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.

Invite them down for a long weekend or a few days over Christmas. You can't travel but maybe, she can. It'll kill 2 birds with one stone - cover her birthday & Christmas at the same time. Job done. Get DH to take her out for a birthday lunch - just him & her if cost is an issue.

10hrs away is a long drive. Make the effort to get together for the special occasions - it's what family is all about. Spending time together is better than some toiletries/token present. Let DH do his duty - it's his mum.

I always think Emma Bridgewater mugs make a nice gift.

Mushybanana

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

Please can you share the link? it sounds perfect for my SiL. Thanks

I sympathise OP, I find my In laws difficult to buy for too, but that's mainly because we have different tastes.

Check out the Cath kidston website as they have lots of accessories like mugs and glasses cases with the cath kidston patterns. I know you said no bags, but I bought MIL a shopper tote from there once. I think it's a really inoffensive gift and even the stroppiest recipient would find it hard to criticise.

Travel card holder - if she uses public transport. You could get a nice leather one for about £20, plus it wouldn't be expensive to send.

Wrist warmers - amazon have some which cost well under a fiver, but they come from China so take about a month to arrive.

I got my MIL a photo apron with pictures of all of her kids and grandkids on, that went down really well its from bagsoflove and costs from £33.00

ooh, I'm getting a perspex bird feeder for ds birthday - he'll be 8 but think he'll love it!

Does she wear jewellery? My mil loves jewellery & I've bought her some lovely sterling silver clip earrings from ebay, though I know she'll love them as I know her style.

Homemade granola? I make it in the actifry & its fab - into a kilner type jar & nice gift. Do you know anything she likes?

Just bought a soup maker for my step mother.

This might sound mental but... L'Occitane do a sort of magic key thing (For about £15 iirc) that is for squeezing the last bit of hand cream out of their hand cream tubes (would work for any tube cosmetic e.g. toothpaste, other brands of hand cream etc). She might wring a bit of joy out of the idea of not wasting anything? They look quite nice and gifty (and can be posted).

Other super useful things: diary, calendar (with our without pics of grandkids depending on how much she'd like that).

I always want to kiss anyone who buys me socks because I frigging love new socks :-)

Photo albums can be posted easily and if she has a lot of grandkids is surely always quite useful.

Would she go for one of those "grandma's memories" type books that she could fill in for your children (are they of suitable age to appreciate it if she did?).

Cushion covers and tea towels post well too. Anyone who takes exception to receiving a really nice tea towel is bonkers. Designers Guild, Scion, Emma Bridgewater etc. Ditto really nice, high thread count, white cotton pillowcases. Cake forks, coffee spoons.

If you went for a tea towel and maybe some fancy English Breakfast type tea, you could print out one of those poems about have a cup of tea and think of me to go with it? (From your Dh or kids if it wouldn't be appropriate from you... as you say you've a tricksy relationship!)