Mum in her 80s, have bought her everything nice before!

[drspouse]

DM always likes my presents but it's kind of a high bar now and I feel like I've done everything!
She likes reading, knitting, gardening, art, and rambling, as well as travelling.
She's relatively active but is 81 so there are limits nowadays.
If I buy her anything to eat she moans that she "doesn't need it" and gives it to someone else.
I have bought her a nice knitting kit (but she finds it hard to get the right tension so tends to stick to her tried and trusted patterns despite the fact that the DCs will never wear her itchy jumpers...).
Bought everything cashmere already, as well as a lovely wool blanket for the sofa.
Done a book club subscription, nice socks and lavender eye mask, done hand cream though of course I could get some more but that's a bit small for a whole present.
She makes everything for the allotment out of junk and I don't really know what she needs (apart from hand cream of course!).
I tried to get her annual membership of her local art gallery before but it was really complicated and she's too far from big cities to really want to travel for e.g. Royal Academy membership (also she's fallen out with a few of her regular haunts, suspect over gender woo but I can't remember which ones!)
She's already in the NT and I have such a lot of family limitations that I can't any longer go and take her out to the theatre or similar (that's been successful in the past and I would enjoy it too, so that's a shame).
She does a painting class but I don't really know what she'd like/need for that.
ETA she wouldn't want scented candles, and I've bought her an oil burner before but I don't think she used up the melts I got.
Heeeelp....

What about a personalised calendar with pics of you and her with the grandchildren - different one for each month? And maybe a nice jigsaw to go with it?

I've always avoided a photo calendar because she gets one from my brother whose DCs are much older so they got in first.
Maybe I just hate photo calendars myself and she'd actually like one from us as well. But I feel quite insecure generally about photos of my DCs as on display she has about 20 of my DNs, 5 of DD and one toddler photo of DS.

She never does jigsaws.

Same! Well I'm just nearly middle aged and I'd love it.
If the gift included an hour or two of shovelling, so much the better.

OP, what about 'posh' compost? Multi purpose compost is so variable these days, that a few bags of Dalefoot or similar could be a lovely treat.

How about a trip for the two of you on a steam train with lunch champagne etc if DH can have DC? Know people who have done this and was great.
Monthly subscription for seasonal bouquet of flowers.
If she can do with some extra muscle in the garden pay for a gardener for a day.
A rose arch, fountain or bird bath with solar spray for the garden.
Sarah Raven has some great garden gifts that she might not buy herself eg lovely tripods for growing climbers, look great.
Some terracotta pots planted up with a bulb lasagne so she enjoys a sequence of spring flowers in the darker months.
Love the manure load suggestion this would be my fave.

Toolset for making things for the allotment? Gardening mag subscription?

My mum is 85, I give her money or Amazon vouchers so she can buy books on Kindle as she spends around £50 a month on books.

My Mum loves her Alexa. Easier to check on her too. The kids add photos to it of whatever she likes and it keeps rolling though those all day.
House sign.

A cream tea for two at some nice hotel

A fresh flower subscription went down well here, monthly deliveries for a year, but it was an 80th present can't afford it for Christmas etc

What about a gardener’s apron and a kneeling pad for the allotment?

Thank you so much, I’ve never heard of a bulb lasagne before and it’s the perfect gift for my mum and great aunt. I’m having a lovely time browsing gardening catalogs to choose my bulbs!

Could you get her fixed up with a library subscription? I borrow my e-books from the library now.

It sounds like the theatre with you would be a real treat for her, especially given it is difficult for you. Would a matinee be easier for you than an evening?

I can manage an evening if she stays with us (otherwise a matinee doesn't help). I've asked her if she wants to come and stay for a few days after Christmas and if she does I have a good idea of a play she'll like (there's not masses of choice, it's mainly West End musical transfers near us which isn't her thing).

I'd book theatre tickets and you could make a gardening hamper, new gloves, kneeling pad some seeds. Maybe a magazine subscription or a voucher for a garden centre to but some plants or whatever she needs.

My MIL absolutely LOVED the air fryer we got her last year.

My DM would love more time with me, I sympathize with the difficulties in managing to make the time to do so.

It might depend on the sort of rambling she does and how tech savvy she is but how about an Ordnance Survey subscription? You can download the map to your phone in advance if you want or do it en route if you get a bit lost. Plus there are route planning options if you want to get fancy. My DH loves his and it's a present we renew every year.

Electric footwarmer. Blueberry bush - ours has fruited and now turned to a lovely seasonal red, did well in a large pot. Gadgets to help in the kitchen -openers, etc. Body pillow. Electric blinds or electric curtain openers (with handyman to fit) - love ours.

Monthly fresh flowers from a local florist.

Tickets to the Chelsea Flower show - and make a day out with it.

Christmas themed day out - NT, local to her - with the family.

Theatre tickets for a day/evening out.

Book token with comfy socks, hot drink sachet, biscuits, candle.

Framed scrabble letters with the whole family’s names.

A Spotify subscription and make a date to sit with her some afternoon and create a playlist. You could make a voucher to give her on the day.

I’ve done this for all our elderly parents and they’ve all thought up songs that they hadn’t heard in decades. It’s a really lovely way to get to know them even better, as you hear all sorts of stories.

Haven't read the whole thread so apologies if someone already posted but I've got my DM this year a maestro course (alongside some nice bits). I got her the Indian cookery one but there are lots of interesting courses, they are also 40% off until 31st October.

I bought my DH one of the creative writing ones last year and he found it super helpful.

www.bbcmaestro.com/courses/category/photography

For my MIL I have bought her a new Alexa, an audible account and am buying her three or four books to start with.

If she makes stuff for the allotment then maybe a rechargeable battery power drill or power tool of some sort, or a set of really good drill bits. https://www.bosch-diy.com/gb/en/power-tools/cordless-tools/18-v-power-for-all-battery-system. I’m after a small saw or multi tool from this range for the allotment.

It sounds like the nearby hotel is something she'd (grudgingly) enjoy and that could possibly work with your childcare restrictions.

More of a token gift, but Francis Frith calendars and local history photos books have been well received by difficult to buy for people in our family. I always drop hints that I'd like one of the calendars with photos of the town I grew up, but haven't been bought one yet!

If her radio is DAB it might need upgrading to receive DAB+ Stations in the new year. Classic FM are going over to it.