Birthday
One year older, one year wiser?
Whether or not we’re any wiser, surviving another year in this crazy world deserves a celebration! A birthday is an occasion to celebrate, whether it's your first birthday or your 99th. The type of celebration isn’t so important – you can have a big, boisterous party, a small gathering with a few friends at a restaurant, or decide to blow out the candles at home, just as long as you are celebrating with the people you care about .
Personalized Birthday Gifts
Creating a great birthday celebration may be a matter of finding the right birthday gifts. What’s going to bring laughter and smiles when that package is opened? Well here are some great birthday gift ideas if you’re stumped.
Why not look for the personalized birthday newspaper? Online outlets will create a mini- newspaper page with the recipient’s birth date as the issue date. The newspapers contain a greeting from whoever was president of the United States at the time, and look like an actual newspaper, with art, graphics and articles.
Another unique birthday gift is a personalized bottle of beer. It can display a photo of the birthday boy or girl, commemorate a milestone such as a 21st birthday, 30th birthday or 40th birthday and include a personalized message.
Or for a real laugh, a Happy Birthday roll of toilet paper personalized with the birthday person’s name should have him or her squealing, while a personalized magazine cover featuring the recipient’s name and photo will be a keepsake for years to come.
Several outlets provide birthday keepsakes featuring the name of the recipient, the date of their birth, and all the fun facts about that date through history.
Other Birthday Gift Ideas
A birthday gift that is practical as well as fun is a novelty tie featuring a favorite team, cartoon, season or hobby. It will certainly bring a smile to the face of your favorite guy.
For the women in your life, handcrafted jewelry and a personalized spa set with therapeutic lotions and oils make a welcome and luxurious birthday gift.
Chocolate is always in style and always fits. A birthday gift from Hershey’s, for example, provides a unique spin on an old favorite. The company offers giant personalized Hershey bars in three- and five-pound sizes, personalized chocolate cards, kisses of every variety, chocolate tins and towers and collections to share. M&Ms are another chocolate treat available in every color and can be personalized for any occasion, including birthdays.
If you venture online, some gift sites will help you find a gift based on the personality of the receiver. For example, if you’re searching for gifts for the men in your life, look under a “guy’s guy” category for a Harley Davidson rental, hot sauce of the month club, Racecar driving school, the tailgater’s chair and the classic Nintendo game system, updated.
Under “devoted Dad,” you’ll find gifts like roadside emergency kits for the minivan or SUV, personalized photo calendars, hand-drawn family sketches and alternative Rock Lullaby CDs for “cool” kids. Other categories might include “the achiever” and “the geek.”
Most online retailers can help you find the perfect birthday gift idea for women, as well. If you search under “the hipster” you’ll find ideas such as shadow wall art lamps, fun recycled home décor and recycled LP record bowls. Under the “supermom” category, options offered include the in-home digital message center, family fridge magnets and remote control key locators.
Birthday Gift Baskets
Another fun and unique gift is a birthday gift basket. You can make these yourself or buy them in a boutique. Of course, you can also order all kinds of baskets online. Start with a theme that means something to the birthday boy or girl, and use your imagination!
Try a beach baby basket, with a good beach book, a pair of flip-flops, sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, a colorful beach towel and a pair of sunglasses for a relaxing themed basket that shows you know what the beach bunny in your life needs.
A clever mini golf bag is a great container for the “Hole in One” birthday gift basket. This fun find for the golf lover has exclusive bottled water, golf tees, pencils and balls, as well as a variety of gourmet snacks and a towel for club heads.
You can create your own birthday luxury bath basket, or buy one pre-assembled with bath salts, foaming bath beads, lotion, candles and soaps in complementary scents. A touch of fine chocolate makes it the perfect pampering basket for someone who deserves to be taken care of on his or her birthday.
The possibilities for beautiful and personal birthday gift baskets are endless. Use your imagination and surprise the birthday boys and girls today!
