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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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

111 replies

drspouse · 25/10/2023 14:16

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....

OP posts:
GettingStuffed · 29/10/2023 09:55

No longer have mothers, last year we bought mil a lovely posh throw, currently snuggled up under it) , a microwaveable cuddly rabbit and a long cardi.

When my gran was about that age we'd buy her orange pekoe tea as she loved it but couldn't justify paying for it out of her pension. Then we'd find some posh biscuits to go with it.

I can't believe the price of some of the suggestions above.

PerditaProvokesEnmity · 29/10/2023 11:52

I can't believe the price of some of the suggestions above.

Why, though? People have different priorities and spending power in every area of life.

For myself, since my DF died, I’ve tried as far as possible to give my DM the sort of ‘wow’ present he would have given her. (Fond memories of fur coats - the 70s! - fabulous handbags, jewellery, foreign trips …) Very much want her to feel she is still the Most Important Person …

plumtreebroke · 29/10/2023 12:08

I think consumables are good, don't need to find somewhere to keep them.

Christmas hamper M&S was nice and not too fancy. I bought one for aged uncle who really liked it.

Orchid in a pot, half bottle of champagne, posh chocolates.

drspouse · 29/10/2023 13:15

Pretty much my third sentence says she doesn't want things to eat...

She's coming to stay before Christmas and I will book the theatre.

OP posts:
drspouse · 05/12/2023 11:35

OK so I think I have everything sorted except I want to get her a heated throw for her sofa (she's very into heating the person not the house, she said recently, so it's ideal, and I know she hasn't got one).
Suggestions that can be sent to her house, are slightly arty/crafty/wooly (probably not fleece)?
Would prefer not Amazon, though we do have Prime, but this doesn't seem like an Etsy job - I have got her a nice handmade blanket in the past which she did seem to appreciate.

OP posts:
Bettyscakes · 05/12/2023 22:01

I got a nice heated throw from Debenhams last year

Scruffington · 05/12/2023 23:03

heated throws tend to be fleecy type blankets rather than natural fibre things. they're incredibly cosy though so still worth buying for your mum, even if they're not her usual aesthetic.

You could maybe get her one that's disguised as a knitted throw

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/63809/lakeland-knitted-heated-throw

Lakeland Knitted Heated Throw | Lakeland

Super soft knitted material with velvety fleece lining. Choice of 9 heat settings and 9 time settings. Auto shut-off for peace of mind. Machine washable with detachable control. Approx. 160 x 120cm.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/63809/lakeland-knitted-heated-throw

StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 06/12/2023 01:10

We now give my parents a cook voucher, they really get a lot of pleasure spending it and looking forward to their fancy meals

Mediumred · 06/12/2023 01:49

Would she like one of those Ancestry DNA tests? I got one for young teen DD a couple of years ago and she found it v intriguing even though there wasn’t really anything exotic in her background.

drspouse · 06/12/2023 07:17

That one looks great @Scruffington. I think she'd like the knitted vibe.

OP posts:
fluffyduvetcover · 06/12/2023 07:36

My Mum in her 80's loves her furry heated throw from Lakeland ( may be a Dreamland make)

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