Small ideas for stocking for older couples

[Choccymumma]

Hi
My wonderful aunt told me that her husband is very old fashioned and doesn't make a fuss of her at Christmas, the generation of 'here's some money, buy yourself something you would like'
My uncle loves her dearly though!
Anyway, I would like to deliver them a sticking each this Christmas anonymously as they are so good to my family and have been thinking about what I can put it them?
Can you help please?

Obviously that's a stocking!!

That’s a lovely idea.

Some ideas for you: Book, pen, notebook, socks, choc coins, scratch card, hand cream, key ring

Don’t do it anonymously , just put a note on it saying how much you appreciate them . How old are we talking ?

They know how much I love them. I'd like it to be a surprise as then its even more special.
They are late 60s, early 70s but very sprites and good fun!!

Spritely! Fat fingers...

I don’t think anonymous things are more special , maybe that’s just me . If they like gardening , gardening gloves , seeds , secateurs. Nice bath / shower stuff . The body shop do some very nice lemon hand gel . Decent chocolates , alcohol of choice / smart glass for it . Posh tea bags / tea pigs / coffee beans . Socks / gloves .

I'd go for 'consumables' rather than things. So think of literally anything you know they like and buy posh mini versions. Eg. some stuff I'd like would be…

Jo Malone travel candles

Fortnum and Mason jam, marmalade, chutney, Christmas preserves

Umami paste, gentleman's relish, olives, tomatoes, truffle oil, vinegar etc

Cashmere socks from TKMAXX

A personalised Christmas ornament each

Seeds for the garden, plant food, self watering devices

Aldi or Montezuma chocolate buttons

Nuts, pork scratchings, dried fruit etc

Alcohol miniature

Travel size perfume

A nice soap or hand wash

Liberty print face mask

Bottle of matches

Maldon sea salt

Truffle powder

Waterstones gift card

Cocoa dusted almonds, sugar almonds, candy kittens

Chocolate biscuits

A set of postcards and stamps

Gel writing pens

Zara home Reed diffusers

Coffee / Beanies coffee

Spanish hot chocolate

Zoflora

Make up bits

Bath stuff or bath bomb

No, I know what you mean but they will love the excitement of surprise and not knowing. I'm sure they will find out/work out eventually. I was thinking of saying from Santa...
They love gardening, thank you for the ideas.

Small Christmas decoration each

Framed photo

Some homemade sweets, fudge, marzipans, peppermint creams type things

Mini jars of jam, marmalade or honey; chutneys

Small Christmas pudding

Pens

Miniatures of perfume/aftershave

Miniatures of toiletries or bath/shower stuff

Half bottle of spirits like sloe gin or flavoured Gins

Scratchcards

These are all fab, thank you everyone!

A salami

@clarrylove

A salami

It seems you know my aunt!!

How about some old fashion toys/games? Cats cradle, yoyo, pack of cards (with book of games), chalk to do some hop scotch, jacks, tiddlywinks.

I was in a museum shop the other day and I picked up dh a replica ww2 medal and recreation newspapers/information books. So maybe things from their childhood era, coins, cd etc.

A satsuma in the toe.

A rolled up newspaper or crossword book/magazine. Maybe with a personalised pen each.

I second the idea of keeping the sticking gifts to consumables as much as possible. My mum is about their age. She is currently in the process of moving from her house to a (beautiful) 1 bedroom retirement flat.

Every single room in her 4 bed house house (with attics, sheds, a garage and an outhouse) is jam packed with clutter including many beautiful and thoughtful gifts she has been given over the years. Each one was chosen with love and care but 75 years of gifts is a lot. A big part of the move is to help her mental health as the sheer amount of 'stuff' she has is just overwhelming her. Just knowing that in a few weeks time she can walk away with just a very few treasured possessions and leave all the rest behind has already made a huge improvement to her mood and energy levels.

It is going to take months to sort the house out. I will do my best to return personal gifts to the family members and friends that gave them to her but it won't always be possible. I will give what I can to refuges and charities but post lockdown a lot of local places don't have room for any more donations. I will Freecycle and eBay what I can but is anyone really going to want her collection of over 100 egg cups or the 100+ elephant ornaments. Or the 8 ancient ghetto blasters, one in every room? Not to mention the CRT TVs neatly stacked in the cupboard under the stairs. An awful lot of it will end up on skips because no one will want it and she no longer has the physical or head space for it.

Think really carefully about what you buy. It's a lovely thought but sometimes too much stuff can become a burden.

Does it have to be a stocking? If so, I second consumables or seeds etc. A gift card for something they'd like would be good. Stockings full of Stuff for stuffs sake, isn't a good present. If they propagate their own seeds, how about seeds or bulbs for every month?

I'm going against the grain, but I'm a gardener and I really don't want people buying gloves for me as I'm quite particular about what I want. I'd prefer a voucher for a garden centre so I could choose whatever I happened to need at the time (or spoil myself with something I wanted but couldn't justify getting myself!).

Books
Money
A potted plant
A letter
Music
Wine
Games
Mail order catalogues
Information leaflets if you can find them
Gloves

If they love gardening DO NOT GIVE THEM GARDENING STUFF unless you are a gardener yourself and can give them things that are not just crap gift stuff. Ditto for any other hobby. It breaks my heart when MIL gives me random crap gardening gloves and seeds of things that I won't grow 'because I love gardening'. I'm even fussy about what string I use.

As someone close to that age bracket I would like experiences and consumables, not things

• scratchcards
• going out to lunch/tea with you (24th Dec gift)
• donation to a relevant charity
• tiny really classy xmas decorations
• a really good quality truffle (chocolate or fungi)
• miniature of something delicious, booze or salami included
• a nice photo of us all together

Rant over.

I do not want (MIL are you reading this?) giftwrapped Morrisons liquid soap, cheap gardening gloves, lip balm (have you EVER seen me use lip balm? ever???), big cheap anything especially if it's 90% plastic.

A few years ago I bought my stepmum a garden caddy and filled it with things like cane toppers, twine, tomato, cucumber and salad seeds, scissors, hand cream, a diary and sweets she liked, she said it was one of the best gifts she’d ever had

It shows how we're all different, as I wouldn't want tomato, cucumber or salad seeds. I also wouldn't use a diary and I'm particular about hand cream (as I have eczema). I also have a load of cane toppers already.

I would really just be cautious with gardening stuff as it's really very personal to the gardener.

Unless you absolutely know their wants / needs, it's a no go area for me!