Niece having major reconstructive facial surgery...needing gift ideas for her please?

[Beausoir]

My beautiful 21 year old niece is about to undergo a huge reconstructive procedure to rebuild her face, jaw, fix her septum, among other things.

They will take part of her skull to mold her new jaw. The operation is expected to take about 8 hours. She will be on a liquid diet for 2 months. And will be limited to staying in her home for quite some time.

I need gift suggestions for her. Things I can send her every few days to make her recovery go better.

Problem is..I'm an un-hip, middle aged Auntie and I don't know what things a 21 year old girl in her situation would like.

I'm thinking of music...lots and lots of music. Also...dvds...but don't know which ones to get for her.

She is a junior at Boulder college, well traveled, very calm and very romantic at heart.

Can anyone help me? I just want to help in any way that I can.

[Rosco T.]

1. Assuming she has a computer...

.. get her a NetFlix subscription for a few months. That will keep her busy with what she want's to see.

[Redstone]

2. Excellent suggestion. Instead of buying videos and CDs, get her a subscription

to a download / rental / whatever source for them, and she can make her own choices.

Rosco, you nailed it.

Redstone

[Beausoir]

11. BTW, Redstone? Hand over the puppy and nobody gets hurt.

I want that dog.

That is possibly the cutest dog in the world. You lucky son of a gun.

[Gormy Cuss]

13. This is the best 'threatening' post on DU in a long time

Thanks for the chuckle, Beausoir.
:rofl:

Best of luck to your niece.

[Redstone]

15. That post made you think of the old National Lampoon magazine cover, didn't it?

"Buy this magazine or we'll shoot this dog."

A timeless classic.

Redstone

[Gormy Cuss]

16. Oh yes!

Holy shit! Casey's from Coventry? My sib did a high school band exchange in Coventry and spent a whole weekend there.

[Redstone]

20. 26 years in Connecticut, and that was the first time I'd ever driven through

Coventry Village. It's nice.

Redstone

[Redstone]

14. Thanks for the laugh. She IS a cutie. She DOES have two brothers who look like her,

but you'd have to get up to Coventry, CT real fast to grab one of them. I don't suspect they'll be unsold long.

We looked at her brothers, but I've never had a male dog, plus SHE was the one who ran to my son first.

Thanks again for the chuckle. That post made me feel good.

Redstone

[Beausoir]

22. Well, lessee, from MN to CT...I'd need a team of sled-dogs.

And I'm more of a girl-doggy kind of gal.

Hee-hee. How many places has she peed on your carpet so far?

[Redstone]

24. We have no carpets. All hardwood floors. And, believe it or not, only 4 "accidents"

in three days. We've been watching her like a hawk.

And also (amazingly for a pup who's been in her home only three days) she DOES scritch at the door when she needs to go out. Half of those scritches are false alarms, but it beats the hell out of the other way around.

She's going to be a damn good dog. I can tell already.

Redstone

[applegrove]

35. They have those mail in services for DVD. I think it costs 5.99 per film.

And she wouldn't have to leave the house to watch movies. Not too expensive. Depends on how many she watches.

Other than that.. an ipod would be good.

Or..a trip to the mall to buy expensive makeup & trickets every few weeks may help. Why not a gift certificate to the Drug store?

[Maddy McCall]

3. Great suggestion.

She can watch movies and never leave the house.

:thumbsup:

[Beausoir]

4. Thanks. I will check and see if she has Netflix. She's tech-savvy.

Thank you for helping.

[huskerlaw]

5. Find out what TV shows she likes

and buy her those TV shows on DVD. IMO, watching TV shows requires less attention than a full movie. Another idea is to find out what TV shows she wishes she had watched and buy her that.

On second thought, an even better idea might be to get her a Netflix subscription. Then she can pick the TV/movies she wants, and she can watch as much or as little as she wants. (on edit: I see others have suggested this. Great minds think alike! Obviously, I second their suggestion.) ;)

If she uses iTunes, you could get her a gift certificate to iTunes, then she could pick her own music.

I'll keep thinking and will let you know if I think of anything else.

And I'll keep your niece in my thoughts. :hug:

[Beausoir]

7. OK! GC to ITunes is definitely a plus! She loves the show Friends...

I need to find out if she has all those seasons.

Thank you!

[WhollyHeretic]

9. Beat me to it

[WhollyHeretic]

6. The netflix idea is a great one. You might also find out if she has any

favorite shows and get her a whole season or 2. If it's an hour long show there will be 14 or 15 hours of material to watch in a season.

[Road Scholar]

8. Nothing can replace encouragement and genuine love and

a touch from a friend.

[deadparrot]

10. An iTunes gift card or whatever music download service she uses.

Of course, I'm a music buff, so that's what I'd want.

When I'm stuck somewhere, I also like puzzles. Assuming she can still see and write well enough, maybe some Sudoku or crossword puzzles would be good, too.

Or, run to the library and see if you can find her some of her favorite books on CD or tape. I find that passes the time during my long car rides to and from college.

