https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:10:32 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2211711 Fri, 23 Jul 2021 19:53:52 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2211711@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm back to say I goofed. I might enjoy making the recipes at Marley Spoon, but my mom would not. The veggies are not even washed, much less chopped. They say there are only 6 steps per recipe, but "a step" is often something like "prep the veggies; chop this one into strips and mince that one" or "make the salad; do a,b,c,d"&nbsp; Too much work for her! When I canceled, the guy told me that they have a sister company, Dinnerly, that's less expensive and has less involved recipes. I'm going to take a look at it, and at the others I mentioned earlier. Might check out Blue Apron as well. </p> <p></p> <p>ETA Sunbasket would also be too much work for her</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2211678 Fri, 23 Jul 2021 17:14:25 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2211678@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Rachylou, you know me well! There is absolutely that tension going on. But I tried not to choose one that is “weird” (to them, by being plant-based or having having other things I’d like). I hope this one has things that will appeal to them. I don’t know if my mom’s aware of how many of these there are. It might be that after the weeks I give them run out, she’ll choose a different one for the future. That’s fine too, and I’d still claim it as a success, because going forward, her life would still be easier than it is now. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2211666 Fri, 23 Jul 2021 16:03:58 +0000 rachylou 2211666@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The bakery supplies a local company called Good Eggs (that’s only Cali). People like them. The meal thing is booming. I was thinking Marley / Martha Stewart is a good choice. You probably want one that does ‘normal food’ - not too much quinoa and that sort of thing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2211636 Fri, 23 Jul 2021 13:46:11 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2211636@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Such cool experiences you guys have given and received! Thank you for all the responses and suggestions. There is nothing I could buy my parents that they couldn’t afford to get themselves, but I took a clue from the luxury consumables ideas. My mom is soooo sick of cooking every day, and going out with my dad is not easy (neither is leaving him home—she usually has one of call to chat with him while she’s away). She apparently picks up meal kits at Kroger’s occasionally, but doesn’t always like what’s available, so I’m going to order some meals for them. Now I “just” need to pick which service. My preference would be organic and with the Monterey Bay seafood seal, but more important is probably that she can put in their specific needs, for example if my dad is still on the Coumadin diet. This is what I’m looking at, but I’d appreciate comments based on experiences. <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/every-meal-kit-delivery-service-in-america-article/amp" rel="nofollow">https://www.google.com/amp/s/w.....rticle/amp</a></p> <p>ETA I think I’m going with Marley Spoon, just because it has a connection to Berlin. I also considered Sunbasket and Green Chef </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2211460 Thu, 22 Jul 2021 18:40:51 +0000 Jenn 2211460@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My in-laws are great at experience gifts. While our son was young, they often gave us zoo or science museum memberships. Recently, they've been sending us annual state parks passes.&nbsp;</p> <p>We have given them Heifer International livestock or TisBest gift cards, which allow you to browse and "shop" charities to receive a donation.</p> <div><br />For my birthday a few years ago, my husband got me tickets to a special Disney event, where we got to be in the park between midnight and four am. For his birthday that same year, I got him tickets to a distillery tour and cocktail crafting class. &nbsp;We both enjoyed those! Another year I got him a "mystery by mail" sort of thing, where mysterious letters and packages arrived over the course of several months that, taken together, told a story about time travel through documents and artifacts. </p> <p>We also often give my son experiences. In the past, he's gotten tickets to the local orchestra playing music from Pokemon, tickets to see Broadway touring productions, and lots of downloadable games.</p> <p>These days, I vastly prefer experience gifts to physical objects, especially for unique experiences that I might not splurge on myself.</p> </div></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2210829 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 15:05:37 +0000 Anonymous 2210829@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You probably have access to some fine chocolate. &nbsp;My Dad liked dark chocolates filled with liquor. &nbsp;They were special. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209715 Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:24:27 +0000 Bijou 2209715@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Luxury consumables are always welcome. I remember how thrilled my parents were to receive a bottle of Champagne on their wedding anniversary from a friend. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209655 Wed, 14 Jul 2021 11:28:02 +0000 Anonymous 2209655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do consumables with my family too- generally locally made things like flowers, foods, soaps. Once I donated money in my mom's name, maybe it was to care for a service dog or something. She liked that.