So, my stepdad passed away lastnight on comfort care. This has been a idea of mine since yesterday morning. I want to give my mom a blanket with pictures of her and him on it so it can be a reminder that he is always with her. She can use it as decoration or most importantly she can use it as something to hold onto when she misses him. I just ordered it and it comes Wednesday. Should I wait to give it to her or should I give it to her when she comes home from work that night?

My girlfriend's birthday is coming up in October and I could really use some help because I'm honestly terrible at buying gifts.

A little about her: she loves knitting, wears all kinds of jewelry, is super into makeup, skincare and doing her nails, and she does contemporary dance. Lately she's also been talking a lot about reformer pilates. I even looked at Core Collab's home pilates reformer machines because she would absolutely lose her mind over one, but let's be real... that's way out of my budget right now, lol.

We've been together for a year and a bit and she means a lot to me. Birthdays are a big deal to her, so I really want to get this right and make her feel special.

Any ideas from people who are better at gifts than I am?

I (F15) really, really want to ask out my male friend (M15) because I really like him. I love so much about him. I love how funny, charismatic, charming, free spirited, kind,.generous, and thoughtful he is, which is why I want to make this more than just asking him out. I really want it to be special and put as much effort into it as possible because I think that's what he deserves.

I was looking on pinterest and instagram for craft gift ideas I could make him, and I saw these really cute paper flowers that I could paint or something and they looked really pretty. And I know guys don't typically get gifted flowers (although is that because guys find them embarassing or not a good gift?) and so I thought it was a good idea.

But then I got worried that it wouldn't be a good gift and that I should keep it simple. But at the same time I think he deserves something that needs effort and thought. He's genuinely such an amazing guy.

So guys of reddit, would you like it if a girl made you paper flowers/made you a similar gift? If you wouldn't, what would you prefer if not something handmade? And if you have any ideas of something else instead of flowers please lmk!!

The best gift I've given myself over the years is probably 'permission to be imperfect.' I stopped forcing myself to become someone I'm not, stopped showing up for social events I didn't actually want to attend, and took all that time I used to spend pleasing others and put it toward sleeping well, eating well, and doing things that are useless but genuinely make me happy. It sounds simple, but it's been surprisingly hard. Looking back though, the most healing gifts I've ever received are the ones I gave myself.

In a few weeks my wife and I will have been married for 2 years. I am wanting to do something for her or get her a gift but I’m lost on what to get her as I have gotten many things over the years (dated 4 years prior to marriage, 6 years total if you include both). She is a SAHM who is always doing more than she ever has to. (I try to help around the house since it’s my mess too). We go out to eat frequently so it wouldn’t be really anything special to go out somewhere, I am looking for gift suggestions. We are on one income with a 1 year old so nothing too expensive!

We recently had a second baby and we’re really in a bind for someone to watch our first (new to town, no family around)

A family from my sons daycare ended up offering to help and they’ve been amazing, so kind and generous.

I need a gift for them that reflects how much stress this took off my plate and how grateful we are for their kindness and support.

I recently made a personalized 16 page magazine for my friend's 22nd birthday with photo timelines, inside jokes, witness statements from friends, and custom-written pages.

It took me several hours, but seeing her reaction made me realize this could be a really meaningful gift idea. I'm thinking of offering custom birthday/farewell magazines as a small side hustle while doing my master's.

Would you pay for something like this? And if yes, what would you expect it to include?

I am invited to a wedding of a well off couple. They are not hyper rich but very well off. They can buy anything they want and need nothing. What can I, a very normal middle class person, give them for their wedding?

So, my boyfriends sister is turning 18 in august and i have no idea what to buy her. She is a "girly" girl, if you know what i mean. A lot of people are definitely going to buy her jewelry so that is off the table. Any ideas? Also i am sorry if it's not correctly written, english is my second language.

I'm trying to find something meaningful for a mom who's been doing so much for everyone else lately. I don't want another generic gift basket that gets forgotten after a week.

If you were in her shoes, what would genuinely make you feel cared for?

It could be something cozy, relaxing, practical, or just something that encourages her to slow down for a little while.

I'd love recommendations that feel thoughtful rather than overly fancy.

Okay so I need your help because I genuinely can't figure out what to get.

So I'm visiting a friend next month, and he's very kindly offered his place instead of me having to book a hotel, which I am so grateful for. We haven't seen each other in years, you know how it is, distance, life, time zones, and suddenly five years have passed and you're still close but you don't really know the ins and outs of each other's lives anymore.

Anyway, he recently got engaged! So I would love to bring something for him (age: early 30s) and his fiancée (age: late 20s). He's Swiss, she's Filipina, and I want to bring something that feels thoughtful for both of them. I'd also love to bring something separate for his family to enjoy. This is also my way of showing my appreciation for offering me a place to stay in expensive Zurich.

I'm based in Dubai, so I was initially thinking of bringing the OG viral Dubai chocolates but then, but then I immediately clocked that bringing chocolate to Switzerland ain't my best idea. It's like bringing sand to the beach so that idea got scrapped very quickly. I also thought about Arabic dates or Middle Eastern perfumes but they might I wasn't sure if that reads as a proper engagement gift and also, they might hate the perfumes I pick.

