Help with Gifts

Updated on February 24, 2009
S.M. asks from League City, TX
28 answers

A good friend of mine is turning 40 and I was trying to get her 40 each of sifferent items to be funny yet functional like 40 pieces of gum, she works in an office so 40 paperclips, but then I am stuck. Any suggestions would be great, she lives in Mass. so can't be too big to mail. Thanks in adavance!!

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So What Happened?

Just wanted to thank all of you for the many many wonderful ideas!! I went to the $$ store and some stuff was already
packaged in 40's erasers, diffusers, construction paper etc. Then I also wrote down 40 reasons to have a great bday like was suggested. I also sent her a $40 check. Then my husband had a good idea-on the box he found celebs who are turning 40, so we put their names on the box, with cute sayings. Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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P.H.

answers from Austin on

How close are you, because 40 tampons would be pretty funny (and useful, too!) but only between close girlfriends! ha ha
q-tips, cotton balls, pencils, hairbands if she has long hair, dryer sheets, drinking straws or umbrellas, granola bars or fruit leathers.
Find out how to make those little origami cranes and send her 40. They are supposed to represent good luck or good wishes or something like that.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from San Antonio on

Not to be tacky, but a box of 40 tampons?! Their very light weight and definately functional.

Here are some other suggestions:

Forty coupons for things she likes to buy at the grocery store

Her favorite snack... counted out and bagged by you

40 Beads to assemble into a necklace or bracelet and the locks, strings, etc. (or a necklace assembled by you.)

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D.A.

answers from Houston on

I had to get bifocals at the age of 40. I think you should give her 40 wiggly eyes! Also maybe 40 Geritol vitamens.

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B.S.

answers from San Antonio on

40 post it w/ funny sayings.
40 thumb tags.
40 mints/candy, or other favorite.
40 press on nails...lol
40 pony tail holders/other hair stuff- Bobby pins...
40 rubber band
A puzzle w/ 40 pieces.
A CD w/ 40 songs
A photo album w/ 40 random pictures.
40 book markers
Okay do you need more.... message me....

3 moms found this helpful
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S.C.

answers from College Station on

Hi S.,

Here is and idea that my family and I did for a friend.
We started with the year she was born. For example 1980 for each year we got the hit song that was country, made a cd and for each year we got the most popular candy that was small enough to fit in a goody bag,found stickers that represented each year to put in her scrapbooks,samples of perfume that were popular for each year, keychains, funny jokes and quotes,earrings,and one of my favorites was finding all the hit t.v.showes for each year and we put them on a vhs. Just the first epsiode. It took us a few days but it was worth it. We found alot of ideas on line just by googling. So I wish you the best and I hoped they gave you some ideas.

2 moms found this helpful
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L.B.

answers from Corpus Christi on

post its
pencils
pins
files
white outs
stationary ( paper)
stationary (envelopes)
labels
stamps
hand lotion
nail files
birthday candles

sounds like a fun gift

1 mom found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Austin on

how about 40 tea bags or small tins of loose leaf tea? 40 jelly beans or nuts, coins from the year she was born...if she has longer hair, perhaps 40 hair ties or pins?

1 mom found this helpful
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S.R.

answers from Odessa on

You've already received some great ideas; here are a few more to add to the pot...
40 Lifesaver mints (they come individually wrapped)
40 Bobby pins or hair pins
40 cotton balls
40 disposable razors

A basket filled with 40 snacks (various kinds of chips, snack crackers, individual size cheeze, popcorn, nuts, the 100 calorie pkgs. of cookies, etc.) or 40 pamper items (q-tips, nail polish, a clear coat polish, polish remover, an aroma therapy candle, a CD with some easy listening jazz, a bath splash, lotion, loofah sponge, moist towelettes, a tea bag, emory board, cuticle stick, some baby oil, fragrance sampler, tissue, shower sponge, body powder, buff puff, disposable razor, chap stick, tweezers, nail file, etc.)

The Dollar Tree has lots of these items for $1 each and you can put two of some of the items that you might need more than one of. Dollar Tree also has baskets and the shrink bags that you can put around it and then shrink to fit with a hair dryer so it looks polished and really professionally put together.

Don't forget to include a list of the 40 reasons why she should pamper herself...and you can have some fun with that...throwing in "you deserve it" on the list several times.

1) Because you're a great friend
2) Because you deserve it
3) Because you're always thinking of others
4) Because it's your special day
5) Because you deserve it
6) Because you're a great daughter
7) Because you never take enough time out for yourself
8) Because at 40 more maintenance is a must
9) Because beauty like yours is worth celebrating
10) Because you deserve it.

yada-yada

HAVE FUN!

1 mom found this helpful
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D.M.

answers from Corpus Christi on

I once did 40 birthday cards-I started early and many of them were from the Dollar Store. They were all "signed" by different people-like "Fred & Ethel Mertz" or "Fred & Wilma" I had a few cards that were a bit sleazy and one was signed by Mrs. Robinson and another by Mae West. Just have fun with it! The trick is to mail them all on the same day and your friend gets 40 cards. It was as much fun for me to get creative as it was for my friend to receive them.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.S.

answers from Houston on

That's a cute idea, but it will be hard to come up with 40 things. How about something more memorable ... 40 reasons why she's a great friend or 40 reasons why she ROCKs, etc.

