If you're in your 50's and financially comfortable...

[marezeedotes]

What would be a nice £30ish gift to receive from your daughter that loves you very much and is fed up of giving you marmalade and biscuits that you very graciously pretend to to love?

Bonus points for gift ideas for your slightly churlish older husband who's retired and has no hobbies other than the Masons.

I'd be very happy with Oxfam Goats. Or teacher training in Nepal, etc.

If it must be a tangible thing, anything that makes me or my bike very bright at night (lots of city commuting). There's a list of interesting books I like (but I'll sell them immediately after being read, on Ebay, which may offend you).

I like stuff for MY cats, a kickaroo or colourful catcave (they cost £30 each!)? colourful neckbuffs, Anything mango, posh wine in a bottle not a box.

DH would enjoy great cycling socks or full finger gloves; bonus if he can operate his smart phone with the gloves. Chocolate.

If you know her favourite perfume, buy her something else from the range - body cream, bath stuff - this is my standard present advice that I never follow myself!

Agree about a magazine subscription for the DH or perhaps a delivery of cake/biscuits as there are a few companies that do that.

I prefer something to do rather than "stuff", so a voucher for lunch somewhere/afternoon tea always goes down well.

If you were my daughter, I would love to spend some time with you enjoying a special treat...... :)

So a cup of tea or coffee and a slice of cake in a naice tea shop or a visit to a local garden centre or an open garden would be my idea of heaven.

Otherwise I would love a lavender plant for the garden, or a rose bush (scented and black spot resistant).

Things I’ve had and loved were -
Joules wellington shoes that can slip on and off quickly to go into garden or from car to walk dog.
A lovely framed photo of daughters engagement
A rally nice scarf
A Radley purse - I’m not bothered about the Radley but 20 year old child had saved hard to buy it.
A Sunday and sarong as we were going to India in January
A travel guide to somewhere we were going
A meal voucher for a nice restaurant in London for when my husband and I both stop over for work.

6 pages on, I like receiving flowers. NOT PLANTS. A decorative piece that dies and gets discarded so I can go back to my routine.

Not quite 50 here....

Craft supplies
Legos
A new hat with spf built in
A practical bag (I’m a sucker for the perfect bag for every scenario)

I am 56.
DD is pretty good with presents and over the last few years I have had:

Neal’s Yard stuff.
Good books (Last year was Michelle Obama and for my birthday Caroline Criado Perez’s Invisible Women)
Keith Brymer Jones pottery.
Cashmere wrist warmers.
She did buy me afternoon tea and tour of local historical house a few years back - I loved that.

Sports stuff and tech I buy myself as I am fussy and know exactly what I want.

DH is impossible to buy for but he would love afternoon tea!

Oh yes! She bought me the Women of NASA Lego set one year. Big hit!

I'm 49 and 3/4 Biscuits and marmalade would be OK from a stranger, but hurtful from my DC because they are so impersonal. She is your DM, OP, so you have the opportunity to spy on her. What make up does she use? What skin care/bath products? What are her hobbies? Her favourite authors?

Don't buy what you think she should like because she is in her 50s. Buy her something that reflects her own interests, not her age. I would love the bootjack mentioned by a PP but absolutely hate a posh tea or bath oil - not because of my age, but because I'm not an afternoon tea or bath person.

Last year I gave my sister and her husband a jigsaw of their county in the 1600s. She still hasn't started it yet.

Afternoonspray - craft items are always my favourite presents. Someone once gave a box of gorgeous buttons and beads and I was so happy. Crafters often love to collect things like this.

Patterned socks are wonderful. I hate slippers so I wear lovely socks around the house in winter, or under ankle boots when out. I thought everyone loved cute socks??

My least favourite presents are alcohol, anything to eat, house ornaments or things for the kitchen.

I'd be delighted if my DC got me silver jewellery, specifically earrings, but they'd have needed to have paid attention to detail- but I reckon they'd know I only like small, lightweight pieces.
One of my sons is really good at buying presents, and will find books on subjects he knows I am interested in, or kitchen equipment he knows I want( we both enjoy cooking) and he's bought me upgraded versions of essential equipment.
I'd enjoy an experience, but that could be tickets to something ( band/ theatre/ comedy, or being taken out to eat.
But you must know what your own mum enjoys, better than any of us!

I really love very nice socks. Boring but true, hand knitted, or cashmere etc.
Also gorgeous soap. A fat Chanel bath soap, or Similar.
Good knickers. Very good pencils. Books , books, and more books.
A lipstick. A beautiful decoration for the tree.

Make her a photo book with family photos from over the years if she doesn’t already have one?

I also love plants for the garden.
For the older husband- no books that he would like ? Does he play chess ? A bottle of good vintage port, a whole stilton, his favourite childhood sweets in a big jar.

Last year my adult DD had a mouse mat made with a special photo on it of the two of us. It's fab.

Fortnum & Mason's honey gin is nice.
And your solemn word that you will never, ever buy me hand cream or anything from Molton Brown.

My kids always buy me some cute socks. Every morning I open my sock draw and am faced with loads of happy memories. I start every day thinking about them with a smile. Super cheesy, but true.

I'm that sort of person and what I'd like is another pair of lightweight Joules slippers (previous gift pair getting worn out) or some nice, soft bamboo socks (but not particularly Christmassy ones) since I never think to buy them for myself.

Ditto nice leather gloves, ditto to the M&S recommendation, they do lots of nice colours, or home made fudge, esp. like the amazing stuff my BiL makes.

And I always like a planted basket of hyacinths that will flower in January, smell lovely and make me realise that spring isn't too far away.

Is it just me who is wondering how on earth you don't know YOUR OWN MOTHER well enough to buy her a personal gift?

Marmalade?! As a pp said - OK for a friend who loves marmalade but very impersonal for your mother!

This thread has clearly shown - everybody likes different things. It's not like you get to 50 and all of a sudden you have no individuality. Choose something that she will love.

Rhino - the op is just looking for ideas. She will of course know her dm well enough to decide which of our suggestions might work.

I haven't got a clue what to get my 25 year old ds for Xmas either. Doesn't mean I don't know him well

my dd booked a place i liked for afternoon tea, not so posh more funky, sort of place my dh wouln't be seen dead in as they might try feed him some odd foodstuff, for the two of us , last xmas and it was voted my best ever present.

Do they wear glasses? Even for sunglasses a photo of family or pet, or favourite place, printed on a glasses cleaning cloth - eBay. That's about £3ish

Good gardening gloves, they never last long enough sadly.
Single varietle chocolate (bars for me - no teeny tastes here thankyou)
A soft warm scarf (multicoloured)
Wellie socks... or even hand knitted socks..which are THE best present ever.
Beautifully scented handbag sized handcreams.
Nice looking and compact glasses case.