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What do you buy the person that has everything?


speeddiva

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Yes, I’m talking about my Mother in Law. She is in her 80s, has no hobbies, doesn’t go out except to grocery shop & doctors. I am totally stumped and uninspired this year.

In the past, I’ve gotten her an electric throw, fruit baskets, cookie/candy baskets, journals & a nice pen and jewelry. The other kids get her gift cards so I try to be different.

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Mmmmmm... Omaha Steaks, yummy! My MIL sends us that sometimes, and always when she's going to be visiting.

I have a hard time thinking of thoughtful gifts too. And I'm not a fan of gift cards, not as the only or primary gift.

What about a blanket or throw with pictures on it? We got my mom one several years ago, and she loved it. She still has it out, and changes it weekly to see different parts of the picture. Hmmm... Might be time for an updated one for her!

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Photo album with lots of family pictures.

Meal / food delivery. Jams, fruits etc.

Magazine subscription with the current one wrapped.

Nice clock, home decor, personalized calendar.

Gloves, scarf, hat.

An experience. Tickets to a play, movie, or other local event. Even high schools put on plays for reasonable prices.

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if she owns her home , an improvement to her home, or update..or repair, frsh paint in her bedroom.. ect//.

but i would say the absolute best gift you can get her is TIME,. time spent with her.. make a coupon book.. offer in it to come do her hair, her nails( even if she goes no where the time spent wioll be more valuable then the actual nails) or have a hair dresser come to the house and do her hair,,a movie.. basket.. and go to her house and watch movie with her...a board game.. with a note saying" i/we  will be over to play on (insert time and date) 

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If she's like my mom (who is 87) she probably feels she has enough knick knacks, blankets/throws etc.  Stevierocks is right on the money when he suggests giving your time.   My mom loves to go out to eat and, fortunately for me, she likes to try new places so a gift card to a restaurant that is new or different or expensive is always a winner.  And better yet, you can take her and eat off the gift card too.  (heh heh heh)   My mom always loves homemade cookies/sweets, homemade soups or lasagna so receiving something fresh and homemade is always a winner.  And mom loves her ice cream.  Fortunately I have a couple local area dairy farms that are a little out of the way but very doable where I can get "real" homemade ice cream.  That is always a welcome treat.   Fortunately for me, my mom *loves* new clothes, and while she tells me constantly that she has enough clothes, she never turns down a new top if one appears in a wrapped box.

 

If your MIL can work a DVD player, my mothers loves those Turner Classic Movies 4 packs where they bundle 4 movies by an artist or a genre on 2 discs.  Musicals or Fred Astaire is always a good place to start if you are not sure what to get.   Mom watches those over and over.

 

I admit, my mom has told me several times how much she would really love it if I would set her hair 1x a week.  (And reminds me of how she and her sister did this for her mother.)  And I keep reminding her that I am the last person on the face of this earth that she would want touching her hair.  (And I say this while pointing to the doggie clippers.) 

 

Best wishes! 

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I was shopping with the "person who has everything" in my immediate family this weekend and asked her to look around and to pick something out.  She did and now it's done.  I will get her something else to go with it but that eliminated some stress for me.  She has no hobbies, really doesn't want much and when she does she buys it herself.  So at Christmas time we are left scrambling to come up with something.  LOL.  

 

So if you don't mind that person picking out their own gift, then that is always a solution.  I know it takes some of the "specialness" of the gift away but in my case I'm happy to e told what to buy or have her pick something out herself.  

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I was shopping with the "person who has everything" in my immediate family this weekend and asked her to look around and to pick something out.  She did and now it's done.  I will get her something else to go with it but that eliminated some stress for me.  She has no hobbies, really doesn't want much and when she does she buys it herself.  So at Christmas time we are left scrambling to come up with something.  LOL.  

 

So if you don't mind that person picking out their own gift, then that is always a solution.  I know it takes some of the "specialness" of the gift away but in my case I'm happy to e told what to buy or have her pick something out herself.

 

Not a bad suggestion. I will have to try it
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My DH's mama is one of those people. I've started making Shutterfly calendars with a different photo collage of our kids for each month, made up of pics from the same month the previous year. She really likes those. I also get she and I tickets to a play or a mystery dinner theatre or something. Every year since my hubby and I got married, I've bought her a Waterford ornament, and I always get her some bath stuff in her favorite scent. Outside of the ornament, no clutter, and that's become such a tradition that I can't bring myself to stop doing it. I think this year I will include a gc to a local restaurant so we can go out to dinner before our play. Now that we have kids, I don't get to spend as much one-on-one time with her, so I try to make at least one gift all about that.
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I have an aunt that is hard to buy for. Last year I got gift certificates for her and my daughter to go get their nails done. I think I will go with some herbal teas, two fancy tea cups, a couple of fancy snacks, and a classic movie on DVD so they can have some more girl time together. 

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Ooooooo!  What about some blooming tea instead of plain herbal tea.  Many people haven't experienced them and they make for a novel experience.  It will add some bling to their "girl time".   Some of them taste pretty good too.  (And some taste bland although they look pretty.   Kind of like whenever you by a flavored or an herbal tea, some varieties are going to have a more appealing flavor than others.)  Target carries some.  Amazon of course has a nice variety to choose from as do specialty tea shops.  

 

 

(Hmmm...now that I am talking about blooming teas,  I am wondering if I shouldn't get some for my secret santa person....LOL)

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Ooooooo!  What about some blooming tea instead of plain herbal tea.  Many people haven't experienced them and they make for a novel experience.  It will add some bling to their "girl time".   Some of them taste pretty good too.  (And some taste bland although they look pretty.   Kind of like whenever you by a flavored or an herbal tea, some varieties are going to have a more appealing flavor than others.)  Target carries some.  Amazon of course has a nice variety to choose from as do specialty tea shops.  

 

 

(Hmmm...now that I am talking about blooming teas,  I am wondering if I shouldn't get some for my secret santa person....LOL)

 

I bought my aunt several different varieties of blooming teas over the years. They never look as good as the pictures, unless my aunt is doing something wrong. A lot of them don't "bloom". They still taste good, though!  My aunt really likes those fancy boxes that hold several flavors, like the restaurants have. Amazon has a few, and I have bought little demitasse spoons shaped like different tea pots as gifts that have gone over well. 

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