what are you buying your parents for christmas?

[bundaberg]

because I need some ideas to steal!

Pinching other people's ideas:

Deckchairs
Laurel and Hardy boxed set DVDs
National Trust joint membership for one year (£69 by direct debit or £92 by credit card)
hamper
Or if you win the lottery a day out experience on a steam train with meal, locations rather limited and not necessarily very suitable for those with limited mobility

Boring but a case of wine.

They have the 'stuff' they need and so like consumables. It's easy and they appreciate it.

My parents run a large and busy hotel so have no real time to themselves and not much space so it is usually consumables or pics of the grandchildren or vouchers.

This year I am doing a hamper with chocolate honeycomb, wine, Christmas marmalade (found in the garden centre), peppermint cream (made by the kids) and a nice canvas of the kids if I can manage to get a photo of them where they are both smiling!

theatre ticketd

Mum
*perfume
er that's as far as I've got!

Dad
Whisky
Oven gloves
Polo shirt
aftershave
/foodie hamper

My parents have everything. Although they never spoil themselves as such, so I have bought them a gift voucher for afternoon tea at a really lovely hotel.

Joint English Heritage membership. Got 20.2% cashback for it so only cost me £48.

Mum: Tom Kerridge cookbook and some peanut butter related chocolate
Dad: New Beatles unreleased recordings CD and a couple of Innes and Gunn beers

in the past have given pils:
theatre vouchers
home madecalendar with vouchers for each month - cinema, book, sainsbury's etc
vouchers for Orient Express
Bit of a voucher theme here...
pils don't want to exchange presents now we live in China so just my mum to buy for.
This year:
perfume
Jurlique toiletries

• basically things she would never buy herself.

I was going to get DM tickets to the Paul Klee exhibition at the Tate Modern but DH has just suggested we get her a laptop as hers is buggered. It's very sweet of him - she lives alone and he'd noticed she seems a bit lonely without a way to connect with people.

I've got them tickets for stand up comedy with a meal, my dad a camping chair (he wanted one!), my mum a bag

DM: Perfume, percussion heat massager, business cards, knitting bag, gardening stuff. Plus stocking bits.

DMIL: Posh cashmere scarf and gloves, an ornament, gardening things.

FIL: Nike running hat and gloves, triathlon chocolate.

We have DM and DF a joint gift this year.

A large metal and glass lantern with a church candle inside as they keep admiring ours. I will fill the base with a voucher for a restaurant they like nestled in little pouches of handmade chocolates, honeycombe and nuts.

Pil have asked us for a new microwave!

Mum - the Beatles live at the BBC album and Jennifer Saunders; autobiography;Stepdad - fancy Scotch

Dad - a new thermos for when he goes off-roading/shooting and a coffee table book about the place he lives during WW1; Stepmum - posh hand cream, a couple of novels I think she'll like and some fluffy wristwarmers that I've knitted so she can walk the dog in warmth but still hold the lead...

None of this sounds that exciting but I think they will like them!

Mum - chipping in with brothers for an ipad which she hinted she wanted.

MIL - Probably a magazine subscription.

Dad and FIL no longer with us

dad - incontinence pants
stepmum - nothing

DM - Jo Malone diffuser thingy, looks very pretty. Some perfume from the DC
StepDad - cinema tickets and aftershave. Then a couple of box sets for his birthday (also Christmas day)
DDad + Stepmum (live abroad) - some housey stuff that I thought would suit (frames, candlesticks, very solid roasting tray, plates made by the DC at pottery place where they fire/glaze them) and some more personal items for each of them. Books, bags etc. Plus a sporting boxset for DDad (birthday boxing da)
MIL and FIL - A years Tate membership. Then some L'Occitane goodies for her, and Hotel Chocolat bits for him (can't get these too early or I will eat them all!)
FIL - rib of beef (as requested by him, from a farm we order ours from in Wales. Delicious but odd choice!) and half a kindle.
FILs wife - scarves and stuff.

It's a bloody pain, we both have parents who have divorced and remarried. Instead of there being 4 parents, there are 8!

Mum - a dvd (cathy come home), a teddy with a picture of the kids on and a bargain lemon tree (£5 delivered!) from the xmas threads!

thanks all.. keep them coming! lots of good ideas here, plus many i've done over the last few years! like the steam train idea actually as we have a local steam line that does those, which would be quite nice

Well for my dad I've just got him a token gift. He moved out of his flat this week (all his stuff is in storage) and is staying with my grandparents for a while. So he said he doesn't want or need anything and space is limited. Dh picked up a loreal men expert kit in tesco so I've wrapped it for dad. Not exciting but he will be pleased with it as he likes that stuff and it works fine with his sensitive skin.

Mil has a canvas print of a photo from our wedding of dh, me, the kids, mil, Fil, BIL, sil and gfil. Think we are going to a local brewery to get a keg for Fil which he will love!