Night Elf Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Every year I try to think of something to get for my mom and stepdad. Every year I give up and give them a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant. My mom loves going out to eat so I know she appreciates it, but I feel like all we're doing is trading money. She usually gives all 5 of us shirts/sweaters. She can spend anywhere from $10 to $20 on one item and I worry we aren't giving her enough to offset what she's spending. She lives on a very tight budget and I worry she overspends on Christmas, but she refuses to change because she loves giving gifts. What on earth can I give her? They are diabetic so food gifts won't work. I can't imagine trying to buy her clothes, and especially not my stepdad. I still plan on giving them a restaurant gift card because they really enjoy it. I just want something they can open. Any ideas? What do you usually buy for your parents, especially if there is nothing they need and they have no space for clutter anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 go to Shutterfly and make her a photo book, either of grandkids, or, if you can scan them, of ancestors. I have made several different photobooks of various bits of the family tree for both my folks (they are divorced). Makes a great gift! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Expanding on the photo theme -- I'm usually horrible with gifts. But this year I've suggested that we get one of those electronic picture frame thingies. DH and I can load it with one-third of the photos it will hold, and then we'll pass it on to his sister and brother, who can each load it with another one third. MIL loves having pictures of everybody, so I think she'd really like it. Would that work for your mother and step father? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 go to Shutterfly and make her a photo book, either of grandkids, or, if you can scan them, of ancestors. I have made several different photobooks of various bits of the family tree for both my folks (they are divorced). Makes a great gift! We did this last year and it was very popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Do they have a playhouse/theater nearby? I started getting my mom and her husband 2 tickets to a show that I think they'd enjoy and my brother and his wife gets them a gift certificate for dinner before the play. They get a nice evening out and I can pick a different show each year. Last year, they went to Memphis and loved it. Something to open - I like to get people nice splurge type socks. I got mom's husband LL Bean smartwool socks as part of his birthday present this year. They're $20 a pair, so nothing they'd usually buy for themselves because it feels a bit frivolous to buy yourself $20 socks. But they're worth every penny and great to give as a gift. Other ideas - 6 month netflix or audible subscription, board game, nice stationery/note cards with a nice pen and a book of stamps, a new set of kitchen towels with something for the kitchen, even nice hand soap/dish soap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Do they live in a house? If they are in a retirement community, this might not work, but we've done stepping stones - you can make them, of course, or there are some you can buy that are sculpted. My mom received a frog years ago, and it was such a huge hit, everyone laughed, and she's loved it for years. She's selling her house, but the stone is staying, sadly, as it's part of her landscaping paths. That's something that stays outside, doesn't clutter the house. We've made stepping stones for our other parents, with all the grandkids' names. I painted flowers and put the names of grandkids on each, then wrote "Grandma's Garden" or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 I do a photo calendar of the kids/family every single year for all three grandparents (dh's parents are divorced so I make three of them.) I know my dad depends on his and uses it all year. It hangs on the wall. The relationships between dh and both of his parents are distant and strained so this is a way to give a personal gift that is mostly about the kids and eases his conscience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 What on earth can I give her? They are diabetic so food gifts won't work. I can't imagine trying to buy her clothes, and especially not my stepdad. I still plan on giving them a restaurant gift card because they really enjoy it. I just want something they can open. Any ideas? What do you usually buy for your parents, especially if there is nothing they need and they have no space for clutter anyway? Food gifts could still work, just a different kind of food. Do they like to cook? You could do spice/herb/seasoning samplers from Penzeys.com (they use cinnamon sticks, whole nutmegs and bay leaves for cushioning in their sampler packs---smells great when you open it), flavored olive oils or vinegars, nuts, maybe special local cheeses or meats (one of the local farms offers a gift basket with local eggs, meat, etc for instance), fresh produce, teas, coffees, gourmet mustards, etc. An experience gift. We've done going on a special daytrip in lieu of exchanging gifts with my in-laws (we did Biltmore House and the National Gingerbread Competition at Grove Park Inn in Asheville one year). I bought tickets for my parents to take my daughter to their favorite holiday play one year. Turn around time on those photobooks is pretty short, so if the experience happens earlier in the season, you can make a memory book of that for them to open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderchica Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Fruit of the month club! Harry & David has nice ones. What about a cute family tree or a grandmother's necklace? Etsy has some lovely options like these- We have one of the ones with birds in the trees. https://www.etsy.com/search?q=family%20tree https://www.etsy.com/search?q=grandmother%20necklace&ref=auto1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 My mom won''t buy herself anything nice. Last year I got her a nice columbia jacket, year before, at her request, a nice "mature skin" night cream, she also likes bath and body works sprays. She usualy comes up with something my dad needs. I have, in the past, sent a harry and david baskets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indian summer Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 We often do concert tickets or other event tickets for things they enjoy. (plays, comics, Christmas shows) Or books - especially local interest genre. This year I'm getting them a roku with Netflix gift subscription. My sister is getting my mom a preloaded kindle or kobo or whatever brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 Ooh, an experience gift. Good idea. My mom was just telling me how she wanted to go to the zoo but when she found out how much it cost, they couldn't go. She'd probably love a day at the zoo. I also like the idea of a photo calendar. We'd have to take pictures for it though because we aren't picture takers so we don't have any from the year. I'll give it some thought. I like the idea of a fruit and cheese basket too. Great ideas! I might have too many choices now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 I would do an experience gift too. If possible, I'd include your whole family- so everyone goes to the zoo; or you, mom, and your DDs all go get manicures and desserts or something. I know my parents and in-laws don't really appreciate anything as much as they appreciate our time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Every year I try to think of something to get for my mom and stepdad. Every year I give up and give them a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant. My mom loves going out to eat so I know she appreciates it, but I feel like all we're doing is trading money. She usually gives all 5 of us shirts/sweaters. She can spend anywhere from $10 to $20 on one item and I worry we aren't giving her enough to offset what she's spending. She lives on a very tight budget and I worry she overspends on Christmas, but she refuses to change because she loves giving gifts. What on earth can I give her? They are diabetic so food gifts won't work. I can't imagine trying to buy her clothes, and especially not my stepdad. I still plan on giving them a restaurant gift card because they really enjoy it. I just want something they can open. Any ideas? What do you usually buy for your parents, especially if there is nothing they need and they have no space for clutter anyway? You got a lot of good ideas. My inlaws are very hard to buy for - NO food gift is OK with them, even a Penzey's box (my MIL has a lot of food weirdness); they don't read; kitchen stuff is not considered gift enough, etc., etc. We usually go with photo-related stuff. But I wanted to address the bolded. I know what you mean - I worry about my MIL's spending too. She sends a lot of useless stuff - clothing that is never worn but immediately donated; purses too old-ladyish for my daughter, etc. etc. My FIL picks out weird stuff too; like the "art object" which was a plastic bathroom (about the size of a kleenex box) with buttons to press that made bathroom noises. OK, uh, thanks? Anyway, they are not my parents so I keep my mouth shut, but my husband has tried to get them to tone it down a little. They just won't. He gave up... it's their money. I know you didn't say your mom gives useless gifts. But I was thinking more about the money. And I guess giving in to a little rant about my own family. :ohmy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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