How to choose a great birthday present
It’s often said that the best gift you can give someone on their birthday is to show them that you care. In many cases, this could mean something as simple as sending them a card or calling them on the phone. But let’s get one thing straight, posting a simple “Happy Birthday” to your Facebook wall because you saw a reminder doesn’t qualify as “thoughtful.”
And while it’s always important to have a heart-to-heart with a dear friend or family member on their birthday about how much they mean to you, giving them a little token of your friendship means something, too. This is not to say that materialism is everything, but buying someone a gift shows the recipient that you think of them.
In “The Girl Who Played with Fire” by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, the sequel to the international bestseller “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” main character Lisbeth Salander receives an unexpected birthday present from a friend. Later in the movie, that gift ends up saving her life. (No more spoilers here!) And while the gift you give a friend probably won’t help him evade her ultimate demise, it will definitely let him know you care.
But choosing the perfect gift for a friend or family member takes a lot of consideration. It’s easy to just go out and buy them a gift card to a store they like, but that doesn’t really show much thought. At the same time, you still want to get something that they will use or enjoy.
The key to choosing a great birthday gift is to think carefully about what kinds of things your friend or family member enjoys. Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling.
Perfect gifts for friends with pets.
Do you have an aunt who is an unabashed dog lover? Does your old college roommate love cats? So a great gift for them could actually be a gift for your pet.
One of the most frustrating parts of owning a dog is the constant trips outside to let your pet go to the bathroom. With a cat you only have to worry about the litter box, but dogs are another story. And if someone you know lives in an apartment with no outdoor area, that means he walks around the block three or four times a day, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning.
A great gift for this person could be the Pet Potty Patch. This is a brilliant and modern device that tricks your dog into going to the bathroom in what is essentially a puppy litter box!
It has what looks like grass on top, but that allows liquid to flow down through a grate and into a tray below. Of course, this treat isn’t a substitute for giving a dog some fresh air, but it might help a friend get a few extra hours of sleep at night.
Know a friend who loves to host in their outdoor area or on the patio?
One of the best parts of the summer months is lazy afternoons at a friend’s house with a nice backyard. You don’t have to plan anything. He can just head over, sit outside and enjoy a nice evening breeze.
Show your friend how much you appreciate not only their hospitality, but also their friendship with a gift that would be suitable for their outdoor area or patio. If your friend has a small garden out back, he may be looking for a solar pest repeller.
There is nothing more frustrating for the hobby gardener than working so hard in the spring, only to have common pests eat all of their plants in the summer. And while any gardener wants his prized tomatoes to grow every year, he also doesn’t want to be the crazy guy who runs off with a shotgun every time a rabbit jumps into his backyard.
Solar Pest Repeller helps keep out common garden assailants like skunks, squirrels, mice, deer, raccoons, stray cats and dogs, and more. The best part is that it works all day, every day, day and night. You will never have to charge this item or plug it in. That’s because the Solar Pest Repeller is completely powered by the sun! This feature makes it a great gift also for a friend who always wants to “go green”.
You can easily place this weather-resistant pest repellent directly on the ground, but if your friend prefers, you can also use the included mounting brackets to hook it to a wall or fence post. Don’t let someone you care about walk away empty-handed on her birthday. With a little thought, you can easily find them a fantastic gift.