Adi Bruce asked:


For my son’s 16th birthday, I bought him a brand new Ferrari. Isn’t it a lovely opening line for a story, or a nonchalant remark in a conversation? Unfortunately it is far from the truth.. Like most of us, this kind of present is just a little too expensive for me, and I always have to compromise for some less unusual present.

So gifts… a source of joy and generosity, or a pain in the neck (or the wallet)?

I suggest that with just a little effort, and sometimes with very little money, you can give gifts to delight you and the receiver, make you feel and appear original and creative, and bring joy to a place which is sometimes full of "have to" "not respectful enough" or "maybe it’s too cheap".

Let’s look, for example at pregnant women. What unusual gift for a pregnant woman can you give? Obviously, all things for the future baby are a must, but she will receive them from her mother’s friends.

Suppose you know her, and suppose she has a sense of humor (it is possible even in that delicate condition). If it is her first baby, a set of practice dolls might amuse her, especially if you add some instructions from your rich (?) experience.

Another example: What unusual birthday gifts for grandparents can you think of? We tend to relate to our older family members only through their relations with the younger generation. That’s why pictures of the grandchildren, memorabilia and sentimental stuff are so popular as birthday gifts for grandparents. But if you consider them as independent and many times very vital human beings, a larger scope of presents opens up. Gifts like board games, books that are directly aimed for young people, like "Building a new career", or "How to find a husband in 10 simple steps" might amuse your grandma (especially if she is happily married).

So the thing is not to buy "useful" presents, but to amuse. Your gifts may be thrown away 5 minutes after you gave them, or be passed to someone else, but who cares? Your gift was welcomed, made someone else smile, and achieved the ultimate goal of all presents – to show that you care, that you thought about the person you give the present to, and to bring something new to your relationships.

You are welcome to read some more tips and ideas about gag gifts for 50th birthday, unusual gifts for grandparents and much more at http://gifts-unusual.com.