topic Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS in Among Friends

CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

Calcgirl — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 08:15:35 GMT

My son and his wife are both very successful and can afford pretty much anything they want. Question, what can i get them for Christmas? I am a retired teacher on a fixed income. If I ask them they always tell me nothing that my love is enough.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

Little Way — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 09:21:25 GMT

My family has a similar situation. We tell our mom the same thing. She now has started to select items she owns and she wraps them up as gifts. Jewelry (some sentimental pieces, some more valuable), an old candy dish, a rosary, a framed photo, etc. She will tell us the story behind the item.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

meallen616 — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 09:33:22 GMT

@Calcgirl,

Gift card to their favorite restaurant!

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

staciesmom — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 09:45:56 GMT

My daughter and son-in-law are the same. Both successful professionals with no children who buy what they want and have expensive taste. I struggle each year at Christmas and birthdays. Last year I enrolled them in a wine club from a popular local winery where each quarter of the year they get 3 bottles of wine shipped to their house. This year I got them a steak knife set from a cutlery maker they like. I really would like to stop buying for each other and adopt a needy family from our church.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

panda1234 — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 10:02:50 GMT

Give to a shelter in their name.

Since they most likely don't have time for home cooked meals, a gift card to a takeout place. We have What a Crock, which is a chain that does home cooked meals for the crockpot.

It is hard, I know.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

LizzieInSRQ — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 10:38:28 GMT

Old family favorite or antique pictures in classic frames. The gift of history.is a gift only you can give.

Are they enthusiasts of anything? Into anything culturally, even silly like a TV show like The Walking Dead.? Go on Amazon or just Google the hobby + gift and then filter for price range you are wanting to stick with.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

OKPrincess — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 11:07:25 GMT

We like to give and receive favorite gift cards (Cracker Barrel, Starbucks) and favorite treats, Last year DD mailed us unsalted cashews, caramels, gummy bears all from Amazon.

We don’t need things to sit around and we like to buy our own clothes and same for our grown kids.

Of course we buy for our almost 4-year old great nephew . That’s always fun.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

kaydee50 — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 11:21:53 GMT

Believe them. Accept whatever they give you with thanks and let them enjoy the pleasure of gifting you. Haven't you given them enough already throughtout their lives? If you feel you must give them something, give a donation in their name to their favorite charity or project. Merry Christmas!

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

brandiwine — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 13:46:48 GMT

We donate to a charity that they like and give them a couple of small gifts. We also do this with a very close friend who is extremely wealthy and she does the same for us. None of us really need more "stuff" and this way others can be helped.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

chrystaltree — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 13:50:34 GMT

Gifts should never...ever be about the recipient's income or what they can afford to buy themselves. When I give a gift, I never think "she's got a lot of money". First, decide how much you want to spend on a gift or gifts for them. That comes first with all gift giving. You don't spend more than you can or afford or want to spend. Then you think about what type of people they are, what they like, what they do for fun etc. After that, it should be easy to find something nice that they would enjoy having. We don't know anything about them, so it's impossible to give any suggestions. We don't know how much you want to spend either. "Retired teacher" doesn't mean anything at all to us. You can't ask adult children what they want, especially ones who are doing well financially. It's not fair. It puts them on the spot.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

Shanus — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 13:57:06 GMT

We agreed a few years ago that the adults would no longer exchange gifts...just purchase something for the grandchildren. Since we’re downsizing and making futile efforts to clear out lots of things, there’s little we need.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

LTT1 — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 14:48:48 GMT

@Calcgirl

Since every situation is different, I will endorse the idea of gifting them a restaurant gift card or tickets to something you feel you can afford.

The up side of this idea too is that there is no clutter or upkeep involved.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

mimomof4 — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 15:01:01 GMT

Honestly we tell my MIL every year she doesn't have to give us anything. She also is a retired teacher with 11 grandchildren. My MIL still will not hear of not getting us anything so now she will give a small gift card.

I love the idea to donate to a charity which is important to them in their names.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

mzlg — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 15:58:30 GMT

@staciesmom wrote:
My daughter and son-in-law are the same. Both successful professionals with no children who buy what they want and have expensive taste. I struggle each year at Christmas and birthdays. Last year I enrolled them in a wine club from a popular local winery where each quarter of the year they get 3 bottles of wine shipped to their house. This year I got them a steak knife set from a cutlery maker they like. I really would like to stop buying for each other and adopt a needy family from our church.

@staciesmom, you still have time to explain to your daughter what you'd like to do and the reason(s) why. Perhaps suggest that she & her husband could do the same. Hopefully she will understand and agree.

There were a number of helpful suggestions given by others - a treasured item that you would like them to have - photos - even something as simple as movie tickets. IHTH

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

dooBdoo — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 16:54:20 GMT

2 of the sites I frequently browse when looking for unusual gifts, or gifts for all genders and ages and interests who might be hard to shop for, are The Smithsonian and The Metropolitan Museum shops.

I recommend signing up for their email notices, because they tend to offer pretty good limited-time sales (their shipping isn't always free or inexpensive, but sometimes they have special shipping offers).

We can't link to retail sites, so you'll have to copy and paste the URLs or just do an internet search.

The Met Store
store.metmuseum.org

"Every purchase supports The Met's collection, study, conservation, and presentation of 5,000 years of art."

Smithsonian Store

smithsonianstore.com

"All of the revenue from your purchase directly supports the Smithsonian."

Also, I recommend the site "Brad's Deals" (and their emails, too) because I've found some really great gift ideas I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Their site doesn't sell merchandise -- they seek out good deals and alert their subscribers. You have to keep an eye on them, because many of the deals are quite good and sell out quickly.

Brad's Deals
bradsdeals.com

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

TaylorBrown — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 17:25:02 GMT

Even wealthy folks have to eat. My suggestion is a gift card to either a restaurant that they like or a grocery store.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

AuntG — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 17:36:52 GMT

It's upsetting when people can't think of one thing for their gift list. I always have few reasonably priced items in mind should someone ask (coasters, wine, dish towels, a candle). Even if I don't really need these items, the odds are they are easy to find and will be used.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

Glittergal — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 21:12:30 GMT

If you are visiting them, bring some of their favorite meals that you cook. Sometimes they really miss mom's cooking or baking. Nobody cooks like mom :-) If they live far, baking something they enjoyed in childhood is great to send--add some framed copies of old family photos of them. That's what I would love to recieve. Candies and snacks are always welcomed. I also like to make gift baskets with different items with a theme like movie night at home (fill with a cozy throw, gourmet popcorn, wrapped candies, fuzzy socks) or date night (wine, wine glasses, candles, fruit, chocolates, appetizer type of stuff, crackers, etc.). Breakfast basket (pancake mix, jams, cinnamon buns, fruit, assorted coffee/teas, cute coffee cups). A certificate for a massage or meal out is always welcomed too.

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

lovesrecess — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 02:10:50 GMT

I am in the same situation. All of our kids and grandkids literally have everything they could possibly want or need.....decided to do Omaha steaks last year for our son and his family...it was a hit. This year I may do one of the other food things like Blue Apron....we tried gift cards and they seemed to be appreciated but then I saw a kitchen drawer open and there had to have been over fifty gift cards in it...some with hundreds on them.....not being used. When I am getting gen a gift card....I can't wait to use it!

Re: CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTIONS

lovesrecess — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 02:06:45 GMT

You could donate to a needy family's Christmas in your daughter's family's name.