When I turned 40 the gag gifts were fun, but the milestone gifts were more treasured, a beautiful scarf that was a friend's mothers, a poem about our friendship, books, a grown up pen (I was known to write with Sharpies or what ever was handy)

Good for you for being such a good friend and wanted to celebrate her birthday.

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A.J.

answers from Killeen on

my friends and family had a 21 party for me and here's some things they got me:
Q-tips
pony-tail holders
pens/pencils
quarters (might be too heavy to ship, though)
CD-R discs

can't think of any others right now, hope this helps!

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J.H.

answers from Houston on

How about 40 sheets (with envelopes) of note paper along with 40 stamps? If you're crafty you could make a 40 bead necklace. If she cooks, you could compile 40 index cards with favority recipies.

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K.M.

answers from Odessa on

Pens, paper, and or envelopes, chocolates, like hershey kisses or something small like that.If she likes a certain kind of cookie, 40 cookies, chap sticks I know the older I get the dryer my skin gets!! LOL

Good luck, great idea!! Have some fun with it, even go see whats on sale at the dollar stores, or whatever discount stores you like.

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J.P.

answers from Austin on

when my mom turned 40, I got her one of these T-shirts! Cute, and makes a statement!

http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/39.95

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C.B.

answers from Austin on

Go to Central Market and hit the bulk section for 40 gumdrops (black are funny), 40 cashews, 40 of whatever strikes your fancy there. 40 rubber bands, push pins, postage stamps, all at the office supply place. Have fun with it! Cute idea.

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M.P.

answers from College Station on

We did this for my Uncle's Birthday and it was so much fun. The guest had to bring 40 of something as well and someone ever brought a money tree with $40.00. Some of the other gifts included 40 pieces of candy, 40 of his favorite chips, drinks, cookies, brownies ect. You could also get friends and family to write memories about the birthday girl on notes to be read during the party. Good luck and have fun!

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D.A.

answers from Houston on

That's very creative already! You could come up with some quotations, print them on nice paper in a fancy font, cut them out, and put them in a box with an appropriate "40" label. You may want to make that the main gift focus. There could be 365 quotes, one for each day of her 40th year.

L.A.

answers from Austin on

We did the same thing for a grandfather when he turned 100. It was fun to see all of things that he was given.

Highlights, 100 lbs. steaks (he had no teeth!), 100 Lamme's pralines, 100 Pennies one dated from each year since he was born (these where framed), 100 fresh flowers, 100 Happy faces (drawn by a great grandchild & framed), 100 photographs taken at his party and presented later in a photo album.

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D.R.

answers from Austin on

S.,
For my 50th a friend gave me a beautiful basket with 50 items in it.

Maybe you could give your friend 40 items-lots of small items that have already been mentioned and a $40 gift certificate to a spa, a subscription to More magazine (it's a fun magazine for women 40 and over).

I love the suggestion that a previous poster gave you. Have 40 people write down funny memories or things they love and appreciate about your friend.

Have fun!

D.

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M.K.

answers from San Angelo on

Well, why not take 40 one dollar bills that are either new or iron them and make something out of them...
A good friend of mine who passed away a few years ago used to use 100 one dollar bills and create things for his sister and then the next year, she would use the same dollars and create him something...it was fun watching to see what the other came up with...

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S.M.

answers from Austin on

straws and coffee stirrers
brads
earring backs
buttons
hairclips
beads
needles
pins
coffee filters
napkins
kleenex
cd sleeves (the paper ones)
and 40 nice things about her, maybe each one printed on a business card and put in a pretty container

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J.W.

answers from Houston on

Don't forget 40 candles, 40 matches, 40 paper plates and 40 forks to eat cake with!

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M.F.

answers from El Paso on

Head to some kind of Dollar Store and you should get lots of inexpensive and small ideas.

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K.

answers from San Antonio on

I am so non creative so I am soooo glad you posted this idea. I vote to add 40 Hershey Hug kisses.

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K.J.

answers from Houston on

Hi S.! I think your friend turning 40 would love some pampering. Think about finding a spa in Mass. and treating her to a one hour massage or facial. Get several friends to split the cost. You'll be golden!
Good luck!

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A.C.

answers from Odessa on

I'm sure you've heard this already, but it's the first thing that came to mind. 40 pieces of her fave chocolate/candy. I love this idea!!!

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W.L.

answers from Houston on

You might think about what kids take to school for their "100-day" parties. The main item I think about it food or candy items .... jelly beans, m&m's, pennies, peanuts, sunflower seeds. Being that she's far away, what about some nice stationary with 40 first-class stamps, so y'all can keep in touch.

L.H.

answers from Austin on

For a friends' 40th, one of her friends mailed her a box with 40 small presents in it. She numbered the packages and wrote a little note on each one and every few packages the note would say, "wow, 40, that's a lot". She got things like eye-bag concealer, medicines typically used by older people, a key chain with a "clapper" device on it so she could find her keys etc.....The note on the top of the box pointed out that there were 40 packages and that until you wrapped and unwrapped 40 whole packages you couldn't realize just how much forty was!

Just an idea....good luck

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