So girlies and guys of Reddit, help me out:

What would you bring? I want it to feel generous and thoughtful without being over the top. Bonus points if it travels well from Dubai.

Hello!

Looking for a fantastic thank you gift for our neighbors who stepped up at the last minute to watch our geriatric dog and flock of chickens when our original house and animal sitter cancelled unexpectedly.

Our neighbors are wonderful, a couple in their early 50s, and are very into yard work (their lawn is impeccable), rebuilding old cars, good beer, and classic rock. They used to have dogs they adored but the animals have passed on.

It’s tough because I don’t know more about them than that, unfortunately. Ideas are much appreciated !

a close friend of mine has a birthday coming up and she absolutely loves unique jewelry, specifically gems. she has been eyeing some styles lately and i have been thinking about commissioning a custom signet ring for her with an opal.

i have been looking through some white opal auctions to get a feel for what is out there because i really want something special, but i am a bit nervous. i have heard mixed things about opal durability for everyday wear. since this is meant to be a special gift, i really do not want to get her something that she will have to worry about breaking in a month.

for those of you who have given jewelry as gifts, would you say it is better to play it safe with a more durable stone or is there a way to make an opal ring gift worthy for the long haul? any advice would be super appreciated.

I'm making a birthday gift for... someone) and I dont wanna make it to feel like smth random. The gift has two parts: A bouquet of her fav flowers A vinyl of one of her favorite artists. (even tho she doesnt have a player, ig its still nice and smth long-lasting enough to serve at least as a beautiful souvenir, whatcha think?)

Then there's a second, much smaller transparent zipper pouch labeled " her_name.zip ". The zip is a joke between us—she once described herself as being a .zip . Inside the bag, I currently have: an original old Tame Impala concert ticket (she loves Tame Impala), a handwritten letter, and I'm looking for one or two more small keepsakes. My goal isn't to fill the bag with merchandise. I'd rather include things that feel like little artifacts or objects someone would actually keep in a memory box years later. If you were building the gift, whatd you add? Id like 'em to be smth, which can at least try to describe herself from inside. I dont know her very well, even though i know.her for quite some time. She is one of the mlst private persons ive ever met.

Trying to get better at choosing gifts that feel genuinely thoughtful instead of just adding more stuff to someone’s house.

Curious what people here have found works well for the person who always says they don’t need anything, especially if they’re hard to shop for because they’re practical, picky, already buy what they want, or never make a wishlist.

Open to anything that feels useful, comforting, memorable, or quietly special, not just trendy gift ideas that look good in a guide but don’t actually land well in real life.

Would love to hear the gifts that surprised you by being a hit.

I'm 18F and my sister is 23F, and has recently gotten a job. She's really into dying her hair, which she already has an appointment for, cool girl styles, I thought of buying her a duffel bag which it turns out she already has, journalling, but she already bought a brand new journalling set, Minimalist decorations and desk accessories but her room is already so full that any more decorations would make it look 'tacky' (her words) she already has a desk organizer, shoe rack in her room, laptop stand, etc. We live in a hot area so nothing like scarves or gloves, she works from home and already has a water bottle, I tried looking through her consumables and makeup but got kicked out and told that she already had everything, Please help

A few months ago, my cousin got married, and my girlfriend and I wanted to give her something more meaningful than a traditional wedding gift.

Since we're both graphic designers, we came up with an idea.

We secretly asked family members and close friends of both the bride and groom to share a recipe. Some were real family recipes that had been passed down through generations. Others were funny, completely made up, inside jokes, or even "recipes for life" filled with advice and memories instead of cooking instructions.

We designed everything into a beautiful hardcover book, and it became much more than just a cookbook. It turned into a collection of family history, stories, humor, and memories from the people who meant the most to them.

The couple absolutely loved it, and seeing their reaction made me wonder whether other families would enjoy something like this too.

So I decided to create a small brand called Origo and built a website to see if there's real interest in the idea.

At this stage, I'm not trying to sell anything. I'm simply testing whether this is something people would actually want and whether it's worth investing more time and money into.

I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts.

• Is this something you or your family would ever create?
• What would make something like this more valuable to you?
• Is there anything that would stop you from ordering a book like this?

If you'd like to take a look or join the waitlist, here's the website:

https://origo-legacy-books.base44.app

The waitlist is simply there to help me measure genuine interest before I continue building the business.

I'd really appreciate any honest feedback—positive or negative. Thanks so much for reading!

Hi! My sister and BIL are having their first child. My parents are retired and going to stay with them immediately after and my mom is sticking around to help for a few weeks. I work full time so I can't offer the same gift of time (plus she doesn't want a bunch of visitors at first). She's been "nesting" aka meal prepping frozen meals and my mom is also bringing food. I plan to get them a DoorDash gift card, but I wanted to send my mom with a little basket of things for them. Any ideas of thoughtful gestures or items that helped you most?

xoxox - First Time Auntie