<p>Babyfrog’s birthday is in about a month. Last year, she was home over Labor Day weekend, and we pulled off a great surprise 18th birthday party…so gifts were presented here at home. I know I will send flowers and a balloon to her dorm, but wondered about simple gift ideas. She asked for a haircut (from a usually out-of-budget salon) that she got before she left (looks gorgeous, and she can keep it trimmed herself) and a case for her Mac as early birthday gifts. Don’t want to load her down with “stuff”…maybe gift cards for local food treats? How have others celebrated birthdays w/kids away?</p>
<p>My D’s birthday is also in early September. There’s a local bakery that delivers cakes to campus.</p>
<p>iTunes gift card?</p>
<p>My kids love gift cards - even better than money. They feel like it gives them a chance to “treat” themselves. Restaurants, iTunes, school bookstore (for college wear), coffee shops, they savor them!!!</p>
<p>We always sent a few not-huge gift cards to whatever chain-restaurants were near campus. She could treat a friend and get away from the cafeteria food for a night. It was easy to buy those gift cards close to our home and just mail them out.</p>
<p>I agree, my DD loved gift cards, esp. to Olive Garden. It was a huge treat to take a couple of friends for lunch. The girls in her dorm loved to decorate the lounge and the door of the Birthday girl or boy.</p>
<p>I made a version of “Christmas Trash” using M&M’s in her school’s colors - big hit. You can easily cut this recipe in half and it still makes a lot.</p>
<p>Ingredients
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
3 cups honey nut Cheerios toasted oat cereal
2 cups small pretzels
2 cups salted peanuts
1 (12 ounce) bags holiday M&M’s plain chocolate candy ( red & green)
1 (12 ounce) bags holiday M&M’s peanut chocolate candies
2 (12 ounce) bags white chocolate chips
Directions
Mix all ingredients but the white chocolate morsels in a large bowl.
Melt white chocolate morsels according to directions on the package.
Pour melted white chocolate over the cereal mixture and toss well to coat.
Spread on waxed paper and let sit until the white chocolate hardens.
Store in an airtight container.</p>
<p>You might consider sending a green plant with birthday balloon instead of flowers. I did that for my D’s 18th birthday (at the florist’s suggestion) and D still has the plant. She will be 27 next week!</p>
<p>Fund a party. “Birthday Dinner on Dad and Mom.” I asked my S if he wanted to ask some friends to go out for food freshman year. They got a big table at a pizza place.</p>
<p>Once they started having places off campus with space and a kitchen, he switched to having me fund the homeade feast–they’d do a group thing–spaghetti or something they all liked and could prepare.</p>
<p>If your student is on a budget, this can allow her or him to “entertain.”</p>
<p>The birthday cake of choice in our house is angel food. For her birthday freshman year, I baked a cake, cut it into pieces, put each piece in a ziplock bag, and put them in a box with a package of birthday candles and a tube of frosting. I included a card that said, “Happy Birthday, enjoy the cake (minor assembly required)”. She loved it.</p>
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<p>I’m doing THIS!</p>
<p>I did this for my daughter as a freshman and she loved it so much, I repeated it each year through graduation.</p>
<p>At the Container Store I found small colored plastic boxes - about 2 inches square and less than an inch high. </p>
<p>[The</a> Container Store > Purple Amac Boxes](<a href=“http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10009493&N=&Ntt=plastic+boxes]The”>http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10009493&N=&Ntt=plastic+boxes)</p>
<p>I purchased one in each color of the rainbow - clear, red, yellow, green, blue, purple, aqua, pink - and filled each box with a pair of earrings to match the color of the box. Then the boxes were stacked and tied with curling ribbons in all the colors. There was no other gift wrap needed - she would have a rainbow tower of earrings.</p>
<p>How about personalized m&m’s that say happy birthday ____ in her school colors?</p>
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<p>Me too! My D went back to school yesterday and she turns 21 over labor day weekend. In the past I have had pizza delivered to her dorm (Freshman year it was a great icebreaker) Another thing she LOVES is the chocolate covered strawberries from Edible Arrangements. They are inexpensive and impressive. Another thought I had was a dozen or two cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake. She’s in the DC area.</p>
<p>A mix tape of songs that were popular the year she was born ( or every year till now)
When youngest turned 18, the two of us were camping at Sasquatch. memories
The next year she was traipsing around Goa, India.( I sent her candles, she gave them to children in the school she was working at :))
When oldest turned 18, she was still in high school ( same weekend as her sister), but I had a ten year old to run around.
I’ve also sent stuff to their roommates to make a cake.</p>
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<p>Ohhhh! Stepdaughter had their cupcakes (in a tier) for her wedding reception - the salted caramel were amazing!!!</p>
<p>When my D turned 21 in college, she was in CT. so I paid for train tickets and dinner and some extras in NYC for her and three of her friends. It was a little pricey, but a great present.</p>
<p>I had cupcakes delivered to my son his first birthday away at college and braced myself for a big scolding about how I shouldn’t do stuff like that and he really, really liked it. And so did his roommates. :)</p>
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<p>That is great.</p>
<p>I have 2 D’s in college and want to send them a fresh local cake, dozens of balloons, and a campus choir to sing “Happy Birthday”. I presented the idea to a local college, and the kids loved it. I am just starting out, but I can plan a presentation in any school dorm that will be unusual, memorable and exciting. My website went live yesterday! greatdaylocal.com I’m in Portland, but I can set up on any campus! If you’re interested in helping out in your town, contact me!</p>