Present ideas for parents who have everything?

[justwinginglife1]

As the title says really.
They enjoy socialising with friends and spending time with the grandchildren etc. Dad likes football and rugby. No other hobbies - both always busy with work and taking care of elderly relatives. Don't think they would be interested in a spa day or anything like that. I'm am literally out of ideas on what to get them.

Their birthdays were last month and I got dad a football shirt and made mum a memory book of her adventures with DC since they were babies which she loved.

They get endless amounts of flowers, candles, alcohol, sweets etc from other people anyway so I don't want to be getting them more of that.

I usually look at getting tickets or vouchers but because of the uncertainty with everything going on at the moment I don't really want to do that this year. I feel like they have everything they want or need and I have already used up every other idea possible over the past years.

If I ask them I just get the 'we don't want anything, just spending time with you all is enough' but I couldn't not get them anything.

What would you get them?

If your parents have glasses or sun glasses you can get nice personalised glasses cleaning cloths that cost maybe £2-3. I’ve got them for my mum for several years with an updated pic of the dc on - means she always has an up to date pic with her and it’s practical too. If they wear both glasses and sunglasses that’s one for each set.

In the main Xmas ideas and bargains thread somebody had put personalised metal straws that they engraved for free - so if your dc have a cute name or thing they do with their go, rather than engraving with their name you could use their nick name - they were about £1-1.50 plus a cleaning brush for them.

There are books or kits you can get for grandparents to fill in with all their old memories and stories to be a book for their gc. You could maybe make up a pack of sheets for them to fill in, then photograph, add other photos and turn the whole lot into a photo book that you make into the photo book and print off a copy for each grandchild that you give to them to give to each gc. So a round about gift but that would go down well.

Depends what rocks them but for an elderly comfortable off Aunt one year I bought her a manicure - done at her local salon that I looked up online with v.goodreviews - not the sort of thing she would buy for herself

I agree re good brand toiletries & food - my DF would not spend the money on that type of thing for himself but he thinks noting of spending £££ on me & DGS etc.

My single older DB who has everything loves oysters but hardly ever has them - I took him out to an Oyster bar for lunch with vodka & champagne - he loved it

Would they like Netflix ? - my DH has enjoyed in lockdown watching old favourite films

Do they have an open fire /log burner ? - a delivery of logs + hotel chocolate dipping gift or a lovely bottle of port

Like wildlife - bird feeder & supplies

My Dad loves good quality monogrammed handkerchiefs

Do they have a charity that they're involved in ? Something that they're passionate about or a cause that's close to them ? Charities are really struggling right now after lockdown as their donations decreased significantly. Instead of buying materials/experiences that they don't want or need why not talk to them about you making a donation on their behalf.

I'm upgrading something they already have - in my case getting them both wireless headphones / earbuds (they both have different preferences of headphone styles!). That way i know it's something they'll use a lot.

Really nice socks - tip I got from here ages ago, and it's always gone down well. Socks are one of those things where if you're buying for yourself it's hard to justify spending ££s, yet expensive ones are so, so much nicer, especially in winter.

Silk pillow case went down well with mum last year-she would never have spent on a pillowcase but lived in a hot country and is cooling in hot summers as well as good for skin

I agree that if people say they don't want anything then listen to them ... I don't know how old your DPs are? Maybe 60s - I am in my 60s and in the fortunate position of being able to buy anything I need and I really, really don't want any more 'stuff' in my life. My own parents are late 80s and are the same, they feel quite overwhelmed when they are given presents are find it 'worrying' about what to do with unwanted gifts without causing offence.

I manage a charity shop - every year we are inundated with unwanted Christmas presents - some barely unwrapped - great for my shop's sales but such a waste of time and effort.

Last year I bought my parents some theatre tickets which still can't be used! So I understand it's a bit tricky. You could consider a smaller event... last year I got my dad (and me as it wouldn't have interested mum) tickets to a cheese and wine taster event. It was a really lovely day out with dad so I think he also appreciated that as we don't get much one on one time. Similarly you could get your mum a fancy afternoon tea voucher, book it for January, and then attend with her? Also a good idea for grandparents, but it depends if they are self isolating.

I also often buy my mum 'luxury make up' so a YSL product or something like that, that she wouldn't usually splurge on herself.

