Minimalist Birthday Gift

                                                      Source: fineartamerica.com via Jaye on Pinterest

A friend told me that someone close to her is celebrating his birthday next month. I got very excited. Yes, much more excited than she is!

Lots of gift ideas flooded my mind. I wanted her to do something sweet for him. I gave her unsolicited gift suggestions, but she kindly declined all of those. Ha-ha. (Well, at least all of those brainstorming inspired me to make this post.)

At first I hinted that she should buy a gift. She said "Is that really necessary?"

That friend of mine is a minimalist so I thought maybe she doesn't want to purchase something tangible. I tried a different approach, then. I suggested things like:

• Serenade him-  She's a great singer but she said she's shy to sing for him. So we had to cross this out. 
• Cook something- Give him a coupon that says Free Dinner and cook the food herself. She told me cooking was not an option because the last time she tried to cook for him, she was not very happy with the result.
• Make a video presentation- Too much hassle.
• Handicrafts- It's sweet to give someone something you made yourself, but still, she said NO. 

"Can't I just give him my love?" She asked.

Ah, yes. Of course she can give her heart and love to him. It's free and it's SUPER minimalist. But how can you give love, really? By telling him? Yes, that one thing, I guess. But wouldn't it be better to show him?

I'm the kind of person who loves surprises. She can love him every day of the year... but birthdays are special. It's when you "show"  a person you love him and not just "tell" him. That's why we do celebrations, right? So I continued thinking of gifts that won't give clutter and headaches in the future. 

This morning she showed me pictures of her on the beach. She was posing beside a name she wrote on the sand. It was "his" name. 

Well, that's when another idea hit me. E-greeting cards! I told her to edit the pictures and make e-greeting cards out of them. Or if she wants to do something more, she can make a PowerPoint Presentation.

Finally, finally, guys... She said YES! She will just try to find out how to make a PowerPoint Presentation with her ipad. Whew! I can now rest my mind in peace. 

I'd like to hear your gift ideas! Do you have something in mind, or something you did before, that will be great for a minimalist birthday gift?