gift ideas needed

[ProudGrandma]

What do you get someone for Christmas when you don't know what to get....here are a few details....first off, my SIL.....we want to spend about $100 or so.  

55 year old female....wife, mom of college students....no real hobbies to speak of.  I think she has pretty much every small appliance she wants....unless there is something new out there that I am not aware of.....not super techy....but might be interested in something different....She is a teacher and gets all of the gift cards (and other teacher things she could ever want).   They don't play games since the kids are all away.   She is not a gardener or a crafter.  

They live in a rural area...so an "event" type gift would only make life difficult since they would have to drive for hours to get anywhere and then spend more money to spend the the night....

They live thousands of miles away, so it can't be something I do for her or make for her (food wise)....in otherwords....Amazon is my best friend in this case.... :) 

Clothes are a no.....she is picky....

I am really stuck...please shoot me your best ideas! THANKS!!!!

[regentrude]

Consumables. Tea, coffee, wine, fruit basket, assortment of jams or cheeses or charcuterie. Fancy salsa or relish.

[HomeAgain]

I'd pick one of the places that do food boxes.  DH's parents sent him a box once that was a taste of Philadelphia.  It had things like frozen soft pretzels, the makings for good cheesesteaks, TastyKake... it was one of his favorite gifts ever.

[Innisfree]

Several of my older relatives had gifts they’d send year after year: citrus fruits, seasonal flowers or arrangements, fruitcakes (I know… though these were actually good…). I’m starting to think they had the right idea. It’s a bit of a pain, in a sense, that we can all get good oranges and grapefruits at the grocery store now, because those big boxes of fruit were really enjoyed, year after year. 

Maybe some such boxes would be enjoyed now. Maybe there *are* fruits that are better than the ones from the grocery store, or boxes of coffees, or whatever. Maybe there’s something to be said for predictability and tradition, and not having to wrack our brains for the perfect unique gift for Aunt Myrtle every year.

So, I’m agreeing with choosing consumables, of some sort. I *might* just pick my own signature consumable I send everyone outside the immediate family. They can always give away whatever they can’t use, like Grandpa always sent us home with some oranges from the big box.

[Carol in Cal.]

Maybe an Ott lamp?  That’s an age when having strong lighting starts to become increasingly important.

I agree with consumables.  Casa De Fruta is a great place to order those, and available online.

[Selkie]

I like to send fruit boxes from Tropical Fruit Box, veggie boxes from Chef’s Garden, and floral arrangements from Bouqs.

[kbutton]

Gift cards for local restaurants? Or to places near her kids’ schools if she visits them there. 

If she likes to decorate her home, maybe a gift card to wherever she likes to buy things to feather her nest.

I think consumables are great if you know what she likes and doesn’t have restrictions or sensitivities.

 

[Mothersweets]

White Flower Farm bulb gardens - we send one of these every year to our aunt who has everything. She sends pics once it starts blooming and they are always beautiful and she loves them. Totally worth the cost!

[Bambam]

A friend gets us the 2 lb Jumbo Cashew tin from Nuts.com every year. They are the best cashews.  They have other things as well.
If she likes nuts, it might be a nice option
https://nuts.com/gifts/best-sellers/

 

[footballmom]

Can you find out where she gets her hair done or if she likes pedicures and do a gift card for that? It sounds like she likes what she likes and I would try to go with something that would be useful and thoughtful.  

[ScoutTN]

Agreeing with food box/basket. Esp if timed for when her kids will be home. A nice box, plus tax snd delivery, will be $100. 

[kbutton]

Thinking more about the rural angle...if she doesn't have access to a Trader Joe's, and you do, they have lots of fun stuff if you want to mail things yourself. 

[Lucy the Valiant]

Something special from YOUR area of the country, that reminds her of you? Example: coffee / jam / maple syrup, etc?

[*****]

Essential oils?  Maybe an diffuser for her classroom? (I know this may not be for some, but I like it when I go into a classroom that has one on.)

https://decorativelightcovers.com/product-category/fluorescent-light-covers                  Maybe some of these for her classroom?  (I'm trying to think out of the box here.)     But some students will find these handy to cut the glare. And if she has never heard of them, she may appreciate  a few.  

 

[ProudGrandma]

thank you so much for all of these great ideas.   I forgot to mention she has food allergies and so the food ideas won't work very well.  But i do like the out of the box thinking.  If others have any ideas, I am still trying to come up with something.   Thanks so much for trying to help me!!

[momto3innc]

Some random ideas I’d like 🙂

—a nicer kitchen item. Things like: a nice pan or casserole dish. Maybe nicer than she would buy for herself?

—or practical kitchen: really nice dish towels with kitchen hand soaps from bath and body works.  You could also do really nice handmade bars of soap for the bathrooms.
 

—Or local gift cards for her combined with a couple fun things from Trader Joe’s

—Would she like a Fitbit?

 

[ProudGrandma]

28 minutes ago, momto3innc said:

Some random ideas I’d like 🙂

—a nicer kitchen item. Things like: a nice pan or casserole dish. Maybe nicer than she would buy for herself?

—or practical kitchen: really nice dish towels with kitchen hand soaps from bath and body works.  You could also do really nice handmade bars of soap for the bathrooms.
 

—Or local gift cards for her combined with a couple fun things from Trader Joe’s

—Would she like a Fitbit?

 

these are good ideas.....any specific brands of pans or dishes you might recommend? 

[DeainUSA]

Rechargable hand warmers and fingerless mittens are great for teachers.  Classrooms get cold and some have to go outside for pick up/drop off.  

Stanley Tumbler.

Anything by Barefoot Dreams.

Opopopcorn set with a puzzle, drink mix, candle, book, etc...

Electric candle warmer and a beautiful candle

 

[Clemsondana]

Along the idea of Trader Joes boxes...are there food items in your area that she can eat and would like but are hard to get where she is?  When we lived in the southwest, we struggled to find southern staples like Duke's mayo and Mt. Olive sweet pickle cubes.  Now that we are no longer in the southwest, we have to hunt for some favorites that we developed a taste for when we lived there.  So, in addition to quirky stores like Trader Joes or Whole Foods, a box of regional items might be appreciated.  You can find a lot of things if you dig around on Amazon, but if you don't know that they are there, you don't know to look for them.  Also, nice convenience products - soup, dip, or dessert mixes, etc -  might be something that varies locally.  My mom often gets things like this at craft shows, but we've also found them at small stores or in the 'local products' endcap at regional chains.  And, if not food items, perhaps handmade soaps or some other item that the area is known for.  

Or you could go with a set of smaller things - a pair of flufffy PJs, some bubble bath, and an Amazon gift card so that she can get a new book or load one onto her kindle.  Or sub a candle, or an upscale chocolate, or whatever would make be a good fit.  

Edited November 27, 2022 by Clemsondana