<br /> Yes to tickets to something, help with something, or a subscription they'd use like an app or national park pass. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209432 Tue, 13 Jul 2021 05:42:29 +0000 rebekahphoto 2209432@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>our family has tons of stuff already, and even though we still do gift "things", they are preferred to be something special, something custom homemade, vintage or passed down from a family member.&nbsp; That could be a handmade journal from me, or my dad (a woodworker) built me an amazing workbench, or&nbsp;</p> <p>We often are requested to give what my dad calls&nbsp; "consumables"---its great to think of the possibilities: food--cheeses, chocolates, alcohol, toilet paper (yes, one of his favs)&nbsp; Gifts of time: gardening, "coupons" for a fancy homemade dinner, salsas, pickles, jams. Pedicures, an afternoon at the art museum, a massage </p> <p>A few hours of housecleaning! that always goes over well.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209387 Mon, 12 Jul 2021 22:59:46 +0000 Anonymous 2209387@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Some of my best gifts have been a membership the botanical gardens. To the Butterfly Pavilion. Gift card to a nice local restaurant ot favotite consignment shop or book store, subscription to a magazine or newspaper. &nbsp;A great puzzle. Fine chocolates. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209299 Mon, 12 Jul 2021 14:46:27 +0000 avicennia 2209299@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Tickets to the opera, plays, and concerts, lovely meals, food, and flowers are my favorite non-tangible gifts. But I occasionally find just the right thing for someone, even my mom who has everything and has downsized, loves her new charcuterie board! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209076 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 19:54:34 +0000 bella 2209076@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've gifted concert tickets and getaways to my parents multiple times (pre-covid), and hubby and I would take a short trip for anniversary every year pre-kiddo. Now that he's old enough maybe we should try again.&nbsp;<br />I've once received a trip to Paris to see an exhibit, it was divine. <br />As for more affordable stuff: I got spotify membership - very much appreciated. I would also be happy if someone gave me a membership (even for a few months) of rent the runway, or those boxes that arrive at your door (can't remember the name), ... of the month subscription (wine, cheese, flower, fill in the blank) or cooking workshops (dates flexible).&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209032 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 18:06:37 +0000 Angie 2209032@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The gift of "time off" might be one to consider too. Personally, that's what I want!&nbsp;</p> <p>Greg, Sam, Jo and myself just took the week off for my birthday because we hardly ever get time off for anything. One day in the weekend we work too. So a staycation in Seattle is the PERFECT stress-free gift for all of us.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209025 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 17:53:05 +0000 Minaminu 2209025@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>annual membership to their favourite museum and Opera house, they both loved it! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209021 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 17:50:22 +0000 Synne 2209021@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Flowers at the door. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2209005 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 16:57:23 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2209005@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Helena, doing a thing *with* them sounds great! I was afraid the museum thing sounds really lame, that I go &amp; they don’t. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208986 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 15:33:51 +0000 Helena 2208986@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Experience gifts are the best! In my family, rather than Xmas gifts we've started a new tradition of going to see Raptors (basketball) game all together ... Can't wait until we can do it again!! Hope your Mom enjoys the exhibit! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208975 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 13:46:59 +0000 kkards 2208975@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>&nbsp;My sisters and parents, (now just mother), haven’t really done physical gifts in probably 15 years. Instead we do trips and/or meals. this weekend for my Moms 85 Bday we are sending a long weekend in western MA, will see a BSO concert, a Shakespeare play, and eat couple of really rich meals.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208971 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 13:29:50 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2208971@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Such wonderful ideas and happy memories! They are pushing to realize that my parents are closer to “home bound” than I usually realize. He does not leave home without her, and she mostly goes out to go grocery shopping or do other errands, or for their medical appointments (she drives him). I posted this thinking it was a lame birthday gift for me to “take” her to a museum, but driving an hour to a trendy eatery with an unfamiliar menu, sky diving in a wind tunnel (something I considered for my son in Orlando, but decided it was too loud) and other excitement are probably too much. </p> <p>Sally, that does sound like the way I come up with gift ideas Sweet that you remembered the encounter that she used to inspire the gift; people often ask me “how did you know?” Even though you can’t use the gift as intended, I’m sure she saw and appreciated your appreciation. