What would you get for the MIL who has everything?

[StripyDeckchair]

Trying to work out what to get MIL for Christmas. She doesn't really have many interests and is quite a quiet person.

She does like cooking but I've bought her recipe books in the past and feel like I'm constantly using the same ideas. I've also bought her lots of dog themed things as she likes them and various fancy bits of kitchenware/tableware. She has loads of this stuff though.

She and FIL are well off and enjoy the finer things in life (holidays, cars, meals out, etc.) But we can't afford to spend much.

She dresses well but I wouldn't feel confident to buy her clothes.

Any thoughts? Though I appreciate she's in a fortunate situation in many respects, she's also had a tough year in other ways and I would like to give her a boost.

Thank you!

A voucher for her favourite shop
An indoor plant
A bird feeder
A floaty scarf
A voucher for a local cafe

We've bought mil over the years;
Cashmere gloves
Fresh water pearl necklace
Sat nav (she used an a 2 z before that)
A beautiful cake plate and matching cake forks and cake knife
Penhaligon hand wash, she likes fancy hand wash in her bathroom
Glycerine soap from the Yorkshire soap company she likes glycerine soaps.

What's your budget?

Personalised planter & bulbs/seeds (approx. £50)
Bath tray/caddy with bath oil & book (approx. £50)
Personalised initial scarf/wrap (approx. £25)
Glass nail file & OPI nail varnish (approx. £25)

Theatre voucher? Or an experience afternoon cream tea in nice hotel

Does she like dancing? One of the best presents we ever bought MIL was a private dancing lesson with one of the professionals from Strictly.

Can your DH not suggest anything? DH buys the main present for his mum and I might pick up a little treat I think she might like from DS.

Would she like a voucher for something you could go to together? Spa, afternoon tea, lunch & cinema?

Thank you! I hadn't thought of plants/garden stuff. They have quite a low maintenance garden but she does do things with pots and loves to watch the birds. I'll look into that further.

Also really like the cake plate idea. Even though she has a lot of tableware I don't think she has anything like that.

Budget is probably more like £30 than £50 but we could get MIL and FIL a joint present with little individual extras each.

Unfortunately she doesn't like the theatre.

Thanks so much for the suggestions!

@Twig - what an amazing gift!

I'll have a think about vouchers.

DH will be helpful when it comes to making the final choice and is good at buying for FIL. He's struggling as much as I am for initial ideas. I think I'm getting somewhere now though.

She really likes wildlife actually, so that could be part of an idea.

My mother (who is quite tricky to buy for as has everything she needs/wants) absolutely loved the hedgehog house we bought her one year. She loves the garden and in previous years I'd bought her bird feeders, planters etc but the hedgehog house was a big hit!!

A national trust membership

My MIL is very difficult to buy for. This year we decided that DH can take her to afternoon tea. I know she misses him dearly but respects our kids come first now so will
Love a few hours with just DH.

If she reads the Willoughby Book Club is a good idea, I’ve got a subscription for my granny for the past few years. You put in the recipient’s interests and they send out a book a month for a year.

Thanks all. She doesn't read (something I can't really get my head round) and already had NT membership. But the Hedgehog House is inspired. I'm definitely thinking the garden/wildlife route will work.

Lifetime membership of the Extreme Ironing Club, whatever the cost.

They do ironing on steep mountainsides.......

My mil is always happy with personal things rather than expensive, scarf of her favourite colour/hand painted gin glass/anything off the kids. Does she have a favourite actor or TV personality? Could get her their book. Check amazon for lots of personal gift ideas, maybe a day out rather than an item.

I get photo calenders. Also have purchased stuff from here too

www.whitestitchlane.co.uk

We have MIL a bird feeder tree. Wrought iron you can hang your own bird small holders from it. She has it in front of her kitchen window. We also bought her small book of birds so she could identity the ones she spotted. She raved about it so much, I bought the same for myself, I love it.

As for the added extras possibly small binoculars for FIL

I give mine Jo Malone stuff - always the same, so boring, but she likes it

Floaty scarves

Cashmere bedsocks from the White Company

I like the idea of a hedgehog house, probably more for FIL than for her, but does anyone know if they actually go into them?! Or does the house just sit there empty and pointless?!

I might be about the same age as MIL, what I would like for the budget if I didn’t read books:

A really nice silk scarf.
Leather gloves
Fountain pen
Chocolates- I rarely eat chocolate but I love a nice box at Christmas
Lunch or dinner out somewhere
Nothing for the house or garden (probably just me, but I wouldn’t see that as a present for me)
Nice everyday perfume, e.g Fragonard

Just ( if she likes wildlife ) I don't have a proper garden but I do have somewhere I can hang a bird feeder. It wasn't terribly fancy so made out of wire with a little image of a bird on the top - DH bought me this last Christmas with a packet of fat balls & I can honestly say it's one of the best presents I have ever had - probably about £15 . Can see robins , little tits , other garden birds coming down to use it and it's great. For my Parent's golden wedding ( they are not rich but don't need much iyswim) I bought my mum a bird table with a lovely gothic roof on in - but that would be more than £30 - however - the enjoyment is somewhat similar. As a Christmas Present I then bought her a book to recognise the different birds. She is in no way a great ornithologist , but just enjoys having a cup of tea and watching the different birds coming in - and it's an everyday present in that she ( and I mine - which is a great deal more modest ) enjoy it all year. - Other than that I have bought my mother scarves ( she is a great one for "plain coat is lovely with a nice scarf " ) but I think I am somewhat with @KC225 here , if you think she would enjoy it.

& also these were two other presents on different occasions

this - not the exact one but others do it and would look good on the wrought iron feeder tree as mentioned by a pp if it is the sort of thing she would like www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Gift+Ideas/Christmas+Gifts/All+Christmas+Gifts/Teacup+Feeder_505194.htm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItu_S-Pqn3gIVq5XtCh32iA5PEAQYAyABEgKDUPD_BwE

& I bought this book one Christmas which is not a proper birdwatching book but pretty depictions and amusing bits to read www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Garden-Birds-Matt-Sewell/dp/0091945003/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?s=books&keywords=garden+birds&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1540689603&sr=1-1

I am officially out of all bird feeding ideas now for which you , all on the thread, and most of all my mother are probably very grateful

All best