Gifts for parents/inlaws

[Deleted]

With both my side and DH's side of the family, we have three "sets" of parents to buy XMas gifts for. I have no idea what to get anyone.

They all tend to buy things as they want them, so I'm thinking "experience" gifts might be good.

Can anyone offer any ideas for gifts? What are you getting your parents/inlaws?

I usually budget about $100 per couple.

[lime]

Experience gifts could be museum or zoo passes, GC to a restaurant, tickets for a show.

Wine or microbrew beer (if they like that) is always good.

[mbcdefg]

Do any of them travel? My brother got me and MH a bedandbreakfast.com gift card last Christmas, and we just used it last week.

You could get gift cards for Ticketmaster. Or a local restaurant - you could even pick a BYOB place, buy a nice bottle of wine or beer, and attach the gift card.

Maybe tickets to a sports game or a show? Concert?

My FIL is a pain to buy for, and he's single and doesn't go out at all. MH has bought him towels, bedsheets, and food items over the years. This year's gift is a $200ish TV since FIL's is shot.

For our aunts and uncles, we've done nice bottles of wine with carrying cases or openers ... my aunt has something similar to this, which she received from her boss a while back (so she didn't know where it's from when I asked her where to get it), and she loves it. We've also bought them bags of gourmet coffee and paired them with mugs or travel mugs.

[niq]

Fathom Events GCs, or tickets to specific event(s) have been a hit with my relatives.

Have you gotten them a photo album/book? Snapfish, shutterfly, etc. have some good deals. Or you could put the pictures on something like a puzzle or mug or something (this is my goto gift for relatives).

[hw77]

Last year we got all parents Foodie Tour tickets for their city - everyone loved the experience

bostonfoodietours.com/

even small towns have them... so if they like food and can walk around for a few hours then it would be fun

[sweetnsour]

Nov 18, 2013 17:13:59 GMT -5 hw77 said:

Last year we got all parents Foodie Tour tickets for their city - everyone loved the experience

bostonfoodietours.com/

even small towns have them... so if they like food and can walk around for a few hours then it would be fun

That is a great idea! Is there one main site and then you can search cities?

[skib]

I'm doing easy gifts this year, so I am giving each set of parents a $50 gift card to their favorite restaurant and a $50 gift card to our local movie theater, with boxes of their favorite candy thrown in.

Not the most original thing in the world, but it's something that will definitely be used, and it doesn't take up much space.

[redheadk]

Not a fun gift but an assortment of "ICE" supplies is always useful. A really nice lantern, extra batteries, crank radio, etc. if your parents don't already have that kind of thing.

[Deleted]

I, too, have 3 sets and my budget is the same as yours.

My ILs usually need something, so they're fairly easy.

My mom lives far away, so we get her a gift certificate to a local restaurant group that they like - they tend to run a bonus special around the holidays so she ends up with a little more than face value.

My dad is impossible, so again, gets gift certificates to local favorite restaurants. I think I might do a gift basket and gift certificate to the local fancy farm market this year.

[definitelyO]

all the parents get a photo calendar

my dad gets a GC to Cracker Barrell (his favorite restaurant...) and other small things - new sheets, pj pants this year

my mom got a new watch, slippers, birdhouse, etc...

MIL and FIL - don't ask for anything. They will get a donation to Heifer International (FIL request) and tickets to the local NBA team.

I would go with theatre tickets, sporting tickets, movies, all mentioned above and great ideas.

[mellymel]

My mom likes Brighton jewelry, scarves, or beads for her pandora bracelet.

ILs go to the Stratford Festival every year so we usually get them a GC toward play tickets.

MIL likes Philosophy's Pure Grace line, so a gift set of that usually goes over well. She also loves to get photos of DD and DS.

FIL likes shirts, slippers, or kitchen gadgets. He's also a popcorn lover so gourmet kernels or seasonings are usually a hit.

[Deleted]

Digital photo frames are great for tech-challenged parents -- Nixplay makes a great cloud frame that has its own email address so all you have to do is email photos to the frame and they are displayed. You can manage multiple frames from one account, so you could get each set of parents their own frame and manage which photos go to which frame from a central account. I think the cloud frames are about $120, so close to your budget.

[shortstax]

All I have so far is Bette Midler' s New CD for my mom.

[Deleted]

My mom and stepdad get a gc for a local restaurant group where they live. They run one of those bonus card specials, so for $100 they get $125 in value. I also picked up a jar of jam while I was away that I'll mail off when the bonus card arrives.

My dad and stepmom will get a gc for a local restaurant. One of their favorite restaurants was running a bonus card special for Black Friday, but I was away and MH didn't bother to call, so that didn't happen. I'll call and order their gift card sometime in the next week or so. I also have a Sputnik ornament I picked up last spring when we were at the Met.

My ILs always need something. I'm knitting my MIL a cowl with really nice yarn and I think I'll tell MH to pick up a Pandora charm to go with it. FIL will get clothes. I have a box of fancy chocolates that we will give them. I'm tempted to tell MH he's responsible for his own parents, although his procrastination is anxiety inducing.

[adeliepenguin]

My in-laws are impossible. In the past we have gotten them a Groupon gift card - my MIL loves a deal so this is a way she can increase her savings. We have also done a GC for the cruise line they had a trip booked on, and restaurant.com card. We have also done Harry and David.

[Deleted]

My parents don't want stuff, so they are getting a Southwest gift card for every occasion from now until the end of time--or from now until they no longer have grandkids living near SFO.