Help me find something nice for my mom!!!!!

[Mickey'snewestfan]

My mother is 69 and retired. Each year she chooses a destination, audits courses related to it at a local university, and then visits in the spring. This has made gift giving easy because I get something related to either travel, or to the destination. This year's destination is Turkey.

I had thought I was set for this year. I was going to get her a few books of Historical Fiction related to Turkey (she's already read a lot of straight history because of the courses), a travel wallet you wear under your clothes (which she asked for) and a back track GPS - keychain where you can program in a location and you'll always be able to find your way back. I thought this last gift was genius for when she's exploring an unfamiliar city and doesn't speak the langauge.

But I just read online that the backtrack only works if there are no buildings close by. Well, she's not the hiking in the woods type, so this won't work. In addition, she just found out that she's getting a hip replacement in January so I'm not 100% sure she's even going to Turkey.

Any other suggestions? I'll already got the books, since she'll clearly want stuff to read when she's recupperating from the surgery. I want to spend about $100 above the cost of the books so either a gift that costs about that amount, or a gift that costs about $80 and I'll still get the travel wallet, or several small gifts.

It doesn't have to be related to travel and Turkey. In the past some big hits have included a new bike (to get in shape for bike trips), a painting of her grandchild to match the portraits of me and my siblings as kids, and the following sweater if that gives you a sense of her style:

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/...s-clothing/sweaters/altiplano-alpaca-cardigan

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[Disney Doll]

Gym membership to continue to recuperate psot-op?

 

[Bren's Mom]

How about a digital picture frame? If she has wireless at her home you can get one that you can remotely load pics to. So you can change them all the time. I'm thinking that might be nice when she's home recuperating if she has her surgery.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

How about a digital picture frame? If she has wireless at her home you can get one that you can remotely load pics to. So you can change them all the time. I'm thinking that might be nice when she's home recuperating if she has her surgery.

That's what we got her when she was recuperating from her last surgery!!!

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Gym membership to continue to recuperate psot-op?

Great idea, but she has a free gym in her building.

 

[Bren's Mom]

That's what we got her when she was recuperating from her last surgery!!!

LOL, great minds think alike!

It's out of the budget, but a Kindle maybe?

I'll keep my thinking cap on and will post if I come up with anything else brilliant!

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

LOL, great minds think alike!

It's out of the budget, but a Kindle maybe?

I'll keep my thinking cap on and will post if I come up with anything else brilliant!

I just don't know if she'd master it -- in some ways she's really young and sophisticated, and then other times she's calling me up because her computer has her stumped, and the solution is really obvious. It sure would be great for her to be able to browse and choose books from bed while she recuperates.

 

[Bren's Mom]

I just don't know if she'd master it -- in some ways she's really young and sophisticated, and then other times she's calling me up because her computer has her stumped, and the solution is really obvious. It sure would be great for her to be able to browse and choose books from bed while she recuperates.

Hmmm, yes I can see that could be a problem.

I guess it would be the same with an Ipod Touch?

 

[Minnesota!]

My mom travels a lot, too. But she does domestic road trips with her camper. So, this year I got her a few books on hidden gems for road trips, a book on "road food" - the best diners, restaurants, etc. off the beaten path, and then I got her her first ever cell phone! I wanted her to have it in case she gets into car trouble or whatever along the way.
What about travel movies from National Geographic or any of the PBS series? I got my mom a few a years back, and she loved it!!

 

[PrincessKsMom]

What about a credit for an airline for use on a future trip?

 

[mickeysgal]

Since she travels a lot, perhaps a purse from PacSafe? It is constructed to deter pickpockets. She may have one already though if she does, indeed, travel a lot.

Does she have a digital camera?

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Since she travels a lot, perhaps a purse from PacSafe? It is constructed to deter pickpockets. She may have one already though if she does, indeed, travel a lot.

Does she have a digital camera?

She does have a nice digital camera. She's asked for a wallet to go under her clothes (like a belt style wallet) -- maybe upgrading to a purse would work.

 

[mickeysgal]

She does have a nice digital camera. She's asked for a wallet to go under her clothes (like a belt style wallet) -- maybe upgrading to a purse would work.

I believe I got mine off of amazon. I went to the pacsafe website first to check out the options.

I got my under-the-clothes money wallet at Walmart. It was just a couple of dollars.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Hey Mickey'sgal

I posted that when I was also sending a bunch of emails, and signed with my real name, not something I generally do. Could you edit my quote?

Thanks!

 

[mickeysgal]

Hey Mickey'sgal

I posted that when I was also sending a bunch of emails, and signed with my real name, not something I generally do. Could you edit my quote?

Thanks!

Done!

 

[AmongMadPeople]

She does have a nice digital camera. She's asked for a wallet to go under her clothes (like a belt style wallet) -- maybe upgrading to a purse would work.

Definitely keep the under clothes wallet, and just add one of those bags/purses. She'll still want to stash the most important things and back up cash in it.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Any other ideas? If I don't think of something soon she'll get a donation in her name to a good cause -- maybe Heifer Project?

I called her best friend and she suggested a restaurant gift certificate, but I'm just not sure that's "it".

 

[Katy Belle]

If you want to do a donation, www.compassion.com gets better ratings than the Heifer Project on the charity rating sites. They do monthly child sponsorship, but also have "gifts" similar th Heifer, like a goat, water filter, etc
Check them out!.

 

[mickeysgal]

Any other ideas? If I don't think of something soon she'll get a donation in her name to a good cause -- maybe Heifer Project?

I called her best friend and she suggested a restaurant gift certificate, but I'm just not sure that's "it".

A gift certificate to her favorite hair salon?

Or a donation to your local humane society or rescue organization?

 

[MiniGirl]

First of all, I want to say that your mom sounds like a neat lady. I think it is so great that she picks a destination, learns about it and then goes to it.

Anyway, maybe it is because of the movies, but I always think such adventurers need leather travel journals much like the ones here...

http://www.renaissance-art.com/catg16/category.aspx

There are some sleeker looking ones, too, on other sites, but I love these.

Another option could be a magazine subscription to different travel magazines or even International Living. Of course, that might just encourage her to up and move to another country, so you may not want that. LOL!!

Here's hoping she has a successdul surgery and a speedy recovery.