Still stumped and should be shopping

[grandma bucket]

Am I the only one still shopping?
I am not close with my husbands extended family and our Christmas party is Sunday. I have bought nothing at all as of yet. My mil is in her 80's and has every thing she wants or needs. She has un redeemed gift cards from years ago from food to books. She also has an attic with unused Christmas gifts. She has a cleaning lady and people in to care for her. I have bought a small box of her favorite chocolates and that is all so far.
Any suggestions?
I also need 7 or 8 random small gifts to give to the others. In the past I have given small snack packs, yankee candles, handmade Christmas ornaments, and that type of thing. Like I said after 28 years I really don't know them all that well and we exchange small gifts.

Any ideas?

Reading my post and I don't want you to think I don't like these people I do. It's just that there is a large gap in age between my husband and his siblings to start with. There is also a long lost sister and her family that cut the family off and has returned, that I only briefly met when we were first married. We are all older now and there's not much we want or need.

So any ideas at all will be helpful and appreciated.

 

[missjane]

GrandmaBucket, I had a very elderly GM. Some things I bought her that she seemed to like were books to read, an electric lap blanket, warm fuzzy socks with the grippers of bottom, a new bedside lamp, an electric mattress pad.

As for the others, most people need and use hand lotion, especially during the winter. I'm not talking Bath and body works stuff (sorry, everyone!), but really good stuff like Mary Kay or some other brand that's more lanolin than water and fragrance. Another often overlooked area that needs attention is feet. Have you thought about putting together a foot pampering kit?

Food baskets are usually well recieved, too. Maybe a basket with breakfast items for this hectic time of year??

HTH!

 

[luludou]

oh, I do understand your dilemma! MIL likes NOTHING and needs nothing... dh will be giving her money. I told him I'm not taking care of her gift anymore... too hard. I've bought her nice hand soap (she puts it away and says she'll use it later.... she uses dishwashing soap with a little water in it instead), I've bought her clothes... doesn't wear them, doesn't read, watch tv or listen to music, no hobbies, no knitting, barely cooks anymore (and always the same things so doesn't need kitchen gadgets or ustensils), doesn't wear perfume or jewelry,.... aarggg!

In your case how about movie baskets? A funny or warm Christmas movie (elf or Miracle on the 34th), with some candies, chocolates or popcorn, nice lap blanket?

 

[Miss JoDee]

Miss Jane your lotion idea is great.

I've given my mom postage stamps and all occasion cards and birthday cards.

Another idea is flavored coffee, tea and/or hot chocolates for your extended family.

 

[sloanmama]

First, I'm glad I'm not the only one still shopping! Second, LOVE the idea of a movie basket. Include a DVD and some popcorn and popcorn seasoning and some of the big box movie candy. Great idea for those hard to buy for people! It's extrememly hard to buy for people who don't want/need anything or buy everything they want/need for themselves leaving nothing for anybody else to give them. My MIL is exactly this way. It got so bad, that a few years ago, all of her kids told her "Mom, you are cut off at Thanksgiving. You cannot buy yourself any gift type item leading up to Chirstmas. If you see something you'd like, please mention it to someone." Honestly... she would shop for herself while she was shopping for everyone else for Christmas! It was like Julia Childs... A little wine for the dish, a little wine for me.... One gift for someone else, one gift for me. Ugh! We decided to start just getting her a gift card for a local shop (love to shop locally and support the community) that sells Pandora bracelets/beads. She has 3 Pandora bracelets she wears and there's no way we would ever know which beads she has... so we just buy her a gift card to buy a bead. Usually she buys a bead that reminds her of us or of Christmas. It works for us... and I'm just glad we aren't wasting money buying her something she isn't going to use. Too many years we bought her things that she "loved!" when she opened it, never to see it again. LOL! Hope you figure it out!

 

[jinglemom]

i usually do food type gift baskets for some of the hard to buy for people on my list. Maybe your MIL would like a little breakfast type basket with a couple mini loaves of quick breads and some other items. I just bought a couple bottles of vermont maple syrup in a really cute gingerbread man shaped bottle at cost plus world market for under 10 dollars http://www.worldmarket.com/product/...rbread+man+maple+syrup+bottle.do?&from=Search. Something like this would make a nice little inexpensive gift for the others on your list.

You could also do a restaurant gift card for your mil, but maybe include a pocket calendar and schedule a day where you could take her to lunch or dinner so the card gets used. I have also given a box of all occasion cards to my mom. She liked that alot and is still using them. My dad is also hard to buy for and he is getting an electric throw blanket (hoping it will help with his arthritis) and some food items.

 

[Minta]

When my grandmomther was alive, she was a hard person to buy for. My cousins would buy her boxes of her favorite candies, snacks, etc. She loved coffee but only a certain brand of instant coffee. I could buy her several jars. At least this way I knew it would be used and she didnt have to worry about buying any for a while.

I like the idea of the maple syrup, maybe create a breakfest basket with that, a box of pancake mix and a festive large cookie cutter. My kids love it when I use cookie cutters on their pancakes.

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I am still shopping also!! That said maybe things that she uses daily so she won't need to replace them? The dish soap, fave food item, bath soap, paper towels and toilet paper. Sounds terribly boring but if they are things she uses and need, its one less shopping trip for her.

As for the rest of the family food can still be nice. Like a loaf of bread from Panera or a bakery or something along that line maybe?

 

[AnnieClaus]

I think the ideas here are great!

For your MIL- I like the idea of jinglemom's of buying a restuarant gift card and then scheduling a day for you and your DH to take her. Then she gets an outing as well.

Could you make a batch of something- chilli or soup and pack it in one serving containers to go in her freezer?

For the others- a simple food item would be good. Maybe a loaf of bread and a good jar of jelly or jam.

Or the movie idea is good too.

Annie

 

[Cindylouwho]

PirateMama got Panera Bread Bakery before I could! ;-) I agree with all of the great ideas above. How does your MIL spend her day?

A few more thoughts are:

Chocolate Liqueurs (if appropriate)
A thesaurus for the crossword puzzle lover (this is on my own Dad's list)
A craft to do of some sort (for the MIL?)
An event.

Really liking the movie thing though. Maybe an old series? I'm got my Dad Centennial as he just re-read the book and loved it. He forgot they made it into a movie series. There are all kinds of old classics from PBS too. Masterpiece Theater? Mysteries?

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

I would suggest getting a lovely arrangement of seasonal flowers delivered to the house. It would make the house cheery.