Is someone close to you celebrating their 40th birthday? Whether it’s your best friend, a family member, or another important figure in your life, we’ve got you covered with our favorite gift ideas. A 40th birthday celebration is a big deal– it marks the beginning of a new decade of life, which is why someone’s 40th is considered a milestone birthday for them. With a thoughtful gift, you’ll make the event extra special. Keep reading for some 40th birthday gift ideas that anyone in your life is sure to love.
Self-Care
Slippers or Slides
Who doesn’t love having a super comfortable pair of shoes to slip on? Regardless of the season, you really can’t go wrong with comfy footwear. In the summer, you can opt for a pair of soft and breathable slides, like these from Oofos. In the winter, choose a cozy pair of slippers to keep their toes nice and warm. If you’re looking for a practical gift that they’ll be sure to use, this is a great way to go!
Blanket
Once again, you have plenty of options with this gift. If they’re always cold, especially in the winter, a wearable blanket would be perfect for them to wear around the house. The Comfy is a great option for that– think of a cross between a hoodie, robe, and blanket. Alternatively, a decorative throw blanket would be a great gift. There’s an endless selection of throw blankets online, so you’ll be able to choose a design and color scheme that fit the person’s tastes and personality.
Silk Pillowcase
Everyone needs their beauty sleep, so why not make it even easier for your special person to get theirs? The smooth, plush texture and cooler temperature of a silk pillowcase will put them right to sleep at night, but there are other benefits as well. Silk pillowcases reduce the amount of friction between the pillow and a person’s face and hair, causing less tugging on the skin over time. Silk also absorbs less moisture than other fabrics like cotton, which allows more of it to stay in the skin. Skin that is more hydrated is less likely to be dry or itchy, so your loved one will be as comfortable as possible while they sleep.
Foot Massager
For someone who is on their feet all day, has an active lifestyle, or simply needs some relaxation, a foot massager makes a great gift. This one on Amazon even has heat, making for an even more luxurious experience. With their own foot massager, your loved one won’t have to worry about the time or money it would take to get a massage from a professional.
Bath Gift Set
Would your loved one spend all day relaxing in the bath if they could? Make their baths even more relaxing and lush with a bath gift set. These typically include things like bath bombs, body scrubs, and lotions. The Hello Gorgeous Gift Box by Lush is one good option, and we especially love the bright, vibrant packaging.
Candle
A candle is probably one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of self care, but there’s a good reason for that. Candles easy to set up and bring a sense of calm and warmth to any environment. Maybe there’s a scent that reminds you of a particular moment you shared with your special person, reminding them of that memory every time they light the scented candle. You could also think about the aesthetic aspect of the candle. Some candles have unique textures and fun colors, and others come in decorative vessels made of materials like porcelain.
Five Minute Journal
A notebook of any kind is always a good gift, but if you want to add a thoughtful touch, a Five Minute Journal is a unique gift idea that they’re sure to love. If you aren’t familiar with what this is, it’s a journal that asks you five simple yet meaningful questions every day. It’s meant to encourage you to pause and reflect, and it uses positive psychology and gratitude to guide you to your happiest self. You can look back at patterns and moments, getting a better sense of where you’ve been and where you want to go. A Five Minute Journal is a perfect way to make an impact on your loved one’s everyday life, and it’s something they’ll really enjoy.
Food
Chocolate
Some kind of chocolate is always a good choice for a gift, regardless of the occasion– anyone will appreciate receiving high-quality chocolate. Chocolate is also something that can be easily tailored to fit your special someone’s preferences and personality. If they’re an adventurous eater and love trying new things, show them you care by finding them flavors that you know will excite them. Vosges Haut-Choclat has some of the most exotic chocolate flavors we’ve seen, with everything from Parmesan Walnut Fig to Black Raspberry with Fermented Black Tea.
Candy from Their Childhood
If they have a sweet tooth and love reminiscing on the days of their childhood, a box of candy that was popular around that time is a perfect gift. Someone whose fortieth birthday is coming up would have been born in the 1980s, so look for any candy box that has sweets from that decade. The 1980’s Retro Candy Gift Box by Vintage Candy Co. is one of the most popular ones, and it includes 55 pieces of candy. This gift is such a fun way for them reconnect with their childhood and enjoy their favorite candy again.
Coffee Subscription
A coffee subscription is a great birthday gift for anyone who loves a good cup of joe. An Atlas Coffee Club subscription gives you a monthly delivery of high-quality, single origin coffee, and it also comes with tasting notes, coffee history, and other information about the origin of the batch. You can also choose the coffee type, grind type, and roast level. So regardless of whether your special someone has a Keurig, uses a French Press, prefers cold brew, or prepares coffee another way, they’ll be able to enjoy your thoughtful gift.
