What are you buying for your parents?

[Swimalie]

My parents are pretty easy (both 69). They are very active and love a lot of things. I got my mom a Hummel, an ornament from Monticello from when she came to visit (that was hard as I had to sneak in to the gift shop when she was in the bathroom) and a Sherpani hand wallet to go with her new purse by the same company. It's for her to use while on vacations to hold her license and some cash and credit cards. For my dad I got him a Brazilian Soccer shirt (he grew up there) and the John Adams HBO special on dvd. I got them both Straight No Chaser cd. I even have my mom's birthday (April) and dad's birthday (Feb) presents (a running jersey). I shop early as I see things and just keep them as the year goes on.

Would your parents like a new radio or a blanket or slippers? Maybe a fruit basket?

 

[maggieusa]

MIL 2 pairs of pjs from Penny's and she will be getting a gift card to her favorite place to eat.

 

[Cindy B]

My mom said her Mp3 player was wearing out ( so I bought her a Sandisk Fuse 4gb. She didn't want an Ipod so I got her something that she could use with Windows Media player and could do some other things.

My dad buys fishing stuff all the time at Walmart so she said a GC to Walmart would make him really happy.

 

[boomersmom]

How about a bed jacket for your mom? It's kind of like a really short robe. I think I have seen them at Penney's. They are nice for anyone who is confined to bed, or even nice to put on while watching TV or reading.

 

[SylviaL]

DH bought college basketball tickets for his parents. They are really excited.

 

[java]

I just sent this to my Mom and her Husband and I am also getting her a windbreaker
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/...tional-geographic-"my-world"-personalized-map

 

[sherry7]

Awesome ideas everyone...please keep them coming!

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

My brothers and I are getting my parents (68 and 69) a Wii . They both liked playing DD's when we take it over there for family dinners. Dad's an avid golfer so I know he'll like golfing on the Wii sports, and I plan to get him the Tiger golf game for his birthday in Jan. Mom used to bowl but can't now becuse of her back. She kicks everyones but in Wii bowling. I know they won't use it ALL the time but they can use it when they have their monthly pot luck dinners with their friends. And it will be there to entertain DD when she visits.

 

[charming23]

Since I still live at home with my mom we exchange quite a few gifts between each other so I got her

a new digital camera (great black friday deal)
two new nightgowns
a maroon cardigan
a pink fuzzy sweater
Julie and Julia on DVD (preorded from Walmart for cheap thanks to a thread on the board)
a photo calendar from our trip to Florida
An Eeyore Mug
and a Team Jacob tee

 

[clh2]

Last year my parents (early 70's) requested that the kids did not buy them gifts, but instead made a donation to Heifer International. Which we happily did! (In a gift that "keeps giving"...we were able to get a tax deduction on the donation too!)

About 10 years ago - we really had a hard time coming up with a gift idea, and the church my parents belong to was doing a major fundraising campaign for a pipe organ in their church. Since my mom is very active in the choir, and my dad is the treasurer of the church, we found it to be very fitting to make a donation in honor of them for the pipe organ. My parents were thrilled!

We are doing Heifer International this year too!

 

[Debbie7452]

We have had great success with gifts that come with an "experience". Like for Father's Day we got my FIL tickets to go with my DH to a major league baseball game. He had never been to one in person. The fact that my DH and he went together made it really a special memory. Our DS-11 had a birthday around that time so he got a ticket too! It was three generations going out to the ball game together. It was very well received and they all had a great time...they got a picture taken together at the game and my FIL is so proud of it!

For folks who have everything...you have to think outside the box.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Tickets to a play. Or a gift card from Playhouse Square and they can pick which play they want to see.

 

[swilshire]

I didn't read the other responses, but one hit with my MIL is always any kind of pictures. This year I made her a nice photo book when they were on sale at Snapfish.

Sheila

 

[mom2cookies]

My mom (62) always asks for an Autographed Off Kilter CD, since she wants Jamie in her stocking.

