You don’t turn forty every day, nor do your friends or family. Entering a new decade makes this a milestone birthday worth celebrating, and you’ll want to mark the occasion with a perfect gift. Birthdays are about celebrating your life with your family and loved ones, looking back at all of your accomplishments, and, most importantly, eating cake! Below is a quick guide to everything you need to know about turning forty.
What is a good theme for a 40th birthday party?
Every good party needs a theme. Depending on the mood of your party, there is a lot to choose from. You can pick themes from your favorite movies, such as Alice in Wonderland or Arabian Nights. You can have themes from your favorite places, such as Paris or New York. You can have era themes, such as the ’70s or ’80s. You can have color themes like wedding colors or black and white. If you’re feeling particularly morbid, you can even have an “over-the-hill” theme decorated with vultures, tombstones, and everything black.
What are some fun things to do on your 40th birthday?
Hitting a birthday milestone is something that should be celebrated! So when thinking about your day, or planning one for someone else, don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and do something a little different than on other birthdays. Consider the following ideas:
- Rent a house a couple of hours away
- Rent out a roller skating rink
- Volunteer for something you care about
- Take a pottery class
- Host a small dinner party
- Hire a private chef
- Plan a potluck
- Tour a brewery
- Go wine tasting
- Make sourdough
- Attend karaoke night
- Rent out a theater
- Host a game night
- Go bowling
- Take a “best friends only” trip
- Costume party
- Hire a magician
- Take a dance class
- Organize a field day
- At-home spa day
What gifts do men like most?
Shopping for men can be hard. They rarely tell you exactly what they want, and you’re left guessing and hoping they like whatever you give them. So we’ve researched some of the most well-received 40th birthday gifts for men that we’ll list below for you to consider.
Tech
If the man you’re buying for is into technology, consider getting him a portable charger he can keep in his car (this one doubles as a tracker to help you find your car if you can’t remember where you parked it), asleek power bankfor times he’s away from a charger, a good pair of noise-canceling headphones like air pods or this kind here, or the video doorbell he’s mentioned in passing a few too many times. A waterproof shower speaker, his own personal assistant (enterAmazon Dot/Echo), awifi router, atouchscreen display cleaner, or an indoor projector are all things that he’d probably never buy for himself but would come to love very quickly. Oh, don’t forget theseNintendo Switch controller holdersif he’s a gamer.
Clothing
If the guy you’re shopping for hates shopping and seems to have no style whatsoever, then maybe getting him amen’s clothing boxwould be a welcome gift. That way, he gets new, stylish clothes that aren’t worn out, but he doesn’t have to go to the trouble of leaving the house and wandering around a store in hopes he finds something suitable. Another fun option is a box offun, colorful socksor a premiumpair of sweatpants.
Self-Care
Self-care is important for everyone, even though messages these days tend to skew toward women. Some self-care items a man would enjoy include abeard comb(if he has a beard) or this entirebeard kit, thisBRO face mask, theseshower steamers, thismen’s skincare set, thisrepairing balmfor the working feet,
Hobbies
This list only touches on some of the most common hobbies, but we encourage you to get something that’s unique to your gift receiver and not just something you assume he’ll like.
- Cooking:Grill set,wood smoked bbq grill set, sparkling water maker,hot sauce gift pack, travel mug, knife set, electric corkscrew, grill brush set, whiskey glass set,cast iron reversible grill/griddle,
- Fitness: Running shoes, Fitbit, push-up stand, ab roller wheels, resistance band set, pull-up bar,neck massage pillow, or thismassage gun
- Outdoors: tabletop firepit,camera drone,K9 sports sack(if he has a dog)
- Travel: road cooler,canvas duffle bag,4-piece packing travel organizer cubes,
- Art:personalized art set, thissketching kit, atabletop easel set, or a virtual art class
- Reading: kindle, audible subscription,this bookthat answers absurd hypothetical questions
- Tinkering:magnetic wristbandfor holding screws or bits,wallet tool, this5-in-1 tool pen
- Other:scratch-off movie poster, this customroyal pet portraitfor his dog
What Gifts Do Women Like Most?
While the go-togifts for womenare often chocolate gifts, flower bouquets, or jewelry, there are many things women appreciate that are more personal, especially if you’re looking for thebest gifts for your wife. The best thing to remember when searching for the rightbirthday gift ideais to keep the person in mind—their personality, interests, and goals. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Tech
With so many prevalent technological advances, finding a tech item that someonedoesn’thave is hard. A few intriguing ones she’s sure to like include:
- A smart reusable notebookthat lets her have the benefit of physically writing but can upload anything she writes or draws directly to Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, an email, and more.
- A smart water bottlethat tracks how much she sips and lights up when it’s been a while
- A mini smart printerthat can connect to any smartphone via Bluetooth
- Leather wireless charging station where she can charge your phone and drop her keys and sunglasses without losing them
- Auto face-tracking tripodfor video chats while she’s working or recording a video for social media
Travel
There aresomany travel gifts to choose from that we know she’ll like, especially now that she has some experience under her belt. And, if she has kids, they’re probably old enough to be left alone with the grandparents for a weekend, allowing her to travel without them. So below are some gifts we’d think she’d like to make traveling a little easier.
