What are you giving your parents?

[GingerAndTheBiscuits]

Alternatively, if you are in your early to mid 50s what would you and/or your DH like to receive?

Budget anything up for £150 as I can get my siblings to go in on gift with me.

My dad is an avid golfer but already has a lot of the gear - golf watch, good shoes, etc. Mum knits and loves a good tv show. Both good cooks and very sociable. I was thinking a hamper full of naice food and drink bits plus maybe some kind of voucher for an experience/day out but better ideas are most welcome!

Etsy or NOTHS for yarn bowls - Sue Frankel or Caractucus Pots

Mum has asked for a Poldark calendar to look at the 'Rugged, beautiful.........countryside?!?!'

I am that age. I don't want anything. I would rather that my children didn't waste their money on stuff that I don't want and don't need. Packet of favourite sweets would be good.

People keep buying us experiences. Luckily they are very donate able to charity.

For those looking at socks may I recommend These fab socks
They are from a friend's goat farm here on the Isle of Man and my SIL says they are the best socks in the world .
She also does beautiful yarn for those who were thinking of a knitting hamper .

I've got the in laws who are a bit older than your parents a national art pass. Planning to get my mum tickets to Chelsea flower show and my dad a nice overnight bag.

My dad, 83, has a weak spot for fat face shirts and Jack Wills hoodies/sweats, because they are soft and warm and don't aggravate his eczema. Love buying my dad Jack Wills

My mum is easy to buy for as she loves silk, cashmere and beauty products.

Also buy them hotel Chocolat or Montezuma chocs

If they love cooking and are sociable how about a Spicery subscription? I got DH one for last Christmas and they're really fun.

www.thespicery.com/subscriptions

Basically every month you get a choice of freshly ground spices and recipes for a set meal for four sent to you (we did the unusual curries around the world one as he was desperate to learn to cook them 'properly'). It's easy to follow, fun to do, way cheaper than buying bajillions of spices and using a pinch of them and having them clutter up your cupboards forever. We ended up getting into a routine where we had either regular curry night with friends or date night but it got us cooking something new and spending time together doing it every month.

Also don't be put off by the prices on the link - Spicery are on Not on the High Street and by the time I'd used a Black Friday discount there and Quidco I got the year for £43 or so.

We're considering a different style of cuisine and doing it again next year and in the meantime DH can now cook genuine chicken satay.

I’m in that age group You asked about OP. My children always ask me what I want. I usually ask for expensive moisturiser I can’t afford myself or something I need for the house but I love getting a gift token so I can go on a little shopping trip and buy things I wouldn’t normally. I wouldn’t want a hamper.

@balalalala I'm getting an art pass form my MIL, they look great!

I was looking at Spicery - did something similar for my dad a few years ago but am sure I've seen some of the boxes still in the cupboard so not sure they made good use of them unfortunately

Not read the full thread but on off chance it hasn't been suggested what about a lesson with his golf club's resident pro?

No help for mums as no idea what to get mine sorry!

I’m in your parents’ age group and I’d like a gadget to turn my car radio into a DAB radio

I've not got my patents in this years secret saints so they get nothing! However I have bought them the granddad & grandmas journals

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1907048472/ref=mpsa11/261-4790915-1659700?ie=UTF8&qid=1507925273&sr=8-1&pi=ACSX236SY340_QL65&keywords=dear+grandad&dpPl=1&dpID=61OB-Lbq5SL&ref=plSrch

Also previously bought alpaca scarves for everyone which went down well. This year I'd buy them an amazon dot & a smart plug to to link lamps to & turn them on & off by voice command.

Like the travel tags idea too!

If they are very good cooks and really enjoy it, do they have sous vide or Sage smoking gun? Lovely presents for people who enjoy trying new things and like to spend time in the kitchen.

@buckeejit do you have a link for the smart plugs? DH getting an echo for Christmas and they might be handy in our sitting room! Think I'm getting dots for my brothers so if amazon do a deal on 3 dots like they did recently may get one for my parents too

Thank you for other suggestions too - struggling for dad so the golf related ideas are especially welcome!

We got married 2 years ago but never got round to having photo albums printed as they were expensive. We are now having 2 leather bound albums each to go our parents. I know my mum will love it as she likes looking through old photos and the like. This will be the first photo book she owns.

I'm struggling for ideas for my parents.

Mum is 64, still working, likes sewing, cooking and the theatre, but has all the accoutrements you would expect for the sewing and cooking. She's diabetic so food isn't an easy option.

Dad is 67, retired, likes walking football and hosting quiz nights. He geocaches and builds his own caches - again has more DIY and carpentry stuff than B&Q.

They have a firestick, kindle, ipads, new phones. They travel a lot. I'm buying them a national trust membership for their wedding anniversary next year because mum will be retiring then. I currently subscribe to Good Food magazine for her each year and geocaching premium membership for him. Any ideas?

Been trying to post a link but not working - if they like travelling for pleasure I bought mine "36 Hours in Europe" and some airline vouchers one year

We have asked for Membership of the V&A. For my birthday I had the Royal palaces membership

My mum lives in France, so I'm sending her stuff she finds hard to get there: some Rafi's Spicebox curry mixes and a wooden lemon reamer. I'll be giving my dad some soap he loves from a local shop and the most ridiculous small kitchen gadget I can find. Possibly onion-protection glasses.

My parents are of the age where they have everything, and anything they don't have, they can afford to buy themselves. So I tend not to buy things for them, but rather experiences. This year, I'm taking mum to see Hairspray with me in the new year. But in the past we have got...

• subscriptions to things they're interested in (ancestry websites etc)
• theatre trips are always popular as are concerts and the like.
• spa days (sometimes combine this with my brother to buy a hotel and make a "weekend" of it.
• workshops (bought dad a photography workshop where he took pics lions etc in a safari park).
• tickets to stately homes, events at them (e.g. The Christmas lights at Longleat / Blenheim etc)

We bought this as part of FIL's present last year, and it has been used beside his favourite chair (before, he would have placed his cup etc on windowsill as it was nearby):

side table

There are a few variations around. We bought ours via Amazon (and paid more than this Groupon offer, for what looks to be a very similar table).

oops, here is the link

side table

I'm nearly 60 and I'd like a Garmin Forerunner please. Or a stone hare for the garden. Or new ski boots. Thanks. X

My parents get a couple paperback books each year - ideally themed round where they're travelling next. Used to get my dad a tie each year until he retired (he asked for ties). Usually some toiletries for my mum and cheeses for dad, too.

ILs generally similar plus something they need but are too stubborn to buy themselves (so digital radio for bathroom when we found out FIL was running extension leads into the bathroom and MIL was tripping over them). This year may club together with siblings and get them a new fridge.