ROFl sounds like your mom and i would get along JUST FINE! introduce her to ALBANNACH and her heart will be dividedhttp://www.albannachmusic.com/. their Jamie is just as fiiiiiiine. mmmmmm

 

[limace]

Like the PP, my dad has loved a gift to Heifer International (if you don't know about them, they give animals to folks living in poverty, who then commit to give some of the offspring to other folks in their community-they can then eat or make money from the proceeds. We gave a flock of chicks-it's a great gift, and only $20). Is there a charity they would support and appreciate a donation made in their name?

I'm lucky in that my folks make lists of ideas, so they are pretty easy. ILs are much harder. My father in law and his wife spend eight weeks or so right after Christmas in Waikiki, so we often buy them a gift certificate to a Honolulu restaurant they like. We also usually do photo calendars for all the grandparents on Shutterfly, and the kids make mugs at a pottery place (I'm not sure if you have older children). We usually buy a science fiction book for my stepFIL, as he loves those, and so do I, so I often can find some new release for him.

 

[MAKHayes-DisneyDiva]

I know you said no to the digital frame. My parents thought the digi frame might be complicated, but my brothers and I pre-loaded it with hundreds of pictures, so all they have to do is plug it in. Just a thought.

 

[skip323]

My parents just drive me crazy at the holidays! They, as many have noted, have everything! I...attempting to be a thoughtful gift giver....listen when we are having conversations throughout the year to things that they say they want to try or have and them give it to them....only for it not to be used!!!! Oh well, at least they have it!!! 2 years ago my sibs and I purchased a GPS system for my dad. He was thrilled....it hasn't been used. Ditto for the IPOD when they first came out and a couple of other electronic things. He LOVES his laptops so it is not that he doesn't appreciate technology. I mentioned a KINDLE to my mom...neither have the slightest clue as to what it is...gotta love them!

For a couple of years a did an excellent wine company - Fruit Forward - for my dad. You can do a wine of the month every month, every other, every 3 or 4 or 6. They usually send one red and one white but if one prefers only one of the 2, that can be done as well. My dad really enjoys different wines and he loved this. It is expensive to ship so I was on the every 4 months plan which worked well for him.

My mom, I just try to go with what is functional. I like what a pp mentioned about buying a years supply of something. I bet if I purchased a years supply of DUCT TAPE my mom would be in 7th Heaven!!!! Boy! She could tape the entire house up! Broken gutters? no problem! Car door falling off...who need another one...just duct tape it!!! Cut on your finger? eh...put a little duct tape on !! She's like Tulla's father with the windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding!!!

Oh well! At any rate, my mom has been doing a compost for years using a margarine container in the house and she loves my "official" compost pail. I am getting one for her this year.

We also have great luck with tickets to musical events as my dad is a retired musician. We also started out paying my parent's membership at the community rec building....mom never used it, dad uses it to this day (10 or so years later) so doing that and just renewing the membership is great!

 

[princessbride6205]

My parents have everything, and if they don't, they can afford to buy it. They are in their 50s.
Mom - always do some kind of photo gift. Usually a calendar with pics of DD. This year I'm going to make a "Grandma and Me" story with a Snapfish photo book. I asked her what else she wants and she said cast iron skillet. LOL So I'm going to get her that, maybe a cook book and some ingredients to go with it (like from-scratch cornbread ingredients in a mason jar). Depending on how much this all costs, I may buy her a lamb/sheep through Heifer Int'l or a similar charity. She LOVES lambs.
Dad - we looked into buying a screen for the stone fire pit he had built in the yard, but it's so big we'd have to get a custom one. Too pricey. We are looking at the "experience" idea - getting tickets to a hockey game for he and I to go to together. When I was in high school, we had season tickets, so that was our father/daughter time. It's now been years since we've been to a game together.

 

[srandsr76]

If you have children - find a pottery place that you can go and paint pottery for them. I started this last Christmas and made my mom and MIL Christmas platters with DD's thumb print and this year we have made another platter (different shape - more like a bread platter) with her hand print as a Christmas tree.

Then we always get our parents a together gift - this year for my parents I made a scrapbook of all my school pictures growing up, since that didn't have them in an album and for my in laws we are getting a Disney gift card. We are all going to Disney in January and they can use for a meal!!!

Hope this helps!! Parents are tough!!

 

[HeatherC]

Last year I got mine a membership to the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art. They had a great time going throughout the year. So a museum membership?

Or Netflix subscription?