Hi - such good intentions! Really, great idea, but maybe a house plant or flowers would be better, because bonsai are notoriously bad gifts for anyone but people who've expressed real interest (and maybe done a lot of reading) in bonsai, do have the time and energy to pursue finding the 'right' ingredients for the soil mix (not potting soil) and tools (not available at hardwares), the right lighting and humidity set-up (or proper outdoor one), etc. etc. For your own info, you wouldn't need to buy a 'real' bonsai - a good starter to learn on can be a 3-5 yr old juniper from the local nursery, along with lots of learning, time and the ability to withstand possible death of the tree (first trees do not have good shelf lives :-). As well, tropical trees can do well indoors, but only if you have the right environment, but outdoor trees (that live outside in your climate) cannot be grown indoors as they need cold dormancy all winter. It's not about knowing how to grow house plants or being a good gardener - it's a whole other situation and does become an obsession with most of us once started, but you do need your eyes and ears wide open.