However, this gift isn’t the easiest surprise to pull off. Most state agencies require a driver registered to the vehicle to apply for the personalized plate. If you are not jointly registered with your gift recipient as the car owner, you still can present your suggestions, write a check to cover fees and complete any paperwork. Maybe a few states will follow the example of Texas, which offers a vanity license plate gift card.

Select the U.S. state for your giftee to learn more about applying for a personalized plate.

Sometimes this search gives too many results based on the author name (and not enough named book titles), so you can also try Amazon.com’s Advanced Search. Type the child’s name into the Title field, select “Children’s Books” from the Subject field and click the Search button. I prefer to buy the hardcover editions for durability.

Using Amazon.com, I found children’s books for the top ten most popular girl names and most popular boy names, according to Wolfram Alpha.

For Girls

1. Emma:
   Where Are You Going, Emma?
2. Isabella:
   My Name is Not Isabella
3. Emily:
   Emily’s Eighteen Aunts
4. Madison:
   Princess Madison and the Paisley Puppy
5. Ava:
   Ava and the Magic Tutu
6. Olivia:
   Olivia . . . and the Missing Toy
7. Sophia:
   Silly Sophia: A Daily Adventure
8. Abigail:
   Abigail Spells
9. Elizabeth:
   Elizabeth, Who Is Not a Saint
10. Chloe:
    Chloe and the Magic Baton

For Boys

1. Jacob:
   Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur
2. Michael:
   Michael Recycle
3. Ethan:
   Ethan Goes Green
4. Joshua:
   Joshua’s Book of Manners
5. Daniel:
   Daniel’s Mystery Egg
   
6. Alexander:
   Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
7. Anthony:
   There’s an Ant in Anthony
8. William:
   William and the Night Train
9. Christopher:
   Christopher Counting
10. Matthew:
    Matthew A.B.C.

When I think Cuba, I think cigars. We opted for milk chocolate cigars, keeping it healthier and legal. The chocolate cigars are wrapped in gold foil with an imprinted generic cigar band. To customize, I picked up one-inch-wide round labels (Avery 5410) from OfficeMax. I downloaded the Microsoft Word template from Avery.com. Then I added a picture of my father-in-law to each label on the sheet and printed the label sheets through my HP DeskJet printer. We applied round labels with his smiling face across the band of each chocolate cigar. To display to guests, we arranged the personalized cigars in an old wooden cigar box.

The second gift favor doubled as a table arrangement and a favor: lucky bamboo. Bamboo is plentiful in Cuba, used for furniture, fences and handicrafts for centuries. My sister-in-law bought live bamboo shoots, and she wrapped them in burlap and jute string. We set the lucky bamboo plants in wooden cigar boxes, lined with gray pebbles. Each leafy bamboo arrangement included a small scroll explaining care and how some value bamboo for its luck in bringing wealth.

I didn’t realize that bamboo is an indoor plant that should stay out of sunlight. Simply change the one inch of water once a month and watch as fortune shines upon you. Happy birthday, Dad!

I worked with JoAnn to create a custom illustration of our home. First, I sent her a few photos just after the house was freshly painted. I even gave her the Benjamin Moore paint sample strips. JoAnn sent back a beautiful color illustration in pen ink, watercolor and colored pencil. Then I had Michaels, the arts-and-crafts store, frame the portrait. My wife was delighted when I gave her our home portrait as a Christmas gift. We hung the portrait in our living room, and JoAnn’s work still draws praise from our guests. (Disclosure: The image above is from JoAnn’s home portrait collection and not my own home.)

Prices range from $130 to $475 for a custom illustration. Choose black-and-white or color. After contacting JoAnn to tailor your portrait request, you mail a check or money order for half of the illustration’s cost to start work. A home portrait is ideal for a birthday, anniversary, housewarming or Christmas present.