Gifts adding up - any graduation ideas?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Gifts adding up - any graduation ideas?
7
Fri, 05-19-2006 - 11:28pm

This is a really tough time of year. Best Friend #2's son's birthday earlier this month. Mother's Day. Best Friend #1's daughter's first communion. Now 2 cousins graduating from college, and other 2 from high school. One college grad I think I am going to send Dave Ramsey's TMMO book because I know he won't be at all offended by it and would probably actually really appreciate it. And possibly giving it to one of the high school grads too. The other 2, one high school, one college, are sisters, from a family who is extremely well off and that probably wouldn't go over well. Any suggestions?

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Fri, 05-19-2006 - 11:50pm
Hi, Heather--I feel your pain in the wallet. Have baby showers, nephew grad gift, upcoming wedding, parties, etc. For nephew's hs graduation, I thought about gift cards to Target, Kohls, auto supply store (he's into fixing up his car), amazon.com gift card, photo album (Target has neat ones), CD's, IPOD accessories. Another option I'm thinking about is tickets: baseball game (for him and his brother), amusement park/Sea World tickets (they like going there with friends), or concert tickets (within reason). Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
Fri, 05-19-2006 - 11:57pm

I really do not think that gifts for graduations should be extravagant....possibly a congratulatory card and a nominal gift like a nice inexpensive pen set (to carry for future interviews) or a book like the "oh, the Places You will Go" by Dr. Suess should be enough.(something about the future and inspirational). Some flowers, a durable bookmark, or a CD should be enough as well. I'm not into this crazy gift giving anymore. It's become too much.

Good luck! Littlesbigs

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sat, 05-20-2006 - 7:56am

If the one's graduating high school are going off to college-I always like the idea of supplies they can use.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2005
Sat, 05-20-2006 - 9:46am

Heather, books are a great way to go!

 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sat, 05-20-2006 - 10:30am

I am off to the book store in a few mins here while my daughter is at her 2 hour art class. Thanks so much for the great ideas. I really like the office supply thing. You girls rock! I'll let you know what I come up with. Luckily my tax refund came this week, so while I was planning on sending a huge chunk of that to cc debt, I'm taking some out to start a gift envelope at home so that when these things come up I won't be in a position where I am charging things again.

Heather

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sat, 05-20-2006 - 11:44pm
Hi, Heather---I agree, the office supply things sound great---those staplers, little things of paper clips/thick clips, those new "click" highlighters. Found an inexpensive holder for pens and such (those neat clipboards that you can put things in), and the "dont sharpen" pencils (graphite?). One thing my nephew got was one of those portable dictionary/thesaurus (high-tech thing), calculator on a key-chain, and Heloise's Hints (organizing, how to do laundry, get rid of stains, etc.) The Container Store.com has a lot of neat storage ideas for grads, too. Happy bargain shopping. WHiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-30-2005
Sun, 05-21-2006 - 6:46pm

The "office supplies basket" is a great idea.

One of the gifts my daughter cherished most from her HS grad was a box of mementos from her childhood: her first doll, a photo album from baby years through senior, the outfit she wore home from the hospital, etc.

If you have candid childhood photos of the grads in your family, it would be lovely to put one (or some) in a nice frame, photo collage frame, or album.

It's inexpensive, it's personalized, and it reminds them how far they've come on this important day, how you've watched them grow.

As a bonus, any photos you have probably aren't ones they've seen a million times like the ones their moms have!

tee