To ask for suggestions for a 70 year old woman for Christmas

[Fedupwiththis70]

Dm is ridiculously hard to buy Christmas presents for. She has very sensitive skin so toiletries not an option. Clothing she’s very fussy. Isn’t very psychically active. Does like coffee though and food but would rather keep food to a minimum as she’s also got diabetes.

An annual subscription to a magazine? I'm going to do Woman's Weekly for MIL.

Thank you that’s a great idea.

Beautiful notelets, nail polish, a voucher for a manicure, stuff for the garden - bulbs etc, audio book, photo book of grandchildren, a day out clay pigeon shooting, a bag or purse, a new tablet, electronic chess, a selection of music, watercolour set, new cushions or a throw for her sitting room.

Something for the garden?

A birdfeeder or bird bath maybe?

If not food what about alcohol ?

Or a cookbook by her favourite celeb chef.

Hat ,scarf, gloves either singly or a set depending on cost per item

Whittard do a Coffees of the World selection box. You get 9 little boxes of different coffees, probably 3 or so cups of each. It went down well as a gift for my brother anyway.

Think of her as an individual. I wouldn't post asking for ideas for a present for a 40 year old woman. I am 70, you would be wzsting your money on a women's magazine subscription (especially womens weekly!). I would like a book that's of interest to me, a nice scarf, framed photo of grandchildren, garden bulbs etc but she isn't me. I would also like luxury chocolates . What are her interests? Reading? Crafts? Politics? Gardening? Trips out?

Heated throw

I would love a nice day out, spa or shopping with both daughters finished up with a meal in an Italian restaurant!

An aeropress?

Some great ideas here.

It really depends on the 70 year old in question, they are all different. Itchy skin is torturous and not to be trivialised I have it and I am 50 it vastly affects toiletry choices and clothing as a lot of fabrics itch. Natural fabric is so much better and easier to wear.

We got MIL now 82 a Kindle 5 years ago she is an avid reader and absolutely loves it and actually prefers it to books and its stopped her paperback hoard. Other presents that have gone down well is nice warm cardigans (but you said yours is fussy about clothes). A nice pair of good quality supportive slippers, a neutral lipstick (think about her colouring), nice hand cream, nice nail polish, nice purse, nice flowers, nice calendar with photos of the kids on, a radio, bird feeder (so she can watch the birds from her window), take her out for a nice evening meal, she wanted some dangly ear rings last year.

A small hamper with some speciality coffees and a very small amount of chocolate might go down well.

A bottle or two of her favourite tipple, a cashmere cardigan, cashmere pashmina, a big box of Leonidas chocolates, something unusual for the garden like an orange or lemon tree or a brugmunsia, an order from my expensive butchers for the freezer, a subscripion for The Spectator or The Telegraph, a Ravensberger jigsaw if she enjoys them, an electric overblanket for bed or sofa, I'm over 70 and I would love any and all of these.

What I wouldn't love are bath/shower/body smellies, make up, candles - I make my own, slippers, a subscription to something like Womans Weekly, anything you think a 70 year old may like but she probably doesn't.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas

Perhaps ask her what she would like?

I got my mum a subscription to nice coffee one year. Different ground coffee through the post every month for a year. She really liked it

A jigsaw

Subscription to The Economist? Netflix? Hamper of carefully chosen goodies? At 70 she's no different as PPs have said from sedentary, diabetic and inactive people in forty years younger bar the sensitive skin problem. Kindle sounds good if she likes reading. Personal trainer post Covid?

A 70 year old man.

How well do you know her?

Woman's Weekly is what my recently deceased 92-yo MIL used to read. I'm closer to 70 than my MIL was, and I certainly wouldn't thank you for that!

I can’t see Woman’s Weekly without hearing Victoria Wood in my head.

Hmm ... Trying to remember what my own mother enjoyed at 70. She was quite busy flying from continent to continent then, so liked things that enhanced travel: good luggage, beautiful handbags, easy clothes ... Are you not keen on finding out exactly what sort of clothes she likes?

Someone's already suggested a coffee subscription. I'd agree, though perhaps beans rather than ground coffee, along with any helpful upgrade in her coffee equipment.

Jewellery also went down well with my mother - don't know if that would appeal to yours?

Seeds; rose bushes, plants always popular in my family.

Something pretty for the garden?

What a weird question. Give her something she'd interested in. The fact she's 70 is kind of irrelevant unless you have an ageist, condescending view of people past pension age.

Have you asked her if she'd like anything in particular or is genuinely just an enigma to buy for? My mum is nearly 70 and I ask her for a list and then try and chuck in some surprises along with a couple of things she gets every year. I buy her presents from my dad, too. He's 86 and doesn't get out much or online shop.

This year she's getting Charlotte Tilbury concealer, an Alexa, new oven gloves, h&m vouchers, scented drawer liners, a reed diffuser, a calendar and a box of rose & violet cream chocs. She's also getting a naff fluffy leopardy pom-pom key ring with a little stuck on cat face from our bengal cat because the pom-pom matches DCats fur!

Beat me on the bottom with my Woman's Weekly 🎶🎵

Has anyone suggested A Lovely Scarf yet?

@JamieLeeCurtains - not mildly, not meekly!