# I need suggestions for my mom's 80th birthday present **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-suggestions-for-my-moms-80th-birthday-present/359069 "2006-06-01T21:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-suggestions-for-my-moms-80th-birthday-present/359069/1 "2006-06-01T21:06:56Z")
June 12th is her birthday. The shindig is the 11th. She doesn’t want anything. Doesn’t want a party. Doesn’t want any fuss. She wants to ignore the entire fiasco of this dreaded number. So, I am having people over and her too. I feel the need for some kind of gift. She is an artist, consumate garage sale artist and likes chinese things. All things Irish. I have a pretty limited budget but am open to all suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-suggestions-for-my-moms-80th-birthday-present/359069/2 "2006-06-01T21:44:35Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > June 12th is her birthday. The shindig is the 11th. > > \*\*She doesn’t want anything. > > Doesn’t want a party. > > Doesn’t want any fuss. > > She wants to ignore the entire fiasco of this dreaded number.\*\* > > So, I am having people over and her too. > I feel the need for some kind of gift. > She is an artist, consumate garage sale artist and likes chinese things. All things Irish. > > I have a pretty limited budget but am open to all suggestions. She’s probably got everything she needs or wants. Why don’t you take her out to lunch at a nice restaurant and gossip about people? She probably just wants your company instead of a gift. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-suggestions-for-my-moms-80th-birthday-present/359069/3 "2006-06-01T22:00:36Z")
My mom was just the opposite. She wanted a huge bash when she turned 80, with male strippers. All things Irish? A DVD of How Green Was My Valley? An Irish history book? Irish whiskey? Would she like a scrapbook or photo album (with completed pages), or would that be too sentimental? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-suggestions-for-my-moms-80th-birthday-present/359069/4 "2006-06-01T22:50:01Z")
Art books Take her to a gallery opening Get her drunk and get the stripper’s number from AuntiePam ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-suggestions-for-my-moms-80th-birthday-present/359069/5 "2006-06-02T18:09:06Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > My mom was just the opposite. She wanted a huge bash when she turned 80, with male strippers. Well, there goes my suggestion. Ya gotta be _quick_ on these boards. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-suggestions-for-my-moms-80th-birthday-present/359069/6 "2006-06-02T23:23:19Z")
I made a tray at one of those paint your own pottery places. I painted a border on tiles, then handed them out to kids and grandkids along with a marker that bakes permanently. They wrote greetings, then I baked it and grouted them into the tray. If a tray is too much trouble, you can paint a plate or platter and have your kids sign it or whatever. It was a huge hit–although maybe strippers would have been even better.