When I graduated high school in 2003, dad gave me two massive toothpastes, a huge roll of trash bags, and two huge things of powder laundry detergent, a laundry basket, and a hammer – all of which he bought at Costco.

At first I thought he was being silly (he is very silly), but he was serious. Five years later, I STILL haven’t had to buy toothpaste, laundry detergent, or trash bags! Thank you, dad!! I love the laundry basket still. LOL… and I’ve hammered a whole bunch of things to the wall, and fixed some furniture that I got for free on craigslist. Way to give me useful stuff!

My mom paid off the last debt I had on a car wreck I had my senior year, which really helped me because I didn’t have to get a job my first year in “college” (I went to a private music conservatory).

The roll or quarters is a fantastic idea. How awesome!

When I graduated from 6th grade to go on to the jr. high my 6th grade teacher read that to our class. Usually the whole class moves up to the jr. high, but they changed the boundary lines for schools in the middle of my 6th grade year, effective next year. So only about half of my class would be going to my middle school – we were all so sad! Losing friends! Something about that year in school was really special and we all cried a lot at the end of school.

I’ll never forget that book, and I even get misty-eyed thinking about it now! So long ago! Ohhhhh, thank you for bringing back those memories :D

A few weeks before his birthday, I sent out an email to family (uncles, grandparents, older cousins), older friends of his, his former scoutmasters, a few teachers, and various other people I know he looks up to (and that I know love him), asking them to give him advice on growing up/life. People wrote letters, sent copies of poems, and words of wisdom/sayings to remember. I bought an inexpensive photo holder and printed everyone’s responses on paper the size of the photo pages. I printed some in formal fonts, some in playful fonts, etc, depending on what the person had to say/their personality/etc. The cover page said, “A wise person once said, ‘listen to the words of your elders’….here are some from people who love you.”

It was a huge hit with my son, and everyone else. Everyone at the party read everyone else’s entries, and they all had a great time talking about things that were said. (oh, and many cried. It was very touching!)

I didn’t really get any memorable gifts aside from money in cards for college graduation. I did get a nice planner from the people I worked with while in school and I got an alumni sweatshirt from some friends.

These are usually easy to find at Target/Walmart this time of year in the seasonal or kitchenware department.

I usually package it with a package of dish sponges, a small container of dish soap, and a couple of tea towels — they’ll have to hand wash everything!

I usually do two matching huge towels that are monogrammed, that way they will always be clean. And they know it is theirs. I guess I will do that for my own son too!