Gift ideas for mother in law!!! Assistance needed.

[HappinessAhead]

So me & mil don't get on very well but that's another thread

I still like to make an effort to give her a decent gift but unfortunately we only have a budget of around £30 (absolute maximum, if we could get her something for £20 I would love that).

Her birthday is a few days before Xmas so I also need to get her a birthday present of similar value.

I've lost count of the scarves, gloves, handbags & candles that I've bought her.

She's early 60s, retired and no hobbies to speak of.

Thank you.

I think it should be up to your husband to decide. It's his mum!

Boots do a jar of sanctuary spa goodies for £10. Got one for my Mum

Hardware store. .
Broomstick with a bit of tinsel wrapped around it. .

This

Magazine subscription goes down well with my miserable mother.
You can normally find special offers on these.
[Some people are never happy whatever you do.]

Think I'll go with the broomstick

she can be awkward with body/bath gift sets. She doesn't have a bath and I know she gets upset if someone buys her a set with a bubble bath in it 😏 So I tend to avoid those like the plague. She doesn't read any magazines. Only the papers (daily mail!!!).

I don't mean to be awkward. She's just so difficult though.

Hamper? A class to learn something? They were crafting in hobbycraft today. Theatre tickets? A blanket? Don’t laugh last year I asked everyone on here, advice about blankets for in laws and everyone shot me down. Well they love them. I bought welsh wool ones that look gorgeous and not to pricey.

I remember someone in her work secret santa (£10 budget) once got her alcohol and she was fuming, don't ask me why. She didn't stop going on about how terrible it was though.

A hamper could work? Any ideas for contents though?

She literally doesn't socialise or leave the house unless it's to go to the supermarket or maybe meet a friend once every few months so activities like theatre & classes are a no go. Her and FIL don't go anywhere together and she wouldn't have anyone to go with to anything, not that she'd want to go anyway.

Do you have dc's? I got mil a plain silver bracelet for xmas a couple of years from Pandora for £25ish. Now, every xmas and birthday I get the dc's to pick her a little charm to go on said bracelet. I know they're tacky as hell but I do t have to think about what to get anymore and it gives an effect of being personal.

Really nice fine porcelain mugs or cups or teapot? Then you could collect more at other gift intervals.

Subscription to the week. Newspaper style stories collatedftlm all newspapers. It's v good!

B&M have a couple of lovely tea and jam type hampers I was looking at for my own Mil. Don’t remember the price but well within your budget and a lovely large basket.

Trying to think of other things I've bought in similar veins.... garden centre voucher? Photo book of DC? Photo calendar? Voucher for her usual hairdressers?

I got my mum a subscription for some local Honey all made in different locations in England

jigsaw puzzle? glossy coffee table book? basket of expensive/unusual fruit? cooking gadget? posh coffee and biscuits?

Voucher for afternoon tea and her DS to accompany her.

If she has no hobbies, what does she do all day long at home? Does she craft, or garden, or cook, or read, or do crosswords? Or does she literally sit and dream in a chair?

Is there anything that she might like from her youth, a book about a place she might have visited, or something to remind her of what she did with her DS when he was younger (your DH)?

Is she a tea drinker? T2 and Fortnum do lovely teas In a caddy.
A FORTNUM Dundee cake is really good.
BETTY of Yorkshire do ntea related gifts and special Christmas fondant fancies.

White Company do cashmere socks.
Pretty Slippers.
Molton Brown Shower sets.

Yes, she sits, watches tv, reads the paper, goes to the supermarket, pops to her sisters house once in a blue moon, cleans, makes tea. Very very hard person to buy for since she doesn't have interests as such.

Rather than a pre-made set, could you put together your own nice set (of Sanctuary or whatever nice brand, especially if you can get a "3for2" offer) of things like nice shower gel, body lotion, nice loofah/sponge/puffy thingy, ...or whatever things she'd like - for one of the events?

And yes, what does her DS say??!!!

I got her a beautiful Swarovski bracelet for her 60th birthday. Posted it up to her and not even a thank you. Then when I next saw her I asked if she'd received it and she just said, "yes, thanks for that". And that was it. She's the sort of person who'll find a reason to be offended by a gift and I try my best but she never seems pleased.

Maybe one of those nice trays with the beanbag underneath for having her tea and plate of biscuits in her armchair watching the tv?

(Not intended as an ageist thing although I know some who would take it as such).

Does she like teabags or loose leaf tea? I ask because you could get a pound of some nice locally blended tea or fruit tea, (or even a set of 2/3 types which wouldn't be ££) with a nice cake or favourite biscuits or a tin of homemade cookies, which could be nice. Add a nice china mug or tea cup and saucer set, and it would be lovely.

OK, maybe too many "nices" in that last one....

Are there any old movies she likes, that you could get a couple of those on DVD (especially if they are hard to find)?