How about a birthday trip to Rome, Italy for her 40th birthday? This is me in front of the Colosseum.
Here’s the best list of gifts for women facing their 40th birthday; it starts with the extravagant, and end with the easy.
Vacations and Kindles are extravagant fortieth birthday gift ideas; bucket lists and digital photo collections are easy, but very thoughtful.
If you know a woman turning 40, you know how important it is to give her the right birthday gift. Forty is an important birthday; I was there two years ago! Don’t ask what my husband gave me for my fortieth (it’s a long story. Okay, you can ask in the comments section if you like). When my friend turned forty, her birthday gift to herself was a five week trip to Africa. Now that is a luxurious birthday present!
A less extravagant 40th birthday gift idea for women is a power point presentation of flattering or funny photos of her, paired with beautiful poetry or the lyrics of a song you both love.
My husband just made me a power point “anniversary card” for our sixth anniversary; I think it’s the best gift he ever gave me. It sure beat the gift he gave me for my 40th birthday!
8 Birthday Gifts for Women Turning 40
It’s important to know how she feels about turning forty. If she thinks she’s over the hill, consider getting her something exciting and challenging, such as sky diving or ski lessons. If she couldn’t care less about turning forty, give her something fun and creative that makes her laugh.
Or how about…
A digital or electronic reader
Turning 40 is a big deal for most women. When I was 20 and even 30, I remember thinking that 40 is old. It can be a real jolt for a woman – and to jolt her out of the “over the hill blues”, give her a lavish e-gift! If she loves to read, surprise her with Amazon’s newest Kindle Fire in Full Color. Load it up with her favorite books – you can give her a dozen at a time!
If she hasn’t tried an Apple iPad tablet, think about giving her one. When I went to a women’s writing conference a couple weeks ago, a woman brought hers — she loved the convenience and flexibility that it offers. I bought myself a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, and I love it. It’s less expensive than an iPad, but just as good.
Something from her bucket list
This is an awesome 40th birthday gift from Alicia King, writer and creator of The Lili Effect. When I asked for gift ideas for women on Twitter, she said: “Plunder the birthday person’s bucket list for a novel experience you can do together.”
I love it! Just yesterday, I told my husband that the number one thing on my bucket list is a boat. His dad recently gave us an old zodiac (inflatable boat with a teeny tiny motor), and we’ve gone boating twice. What a blast. So, if your birthday girl likes boating, gift her with a water experience! Rent a kayak for a couple hours, or even a houseboat for a weekend.
Encouragement to create a bucket list
Writing the last gift tip for women turning forty made me wonder if your birthday girl even has a bucket list. The idea comes from Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman’s The Bucket List – which could be a great birthday gift for a woman who feels over the hill.
This movie will encourage her to grab life by the horns and life fully and freely — and show her she’s never over the hill.
A Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or Disney Cruise
When searching the internet for 40th birthday gift ideas, I found this entry on a cruise forum:
“I’m a cruise addict…I have only been on 6 cruises so far. When my marriage ended last year, I gave up hope of EVER going on another cruise. Well….just today….approaching the top of the Wild Thing rollercoaster at Valleyfair in Minneapolis…. my boyfriend told me he is taking me on a cruise for my 40th birthday next month. I am SOOOOO excited! Who knew turning 40 could be so wonderful! I pretty much missed the whole rollercoaster ride after he said that because my mind was fixated on the cruise! We are sailing on Carnival Imagination on September 25. I have been on four Carnival cruises before, and I just love them. He has only been on one cruise and that was 20 years ago, but he knows how much I LOVE cruising!”
Can’t you just feel her excitement? She doesn’t feel “over the hill” – she’s thrilled, excited, and happy about turning 40. Can you afford to give your birthday girl a cruise for her 40th birthday?
If she doesn’t want to travel because of her dog, give her a 40th birthday gift that includes her dog.
Tickets to the Dr Oz show – or Ellen!
I’m blessed with the luxury of working from home, and the only two TV shows I’ll turn on for background company while I write is Judge Marilyn Milian and the Dr Oz. I like the judge show better, but get a kick out of the women in the audience of the Dr Oz show! They’re so excited and happy – like the women on the Ellen show, actually. A lot of those women are over forty years old….so a fun 40th birthday gift for your daughter are tickets to one of her favorite shows, along with plane fare.
Forty small gifts for her 40th birthday
Here’s a fun idea from the Gift Ideas Muse:
“Giving 40 small gifts is a cool idea! You can do something fun like 40 coupons or a collage of 40 photos… or something really meaningful, like 40 personal letters from their closest friends and family expressing love and appreciation. Get creative and throw in some surprises, like perfume for a woman or sporting event tickets for a guy. If you’re on a budget, bake them 40 cupcakes or cookies!” ~ 40th Birthday Gift Ideas from the Gift Ideas Muse.
Hot flash survival kit
Here’s a fun 40th birthday gift idea from Prank Ideas Central:
“For a forty-year-old woman, hot flashes are a real concern and can strike anytime! So show her you care with a hot flash survival kit as her 40th birthday gag gift. Get a nice box and add in some useful things like a hand held fan and ice packs to cool down, a small towel or pocket handkerchief to wipe her brow with, a spare shirt and emergency medication (chocolates). You can also include the hot flash danger sign below for her to warn others!” ~ 40th Birthday Gag Gifts for Women.
A gift basket (a secondary 40th birthday gift for women – not the main present)
A fine gift is the Bain D’esprit Bath and Body Spa Collection - I love going through gift baskets, pampering my body one body part at a time. Even better for a 40th birthday gift is a gourmet wine and food gift basket. It doesn’t matter what birthday a woman is facing; a gift basket eases the pain every time.
For more birthday tips, read 40th Birthday Ideas for Women – 6 Ways to Celebrate a Milestone (it’s not an article about birthday gifts, but it may trigger something for you).
I’m really enjoying these gift ideas for 40 year olds, thank you. But I still haven’t found quite what I’m looking for.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your message to men whose girlfriends or wives are turning 40! I definitely agree that we need SOMETHING special or different. It doesn’t have to be expensive or ornate…just something to make you feel different on this day.
A fortieth birthday is huge, and it deserves at least a nod….doesn’t it?
I wish my partner read this before my 40th birthday. Turning 40 is a big deal especially for a woman, he didn’t plan anything, apart from a dinner in the evening, didn’t treat me special, and I am really upset and disappointed. I don’t need expensive gifts, but would have loved to receive personal little gestures throughout the day from him – breakfast in bed, candlelit bath, massages from him, etc. So any men reading this – treat your partner, wife or girlfriend like she is a princess on her 40th birthday make her feel special and remember you don’t need to spend lots of money – it’s the small things that really do count.
Yeah, that is sort of a bummer…but in some ways, it is better than a blender or other such gift!
Enlightening and creative gifts for women turning 40, thank you! I think women who have hobbies are easiest ot buy gifts for.
My husband didn’t get me ANYTHING for my 40th birthday – not even a birthday card!
But he had a reason: a month earlier, we spent a week in Alberta. He took care of my best friend’s two kids while I took her to chemotherapy treatments. I told my husband this would be my 40th birthday gift – and I meant it at the time. But the day of my 40th birthday, I was surprisingly and profoundly disappointed to wake up to nothing, not even a birthday card.
It’s not his fault, and I wasn’t mad at him. After all, I told him not to get me anything! But still, I was sad not to have anything to make the day different.
So that’s what he got me for my 40th…nada.
Ok, what did your husband get you for your 40th? How bad can it be?