Look who’s turning 40! We know that with every year that passes, it feels easy to look back on your special day with that familiar birthday blues, where you can’t help but take a bittersweet trip down memory lane of all those wonderful years that seem to have flown by so fast. Especially when you’re turning the big 4-0, there sure seems like a lifetime of achievements, successes and special moments to reminisce over.
But here at Gifting Owl, we only focus on the anticipation of all those exciting times ahead. Although birthdays are a time to reflect, they are more importantly a time for growth, transition and celebration of not only the great years that have been but also the even greater years to come.
So why not give your loved one an experience that they’ll be able to look back on in the next 40 years, and gift them an opportunity to do something they’re passionate about. Something they’ve never done before. Or something they thought they’d never get to tick off that bucket list. After all, time is only an illusion and age is just a number, and that tick-tock watch that you were planning to get them just won’t quite cut it for this significant milestone birthday.
Birthday gift ideas for him
Carrie Bradshaw might have been right when she said, ‘Men in their forties are like the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle: tricky, complicated, and you’re never really sure you got the right answer’. But at Gifting Owl, we’re sure that whoever you’re buying for will be the happiest chap in the world. Whether it be your younger brother, who seemed more mature at 14 than he is at 40, or your best friend that still insists on that corny line that they’re 18, with 22 years experience, will bare nothing but the biggest smiles after they receive the gift of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
So, why not help your daredevil dad to fulfil his fast and furious dreams and surprise him with one of our many exhilarating driving experiences. Even Jack Nicholson dressed head to toe in tight leather wouldn’t look as easy ridin’ as he will, as he embarks on a race track course across the dunes of sweltering Abu Dhabi, or bossing the snowy mountains of Iceland’s stunning capital, Reykjavik. Whatever the experience, your lucky giftee will get the chance to shift their life up a gear. As they veer off the rocky road that was the dirty thirties, there won’t be a spare second to look back as they cruise effortlessly ahead onto the tranquil trail of the naughty forties.
But we know ‘Boys and their toys’ doesn’t get every fella’s heart racing, and here at Gifting Owl we want everyone to get what they want on their special day. Maybe that special someone gets their kick from tasting the finer things in life, in which case, we have a range of luxurious dining experiences to satisfy every taste bud. What better way to celebrate 40 than indulging on their favourite cuisine in the heart of the city where it originates, all in the company of their nearest and dearest? You can book a dinner for two in the wonderful Antwerp, but switch it up, with a day of Sicilian cooking classes under the guidance of some other food-worshipping locals. Now he can learn how mamma used to make it!
But we know when it comes to food, the choices can be overwhelming, especially for any fussy eaters in the house. Play it safe and book one of our day-long brewery or vineyard tours, where you can treat him to a day of learning (and more importantly tasting) his favourite brews, because after all, wine gets better with age, but age sure gets even better with wine!
Birthday Gifts for her
Yes, it’s true. All those rom-coms that predict the inevitable breakdown at the discovery of a singular grey hair as soon as the clock strikes midnight on your 40th birthday are a completely ludicrous myth. Thanks again, Hollywood! The only tingling of fear you’ll really feel on your 40th lap around the sun is from sheer adrenaline as you try something your younger self never had the guts to do.
Well, this is your moment to gift the special lady in your life with an experience that she’ll always remember, such as a Bungee jump over the breathtaking (quite literally with this one!) scenes of Nepal’s stunning landscape or maybe a 15,000 ft skydive over New Zealand. Whatever fun-crazy experience you choose, there’s every chance she’ll go from ‘there’s not a chance in hell I’m doing that’ to ‘that’s the best experience of my entire life!’ in no time.
But we know that sometimes all a gal wants is a little pampering on her big day, and who can blame her? At Gifting Owl, we offer a palette full of pampering and beauty packages, as well as some TLC retreats to make her day that extra-special. Gift her a chance to sit back and sip some bubbles, while bathing in them at the same time. With one of our health spa retreats, she’ll be feeling and looking fresh, ready for all the years of excitement that await. Give the gift of glamour this 40th birthday.
With Gifting Owl’s extensive catalogue of unique experiences and getaways, you can be sure that whoever you’re buying for will get the chance to let their hair down with more experienced moves than at 30, and without a care who’s watching, like when they were too-cool-for-school at 20. Although, you might need some more time to bounce back from that post-party hangover. Anyhow, here’s to being 40 and fabulous!
