Parents in their 70s present - help please!

[ForeverInADay]

Just wondering if I can steal any ideas please.

Parents have spent most of the year indoors shielding as dad has had a transplant.

This will be the first Christmas they haven't spent with us and the kids so I want to get them something lovely that reflects how much we love and miss them but I am hugely struggling.

It could be a joint main present and little gifts each or separate presents. Stepdad really into art and history. Mum into clothes and looking good (in her 70s but doesn't look it!)

They have an Alexa and all the things I can think of! Days out / vouchers for outings won't really work this year. They already have magazine subscriptions!

Please tell me what you are getting your parents!

My first suggestion is usually the latest iPad, but it sounds as if they already have sufficient tech?

How about a piece of exercise equipment? They almost certainly won't have been able to be as active as usual.

I'm probably getting my parent either fruit trees or rose bushes, plus other garden stuff - because they've had to spend so much time looking at the garden recently.

Digital photo frame?

Or a personalised photo calendar

@PoulePouletteEternellement

Thanks, they aren't particularly Into technology. I bought the Alexa 2 years ago! They've got a laptop and I can't imagine an iPad getting much use if I'm honest.

Garden items is an idea. I was thinking maybe a wheelbarrow planter but it doesn't seem that personal. Also, their garden is quite small.

Grrr wish it wasn't so hard, I spent hours googling today!

A digital photo frame is a good idea, especially if I load it with pictures of our kids! I might well put that on the list, thank you!

My go to is artfinder.com especially for things like statues/ornaments. A lot of the artists will also do commissions too - I bought loads for my parents from there and there are some really interesting pieces

Beautiful jigsaw - there are some really gorgeous ones here: www.wentworthpuzzles.com/

Rick Stein meal box: www.rickstein.com/steins-at-home/

I've said it before, and will say it again - but if anyone ever dares to wrap up a ... puzzle and point it in my direction, I will hunt them down with extreme prejudice.

We have got MIL a bottle of her favourite Harris gin, box of chocolates from local deli and a years flower subscription from our local florist to be delivered every month beginning Christmas Eve.

I think the digital photo frame pre-loaded is a great gift, and you can keep it updated throughout the year. Also like the idea of a flower subscription.
Otherwise, an item of clothing for each e..g jumpers?
Will they buy Christmas goodies for themselves? If not you could add a selection of eg small panettone, stollen bites etc

My parents are pretty much in the same boat, serious medical issue and shielding all year and father due surgery in early new year.

I am getting them a flower subscription with flowers arriving once a month starting just before Christmas.

They live a long way from us and we usually have them here for Christmas but won't this year as it's too risky. we hope to see them before Christmas and I will make them up a stocking each to leave on their fireplace and they can open them on Christmas morning.

I'll put mini christmas puddings in each and a mini christmas cake.

Handcream, scented candle, nice soap, fancy chocolates, a magazine and perhaps something else small in my mothers

toblerone, magazines, large bar chocolate, garden bulbs, book of crosswords, and a new mug in my dads

I think they'll be happy with that. I had contemplated getting them a voucher for the garden centre but then i realised that they really wouldn't be able to browse etc due the shielding so thought the flowers would be a better option.

They're v hard to buy for as they don't drink, have no hobbies, don't do much and aren't interested in many things other than strictly come dancing and other tv programmes like that.

We've bought them tech in the past - laptop, tablet, kindle over various years and not one single thing got used ever so have given up on that side of things.

We've bought my mum a firepit this year as per her request! And gave my dad last year a subscription to The London Review of Books which he loved so much he extended it himself.

Have a look at House of Bruar, they have lovely things for both of them. It is wonderful quality.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4079140-To-ask-for-suggestions-for-a-70-year-old-woman-for-Christmas

Craft gin club?

Mine enjoyed photo books, if I can describe it like that (coffee table book publications) of places they’d been to or lived, and local history of their parents era.

For mum, a beautiful floaty printed scarf from Etsy and a Fuji Wave Tote bag from the British Museum Shop, with a Fuji wave umbrella to go with it.

For dad, a Da Vinci Catapult kit and Van Gogh's Sunflowers adult paint by numbers, together with a box of chocolates.

@caperplips I am on my third year of a monthly flower subscription for my mother. Bloom and Wild letterbox flowers. She loves them, they invariably last at least a fortnighrt, and we have never had a bad one.
We bought my dad subscriptions to Private Eye and the London Review of Books.
They also jointly have a subscription to the magszine The Northumbrian ( I think that's the name).
All good gifts for people mainly confined to the house.

Do they use the laptop? If so what for.

myrtleberry, if you asked my nearly nonagenarian parent what they used their iPad for, you'd be here all week! I swear she loves it more than her offspring.

(One of my fondest memories is a few years ago when we were checking into a hotel; the young receptionist asked if we would like a newspaper delivered with our breakfast - I looked at my mother who airily replied "Oh, no thank you, I've got my iPad." The receptionist's face. )

It's odd though - quite often my friends are amazed that my mother even texts me ...

Do they like their garden/birds. I saw a really cool bird house camera a while ago which I thought would make a great gift. My mums a similar age and she would love something like this.

Mine are similar age but no medical issues as such. My mum wants a vintage poster of a company she used to work for, my dad wants a jumper (well, I don't think he particularly wants one but that's what he's said when forced to give suggestions!). My dad will also have some very expensive tea that he loves but wouldn't buy himself, my mum will have something else too. This year is difficult, they are both very active and are not shielding but obviously they're limited by the fact that everything is closed! Normally they'd have tickets to something or a lesson (my dad had a gliding lesson last year!).

@Daisy829 do you have a link to the bird house camera please? That could actually be a perfect present!! Thanks

@caperplips there’s a few on here which have good reviews. Lots of options depending on budget too.

www.green-feathers.co.uk/collections/bird-box-cameras

I've gone down the personalised route this year. My mum loves things with photos of the kids on or things that the kids have drawn or made (they are 10,12 and 14 so can make decent looking stuff). So she's having a photo mug and a photo fridge magnet, and a wooden trinket box with a picture drawn by my daughter burned on by a local pyrography lady. Plus some jewellery. My dad's having a crystal whisky glass engraved with a message from the kids plus a nice bottle of single malt. Both in laws also getting a photo mug plus some nice loose tea and a tea infuser.