Kitchenware
For someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen or loves cooking, any kind of nice kitchenware would be a perfect gift. If there’s a specific item they keep talking about, that would be an obvious choice. But things like a cast iron skillet, a high-quality cutting board, a chef’s knife, or a knife storage tray are all things that would be used regularly and make great gifts.
Etched Wine Bottle
Your special someone doesn’t need to be a regular wine drinker to appreciate this birthday gift. With an etched bottle of wine, they’ll receive a fun, decorative piece in addition to some high-quality wine. Mano’s Wine has a variety of designs you can choose from for your bottle, and you can customize the writing to make the bottle totally personalized. You could do something similar with a custom wine glass, if you’d prefer that.
Experiences
Airbnb Gift Card
Offer your special someone an escape from the responsibilities and stressors of everyday life. An Airbnb gift card will give them just that, and it’ll allow them to choose a location and environment that is just what they need. You can help them with planning or offer ideas, or let them take the reins if that’s what they prefer. If they’re a parent, this would be an especially appropriate 40th birthday gift!
Surprise Trip
Along the same lines, a surprise trip would be a lovely gift. It’ll give your loved one a chance to get away, and it’ll also give them something to look forward to and get excited about. A surprise trip is a great option for people who have a lot on their plate and rarely take any time to do things for themselves, as they won’t have to worry about any of the logistics and can simply enjoy their little vacation with you. And once you have everything about the trip planned out, the fun isn’t over for you. There are so many fun ways to present this gift to someone– get creative!
Classes or Workshops
This is a fun gift that can be customized to fit anyone’s interests. Is there something that your special someone has always wanted to try? Or is there something they already enjoy and would love to learn even more about? Research what kinds of classes and workshops are available in your area. If you live reasonably close to a city or in a more populous area, you’ll likely have an endless variety of things to choose from. Between painting, improv, cooking, yoga, creative writing, and everything in between, you’re sure to find something they’ll love.
Other Items
Earbuds or Headphones
Having a nice pair of earbuds makes more of a difference than you’d think, especially for someone who listens to music or podcasts regularly. Wireless headphones are a great option, as they allow the wearer to move around freely without worrying about a wire getting caught on anything. But if you’re looking for something that offers even more, the OpenFitor OpenRun headphones from Shokz are perfect. They use bone conduction technology, so the headphones sit just next to your ears instead of inside them. This means that you’re able to hear everything that’s going on around you as you’re listening to music. And it’s not just runners that would find these useful. Anyone from college students to people walking their dogs in their neighborhood at dusk would benefit from the open-ear design.
Diamond Jewelry
A piece of beautiful diamond jewelry is the perfect gift for any woman in your life. Diamonds work flawlessly with any outfit, adding a touch of sparkle to the casual and everyday or further elevating an already classy look. At Clean Origin, you’ll find an incredible selection of ethical, high-quality lab grown diamond jewelry that you can be confident she’ll love. Browse our diamond studs, tennis bracelets, and diamond pendants, and play around with sizes, shapes, and styles until you find the perfect piece. If you’ve seen her diamond engagement ring light up the room, give her another piece of diamond jewelry that will do the same.
Picture Puzzle
A picture puzzle is such a sweet gift for anyone’s 40th birthday, especially if you’ve known them for a long time or have shared some great memories. It’s simple yet meaningful and very easy to do: there are several websites where you can upload your own photo and have it made into a custom jigsaw puzzle. Portrait Puzzles even allows you to choose the number of puzzle pieces, which can be anywhere from 30 to 1,000. This gift is also wonderful because the two of you can do it together. Spend some quality time with them while you rediscover a happy moment from the past.
The Bucket List Book
Another fun gift, The Bucket List will remind your special person of how much more life there is to be lived. It’s a collection of 1,000 adventures, both big and small, that span all seven continents. T
he ideas are so creative and unique, and they’ll make you excited to go out and explore this beautiful world. While the phrase “life begins at 40” is a bit of an exaggeration, it’s not untrue to say that life begins whenever you’re ready to embrace it.
Final Thoughts
The fact that you’re looking for gifts for 40th birthday celebrations says a lot about how much you want to make someone happy. Any of the ideas above would make great gifts, so trust your ability to pick one that they’ll love. We know they’re going to appreciate whatever you give them! So have fun looking for a gift, enjoy the birthday party, and continue building a relationship with this special person in your life.
