Surprise, Surprise

[SheriNtexas]

I gave my daughter a gift of a cruise for her college graduation.

I went to a scrapbook store and got the book and travel stickers, then went to the travel agent and got brochures and cut out all the pertinent pictures.

I pre-reserved some spa treatments and an excursion and put that information in the book as well.

On the last page I put the tickets.

Then I wrapped up the book in wrapping paper with a big bow.:D

 

 

I was going to suggest a scrapbook, but wanted to see if someone else did first, and you did!! That is how my future son in law proposed to my daughter a couple of months ago! I made a scrapbook that SHE thought was all about her 3 year old son, but the last page was a wedding page! That is when he got down on one knee and proposed to her!! To the OP, if you DO scrap, you could make a scrapbook that you could tell the family is a family scrapbook and everyone is sitting there on Christmas looking at it, then you turn to the last page, and it is a cruise page, with an envelope attached to the page with the tickets, cruise papers, etc. inside!! Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!:)

[megr1125]

You guys are full of great ideas. I think that what I might do is something along the lines of custom made fortune cookies or custom made Christmas crackers with fortunes containing clues inside. I would give them out at dinner time. I like the shrinking box idea too.

 

funny...that take home chef guy on TLC made fortune cookies...IIRC they were really easy...he just wrote little fortunes on paper ....just an idea.

 

http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/takehomechef/recipes/episode177_03.html

 

i even found the recipe for ya! (you could bake them on parchment too....no need to buy the silpats, unless you are the baking queen!)

[ancldaca]

Sometimes hidden things in plain sight are the hardest to find. How about some dinged up Fedex Letter with the respective envelopes for everybody inside.

 

YOU decide the strategic moment of when to "open the Fedex" for best effect, make a bit of a production number out of it which gets everybody curious what it could possibly be inside, and then you hand out everybody's cruise tickets at the same time...

[iratherbesailing]

One year I included a puzzle piece with each present I gave my kids. I told them to collect the puzzle pieces while they were opening their gifts. Later in the day after dinner with all the family over, I had them assemble their puzzle (25 piece childrens puzzle). When they were done, I told them to flip it over. The message on the reverse side read " we are leaving in 4 days on a Carribean cruise". You wouldn't believe the excitement. Now I am trying to top that. I won't have the cruise tickets because we don't leave till March.

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

Wow.. you set the bar pretty high there. That's going to be hard to top. But I'm sure you can do it!

[sack]

No worries...I'm not picky...you'll probably need my address to ensure that I get MY boarding pass for Christmas...just say the word and I'll forward!!:D

 

What a wonderful idea! Have fun!

 

Sack:)

[cusyl]

One year I included a puzzle piece with each present I gave my kids. I told them to collect the puzzle pieces while they were opening their gifts. Later in the day after dinner with all the family over, I had them assemble their puzzle (25 piece childrens puzzle). When they were done, I told them to flip it over. The message on the reverse side read " we are leaving in 4 days on a Carribean cruise". You wouldn't believe the excitement. Now I am trying to top that. I won't have the cruise tickets because we don't leave till March.

What a great idea. I also liked the fortune cookie message that someone posted the link on how to make them. http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/takehomechef/recipes/episode177_03.html

 

You could put part of the sentence in each cookie that you serve after dinner and have them try to figure out the whole message.

[iratherbesailing]

How is this for an idea. In their Christmas cracker, (I usually buy the ones from the store and add to them) the insert a plastic key with their room number on their on them. (we have two rooms) that will keep the curiosity going throughout dinner. In their fortune cookies, I give them all their grim fortunes; You need to lose 10 pounds if you want to look good in that bathing suit, You are looking a little pale, you need more sun, Finer adventures await you. Ahoy mate, we leave on March 8. Now where can I find little plastic keys?

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

I'm not sure about little ones, but toy departments have plastic keys for babies. But they'd probably be too big

[iratherbesailing]

I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if the hardware stores have plastic keys they use for templates. Or I could get the real ones made for home with little boats on them/ Hmmm.