What to put in the stocking of a 'not old' 70 year old mum?!!

[Snoopytwist]

Help! My mum is coming to stay for Christmas and I'd really like to do her a stocking. She is 70 but would absolutely kill me if I bought her smellies or slippers or anything related to being older, even though her hobbies are gardening, playing bridge and crocquet!! Am stuck - all that I've got so far is a Sudoko book with a gardening theme.

(PS we are on a budget - like everyone else!!)

[50ShadesofXmas]

Asda do 18cl (not very big) bottles of wine for £1.50, a little bag of thorntons chocs, a lotto scratch card or lotto tickets for Xmas, a cd, a pair of earrings?

[Tigresswoods]

In my 78 year old MIL's I put sparkly nail file from body shop & nice/cheap hand cream.
Paper chase have cool things you can put in.

[Saminthemiddle]

Photo frame with maybe a pic in it, a magazine (gardening perhaps), gardening gloves, half a bottle of wine, packets of seeds, gardening apron, new trowel, warm socks for wellies etc, calendar. Maybe go to the pound shop and give her useful stuff from there.... also Boots for nail stuff, hand cream, lip salve, tiny perfumes. Maybe a scarf, gloves. Realise you are on a budget so far too much here and also some are expensive but just ideas!!!

[Snoopytwist]

Thanks MN's, some really useful ideas here - love the little bottle of wine and will also get some cosy socks and hand cream. Trouble with mothers of this age is that they've usually got everything they need, but if we get pointless tat, she'll be cross because she knows things are a bit tight this year!

[VoiceofRaisin]

A good book that you know she would like (could be secondhand as it is the thought you put in that counts), a voucher for the cinema perhaps, a gardening or bridge magazine.

[HuevosRancheros]

I know you sad no smellies, but my 65 year old gardening MIL loves the Gardeners' Hand Therapy cream by Crabtree & Evelyn. This year I am getting a teensy one for a cracker, but they do bigger ones that would be perfect for a stocking.

[Leeds2]

A diary.

[SunshineAndPeardrops]

Owl Tape Measure
Favourite sweets / chocolates – Poundland sell miniature boxes of Thorntons chocolates.
Bookmark
Pretty notebook
Tiny soup recipe book
Turtle watch keyring

[dementedma]

Stripey bed socks
Torch
Lush bath bomb
Seeds for garden
Hand cream
Glow stars for ceiling
ITunes voucher if she has iPod
Good chocolate

[Barbeasty]

Was also going to say the Crabtree & Evelyn gardners range.

Seeds, someone gave me a ball of string in a dispenser-really useful. National garden vouchers, any small tools she might like, the RHS diary is lovely. I don't know if there are any deals on subscriptions to something like Gardeners world magazine (often come with a free gift)

Could you find some nice playing cards?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Last year I bought my mum a handbag, and filled it with 'useful things to have in one's handbag' like handcream, lipbalm, mini deodorant, tissues, a lipstick, packet of mints etc. That went down quite well.

Otherwise, I tend to go for edible things - a little Camembert, nice teabags or coffee, jar of nice marmalade, pickles, nice biscuits etc.

Apologies for overuse of 'nice' there.

[HuevosRancheros]

Ooh, the mention of a diary reminded me that one year I (apparently) gave my mum a gardener's diary, where you write down what is happening/what you have done in the garden.

This then became something she did every year, and seemed something she really enjoyed!

[HuevosRancheros]

If she likes tea.... I have recently discovered Teapigs (thanks, Ocado, giving me a tiny free sample and getting me hooked ); to me they are stupidly expensive, but they are a lovely treat

[Ohwhatwitcheryisthis]

get Marie Claire this month-l occitaine hand cream free. Some exotic seeds from seedy catalogue. a tinted lip balm. a nice cool colored nail polish-Barry m do great ones.

[dementedma]

Dd1 loves teapigs and asks for their stuff every year. As an alternative try the Wee Tea Company.
Also Isle of Skye scented candles are lovely.

[hallowisitmeyourelookingfor]

My MIL is approaching 70. I don't make her a stocking, but if I did, I would probably put in...

Burts Bees handcream - what she always has by the sink
Photo frame with a nice pic of the kids
Reusable shopping bag - Cath Kidston or similar, she likes that shop!
Coin purse - Accessorize have lovely ones, and she always needs one as she goes on a lot of holidays
Passport cover
Nice loose tea/coffee
Seeds for allotment
Earrings
Fancy cooking ingredient of some sort - she loves cooking and finding new recipes
Socks - everyone needs these, regardless of age!
Cake cases

Lots of these have been suggested already I know!

[Splatt34]

Tiny photo book of grandkids. My gran apparently loves hers, keeps it in her handbag to show off her great grand kids to her friends (she's 86 mind). Look at snapfish. The 6x4 flip book is only a few pound.

[girlywhirly]

I second reuseable shopping bag, especially those nylon ones that fold up very small so that you can have a couple in your handbag at all times. So many places charge for a carrier bag now. They also make handy beach bags on holiday.

I did the same as Remus one year and filled a handbag for my mum, and although she was incredibly hard to buy for she really loved it. I included a pretty pen and a key ring amongst similar items that Remus chose.

[VoiceofRaisin]

Not sure about passport holder - don't the passport people always insist you take the passport out of the holder?

Other ideas are great though. Also how about a culture diary if your mum likes exhibitions etc? You note down what you have seen, when and where, and what you thought of it.

[hallowisitmeyourelookingfor]

Dunno Voice, I have one and have never had to take it out of its holder. It's more of a case though. It's this one

[hallowisitmeyourelookingfor]

Actually, it's not quite that one after all!
And as someone has just mentioned, stuff from galleries/exhibitons etc. You can buy a lot of their merchandise online, especially from the V&A.
My MIL has a few of those books of wrapping paper from the Tate or similar which she uses quite a lot.

[shoppingbagsundereyes]

I've bought my mum Will Young greatest hits, Mary Berry cake book, some posh handcream and I'm going to make some tiny Christmas tree shortbread biscuits. She's also getting an etched glass photo thing of the dcs ( which I think is naff but it's the only thing she's asked for).
I've also found for other relatives that your mum may like a lovely book from the BOOK people a book of nature walks all over the country. Has lovely pictures and lists things you may find on the walk.

[shoppingbagsundereyes]

Last year I bought mum a cath kidston elastic thingie that goes around your suitcase to help identify it as yours on the luggage conveyor belt. That went down well.
Don't know how old your dcs are but mine are little and have just been to a ceramic painting shop to make a Christmas decoration each to give to my mum. She will love them.

[VoiceofRaisin]

hallow ooh, that looks really handy for travelling!

[Snoopytwist]

Wow, some really lovely ideas here - thank you so much - I'm now thinking fluffy socks, teapigs (love it!!), a gin and tonic in a tin, lottery ticket, culture diary (she does go to lots of art museums) and she has just started a photography course so might get her something to do with that. Oh, and a couple of handmade chocs for the toe of the stocking. Might also get her some pants, just to repay for all the years I got some in mine!!!!

As a main prezzie, am doing a photo book - but I missed the BOGOF one that Tesco were doing - finished last week

Thank you everyone - really useful ideas!