What to get the Mother In Law who really needs nothing

[swilshire]

Gift the gift of time. An afternoon with your family now and then, taking in a concert or meal, would probably mean more than any THING you could come up with. Many elderly people are very lonely.

If your children have performances during the holidays, these would be big hits.

Sheila

 

[ah1126]

Are there things she can't do anymore that you could do for her? Like a chore around the house..... cleaning, fixing things, helping to put up and take down decorations..... Sometimes these simple things get overlooked. Good Luck!

 

[dpratt68]

We (brother and sistersin law) started buying my in-laws a large appliance each year. They would tend to spend on everybody but themselves and never upgrade. They totally love the idea now. One year it was a huge AC, the next a dishwasher. this year we are debating recliners or new sliders to the deck. Of course we are fortunate that my husband has 6 siblings so the cost isn't too bad. Good luck.

 

[blessedby3]

Thank You, I am going to definately use some of these ideas. I too, am wondering about the talking clock. Where to go to get one of these? Thanks for all the great ideas

 

[mousefanmichelle]

Ithink you might want to consider some low vision aides such as talking clock, lighted magnifiers - things that have color contrast such as black placemats with a white plate so that she can see better. There are all kinds of things out there to help people losing their eyesite. I would say that if you don't want to go that route how about gift certs to a grocery store such as Meijer, Walmart or whatever supercenter is in your area. Good luck!

 

[Terk-1]

I would recommend a gift certificate to her hair salon or to a store that she frequents often. Another idea would be a nice gift basket with things that she likes, such as her favorite coffee or tea, crackers, cookies, etc.

 

[keishashadow]

pre-paid mastercard/visa gift cards (can use on nearly anything, including groceries, etc.)

Books on audio tape,
maid service

pre-cooked meals

 

[mjantz]

I bought my grandfather a talking picture frame one time & had the kids say 'Hi Grandpa! We love you!' into it. He really liked it a lot & I'm sure he still plays it on occasion. IIRC, it was an 8x10 frame so you could put a big picture into it.
My grandfather is diabetic & he really likes getting the sugar-free chocolates. They're not as hard to find as they once were thanks to Atkins but its still a treat for him.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I know once I got the grandfather a talking picture frame with a picture of the ds inside. He really liked it since we didnt live near him and he could listen to them say hi to him etc. Its also more of a hearing than seeing gift.

 

[jennifer293]

I get a cute basket form the Dollar Tree and then I go to Cracker Barrel and fill it up with their pancake mix, syrup, fried apples, jellies and such...She loves that stuff.

Not sure if I will go that route this year..She is in the middle of a nasty divorce after 25 years of marriage and has lost about 50lbs since July, so I may take her to buy a new outfit or something or give her a GC to a department store.

 

[Thumpersmom]

Something my grandma loves is a basket I fill with different cards ....for birthday's, thinking of you, thank you's, pretty note cards, stickers to seal the envelopes and I always include a few packets of stamps-different ones from the post office so she can choose the stamp too.

She is not able to drive anymore and this helps her when she remembers someone's birthday and no one is able to go and pick her up for a few days.

 

[HeatherFeather]

For talking clocks and other things for low vision and just products to help make life a little easier for the elderly try www.independentliving.com. I think this is where I got MIL her clock for her birthday. Apparently before that, my SIL said MIL was calling "time" on the phone like 43 times a day....

 

[Dreaming of Disney]

You can also purchase talking picture frames and talking clocks at Radio Shack.

 

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

For talking clocks and other things for low vision and just products to help make life a little easier for the elderly try www.independentliving.com. I think this is where I got MIL her clock for her birthday. Apparently before that, my SIL said MIL was calling "time" on the phone like 43 times a day....

What a cool site - thanks for sharing!

 

[Alice28]

My MIL has everything, and the money to buy anything she doesn't have.

A couple years now I have made scrapbooks of here. usually it's of the grandkids throughout the previous year, but one year she gave me all the pictures of my FIL growing up (this was 2-3 years after he passed away) and I made a book of those pics. She loves it!

Years I haven't done scrapbooks I have bought her a gift basket of Bath and Body Works spa products.

 

[dopeynme]

This is not truly for her, but might make everyone feel good......I received a catalogue in the mail for Heifer International. You donate $$ to purchase livestock (a cow is $500, a duck is $30 and all prices in between). The animals are donated to a poor family in a undeveloped part of the world. It gives the family an income (selling milk from the cow, eating some eggs, selling some, using some to grow the flock). When I realized how much a small donation can do, I decided to do this together with my coworkers. Seems wrong to spend $$ on my manicure when the same $20 can change a family's life.....

If you prefer something more local, there are donations to Katrina relief, Toys for Tots, etc.........Just a thought.........

I DO still like to have a token gift that is actually for the MIL!!!!

 

[bethyg]

I love the idea of scrapbooking old photos (of when they were young, their children were young). You could also make those photos into a DVD movie, complete with appropriate music for the era and narration of family memories.

One year, I bought everyone hand-crafted Christmas ornaments our local hospice was selling (an organization close to my heart as an Oncology nurse). They were beautiful and most of the money went to benefit the local hospice chapter. They have turned out to be like family heirlooms. Look into these types of organizations. Most have elderly volunteers that make crafts to sell ( American Heart Association, Cancer society, etc......senior citizen centers too). Who knows, it might spark some interest and they might choose to volunteer, and make new friends.

My grandmother always loved yarn for her crocheting and knitting. Kept her stocked for the whole year. Maybe TV series DVD's of shows they really used to enjoy (Golden girls, Matlock, Little house, Waltons).

 

[Zoemakes5]

I liked someone's idea I got on here. Buy an apron, let kids put their footprints on it w/ paint & paint on it "No-my grandkids don't walk all over me. Why do you ask?"

Hey, that's my idea.....can't have all those grannies running around with apron's!

Something I've been trying to get my DH to do is make a donation in their names to a charity that they've expressed support for.

Otherwise, experiences are great.....tickets to a show or movie, a special dinner out, getting dressed up and going for tea, spa day, a trip to Disney .....my grandma, when she was that age LOVED Vegas.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

This may be a bit offbase, but I think those alert buttons are a great idea for the elderly. They just push the button if there's an emergency, and a dispatcher sends someome to them. If she has trouble seeing, she double runs the risk of injuring herself somehow.

Otherwise, I think most grandparents love anything that reminds them of the greandkids- I really like the talking picture frame idea.

 

[peanuttrip]

though it is not my mother in law, my bothers and sister have a mother that buys what ever she needs. for the last two years we have gave her flowers, that come every month. it is a little expensive but when split four ways it makes it much easier. even though your mother-in-law can not see well who does not love to get flowers.