I bought mil and fil a voucher for a family portrait . It took a year to arrange as 2 family members do shift work on opposite shifts. We had one big family portrait and they took about 20 different pictures. My in laws also wanted a picture with all of the grandchildren and great grandchildren.We all then choose to have one done as our individual families . Unfortunately less than a year after the family one was taken my fabulous mother in law passed away. This made that present very very special to the whole family .

If they enjoy day trips out, what about national trust membership?

M&S hamper?

A painting - maybe a local artist, framed and ready to hand. If they already like art, something else that an artist they like has painted

Something for the garden - something sentimental eg a rose or shrub that shares its name with one of them or one of your family

Garden/step/patio again - a pot, planted up with seasonal plants. Right now, that could be a skimmia japonica (hardy shrub) and some cyclamen or winter pansies or violas autumn/winter bedding) around it. Maybe with some low flowering spring bulbs like muscari, snowdrops, crocus or tete a tete daffodils underneath/ Glazed pots are more expensive than terracotta. Terracotta is more expensive that wooden barrels/plastic pots. Big pots have more of an impact

Garden chair(s)/table/bench/sculpture/ornament/bird table/bird box/bird feeder/bird bath

A tree or shrub for the garden?

Is your mum really into Christmas and like decorating? I used to look in Christmas markets but I dont think anything is happening this year.. but on Esty they have some great handmade decorations if you search it. Or maybe personalised decorations with your children in. Something I have done once or twice is a nice photo in a frame of my DD :)

Mr B's Emporium Book Shop in Bath do Book Subscriptions - they fill in a questionnaire and one of the staff selects a book for them which arrives beautifully wrapped every month for 3/6/12 months. I really loved it. They do Book Spas as well for people who are more local.

My inlaws have everything and all of the money to buy all of the things. So we just buy them consumables. Like the biggest box (chest) of Hotel Chocolat and giant candles from somewhere like Molton Brown. Posh wrapping seem to be a priority. There’s zero joy in buying them anything!!

A magazine subscription would br lovely since we are entertaining ourselves more at home.
Heated blanket if they don't have one (I recently got one and its lovely)

Really nice bedlinen

Piece of local art work?

You sound like a lovely family

Two of the best received presents I have given for difficult to buy for people were shares in football team. You don’t have to spend loads. It was for a 40th so I bought £40 of shares. Means the recipient gets to vote etc. The club needs to be a PLC. This was Spurs, don’t know what other clubs do this.
The other thing that I have gifted a few times and always goes down well are the personalised maps by ordnance survey. Basically it looks like a normal explorers OS map but you choice the memorable place at the centre of the map and you get to give it a title and add a photo to the cover. So I did one with our house as centre point, photo of house on front and title - cycle routes for the ‘Smiths’ on it.
Curry legends from the Spicery also much appreciated.

My children got me and dh tattoos for our birthdays last year!

I have often given a photo calendar or photo book. Otherwise I get a small gift that I hope shows I care - a book that I think they will like, a plant dm has mentioned she might like for her birthday, a particular type of chocs I know dm likes. Never anything huge tbh.

Someone must have noticed there's a Climate Emergency. Mindless Consumerism must stop. There's a Simpson episode where a day called (I think) Love Day means everyone must buy and wrap mountains of absurd gifts, eat special food and observe special rituals in specially decorated homes stuffed with Love Day tat. Next morning, everything goes in the bin.

Thank you for all the lovely tips on here. I adopted the ‘upgrade what they have’ method and have just ordered my lovely DM a new gym bag, micro fibre towel and toiletry bag for her daily trip to the swimming pool. It is the kind of thing she would never indulge in herself and will save her carrying a bath towel in a plastic bag! Just DF to think of now....

Agree with upgrading something they've already got. In my case, I'd like a new rectangular ceramic dish for making lasagne - the one we have is a bit shabby but still ok so wouldn't buy a new one myself.
I was given a really gorgeous LSA vase a couple of birthdays ago. I didn't need a new case but this was such good quality and classy.

My parents are similar, last year I gave them posh chocolates and wine as they don’t usually buy posh chocolates, they really enjoyed them and step dad says “wines the best present”. I will probably do similar this year too.

This year I pushed the boat out and ordered a few things from fortnum and mason which I've only ever been to once and parents years ago as we live miles away.
So,dad has got chutney and cheese straws and mum has the champagne truffles ( reduced to £7 but best before date is 2021) and some biscuits. All came to under 20 pounds so I can get a lovely bottle of wine as well .