You put in these long hours; you put in these long days,
Now its time for you to smile, to dance, to be at rest
Thank you, we are already missing you. We wish you a happy retirement.
Here is to wishing you all the best.
You are the world’s greatest friend and colleague.

A Kindred Retirement for a Life Long Friend:
The years have flown by.
Some have been good. Some have been trying,
Some years have been impossible.
However, I could always count on one thing.
That is your smiling face,
Your kindred spirit lifted me on friendship wings.
Your unflinching friendship kept me afloat when life seemed destined to sink my heart.
So now, the day of your retirement is upon us, All I can say is that I wish you all the best.
You have been here for me all these years. You have been my rock, my true north.
You were always my friend in the trenches.
What more can I say then you and your work made me a better person.
So now, as you move on with this next step in your life,
Always know that you will have a friend in me.
Here is to wishing you all the best in the years to come.
My kindred friend, a good rest is well deserved.

Retirement wishes for a parent
Mom you raised me to always place value in a hard days work.
You raised me to always value the dollar, and what it means.
Everyday you put in long hours, Sleepless nights, and worrisome afternoons,
Just to make sure I had what I needed, and what I wanted.
Now its time for you to take a break,
To stretch your arms out wide,
Breathe in life, and enjoy all the success and honors you have achieved.
Nevertheless, you should always know one thing,
You can never retire from being the greatest mom in the world.
You were always there for me, now its time for me to be there for you.

GIFT BASKET THEMES

1. Golf Lovers Basket

It may be a bit cliché but a large majority of retired men intend to play a lot of golf and a golf driving range gift certificate or golf course membership would fit perfectly in a gift basket. It can be a center piece of a golf themed gift basket which could include golf gloves, tees, balls, shoes, and any other golf related item you can think of. here’s a couple of funny gift ideas, you can get the DVD Dwarf on Golf or all used products in the basket before giving the real basket.

2. Exercise or Fitness Theme

Many people say they want to exercise more but the eight do not have the time or they don’t want to spend the money. If you think your retiree would be interested in a gym membership you can center a gift basket on a gym gift card and take those excuses away. You can include weight lifting gloves, exercise clothes, protein and nutritional bars, vitamins, head bands, and other like gym going products. Again, for a laugh you can personalize a T-shirt, towel, a big supply of sports cream for all the aches and pains, make a funny exercise tutorial or whatever else you can think of that would be funny.

If a gym membership is not ideal but you think the person would want to exercise you can still do a gift basket but gear it more towards exercises that can be done at home. Include some exercise videos (P90X or Turbo Jam for example), exercise bands, weighted aerobics gloves, yoga mat, exercise cloths, different fitness drinks and foods, small weights, roller blades, running shoes, and so on. The combination’s or themes are truly endless. Again, for fun you can include a funny videos, exercise for dummies manual, a funny list of do’s and don’ts, and a funny list of motivational quotes.

3. Day Spa Theme

For the person that needs to relax and be taken cared of send them to a spa for a day so they can get that much needed massage, acupuncture treatment, and aroma therapy. The basket can include some soft nature music, candles, lotions and oils, massaging tools, foot soaker, facial creams, and anything else that will go along with the theme. The mockery that can be created with this can get crude in a hurry, but having funny labels on the lotions, creative titles of manuals, hair waxing products, toe jam cures, and so on. Like I said this one could get funny so have fun with it.

4. Sports and Recreational Themes

A lot of people are fanatical about a specific sport, so you can do a football themed gift basket including tickets to a game, or for a tennis player buy a racket. Where I live people are nuts for the Ohio State Buckeyes so buying a golf bag with Brutus the Buckeye on the side, or football jersey with his or her name on the back would go a long way. To get a laugh buy something that is totally irrelevant to the sport like ping pong ball for a golfer or soccer ball for a basketball fan. A big gag is making a basket of a rival sports teams products, but keep it inexpensive because most of it will never see the light of day.

All these ideas can be perfect for a women or mens gift. If you are looking for bigger items like elliptical machines, treadmills, or other gym equipment go to EllipticalMachinMan.com to see some reviews and lists of different products. I hope you have fun with your retiree’s gifts and can use some of the themes provided to get a great idea.

First, consider the person’s interests. A set of custom golf balls won’t be appreciated if he isn’t a golfer. Look to his close associates for help, they will know how he enjoys his leisure time.

Here is a list of interests and appropriate gifts.

