What have you bought your parents? Mine are early 70's & I am stuck for ideas

[Jemster]

What on earth can I get my parents, I've spent ages looking and fed up now. They are both early 70's.
My dad has some memory loss difficulties & it's been quite a stressful year for my mum. I would really like to do something nice for them for about £50.00.
My mum said he needs some gardening gloves but surely I can do better than that for him?!

Any ideas gratefully received, getting desperate!

We are doing a trip out to the theatre with all the family, but previously we have bought theatre/concert tickets or another day out.
My parents have everything they want so ts very hard.

We always put together a hamper of goodies for my in-laws.

Perhaps you could get the gardening gloves and wrap them up with a garden centre voucher that they can use in the Spring?

National trust membership, pamper vouchers for your Mum. My mother....with memory problems..... liked jigsaws and Adult colouring books, but her memory problems were quite bad. If your Dad likes gardening you can get gift tokens from most good garden centres.

A garden bench? Or a nice Xmas plant arrangement plus garden vouchers

I bought mine a WIFI printer as they both have I pads and like to print photos. Dad has a pair of trousers and mum has a panto ticket on top.

Theatre tickets to a touring show of Sherlock Holmes for my dad - going round the sticks so tickets quite cheap.
Or you could get cinema tickets for one of the live links to national theatre / opera if that's their thing ? (Went to the ballet of Alice in Wonderland & it was fab.)

I got my parents (similar to yours,in their 70's,Dad has dementia) afternoon tea at a nice hotel.They really enjoyed it & have lots of good memories of it.HTH.

As my teenage kids no longer have school photos done I have bought a picture frame one where you can put several photos in.

I printed off the best pics of my teens in taken in the past 12/18 months and slotted them in, for my parents and MIL.

Also getting them some red wine as they drink a glass or 2 every day.

Last year I bought them garden tubs for to go on their pation with a selection of bulbs.

My dad has a painting of somewhere he collects pictures of, and a box of cherries in cherry brandy chocs. Mum (who has dementia) has a heated fleece throw.

Dad likes an indoor plant arrangement, and thats been a success in previous years, and both have enjoyed DVDs of familiar programmes. Coast brought mum a lot of pleasure previously

I've got them one of those weather stations that tell you the temperature indoors and out, humidity, moon phases, sunrise and sunset etc. Also a gift voucher for their favourite coffee shop. Last year I got them membership for a local attraction. I was thinking about magazine membership for future presents.

Local attraction was botanical gardens btw. My mum is slightly interested in gardening

Farmisons or Martin-Seafish voucher. Both can be printed off at home and both offer amazing quality food.

I got my parents a bottle of wine and a jigsaw each, I arranged for the local news agent to deliver The Sunday Times to Dad and send the bill to me, he loves to read it but sometimes he forgets to go for it and only remembers when its sold out. I have also arranged for a local florists to send Mum a bunch of flowers each month, only a small one of whatever's in season at the time and again bill me for it. I don't live near Mum and Dad but they live in a lovely little village so I'm trying to do something nice for them but also hope it will stop them being so isolated by not going out very much anymore. Newsagents and flower lady both said if they noticed anything going on I.e health deteriorating or house not cared for they would give me a ring.

I've bought my Dad Bananagrams as he played it with the kids and loved it. I also bought him Information is Beautiful - an Infographics book I think he will love.

I've bought my Mum a subscription to the Oldie magazine and some Marc de champagne truffles.

Dad- New Yorker desk calendar and a wine journal

Mum- silver angel ear rings and a Shaker style wooden iris bulb thing

They have everything and I struggle- as you can see.

An insect house
Coast on DVD
Bird feeder which sticks on the window.

I loaded a simple MP 3 player with lots of podcasts of their favourite radio programme and a small but loud speaker to attach to it so that my mum can listen to it in the kitchen or in bed.
My dad is getting a new iPad as a collective present and his usual after8 mints, short bread biscuits and toffees.
My mum is also getting a scarf, a red ICE watch and a posh duvet cover.
They are mid 70's and downsized to a small flat so space is limited and they don't need anything apart from the iPad as my dad had an old tablet that broke and now he can't read his mails and the news. He is 77 and loves a gadget! He is starting to get tired easily but no real memory loss, quite.

And my annual photobook of our joint summer holiday.

Magazine subscriptions have been popular with my parents and in-laws

Tin of biscuits from fortnum and mason

I got my DD gardening gloves! And my mum a silk pillowcase

Sending some flowers, wine, and chocs
When we see them have a couple of little picture books for DF, and a puzzle book (the type she likes to do) for DM. Oh and more chocs in a pretty box (always popular with those who grew up on rations) and probably a Christmassy plant for ds to present on the door-step
dh gives them a magazine sub of special interest.

Hope that will bring some Christmas cheer - can be tricky to think of something I agree. But I think just as important is for the DC to appreciate what they receive from DGP's Am sure my DM enjoys giving as much as receiving - though does quite like some Christmas chocs.

Taking a small contribution for lunch which DM seemed to appreciate when I offered the other day too.

Bought my stepdad a book with old photos of an area he lived I as a child