Go visit for the weekend. If you have siblings, see if they can go too. This is all my parents ever want. The last two times we've done this (my dad's 70/75th) we took him out to dinner Friday night (no little kids) and then Saturday had a big family gathering with the rug rats. My mother excels at planning her own birthdays, so I don't have to do as much there. But my father would honestly never even mark the occasion if we didn't, so he LOVED that we did something. He was just really pleased. My out of town siblings came in for both birthdays and the effort was worth more than any gift.

Organize a brunch for her on a ferry or boat.

+1000! My mother would be very uncomfortable with anything but a family gathering.

I don't mean to sound negative but does she really want something like this other then maybe a nice dinner out with family? Most adults at a certain age (far younger then 70) don't wish much on a Birthday. At some point even presents end, most older adults already have all the "things" they need.

Can you afford to fly her to DC to stay with you for a fun weekend -- lunch/tea at the Ritz, mani/pedi, make her favorite dinner at home, etc. Also if you have old photos of her from her childhood and from your childhood you can scan them in and upload them into a shutterfly album so she has 1 album of memories of her entire life in one place to look through. (ie, don't upload every single photo, but pick the best of the best for a 30-40 page photo album of her life up to today).

Anonymous wrote:I am borrowing from someone else on DCUM as I posted a few weeks ago a similar request.

They sent blank cards with addressed / stamped envelopes to all of family and friends and asked people to write a special memory and send it to her so that it arrives around her birthday.

I love that. I did something similar for my mom once and put the letters in an album. This is lovely too.

A year of flowers? Many mail-order floral companies do 6 month or a year of flowers - which seems like such a fabulously extravagant and wonderful gift.

www.calyxflowers.com
www.proflowers.com

Just two of many...

I am borrowing from someone else on DCUM as I posted a few weeks ago a similar request.

They sent blank cards with addressed / stamped envelopes to all of family and friends and asked people to write a special memory and send it to her so that it arrives around her birthday.

I got my mother a pretty diamond and sapphire pin for her 70th birthday. She has never worn it.

Could you organize a lunch for her closest friends, spouses and family? I know several people in the 70-yr age range who have done this. It's festive but still intimate.

She's turning 70 in a month and a bit. As much as I'd like to go all out and take her to paris or something, that isn't in the financial cards. What can I do that's really special for $400 or less? She lives in the midwest, BTW, so not around the corner.