Happy Birthday — Here’s a Pie

~ humoringthegoddess

A friend of mine through WordPress, TextileRanger, wrote a blog on Gifts for the Person Who Has Everything. She writes about her birthday, and the best gift she could get was that her daughters came and took furniture and articles that have been sitting around being unused for like ever.

And it got me thinking about birthday presents in general.

I don’t know how many of you still exchange gifts for birthdays or  Christmas. In our family, grandkids and kids are a must. Husbands (or myself as a wife) are more of “I need this now so why not give it to me for my birthday/Christmas?” sort of thing. We still exchange birthday gifts with my husband’s family — there’s about 3 grandkids and 5 adults, and it’s been a tradition for like ever, too.

Once you get up in age — and these family members run from 40 to 73 — have just about everything they need. Their collections of unicorns, Precious Moments, or Chicago Bears paraphernalia is fuller than a landfill. Half the time I don’t know what they do in their spare time, so buying something personal gets to be harder and harder.

So the last few years we have been giving food and drink for presents.

I think my family couldn’t be happier.

These are gifts that are fine-tuned to my friends and family’s taste. They are foods and liquors that they would normally never purchase. I once gave a cousin two lobster tails for his birthday. Last year we bought a different cousin a selection of hot seasonings and sauces, because he loves hot  food. A couple of weeks ago I gave a girl cousin a bottle of Relax German wine and a tin of Pirouette cookies to go with it. I would never buy a $7 tin of cookie for myself, but it was fun to buy them for someone else.

I think realistically our family and friends have enough t-shirts, earrings, and video games to last three lifetimes. But to pick out something special that doesn’t have to find shelf space is probably the best idea ever. That friend/family member can enjoy that special expensive beer, cookie, or chocolate creme pie more than the shirts that won’t fit or the video game that’s too hard.

Think about what you’re giving to those who mean the most to you. Maybe it’s time to stop the calendars and socks and give them some wonderfully decadent treat to show them how much you care.

And maybe if you’re lucky they’ll invite you over to share said goodie…

Published by humoringthegoddess

I am a writer of fantasy fiction that often surrounds middle-aged women. I am a married mother of two and granny to three, a BoHo Chic kinda gal. I am recently retired and busier than when I worked 9-5. But writing and blogging is my main game.

15 thoughts on “Happy Birthday — Here’s a Pie”

  7. Amen to that. I love to give gifts anyway, but it’s hard when the parents have everything, so to speak. And shopping for this person or that person is like a treasure hunt, you know?

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  8. Family and friends can give me cookies, nuts, chocolates, grapes..the list is endless..any holiday they want! Works better than T-shirts that don’t fit, that’s for sure..

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  10. I think it is a lot easier to buy a gift for a lady, men are difficult I think, at least the men I buy gifts for :D. The ladies on the other hand are always happy with chocolates filled with all sorts and nice flowers 😀

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  12. All I want for my birthday is cake. Shop or home-made, I don’t mind. If someone bakes me a cake, buys me a cupcake, or takes me out for tea and cakes, I’m happy. It’s never about the present, it’s always about the effort and thought. Those people who can’t be bothered and say “it’s the thought that counts,” are missing the point and being a bit selfish. I can easily think of things that I could do for them that they would like, but then I choose not to do them.

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  14. I think the charity thing is wonderful! I contribute through my work, too. And how did I know piorettes went with German Wine? I treated myself to a tin!

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  15. Great ideas! Your statement about the $7 cookie tin got me thinking about other foods and ingredients that are too pricey for me to buy on a regular basis, but that would be fun to sample some time — good olive oil, vanilla beans instead of artificial vanilla flavor, etc. Fun to give or receive.

    And about 10 years ago, we started doing donations for Christmas instead of giving gifts. It is still fun to open the cards from our favorite charities, and we all have so much less stress during the holiday season — we don’t have to rush around shopping. 🙂

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