Ideas needed.... Generous present for PILs

[OneTwoOrThree]

I'm looking for a generous present for PILs - probably £150-250, and ideally a joint present. The kids can get them a couple of small token presents as well.

My PILs do loads for us - a day a week childcare for 2 kids, babysitting, general diy, regular meals at theirs etc. I'd really like to get them something generous for Christmas to say thankyou.

To make it a bit more difficult they have 'everything' - ipads, kindles and enough art / furniture etc to start a shop.

Any ideas, please?

What about a nice weekend away?

National trust membership

Lovely ideas, but I probably should have told you what I've got them in previous years...

• National Trust Membership
• Weekend Away
• Annual cinema pass

where do they live, roughly?

Posh afternoon tea somewhere?
Hot air balloon trip with champagne?
Dinner at a Michelin restaurant
Dinner where a chef comes to the house

My parents and IL's went on a trip with www.steamdreams.co.uk/ last yr - was very well rec'd.

How old (ish) are they, and what do they like? Nature, technology, food, wine?

Tbh, from your posts it sound like they're quite well off, in money and time, so an experience seems like the best bet...

I am being cheesy, and thinking something like a dinner, or a 'party', that your family throw for them, where you lot do everything. Eg kids make and decorate the invitations, and decorations, you collectively make and serve all the food. Will only work if your kids are 3ish or over I think! So you're delivering fun, rather than the swankiest do, IYSWIM?

North Yorkshire.... (rural area)

I like the Chef at home idea ....

I've toyed with the idea of a Michelin restaurant before, but am not sure that it would be their thing, unfortunately.... There is a place in Scotland called The Peat Inn which do a dinner / bed package (and this has been my fallback present for the past few years in case I couldn't find anything else!). I just don't think they'd enjoy / appreciate the meal

a day trip on the orient express?

Early 60s, and well enough off in terms of time and money (although can be frugal-ish at times). Plenty of material goods, so you are right an experience is probably the best idea...

The like food (but probably not Michelin star food - their Northern-ness would freak out at spending that much on one meal), travelling, nature, national trust visiting etc

FIL loves - technology (MIL hates it), real ale (but doesn't actually drink a lot), dogs, diy
MIL loves - her grandkids (can't really think of anything else she is actually in to)

A day trip on the Orient Express would be perfect (especially the one that goes to Edinburgh to see Royal Yacht Brittania), but it's £340 each, so a bit out of buget. Unfortunately.

Some good ideas here though... Thanks

Wow - what lucky inlaws!!! I would thoroughly recommend a hot air balloon trip - it is magical

Cookery course/experience? There is a farm shop near us that runs courses in baking, butchery plus various themed cooking ones.

I sympathise - my parents are similar in that they have everything and so are hard to buy for!

If they're in Yorkshire, how about a weekend in Whitby? You can get vouchers for the Magpie Cafe to pay for their lunch.

I think my MIL would rather cut her own arm off than go anywhere near a hot air balloon .
I'd thank you for the experience and FIL would like it, but I fear it may be the end of MIL

Take a look at Groupon. Your already generous budget will go even further there.

ah didn't realise OE was quite as expensive!

it is something I would love to do!

How about a trip to Edinburgh then? You could book the train, plenty of hotels and tickets for RYB? You would do that in £250 easily enough. I can keep you right on Edinburgh hotels and in winter you will get some pretty good DB&B deals.

Concert tickets? I got tickets for my PILS to see Jools Holland one year - they had a fabulous time. We did have to say to them 'Keep this date free for a surorise.' though. And, since you live near them, you or DH could take them and pick them up so that they don't have parking stress.

Mind you, this can backfire - my sis got tickets for my dad to go to a concert he'd love but my mum refused to go. My sis ended up accompanying dad, and she reckoned she was the youngest there by about 20 years and she was in her forties

Northern/frugal? TRicky. My parents are very similar, except you'd swap Northern for Scottish. It just rules out anything even slightly too luxurious, doesn't it?! The best presents for my parents really seem to be ones involving the DCs, or that they can use/show to DCs.

Nature ideas: bird box with camera, nature-spotting trip (eg badger watching with kids)?
Things you could do for them: arrange to have old photos digitised? (I did this for my parents, meant they looked at pics they'd otherwise not see). Similarly, if they're into music, uploading old albums into Itunes, filling gaps with old favourite music that they only have on vinyl?
Something that 'delivers' throughout the year: wine club, cheese club, ale club? Flowers per month?

Ooh, that Steam Train link that AnnMumsnet posted looks good - and like it might work for me, ta!

Family trip to pantomine, with meal etc before/after? So like a mini Christmas party?

i'd like the same for my MIL... but it can't be something away as she couldn't leave her pets, and has no-one to travel with.
She has all she needs, has no wants (very zen).
Magazine subscription was well receved previously, but thee aren't really any that match her interest.

case of wine from Laithwaites. They have an amazingly delicious french sparkling which is not from the Champagne region and therefore is a tenner a bottle not £30 - Roche Lacour. Lovely bottle & champagne style cork etc - you ahve to study q closely to realise it's not from Champagne itself.

Thankyou all.... Need to disappear now, but will be back later. Some fab ideas here....

Hazel - yes, spot on! Your parents sound just like my ILs. love your ideas, but photos and music already done by my tech-savvy (with too much free time on his hands) FIL.

Honestly, how can one couple be sooo difficult to buy for! I like the delivery idea, but need to find the right thing for both of them.... Perhaps I could get bi-monthly deliveries - one for MIL (wine, flower, choc) and one for FIL (ale, cheese)

A hamper from Fortnum & Masons. You could get a really lovely one for that sort of money.

I always get my parents a weekly ticket for a local charity. It comes in a basket with a soft toy. Parents appreciate not receiving more clutter, and the fact that they are helping a charity too. Mum has won £750, and £25 so far!

A really good pair of binoculars?