Birthday & Anniversary Reminder

Manages your important dates with advance planning, personalized gift suggestions, celebration ideas, and ready-to-send message drafts. This skill maintains a personal dates database, generates reminders with enough lead time to act, and creates thoughtful gift and message options calibrated to each relationship. Works across calendar platforms including Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook Calendar, and Notion databases for comprehensive date tracking.

Supported Platforms & Integrations

Platform	Integration Type	Features
Google Calendar	ICS export	Recurring reminders with advance alerts
Apple Calendar	ICS export	Native reminder integration on all Apple devices
Outlook Calendar	ICS export	Professional and personal calendar support
Notion	Database export	Structured date tracking with gift history
Apple Reminders	Checklist export	Shopping and planning task lists
Amazon	Gift ideas	Budget-matched gift suggestions with links

When to Use This Skill

• Use this when you want to build a complete dates database for the people who matter to you

• Use this when a birthday or anniversary is approaching and you need gift ideas and message drafts

• Use this when you want to plan a celebration or surprise and need a checklist

• Use this when you consistently forget important dates and want a systematic solution

• Use this when you need to write a birthday or anniversary message that feels personal, not generic

• Consider alternatives when planning a large event like a wedding (use an event planning skill)

• Consider alternatives when you need a full CRM for professional contacts (use a networking agent)

• Consider alternatives when tracking business client milestones (use a sales relationship tool)

Quick Start

Copy
# dates-config.yml
people:
  - name: "Mom"
    birthday: "1965-06-14"
    relationship: "parent"
    interests: ["gardening", "cooking", "mystery novels"]
    gift_budget: 75
    notes: "Prefers experiences over things. Loves lavender."
  - name: "Best friend Jake"
    birthday: "1993-11-22"
    relationship: "close-friend"
    interests: ["craft beer", "hiking", "board games"]
    gift_budget: 40
  - name: "Partner Alex"
    anniversary: "2022-09-15"
    relationship: "partner"
    interests: ["photography", "travel", "jazz"]
    gift_budget: 150
reminders:
  advance_days: [30, 14, 3]

First run example:

> Mom's birthday is in 2 weeks. She loves gardening, cooking, and mystery novels. Budget $75.

Upcoming: Mom's Birthday — June 14 (14 days away)

Gift Ideas (within $75):
1. Herb garden starter kit with personalized plant markers ($45) + handwritten card
2. New release mystery novel + lavender-scented candle bundle ($38)
3. Cooking class voucher at a local kitchen studio ($65)
4. Custom garden kneeling pad + seed subscription box first month ($52)

Message Draft:
"Happy birthday, Mom! Every year I appreciate more how much of who I am comes from you — my love of cooking definitely started in your kitchen. I hope this year brings you a garden that blooms as beautifully as the one you have always created for our family. Love you so much."

Planning Checklist:
- [ ] Order gift by June 7 (shipping buffer)
- [ ] Make dinner reservation if celebrating together
- [ ] Call morning of — she wakes up early

Advanced Configuration

Copy
# Reminder schedule
reminders:
  advance_days: [30, 14, 7, 3, 1]
  reminder_format: "checklist"
  include_gift_ideas: true
  include_message_draft: true

# Gift preferences
gifts:
  default_budget: 50
  prefer_experiences: true
  local_stores: ["Powell's Books", "New Seasons Market"]
  avoid: ["gift cards", "flowers"]

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
advance_days	array	[14, 3]	Days before event to generate reminders
gift_budget	number	50	Default budget per person in your currency
gift_style	string	"thoughtful"	Options: practical, thoughtful, luxury, handmade, experience
message_tone	string	"warm"	Options: formal, warm, funny, sentimental, casual
message_length	string	"medium"	Options: short (1-2 sentences), medium (paragraph), long (letter)
include_history	boolean	true	Reference previous gifts to avoid repeats
group_gifts	boolean	false	Suggest group gift options for shared celebrations
milestone_alerts	boolean	true	Special attention for milestone ages and anniversaries
cultural_customs	string	"general"	Customs: general, religious, cultural-specific
prefer_experiences	boolean	false	Prioritize experience gifts over physical items
local_preference	boolean	false	Prefer gifts from local shops

Core Concepts

Concept	Description
Gift Memory	Tracking past gifts to avoid repetition and build on known preferences
Relationship Calibration	Adjusting message depth and gift effort to match relationship closeness
Milestone Recognition	Birthdays (30, 40, 50) and anniversaries (1, 5, 10, 25) deserve extra effort
Lead Time Planning	Ordering and planning with enough buffer for shipping and preparation
Personal Touch Layer	Adding one handmade or deeply personal element to any gift

+------------------+     +-------------------+     +------------------+
| Dates Database   | --> | Timeline Scanner  | --> | Reminder Engine  |
| (people, dates,  |     | (upcoming in      |     | (advance alerts  |
|  preferences)    |     |  30/14/3 days)    |     |  with actions)   |
+------------------+     +-------------------+     +------------------+
                                                          |
                                                          v
+------------------+     +-------------------+     +------------------+
| Complete Package | <-- | Message Crafter   | <-- | Gift Suggester   |
| (gift + message  |     | (personalized     |     | (budget, taste,  |
|  + plan)         |     |  per relationship)|     |  history-aware)  |
+------------------+     +-------------------+     +------------------+

Workflow Examples

Scenario 1: Partner's 5-Year Anniversary

Input: "Our 5-year anniversary is September 15. She loves photography, travel, and jazz. Budget $150. We did a photo book last year."
Output:
Milestone Alert: 5 years is the "wood" traditional anniversary!