Sports: A year’s membership to the local gym or sports club could be the perfect gift for a man with plenty of time! Season tickets to a local sport team’s events are another idea. How about a gift certificate to a sporting goods store where he can pick out something he’s been admiring.

Camping, Fishing, Hunting: Several magazine subscriptions that specialize in his area of interest would be appreciated. A gift certificate to a sporting goods store where he can pick the perfect accessory for his activity. If you are near an area that offers it, a sport fishing trip with a guide would make for an exciting gift. Include a small digital camera to get pictures of the big catch!

Travel: Every location has attractions that he may have never visited. Buy a weekend hotel package that includes tickets to near-by attractions.
Crafts and Woodworking: Make up a gift basket of quality hand tools, some appropriate project magazines or books and launch your retiring man into a new project that he will remember was started with the help of his co-workers.

Cultural Events: Buy a year’s membership to a nearby museum, a season’s worth of tickets to the theater, a hotel and cultural event package in a nearby city. Scour your local tourism sites to find coming events and a list of museums.

History Buff: Create a vacation package to an historic site, a Civil War battle site, a town known for its local historical importance. Purchase a membership at the nearest historical museum. Even a gift certificate to a book store that specializes in historical offerings would be a big hit and keep him busy reading for a long time.

When looking for the perfect retirement gift for a man, don’t limit yourself to standard items that may just sit on a desk or get tucked away. Think about the person’s interests, consider activities and experiences that will enrich his life and find that perfect, memorable gift!

It must be related to their interests, where after successful deals and spot-on investments, where they relish in those activities that make them happy and fully human again. These two things are basic and necessary to help the former executives remember how they lived their lives, and of course, the one who thoughtfully gave it. It means more than those funny gift ideas.

For the golfer

Nothing says leisure and passion more than the sport, golf. The demand of golf clubs, gloves and the like has soared over the years due to the advent of new industries like hedge fund investing and business solutions. More businesspeople simply mean more golfers since golf is the sport where most of them bond and get to know more about each other. Another evidence of which is that golf courses are becoming more commonplace in rising economies like China, where Mission Hills and many others are frequently advertised in sporting channels.

All it takes is some creativity. One can put their company logo, family seal or monogram in golf balls, markers, tees and golf bags to exude that certain kind of privilege only they can taste. And for those who love to bring along friends in the golf course, nothing says camaraderie more than personalized golf vests for the group of friends!

Also, in memorable tournaments with other golfers, a miniature personalized scoreboard print will also help bring out memories as much as photos do. With podium finishes and ranks immortalized, it will conjure up the spirit of competition and help the golfer (and other participants) again as if they’re playing and enjoying the sport right now.

Recreational Sports

Some executives spend their free time in casinos, where they flaunt their wealth and win more on the way. So to speak, such people live life on the fast lane, gaining and losing a lot as they go. For the perfect gift for these kinds of people, there should be items that represent his/her lifestyle, like a cigar personally blended or a cigar case and cutter with monograms. A customized card deck with logos that represent the retiree’s trade/industry can also be done for them.

One can also go for the classic expensive wine or champagne, where the taste of which reminds one, with its incomparable sparkle, of the good life. A 1787 Chateau Lafite, Cristal Brut and Clos du Mensil are on this list.

Letting these type of people taste privilege is integral to the perfect retirement gift for them. And cigar cases with monograms and expensive alcohol go a long way.

Nothing else reminds them of themselves and their lifestyles more than personalized items and things that represent their way of life. Giving these kinds of gifts to retiring executives hits it right on the spot; they should live their golden years the way they want it to be. And luxury and personalization will help you find the best retirement gift for them.

What does one do when it’s time to retire? Well that depends on the individual. If you’re still in good health, one might take up hiking through the woods or if health is a factor, you might just want to go to the park regularly and play chess. Whatever the case may be, to get the perfect retirement gift for men and women, you need to take the person’s persona and likes into consideration. It can also be one of those funny gift ideas too.

Retirement brings on a whole new feeling for the person. They’re not sure in some cases of what are they to do now. The person is so use to working that they get the feeling that their live doesn’t have a purpose. So when thinking about the person’s golden years, you need to but the right gift to help them find focus in the later years that are now for them to enjoy themselves.

If you have worked with someone for many years and have a good relationship with them, you should have a pretty good idea as to what to get them as a retirement gift. You just have to give it some thought and you will get them something to help them through the beginning part until they get use to the fact that they are no longer tied to someone else’s schedule.

Whatever one can think of, make sure that it is something that the retiree will appreciate and remember for years to come.