My best friend is turning 30 in November... we've been close since we were maybe 13 and she was my maid of honor and is our twin's godparent (the one to take them in if something happens to my husband & I). For my 30th a few months ago, she made me an amazing scrapbook and wrote a sweet letter at the end and very generously gifted me money to get the tattoo i'd been saving for (that will represent my children).
I definitely don't have the money to reciprocate that large gift but I want to do something thoughtful... I was thinking maybe making her a scrapbook also (with pics from our younger years that she may not have), that's something that she'd really appreciate. But I want to do more than just that!
She is a child at heart and a very pure soul. She loves Disney and is a truly selfless person. She works at a nursing home and outside of that full time job she is a home aid for my grandma 3 days a week. She's planning to go to nursing school. She takes care of her elderly parents (one with early dimensia) and cooks for her twin sister daily (who rents a room in the home my friend owns). She was the one there for me in a heartbeat (actually at the doctors with me) when i found out I had cancer and was there for me every step. She loves coffee, always brings us both Tim Hortons when she visits me and my kids once a week. She just started dating her first "official" boyfriend a few months ago, they are so sweet together and she treats him amazing. She's had some rough experiences and her life is finally falling into a good place. She constantly takes care of others and I'd love to do something special just for her.
Thank you so much for any ideas!
Thank you all SO MUCH... these are such great ideas! I think i might take the idea of a basket and put in it many of the ideas you wonderful ladies gave!
@ Sue H - LOVE the idea of a crystal for her to hang as a reminder that she's a shining light in many lives, esp mine!!
This website is amazing and i'm always so blessed by the advice or ideas i get here! Thanks again to all!!
Any other ideas are more than welcome too :)
If she likes to cook, how about a couples cooking class. That would be fun for her and her new boyfriend.
This is a bit out of the box. But how about an empty diploma frame. To put her nursing degree in upon completion. It shows that you believe in her and have faith in her ability to achieve that special goal. They make beautiful, career specific frames. You could probably find a nursing themed one, or one that has her schools emblem on it. She can hang that over her study desk as a constant encouragement. Just like she's been a constant encouragement to you. I would do that and also a gift of service. Make her dinner. Or make a romantic candle light dinner suprise for her and new bf. You get him in on it to pull off the suprise.
Make a list of what you think are her favorite 30 things... then find pictures of them and print them off, cut them out. Get a poster picture frame (make sure you have lots of pictures of the two of you, lots of your favorite pictures of her), and some quotes/movies/songs that make you think of her. Write them nicely on pretty colored paper... are you seeing where I'm going here? Make a collage of all of it... it will be 100% her, and show 100% of your love and appreciation for your friend! I do this often as gifts, and not one of them is sitting in the back of a closet... my friends/family always hang them (even though I told them I wouldn't be upset if they didn't!) They get compliments on them all the time :) I made my husband one a few years back, and he still loves looking at it, and finding new things hidden in the collage :)
if she made a scrapbook for you, then she's probably into that....& has one herself.
Since you feel so strongly about her (& she sounds wonderful!!), how about applauding her as "a shining light in your life"? Give her a crystal to hang in her window....because that's how she appears to you..... I did this for my best friend's daughter. The young woman is truly a beacon of light, & I wanted her to know how much I appreciated her. It's been years now, & the crystal is still hanging in her window....wherever her home is!
Since she is always doing so much for others, how about something for herself. Give her a couple hour certificate for a massage, a girls day out to get nails done. How about a gift certificate to a higher end restraunt for her and her boyfriend to go along with your scrapbook.
I LOVE hand stamped silver jewelry, and you'd have so many different options for personalizing it in any way that is meaningful for you and her... It could have little initial charms with your kids initials, and one with both of your initials on it with BFF or something meaningful... both of your birthstones, a charm that signifies something that you both love, or something symbolizing friendship... the possibilites are endless... there are tons of places online where you can get hand stamped jewelry, and many of them will work with you to customize a piece you love, and they're not terribly expensive.
I have gotten many items for myself and for gifts from this site, and I've always been very pleased... she's very reasonably priced compared to others I've looked at online, and if you don't see something that's exactly what you want, she'll work with you to create your custom piece... I've done both, ordered pictured items, and created my own... and I've loved them all. (and I don't know this woman, her name is Amanda, I've just come to know her work from ordering multiple items from her.)
http://www.silvermependants.com/
Check it out!
How bout a little basket of different things? A little statue of a guardian angel (she seems to be one), a set of windchimes that will remind her of you when they tinkle in the breeze, some cozy slippers, a soft blanket, anything that brings comfort. Sounds like an awesome friend you've been blessed with :)
J.,
I have a BFF that I've know since we were babies!
She's also the type of woman that is SO hard to buy for--makes a LOT of $$$, has everything known to man, etc., etc.
For her 30th Birthday, I made her a book (I used the binding makine at work to spiral bind it==I'm sure FedEx Office has similar) of the Top 30 Memories of our childhood memories. She LOVED it, said it was the best present ever.
I put O. memory per page & used a picture or other artwork for each memory....I numbered each page 30 through 1.
Maybe she's like something like that, too?
I'm sure you could think of 30 special memories you have that include her--you listed several just in this post!
Lisa Leonardo on line, I bought my bffs necklaces with their kids first initials charms shaped as tiny hearts. There is also a friendship collection:) You are so lucky to have such a great friend and your friend is super lucky to have a friend like you:)
What about a video (you can make them on Shutterfly) of your friendship and its history. You start with photos of when you met at age 13, etc. I think that would bring tears to her eyes. These are very reasonably priced.
Or, what about a one hour massage...She is a great caregiver and maybe a massage would be nice for her? Or, a manicure and pedicure?
You can take her out for lunch for her bday and surprise her with the gifts.
She sounds like an amazing woman. That being said - one year, for a friend, my husband and I got a deck of cards and on each card, we wrote something wonderful or something we liked about that friend. So she had a nice compact deck of 52 things wonderful about her:
- you have perfect teeth
- your sense of home decor
- your cooking
etc.....
We wrote them with a sharpie. She has since told us a few times how much she loved that gift. She pulls it out from time to time when she's feeling down to remind herself of the great things about her. If she loves Disney, perhaps get a Disney set of cards. They have tons of colors/patterns of cards out ther. Just don't buy the junk at the dollar store. Too papery and it feels cheap. ADDED: I do like Rachel's idea too - similar, but visual, so nice. In my scenario I'd cut out a picture of her smiling for her teeth, a picture of her house for her home decor, a picture of food for her cooking ......
The only other thing that came to mind when you described your friend was that she might like new kitchen tools for all of her cooking. At 30, she may have had those same spatulas and cookie sheets since college. Maybe give her new utensils or pans - wherever you see her use it the most. Baking - then new cookie sheets or a baking stone. Casseroles - get her new pyrex with lids.
go to a spa day with her or give her a gift car for dinner and a play or concert