- Thistravel cord roll
- Thiscustom jewelry travel casefor keeping everything safe and contained
- Thesenational park notebooksfor any travel thoughts or sentiments
- Thispocket blanketwill take up minimal space but might be nice on an unexpectedly chilly evening
- This phone-chargingpassport holdercan hold a passport, phone, a cord, a couple of cards, and a couple of bills (pretty much what you take on a plane)
- Thisworld travel scratch-off posterwill give her something to look forward to, and it makes a lovely decor item
- Thistravel stub diarywhere she can safely keep the evidence of her travels
Clothing
If you don’t know certain items she’s had her eye on, you can still get clothing while avoiding the hassles of size or proper fit. Consider scarves, hats, those expensive sunglasses she’d never buy for herself, a new bag, or some new jewelry like thisfabulous 40 milestone necklace. Another option is to gift her a clothing gift card or subscription box likeone of these.
Self-Care
We hope you’re not surprised to see this section. This busy world is finally realizing how important it is to take some quiet time for oneself, and these self-care items are exactly what your birthday girl needs to do just that.
- ThisDe-Stress gift set
- ThisSending Sunshinecare package
- AOne Question a Day Journalthat will help her self-care journey for three years
- Thisscratch-off posterwith 100 things to do for self-care
- This hygge self-caregift boxthat’s the equivalent of ahug in a box
- ThisHack Your Nervous Systemanti-anxiety deck
- TheseInvigorate shower steamersturn an ordinary shower into a spa-like experience
Hobbies
It’s far from comprehensive, but this list of popular hobbies can get your mind turning about her personal interests and what you could give her.
- Cooking:homemade bagel-making kit, new kitchenware since 20 years of use shows, thesebutter and cheese huggersthat eliminate the ends getting dry, crusty, and moldy, thesestacking salt blendsthat she’s been needing since she stepped out of the PB&J and Ramen Noodles phase of her life
- Sewing/Crocheting/Knitting: thistool caddy and yarn bowlwill keep that ball of yarn from rolling halfway across the room. Or try thissubscriptionto a crochet basics course
- Art:Women in Art Book,Paint with Bob Ross Mug,We Are Colorfulactivity book,WhatchamaDRAWit- a fun-sized drawing game
- Reading: ThisBook Nook reading valetwith a place for everything you need while having a good read,Fell Asleep Heremagnetic bookmark, these very wiseowl eyeglass holders, and this100 Books scratch-off poster
What are some funny 40th birthday gifts?
Sometimes turning 40 can be hard on people because, let’s just say it: middle age. Getting them a funny gift can help ease feelings of worry, disappointment, or dejection. These are also fungift ideas for people who have everything.
- DIY “Getting Old” Kit: Depends, denture cream,pain-relief roll-on gel, supportive shoe inserts, nap schedule, ibuprofen, viagra (for a man) ormenopause kitfor a woman, this“speak loudly and clearly” shirtand this customizedvintage button
- Thisfunny hatthat someone confident would totally wear
- Specializedtoilet paper
- May the “forties” be with youStar Wars t-shirt ormug
- This funnyunicorn makeup bag
- These “39 +”pair of socks
What should you get your 40-year-old mom for her birthday?
Thebest gift idea for your motherinvolves personal memories. This could be photos, scrapbooks, letters, or an outing together. A digital picture frame where photos can be uploaded is a favorite among many mothers. Warm slippers or bathrobes, fuzzy socks, coffee makers, bath bombs, aprons, kitchenware, cameras, blankets, and shoulder bags are also great ideas.
What is an unforgettable gift?
The unforgettable gift will always be something personal with meaning. Many unforgettable gifts are shared experiences that create memories you can reflect on. These can be overnight vacations, trips to zoos or football games, spa days, friends-only trips, or checking off a bucket list item. Personalized, illustrated books can be cherished for years as well. If you want to give the perfect 40th birthday gift that is—hopefully—unforgettable, then choose to put some thought into it as you make it unique to the relationship you have with that person.
What makes a 40th birthday special?
A quote fromW. B. Pitkinstates: “Life Begins at Forty.” The literal term for a 40th birthday is called a “Ruby Jubilee.” Forty is spiritually significant since it marks the middle of your life. It symbolizes transformation as you look both back at your past and ahead at your future. During your celebration, help the one you’re celebrating look forward to their next decade with excitement and help them know how much they are loved with a unique 40thbirthday box.
How Can Spoonful Help Me?
Spoonful of Comfortis pretty much a memorable, home-cooked meal in a box with the luxury of being delivered. It has a box of comforting soup, rolls, and treats for all kinds of special occasions, making you prepared for each opportunity for Christmas gifts or an anniversary gift. Each care package is uniquely decorated with a fun or comforting message. It would be a great gift for anyone hitting their 40th birthday milestone. Who doesn’t like delicious food?