birthday gift ideas hawaii image
littleguen
I'm going to visit my host family from, whom I lived with for 6 weeks in 1990, for 3 days this Sept. What are some American things I bring them? The host parents are still living (in mid-60's), my sister is 35, married with 3 boys ages 8, 5, and newborn?
Any and all suggestions welcome!
Answer
I'm from California so I tend to get gifts from the West Coast not available in France. I live in France so I try to buy gifts for friends and family that they can't buy here.
For the kids, I would get T or sweatshirts with some American team on them. Try to get ones with the name of the city written out, not just the team. For babies, I buy clothes from Gymboree a lot, or one of the major department stores.
French baby clothes are cute but not very practical so I look for clothes that have matching panties, for girls, and/or snapable crotches for both sexes. I know that sounds amusing but for a mom, it's very useful! French baby clothes always ride up and the shirts pop out. Don't buy Gap because they have that in France but I often get nice clothes as gifts cheap places like Penny's or Target. I just bought a gorgeous outfit for a newborn in Paris at Nordstroms.
Peanut butter, by the way, is now available in France so don't bother. As a pp said, it's not really understood or even liked here so that's a risk.
I often give coffee table books of San Francisco but that's kind of a no-brainer for me. That's not an option of you're from a lesser known area of the States but a great idea if your region is a popular tourist destination.
Kitchen stuff can make good gifts. I have trouble finding vegetable peelers in France so I bring some over for gifts, nice ones with swivel heads. Wine stoppers, fancy tea infusers, quirky aprons, pot holders, nut crackers, etc. Go to Crate & Barrel or similar and get nice, small, novelty items that they can use or not. If it's a clever design, even better...
One total hit is to bring chocolate chips and make them while you're over there. The French love chocolate chip cookies and at every school function, I step up to the plate. They even ask me "Do you have those cookies with the chocolate pieces again?" Bring pecans if you want to add them as they are expensive and hard to find in France. Walnuts are available but not pecans.
I used to bring Macademia nuts but those are more common. If you go for this, they are appreciated but buy fancy ones, maybe chocolate covered and/or in nice packaging. Make sure they're from Hawaii (many are from N.Z. these days, as are those found in Europe).
C&H brown sugar is not available here. The brown sugar is more common but from elsewhere and they have very different tastes. If you don't have C&H brand where you live, make sure it's pure cane sugar from Hawaii.
See's candies are a brand sold on the West Coast which has been a hit in France. Bringing chocolate to France is a bit like taking coal to Newcastle but seriously, their filled chocolates are very good and not like anything found in France. They also have other novelty goodies like peanut brittle you can offer and see if they like. The lollypops are a hit with kids.
Jelly Bellies are from California originally (I went to school with one of the founder's daughters) but can be found everywhere in the U.S. now. They are sold in France but I've only seen them in kosher stores. I buy the big package of small packets, which I use for birthday parties, etc. French children also love Reeces peanut butter cups. I buy the bags of the small ones. Tootsie rolls get mixed reactions but novelty points.
Cranberry juice is now sold in France but other cranberry items aren't. Same thing with maple syrup. Other maple syrup products aren't available.
Hope that gives you something to work with!
I'm from California so I tend to get gifts from the West Coast not available in France. I live in France so I try to buy gifts for friends and family that they can't buy here.
For the kids, I would get T or sweatshirts with some American team on them. Try to get ones with the name of the city written out, not just the team. For babies, I buy clothes from Gymboree a lot, or one of the major department stores.
French baby clothes are cute but not very practical so I look for clothes that have matching panties, for girls, and/or snapable crotches for both sexes. I know that sounds amusing but for a mom, it's very useful! French baby clothes always ride up and the shirts pop out. Don't buy Gap because they have that in France but I often get nice clothes as gifts cheap places like Penny's or Target. I just bought a gorgeous outfit for a newborn in Paris at Nordstroms.
Peanut butter, by the way, is now available in France so don't bother. As a pp said, it's not really understood or even liked here so that's a risk.
I often give coffee table books of San Francisco but that's kind of a no-brainer for me. That's not an option of you're from a lesser known area of the States but a great idea if your region is a popular tourist destination.
Kitchen stuff can make good gifts. I have trouble finding vegetable peelers in France so I bring some over for gifts, nice ones with swivel heads. Wine stoppers, fancy tea infusers, quirky aprons, pot holders, nut crackers, etc. Go to Crate & Barrel or similar and get nice, small, novelty items that they can use or not. If it's a clever design, even better...
One total hit is to bring chocolate chips and make them while you're over there. The French love chocolate chip cookies and at every school function, I step up to the plate. They even ask me "Do you have those cookies with the chocolate pieces again?" Bring pecans if you want to add them as they are expensive and hard to find in France. Walnuts are available but not pecans.
I used to bring Macademia nuts but those are more common. If you go for this, they are appreciated but buy fancy ones, maybe chocolate covered and/or in nice packaging. Make sure they're from Hawaii (many are from N.Z. these days, as are those found in Europe).
