. The can go buy their own scrapbooking stuff or just write her a letter.

We did something similar for my dad's 50th. My mom sent out a questionaire sort of thing though. (Not sure the guys invited would have done scrapbook pages ) "When did you meet George?" "what is the funniest thing you've ever seen him do?" "When were you the proudest of him?" etc. She invited people to include pictures when returning and then she put them all in a book. Folks who wanted to read them aloud at his party- it was awesome. I learned more than I ever needed to about his teen years and shanangins in the Air Force

 

[Califgirl]

I love the personalized scrap book type ideas. I am terribly uncrafty and would appreciate something like that beyond words!

However, if you are also a non-crafty person, I would go for a local spa gift certificate for a massage or facial. Or a girls afternoon out for lunch, and pedicure/manicure. A little pampering might help ease into the second half century!

 

[Perditamarie]

Maybe you can go through your photos --from childhood through adulthood, including special moments, pics of parents, aunts, uncles, terrible school pictures other family members, etc. and make copies or digital scans for a memory book/dvd of your lives.

 

[RNMOM]

I would buy her a really nice, sexy nightgown.

 

[buzz5985]

Take it from someone who is turning 50 next year, and another who doesn't exchange bday gifts with her sister. You can get me - nothing. Your presence at my party is enough. There is nothing that you can buy me that I can not buy myself if I truly wanted it. And I wouldn't think twice if I didn't receive any gifts at all. I don't need anything.

Janis

 

[Vijoge]

Take it from someone who is turning 50 next year, and another who doesn't exchange bday gifts with her sister. You can get me - nothing. Your presence at my party is enough. There is nothing that you can buy me that I can not buy myself if I truly wanted it. And I wouldn't think twice if I didn't receive any gifts at all. I don't need anything.

Janis

 

[lowie]

we made a quilt for my mom's 60th out of squares of fabric that we sent to all of her family and friends. you either have to be extremely crafty for this or know someone who is. i also like the idea of having family and friends send a picture with a note and you can scan the pics and make a great shutterfly book. price is reasonable but the memories are priceless..

barring that crafty stuff, i love the lottery ticket idea.

 

[ah1126]

We did something like the scrapbook idea for my parents 25th Anniversary. They had preprinted pages at Hallmark that even came with the envelopes for sending both ways. The pages were made to fit in a three ring binder. I just got one with a clear pocket on the front and placed a picture of my parents in it. It was great. It was so easy to put together, and was easy to add pages that arrived late.

I also agree with the idea of spending a special day just the two of you. Maybe you could do a nice lunch together then do something that she really enjoys. It would be great to just spend some special time together. Good Luck!

 

[gramto2boys]

gift cards!! really take it from me, there is noting I want folks to buy me I can not buy my self and get something I really need or want. nothing says nice gift like a gift certificate

 

[laurafergie]

I would buy her a really nice, sexy nightgown.

I JUST did that for my Auntie that turned 60! She LOVED it! (And so did Uncle )

 

[dimimi]

pedicure, manicure, gift card to a favorite restaurant

 

[wall*e2008]

50 $1 bills. Put a rubber band around them and then put them in a box, wrap it then do it another time or two.

 

[powellrj]

another turning 50 next year. I agree with nothing. If you really want to give her something, gift cards or cash in a cute way. What about $50 in dollar coins attached to a small tree?

 

[Anne34]

fifty $1.00 lottery scratch tickets.

I was going to say the same thing!! We just did this for a 60th birthday & the guy had a great time scratching them after!

 

[Taja]

I did a scrapbook of the party for my BFF's DH's 50th birthday. That was 11 years ago, when scrapbooking wasn't quite as popular and digital cameras weren't as prevalent.

I purchased a dozen of the single-use cameras and put stickers with his name, the party date and my name and telephone number on each camera so they could be circlated at the party (there were about 100 people). Believe it or not, I managed to collect all except one camera at the end of the evening! The last one found it's way to me about two weeks later! *LOL*

This wasn't as instantaneous as scrapbooking is today--it took me about six weeks to get the film developed (I also took four rolls of photos) and plan the layout. I used 8.5 x 11 paper, as I wanted to be able to photocopy some of the pages for the guests.

It was a fun project--if a bit ambitious! *LOL* Not sure I would do it again, even with all of the new-fangled gizmos at our convenience today. But it was a memorable gift!

 

[sk!mom]

Well I know what I would want! And I tried to do this for my inlaws anniversary and didn't pull it off in time.

Go to Michaels or ACMoore and get a bunch of really nice scrapbooking paper in complementing colors along with page covers. Put each one in an appropriate sized envelope with your addy on it. Then mail those envies to everyone that you can think of who she would want to have a memory from. Send a letter along with the page and tell folks this is their place to tell your sister in words, pictures, art, whatever, how they feel about her, that all the pages will be bound into a book for her, and then sit back and wait for the mail to come! I can't think of anything more special and I bet she absolutely flips when she sees it! If doing it with all the friends and such is too much, then do it with just family. Still awesome and folks can personalize how ever they want. The can go buy their own scrapbooking stuff or just write her a letter.

This is an awesome idea.

 

[Perditamarie]

Oh, I just remembered: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It also comes on cd if she commutes.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=pausch&x=6&y=20