birthday present ideas for my mother

[caketastydelish]

My mom's birthday is coming up and I'm deciding what to buy.

I'm leaning towards gift card money so she can buy books or other content with her new kindle fire hdx.

She loves to read, generally likes electronics, and likes anything involving the country Spain (she is a Spanish teacher).

 

[Synobun]

Your mom and I don't really talk very much anymore, so I'm leaning towards gift card money too.

 

[schlaufuchs]

Gift money is tacky, especially when immediate family is involved. A book sounds like a good idea though.

Unfortunately I don't know your mother, so I doubt I can be much more helpful than that.

 

[bhsup]

Get her a kindle e-reader (not a fire, an e-reader) (reading and electronics) and an Amazon gift card so she can buy some Spanish books for it.

 

[Arachnofiend]

Do you read? Get her a book you liked that she could potentially enjoy. I know my mom always appreciates rec's.

 

[KmDubya]

Get her a Spanish gigolo




Jokes aside money is always a bad idea. What about Latin dance lessons? If she is single it could open up a new and fun way to get out and meet people and if she is married it would be a fun way to spend time with her partner. Also it is probably something that she would not do for herself which always makes for a good present.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Phasers are forever.

 

[Zack]

Easy, buy her Spain.

 

[Borachio]

Gorilla strip-o-gram.

 

[dusters]

I don't suggest buying gift cards ever. It's like a dumb man's excuse not to spend time finding an actual gift.

My take on gifts is that gift has to be personal. Something suited exactly for the person. I would suggest buying her a tourism trip to somewhere she would like to visit. It doesn't have to be other country.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Phasers are forever.

Forma: I do.

 

[Zack]

I don't suggest buying gift cards ever. It's like a dumb man's excuse not to spend time finding an actual gift.

My take on gifts is that gift has to be personal. Something suited exactly for the person. I would suggest buying her a tourism trip to somewhere she would like to visit. It doesn't have to be other country.

I prefer gift cards. I can buy what I actually want, instead of what people think I want.

 

[warpus]

Someone getting you a gift card as a gift is basically him/her saying: "Here.. you buy yourself a gift. I want nothing to do with the process"

To me that sort of sentiment is exactly the opposite of what gift giving is supposed to be. In purely practical terms it can be a better gift, and I'm a pretty practical guy, but it takes so little thought to get a "gift" like that, I wouldn't be too pleased if I got something like it from a close friend or family member, unless they attached it to the real gift as a secondary gift. Getting a gift card for an acquaintance or colleague at the office or whatever would be more appropriate.

It's not easy finding a good gift for someone. You need to know what they like, what they dislike, what sorts of things they have been doing recently, you need to know what things they already own, and so on. It takes effort. A gift card takes 0 effort. And what's a gift if you didn't actually put any time, effort, or thought into it? It's soulless. It turns the gift exchange into a cold and emotionless exchange of money - the opposite of what you should be going for considering this is your mother.

 

[Zack]

Someone getting you a gift card as a gift is basically him/her saying: "Here.. you buy yourself a gift. I want nothing to do with the process"

To me that sort of sentiment is exactly the opposite of what gift giving is supposed to be. In purely practical terms it can be a better gift, and I'm a pretty practical guy, but it takes so little thought to get a "gift" like that, I wouldn't be too pleased if I got something like it from a close friend or family member, unless they attached it to the real gift as a secondary gift. Getting a gift card for an acquaintance or colleague at the office or whatever would be more appropriate.

It's not easy finding a good gift for someone. You need to know what they like, what they dislike, what sorts of things they have been doing recently, you need to know what things they already own, and so on. It takes effort. A gift card takes 0 effort. And what's a gift if you didn't actually put any time, effort, or thought into it? It's soulless. It turns the gift exchange into a cold and emotionless exchange of money - the opposite of what you should be going for considering this is your mother.

My point was that people are different. Blanket statements like that are silly.

 

[caketastydelish]

Yeah, I also prefer gift cards like Zack does. Anyway I've decided to get her a Amazon Prime account (something she will enjoy with her new Kindle HDX since it gives her one year of free videos and movies and stuff).

I've decided to add one more thing, preferably in the 20-40 price range. Any good books on Spain? I'd prefer a book specific to one aspect of Spain, because she doesn't need any 'crash course' type of book since she presumably already knows all of that.

 

[Zack]

Yeah, I also prefer gift cards like Zack does. Anyway I've decided to get her a Amazon Prime account (something she will enjoy with her new Kindle HDX since it gives her one year of free videos and movies and stuff).

I've decided to add one more thing, preferably in the 20-40 price range. Any good books on Spain? I'd prefer a book specific to one aspect of Spain, because she doesn't need any 'crash course' type of book since she presumably already knows all of that.

Amazon Prime seems like a great gift, considering her new Kindle.

 

[Kozmos]

Let the free market decide.

 

[caketastydelish]

Since I'm the one buying her the gift, the free market is simply at my disposal with however much I'm willing to spend, which has already been established. Now I'm deciding what I should buy, which should preferably be a book on Spain. Since many people here are history buffs I was hoping someone knew a book on Spain that covered a particular aspect.

 

[de Maistre]

Someone getting you a gift card as a gift is basically him/her saying: "Here.. you buy yourself a gift. I want nothing to do with the process"

To me that sort of sentiment is exactly the opposite of what gift giving is supposed to be. In purely practical terms it can be a better gift, and I'm a pretty practical guy, but it takes so little thought to get a "gift" like that, I wouldn't be too pleased if I got something like it from a close friend or family member, unless they attached it to the real gift as a secondary gift. Getting a gift card for an acquaintance or colleague at the office or whatever would be more appropriate.

It's not easy finding a good gift for someone. You need to know what they like, what they dislike, what sorts of things they have been doing recently, you need to know what things they already own, and so on. It takes effort. A gift card takes 0 effort. And what's a gift if you didn't actually put any time, effort, or thought into it? It's soulless. It turns the gift exchange into a cold and emotionless exchange of money - the opposite of what you should be going for considering this is your mother.

I think birthday gifts are kind of soulless to begin with because you're expected to buy one. Anyway, the best gifts are personal and contain something of both the giver and the receiver; if that's the case then it doesn't even have to be something they really want. For example, last Christmas my sister bought me a small plaque with horses on it, something you'd expect to see in a little girl's room. She thought of it because when we were young I ordered a book that came with a unicorn bracelet and gave it to her. What would I want with a horse plaque? It was a still a lovely gift.

 

[Arachnofiend]

Someone getting you a gift card as a gift is basically him/her saying: "Here.. you buy yourself a gift. I want nothing to do with the process"

To me that sort of sentiment is exactly the opposite of what gift giving is supposed to be. In purely practical terms it can be a better gift, and I'm a pretty practical guy, but it takes so little thought to get a "gift" like that, I wouldn't be too pleased if I got something like it from a close friend or family member, unless they attached it to the real gift as a secondary gift. Getting a gift card for an acquaintance or colleague at the office or whatever would be more appropriate.

It's not easy finding a good gift for someone. You need to know what they like, what they dislike, what sorts of things they have been doing recently, you need to know what things they already own, and so on. It takes effort. A gift card takes 0 effort. And what's a gift if you didn't actually put any time, effort, or thought into it? It's soulless. It turns the gift exchange into a cold and emotionless exchange of money - the opposite of what you should be going for considering this is your mother.

I generally prefer gift cards because the things I want are usually fairy expensive and I can't expect everyone in my family to drop 50-60 bucks on me. Many times mothers appreciate the sentiment as much if not more than the gift itself so it's certainly not a good idea here but I wouldn't write off money as a bad gift entirely.