C&H brown sugar is not available here. The brown sugar is more common but from elsewhere and they have very different tastes. If you don't have C&H brand where you live, make sure it's pure cane sugar from Hawaii.
See's candies are a brand sold on the West Coast which has been a hit in France. Bringing chocolate to France is a bit like taking coal to Newcastle but seriously, their filled chocolates are very good and not like anything found in France. They also have other novelty goodies like peanut brittle you can offer and see if they like. The lollypops are a hit with kids.
Jelly Bellies are from California originally (I went to school with one of the founder's daughters) but can be found everywhere in the U.S. now. They are sold in France but I've only seen them in kosher stores. I buy the big package of small packets, which I use for birthday parties, etc. French children also love Reeces peanut butter cups. I buy the bags of the small ones. Tootsie rolls get mixed reactions but novelty points.
Cranberry juice is now sold in France but other cranberry items aren't. Same thing with maple syrup. Other maple syrup products aren't available.
Hope that gives you something to work with!
i want a tropical themed birthday party any suggestions?
Kate
i live in hawaii, but i still love tropical stuff, so any ideas for music, dancing, decos, etc??
p.s. its a sweet 16
but i don't plan on spending much money.
Answer
Happy birthday!!!
I assume the party would be inside in an entertaining room.
Decorations:
Paint a backdrop (on a sheet) of palm trees and a beach at night or during the day, and hang it up against the longest wall
Have a few props about: a couple of beach balls, some pineapple centrepieces (like on the table with the food, put a pineapple or two on the table between the dishes/trays)
If possible, put some potted palm trees in the corners of the room; if not, have somebody artistic you know (probably the same person who made the backdrop!) make tree props (you can cut out a palm tree with a stand from cardboard and paint it to look like a palm tree)
Buy blue/teal/aqua and bright yellow streamers from the dollar store, and cover the ceiling and non backdrop walls with them (you want to make arc shapes, not let them hang down); for doorways, you can hang them to make beaded curtains;
If you set it in day time, you can make a yellow sun out of the streamers and tape that up high on a wall (big yellow circle, with streamers going out of it like rays, all taped down) -- if you set it at night time, you can make stars out of the streamers or paper!
Get lots of silver and black metallic balloons (shiny looks brilliant, will make the party really pop) and fill them with normal air (no pump required!)
Get some tropical flowers! Put them on any surfaces other than the floor
Music:
Get whatever is popular / your friends like! Play it loud(ish) and dance all night!
Raggae music (think Bob Marley) would be great too!
Food:
Lots of fruit (bananas, pineapple, various melons, etc) with yogurt dips, and the regular stuff (crisps and sodas and whatever else is regular there)
Get some sparkling apple juice so it's like champagne
Get clear disposable cups - and put permanent markers by the cups, so people can draw pictures or their names on their cup as to not misplace it (so you don't waste as much, and it's fun)
Gift bags: (give them out as people enter, so they can play with it during the party!)
You want to fill cheap gift bags with noise makers, sparkly confetti, gum, silly stickers, temporary tattoos (these are always a hit), cheap candies, fake money, and so on. You can get all that at most dollar stores.
Happy birthday!!!
I assume the party would be inside in an entertaining room.
Decorations:
Paint a backdrop (on a sheet) of palm trees and a beach at night or during the day, and hang it up against the longest wall
Have a few props about: a couple of beach balls, some pineapple centrepieces (like on the table with the food, put a pineapple or two on the table between the dishes/trays)
If possible, put some potted palm trees in the corners of the room; if not, have somebody artistic you know (probably the same person who made the backdrop!) make tree props (you can cut out a palm tree with a stand from cardboard and paint it to look like a palm tree)
Buy blue/teal/aqua and bright yellow streamers from the dollar store, and cover the ceiling and non backdrop walls with them (you want to make arc shapes, not let them hang down); for doorways, you can hang them to make beaded curtains;
If you set it in day time, you can make a yellow sun out of the streamers and tape that up high on a wall (big yellow circle, with streamers going out of it like rays, all taped down) -- if you set it at night time, you can make stars out of the streamers or paper!
Get lots of silver and black metallic balloons (shiny looks brilliant, will make the party really pop) and fill them with normal air (no pump required!)
Get some tropical flowers! Put them on any surfaces other than the floor
Music:
Get whatever is popular / your friends like! Play it loud(ish) and dance all night!
Raggae music (think Bob Marley) would be great too!
Food:
Lots of fruit (bananas, pineapple, various melons, etc) with yogurt dips, and the regular stuff (crisps and sodas and whatever else is regular there)
Get some sparkling apple juice so it's like champagne
Get clear disposable cups - and put permanent markers by the cups, so people can draw pictures or their names on their cup as to not misplace it (so you don't waste as much, and it's fun)
Gift bags: (give them out as people enter, so they can play with it during the party!)
You want to fill cheap gift bags with noise makers, sparkly confetti, gum, silly stickers, temporary tattoos (these are always a hit), cheap candies, fake money, and so on. You can get all that at most dollar stores.
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