Presents for special birthdays

A friend has just turned 80. She had a family party and has also invited all her friends round for drinks. We are all asked to bring a small donation to her favourite charity instead of presents. Such a good idea.

My OH is 60 in a couple of weeks and I will not be buying him any more remote controlled toys, they clutter up our small house and are always running out of batteries.
We are going out for a surprise family meal on the day and then Im thinking about a London hotel, a show and maybe afternnon tea. Any good ideas for afternoon tea in central London?

The things that I have loved best, and seem to be most appreciated by others too, are creating memories: things done together for close family or friends, backed up by a photo book of the event as a longterm reminder. Then I had a pretty photo frame from a really old friend with a pic of both of us on holiday in our early twenties. Loved it! I also really appreciated a small silver dish hallmarked from the appropriate birth year.
Or for someone not so close how about a newspaper from their date of birth?

You can do monthly very lovely and a bit special chocolates too! Hotel Chocolat I think.

We have been to the garden centre today to buy a token for a special birthday. We had a lovely lunch, bought some chicken manure, gardening gloves and food from the farm shop. I have just realised we came home without buying the voucher. So guess where I'm going now?

I tend to do "experiences" for special birthdays.

We had tea at the Ritz for my 50th and dinner at a Roux restaurant for my 60th. Gave DSiL a dinner voucher for 2 at her lovely local restaurant for her 70th.

Somebody at work was sent a book a month for a year; love the monthly bouquet of flowers idea.

Otherwise have given bottles of champagne and booked a harbour trip in Sydney for other friends once.

DH was given a rally driving day for his 65th - which he thoroughly enjoyed

It's a cosy place, glass ...wish it could be moved closer to us.

Going down for tea tonight.

We did but closed until April ( Kilberry) soop

Very breezy here. Chilly with it. Yesterday's weather was lovely. Do hope that you have had a very happy stay. Did you go into The George? Bags and I like to meet there whenever we can.

We imagined that you might go to Oban. The roads were in a bit of a mess when we last paid a visit. We like the Kitchen Garden coffee shop. Did you go there? I see that you went to Kilberry yesterday. Did you stop off at the inn? One of our favourites.

I booked DH a Sea Plane flight which flies over Loch Lomond and The Highlands for his 60th

We recently bought a friend a Sonos Wi-fi Music System for his 60th, he can add speakers in various areas of his house. We knew this was something he would like and it was very well received.

In the loch fyne hotelsoop just back from Oban.

The family have also given me various vouchers for salon treatments which I have appreciated far more than any more clutter. However, I do value the pretty photo frame my lovely senior GD gave me two Christmases ago, and, of course, the necklace that junior GD made for me.

I love 'experiences' on the grounds that I have enough 'stuff', but memories are always precious. When my in-laws were seventy we took them to Geneva for a long weekend. Our children came too and we all have a lovely memory to share. On Saturday I went to Claridges for afternoon tea with my daughter - again, a wonderful memory. My husband is an adventurous bloke, so I bought him cashmere clothing for his fiftieth. My husband's aunt has just been given a 'twinned toilet' for her 70th birthday.
I love the idea of a monthly gift of flowers Penstemmon.

Where you be right this minute, glassortwo ?

Took DH to Padstow for his 50th booked a cottage for a week and on his birthday took him to Rick Steins restaurant.

For my last 'special' birthday my family threw a lovely party for me and invited guests to contribute to a voucher for a well known travel company with which they set up a gift account. I have still to use it, because my health let me down for a while and, although it won't by any means cover the cost, I am considering a trip to Canada with a cruise to Alaska. Watch this space.

We bought our very good friend a bouquet of flowers a month for her 70th birthday year..delivered by a favourite florist. Repeated that gift for my SiLs 80th. It is nice as each month I get a photo of the bouquet and a catch up of how she is!

You can also organise something similar for cheese lovers. A cheese selection every month/two months etc for the year. We did that for the husband of our friend who got the flowers!

For my DH I have bought experiences; balloon ride etc. Also booked us in for a Michelin Star meal at Tom Kerridge's place for his 65th.

Otherwise it is similar to other ideas: Plants/trees, subscriptions, Spa days, 'experiences' or vouchers for a hotel (e.g , Mr & Mrs Smith, Hotel du Vin etc)

My (not a special) b'day tomorrow...let's see what my family think of!!

I still like getting "stuff". I rotate it.

kitty I saw chicken bricks in Costco recently. That's obviously where my son found it. He does two big trips round the place in the last few days before Christmas, so the whole family gets something from there. The staff must rub their hands with glee when they see him parking his car!

One is sort of grey chiffon flouncy with ruffles and a few sequins and no discernible way to make it sit comfortably without getting 'flounce' in my mouth, phoenix

Another is lilac and floaty, with squiggles of red and purple - looks like an Isadora Duncan long silky thing, suitable to drape over a full length black slinky dress.

Interesting how others see me - I've never been a slinky, floaty person in my life. Think cart horse! if I'm given a cobalt blue pashmina, I'm keeping it!

They've gone to the great dog charity car boot sale with all the other stuff.

I'd love the chicken brick when! Ours disappeared years ago and I have recently had a hankering for one - have you seen the price of the flipping things now? They weren't that expensive first time round and I am trying to resist buying more kitchen stuff - it's my one weakness! I also love decorative platters etc.

Really nice photo frames are quite good fall back presents as well as plants either flowering appropriately or with an apt name.

For our 40th wedding anniversary the children clubbed together and bought us a specially made weather vane which we love.

Might be a bit expensive, but a bottle of something (port?) from the year of their birth?

when how kind, but I think I'm ok for coffee machines

Now, speak to me of flouncy scarves, how flouncy is flouncy?