Ideas for in law presents please

[yellowflowers]

Usually I stick to my guns and make dh decide what christmas presents we get for his parents. But he always come sup with really expensive stuff and we are broke. I want to sort out soon because baby is due in Dec. They basically don't like nice food stuff, don't really read books - I don't know what they do really. Both in early 60s. We always fall back on smellies for his mum and a dvd for his dad - need to be more inventive this year, even though I am sure they'll just be thrilled having a grandchild for xmas. Did think about getting them lovely framed pic of the new baby for xmas but if baby is late it won't be born until maybe boxing day.

we usually go for a joint gift so something like vouchers for a meal out, cinema tickets, vouchers for a local theatre etc...

voucher for afternoon tea? national trust/RHS memebership?

does your dh have siblings as what do they give? I use this as a guide for my inlaws as we're into different things and means i hopefully have more chance of getting something they like or that's useful. Photo idea is lovely if works.

What about a photo album and/or nice frame which can be filled with photos of baby at a later date?

I bought my mum and MIL a "Grandma's Boasting Book" photo album each last year which they loved.

He's an only child. But yes maybe photoframes good idea with a promise of baby pics to come.

They are not really 'do things' people hence can't really get membership to anything or days out.

We get mil something from m&s every year knowing full well she'll return it but she likes m&s and will find something else - she's impossible to buy for! She just doesn't want anything! (While I applaud her lack of materialism it's a pita at Christmas/birthdays!) Sorry, not much help! Saying that we have got her framed photos on several occasions and they've been the most popular presents.

yellowflowers, they sound like my MIL and her DP. They're getting a board game of some description and a dvd this year between them because it always gets left to me to find their presents & I always struggle to think of something original.

They never want anything anyway, think my MIL has got so used to being skint & buying everything as cheaply as possible with no treats that she's not really bothered any more!

we get either a voucher for a restuarant, or tickets to see a show.

Theatre tickets are always popular with my parents and ILs. They have the benefit of being something that gets used up so you can do it again the next year.

We have given up on the photo frame idea as running out of side board space! we buy MIL and my parents photo calendars. I include pics of all the DGC from the summer etc and it goes down a treat. Really good quality prints too that I frame afterwards. I use www.calendarwizard.com theyre great.

English Heritage membership? £52.50 for a senior couple for a year, but you can pay with Tesco clubard vouchers - which brings it down to £13 of vouchers, plus 50p.

Magazine Subscriptions? Audio Books?

We used BuyaGift last year, and gave a day out in Edinburgh, a trip round Brittania and a Champagne tea In Laws loved it.

We were flush last year so will probably do something similar but cheaper.

Are your ILs living in the same place they were brought up/born, is there an area that is special to them?

One year we gave parents and ILs framed old maps of where they were born. Went down an absolute storm. We bought the maps from a trader on ebay and they are essentially pages from old atlases. I think my parents' one was from the 1850s. Had local picture framer mount and frame them.

Great ideas - thanks. Love the calendar idea for next year when there are some baby shots to put in it.