Gift Ideas (avoiding photo book — done last year):
1. Jazz club date night + custom wooden photo frame with your favorite trip photo ($120 — experience + keepsake)
2. Weekend getaway to a nearby town with a photography walk and jazz bar ($150 — experience-heavy)
3. Custom wooden map of everywhere you have traveled together, handmade on Etsy ($85) + concert tickets ($65)

Message (for card):
"Five years ago, I had no idea that saying yes to coffee would lead to the greatest adventure of my life. Every trip, every late-night conversation, every terrible jazz pun you make — I would not trade a single moment. Here is to the next five, and the fifty after that. I love you."

Planning Timeline:
- 30 days out: Order custom item (Etsy shipping takes 2-3 weeks)
- 14 days out: Book restaurant or jazz club
- 3 days out: Write card, wrap gift
- Day of: Morning flowers (she says she does not want them but always smiles)

Scenario 2: Colleague's 50th Birthday

Input: "Coworker Dave turns 50 next Friday. Office collection raised $100. He likes whiskey, golf, and dad jokes."
Output:
Milestone: 50th birthday — go bigger than usual!

Group Gift Ideas ($100 budget):
1. Premium whiskey (Maker's Mark Private Select or similar) + custom rocks glasses etched with "Aged 50 Years" ($95)
2. Golf lesson with a pro at a local course + funny golf towel ($90)
3. "50 Reasons You Are Awesome" jar (team each writes entries) + bottle of good scotch ($80)

Card Message (from the team, with humor):
"Dave — 50 is just 25 with better stories and worse knees. Your dad jokes have been training us for this milestone for years. Here is to the next 50 years of eye-rolls and reluctant laughter. Happy birthday from the team who secretly loves your puns."

Scenario 3: Batch Birthday Messages for December

Input: "I have 4 December birthdays: sister (Dec 3), college friend (Dec 12), cousin (Dec 20), nephew turns 8 (Dec 28)."
Output: Four personalized messages, each unique in tone:
- Sister: Warm, inside-joke-laden, references shared childhood
- College friend: Nostalgic, references college memories, light humor
- Cousin: Casual, family-warm, brief but genuine
- Nephew (age 8): Fun, age-appropriate, enthusiastic
Gift budget allocation advice for multiple December birthdays + holiday overlap strategy

Best Practices

Build the database gradually. Do not try to enter 50 people on day one. Start with your inner circle — partner, parents, siblings, closest friends. Add people as their dates come up naturally.

Track gift history religiously. Nothing ruins a thoughtful gift like giving the same one twice. After each occasion, note what you gave, how it was received, and any comments they made. "She mentioned wanting to learn pottery" is a future-gift goldmine.

Combine a purchased gift with a personal touch. The most memorable gifts pair something bought with something made or written. A nice bottle of wine is good. A nice bottle of wine with a handwritten note about the first time you shared wine together is unforgettable.

Handle milestone birthdays with extra care. Turning 30, 40, 50, or 60 is often emotionally complex — excitement mixed with existential dread. The skill generates messages that acknowledge the milestone positively without making the person feel old. Humor should celebrate, not mock.

Set multiple reminder stages. A single reminder the day before is too late for anything meaningful. The skill recommends a 30-14-3-1 day reminder cascade: 30 days for ordering custom gifts, 14 days for standard purchases, 3 days for final preparations, and 1 day for sending messages. This prevents the annual panic of "their birthday is tomorrow and I have nothing."

Common Issues

Problem: You do not know someone's interests well enough for personalized gifts. Use the "observation mining" technique: scroll through their recent social media posts, note what they talk about at work, or ask mutual friends. Even one specific detail transforms a generic gift into a thoughtful one. If truly stuck, experience gifts (dinner, concert tickets, cooking class) are universally appreciated.

Problem: December birthdays get overshadowed by holidays. Explicitly separate the birthday from the holidays. Do not give a combined birthday-Christmas gift. The skill flags December birthdays with a note to celebrate them independently.

Problem: Long-distance relationships make celebrations hard. The skill generates gift ideas that ship directly (with gift wrapping) and suggests scheduling a video call. For close relationships, consider sending a physical card (not email) — the rarity of receiving personal mail in the modern era makes handwritten cards feel extraordinary.

Privacy & Data Handling

• Local processing: All date management, gift suggestions, and message generation happens locally within your Claude Code session.
• Data retention: Your people database exists only during the active session unless you save it to a local YAML or JSON file for reuse. The skill can reload your database file in future sessions.
• Export options: Export reminders as ICS calendar events, gift lists as markdown checklists, or the full database as JSON for backup. Messages export as plain text for copying into any messaging platform.
• Sensitive data: The skill does not access your contacts, calendars, social media, or shopping accounts. All personal information is entered by you and stays local.
• No commercial data: Gift suggestions are generated from general knowledge, not sponsored recommendations. No affiliate links or commercial partnerships influence suggestions.