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208970 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 12:10:45 +0000 Janet 2208970@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>We are big on experience gifts. My husband surprised me on my 40th by not only taking me to NYC for an overnight but arranging for us to take a helicopter ride over the city at night. It was spectacular. </p> <p>It was such a success that five years later he got me a helicopter flying lesson when we were visiting Oregon. </p> <p>And for his and his youngest son’s birthday a few years ago, a group of us did virtual skydiving (iFly) and went out for dinner afterwards.</p> <p>When my stepsons were growing up, several times we celebrated one of the boy’s summer birthday with a trip to Cedar Point to ride roller coasters — I miss that! I think the last one we did was over 12 years ago when he turned 20. </p> <p>We’ve also done gifts of things like cooking classes, wine tastings, museum passes, concert tickets, and the like. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208958 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 07:55:03 +0000 Jenni NZ 2208958@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My husband received an experience gift of a scenic flight over Auckland from his sister for his 60th last year, then I paid to join him, and his sister plus her husband also paid to come too, so the 4 of us went, we all loved it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208951 Sun, 11 Jul 2021 01:45:17 +0000 rachylou 2208951@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I personally do the same thing for my birthday every year - a full fledged French meal, strawberry cream cake and the Decorator Showcase. Pure experience.</p> <p>My mother really really doesn’t want anymore stuff. I go for the ephemeral for her - old standards, food and flowers.</p> <p>I suppose I’m rather stodgy. I like traditions. Food traditions. I think traditions make things special. My whole family is like this. We don’t need presents at Xmas. We need fondue. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208936 Sat, 10 Jul 2021 22:50:54 +0000 Sally 2208936@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have received and given meals out, passes to yoga and credit for online shopping (but I suppose that is tangible).&nbsp; I gave my brother a workshop on making kombucha and fermented food and went along with him as a birthday gift.&nbsp; I prefer non tangible gifts as I am not into extra stuff as I have enough trouble keeping things tidy as it is.&nbsp;</p> <p>Your post reminded me of someone who got the most amazing tangible gifts.&nbsp; She was a colleague and she would often thrift shop gifts as well.&nbsp; She found me in the staff bathroom showering once (I would do yoga in the city then come to work and shower).&nbsp; I was complaining about not having a bath mat.&nbsp; 8 months later in secret santa I get the most beautiful bath mat I could bring to school.&nbsp; I knew who had given it and I was so impressed that she had remembered that small incident and it was in a thrifted christmas bag.&nbsp; The bath mat was new .....lovely lush green but I left in my own bathroom and my kitten started peeing on it and I couldn't get the smell out.&nbsp; I thought the gift was Soooo clever.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208931 Sat, 10 Jul 2021 21:49:38 +0000 chewyspaghetti 2208931@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think experiences are great gifts! I gave my fiancé an app guided art/architecture scavenger hunt to do with the kids in the city we live in.<br /> There's a lot of companies cspitalizing onexperience gifts now. We have a local company that will set up a surprise picnic for you. You get clues where to go through their app. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/gifts-that-aren%e2%80%99t-stuff#post-2208930 Sat, 10 Jul 2021 21:41:21 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2208930@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a reputation in my family of observing people and giving good, possibly unexpected gifts—cuddly Uniqlo fleece jackets and socks for my parents’ first winter up north in years, a blank book from Liberty on our trip to London just as Mom’s guest book was running out of pages, nice mixing bowls and some cookie cutters for the niece who’s living off campus for the first time, and who loves to bake—their responses told me I’d chosen well. </p> <p>But my parents are attempting to pare down for the final time, my siblings have plenty of stuff, and shipping things across the ocean is expensive. I’m thinking about giving “experiences” or symbolic things, and looking for ideas. </p> <p>There is an exhibit in town that I think my mom would find really interesting—75 years since the Meeting at Potsdam in Cecilienhof, ending WWII. It has an app to guide you through the rooms. I’ve asked a sister to quietly install it on Mom’s phone, and will arrange with Mom a time when she has a few hours free. The surprise will be that I’m at the exhibit, ready to Videochat (need to make sure this is allowed) as she tells me which rooms to go into and what to focus on. (There is also a book, but she says it’s too scholarly). </p> <p>What non-tangible gifts have you given or received? Did they go over well? </p>