Music, DVDs...you've got the idea. Best wishes for her quick recovery. :)

[SeattleGirl]

12. Does she like to read?

If so, does she have favorite authors? She might enjoy having some of that/those author's books, to either re-read, or new books that she has not read yet.

Also, do you live near her? If so, making sure you visit her would be a wonderful present. Even if she loves books, movies and TV shows, human companionship is priceless.

All the best to your niece, Beausoir.

[Beausoir]

17. Thanks! But, sadly, I live in MN and she is in CO.

I could visit, but I don't want to add to the burden, if you know what I mean.

Authors. I will ask her who she likes.

[SeattleGirl]

21. Perhaps a call now and then, since you live so far away from her.

:thumbsup:

[Beausoir]

23. Yes, and emails every morning.

[Flaxbee]

26. and magazines, too...

there are some I LOVE every month - sometimes subscriptions take a while to kick in, so just stop by a book store every few weeks and grab her a handful - fashion, art, gossip, crafts, whatever.

And speaking of crafts - does she knit? Maybe she'd like to learn, and I think there are some easy do-it-yourself guides or even dvds... Or, a friend of mine just really got into beading - making earrings, bracelets, etc. Easy things to keep her active rather than simply watching/listening/reading all the time. You could buy her a beading magazine or two and send her some beads/wire etc. to get started. Or maybe clay, or ??

Best wishes to your niece!

[Kali]

18. comfortable but nice clothes, soft pillow, nice bath things, and netflix.

maybe some house plants or goldfish for company, something to do. A ktten? (ask first!)

[Beausoir]

19. Yes..I am getting her some good stuff from Old Navy...she loves that.

Soft stuff...but I don't want her hanging out in her PJ's all day.


She's severely allergic to cats. But I will send her flowers.

[Nicole]

25. Amazon gift certificates

She can use those for books, cds or dvds. Or other stuff.

[madrchsod]

27. check in on her often

because she`s going to be really depressed and on pain killers for days after her reconstruction. like several others have said, love ,understanding,and a shoulder to cry on are the best gifts you can give her. send her over here we`ll keep her entertained!

[AllegroRondo]

28. Some suggestions

she's going to be stuck at home for at least two months while she heals? Its a great opportunity to learn a new hobby. I always liked DOING something with my hands more than just sitting and watching movies or music.

does she like art? get her some sketch books, paints, brushes, easel, and instruction books.

or maybe scrapbooking? a couple books, lots of paper, glue, scissors, etc,

or jewelry making? lots of books and magazines are out there with patterns and ideas, and $50 at Michaels or Hobby Lobby in supplies will have her set up for a long time.

or buy her a small sewing machine and a book of patterns. My daughter just started this, she loves it. Theres a great book called "101 things to make from old T-shirts", now I have to guard my old concert shirts so they dont get made into purses or something else.

many other things come to mind, like knitting, cross-stitching,

[hedgehog]

29. Some kind of exercise machine?

I don't know how much energy she'll have, but maybe a treadmill or stair stepper to help her keep fit while house bound?

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

30. Netflix subscription is a great idea; choosing music is hard, but

I can't post and not recommend Joanna Newsom's Ys. It's the sort of record that some people get very obsessed with (as I have been for the past 3-odd months), but if she doesn't, it's no big deal.

http://www.amazon.com/Ys-Joanna-Newsom/dp/B000I2K9M4

You could also try some comedy CDs. Off the top of my head, I would recommend Demetri Martin's These Are Jokes, Mitch Hedburg's Mitch All Together and Strategic Grill Locations, David Cross' Shut Up You Fucking Baby! and It's Not Funny and anything by Eddie Izzard (also available on DVD) although especially Unrepeatable, Glorious and Definite Article.

(& finally, I don't know if the following is any help whatsoever, but I've got it to hand -- it's a list of (recent) albums I'm using to make a mix-CD to send out to friends (all in their mid-20s) for Xmas:

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Letting Go
Camille - Le Fil
Cat Power - The Greatest
Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55
Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
Emilie Simon - Vegetal
Emiliana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman
Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
Lambchop - Damaged
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
Nellie McKay - Pretty Little Head
Peter, Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
Sibylle Baier - Colour Green
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
The Divine Comedy - Victory for the Comic Muse
The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia
Vashti Bunyan - Lookaftering

edit -- just wanted to add that she's lucky to have such a caring aunt & best wishes for her surgery and recovery.

[MissMillie]

31. books and puzzles (sudoku?) maybe...

a smoothie recipe book.

[lildreamer316]

32. OOO! I got one!

<jumping up and down>
This is my faaaaaaaaaaavorite bath store, vegan mostly, cruelty free, and guaranteed to make one an addict for at least one of their products (I am forever stuck on Dream Cream, best lotion in the world)
Unusual and wonderful scents, great bath fizzies, and even the forum is addictive. I'm suggesting a one of their gift sets. There may be a store near you,too.

http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/index.html?lang=en_US&dlang=en

[LynneSin]

33. How about an MP3 player or if she has one, then a gift card for music

:D

[Phillycat]

34. I second the Netflix suggestion, also some Lush bath products.

They are lots of fun because they smell great, they make you feel pretty, and some of them have sparkles! :)