If you are a woman between 50-60 please give me feedback on these gifts!

[GotMooMilk]

MIL is the HARDEST person ever to buy for. She doesn't really have any hobbies, doesn't like food presents (have given her a hamper of home made food and drink last year and no one has looked less impressed at anything...!) and has an incredibly minimalist house so doesn't like home gifts. She doesn't like going places she hasn't been so a restaurant/theatre voucher wouldn't be used.
Every Christmas or birthday she kills me! Anyway I have got her:

• Fluffy slippers
• Gel eye mask that can be kept in fridge or warmed
• Small box of chocolates
• Make up bag

Does this sound ok?

A lovely Jo Malone body lotion ..... the perfect gift...for me anyway

I would love CLARINS Tonic oil or anything from that range. Equally lovely is Marks’ Sanctuary range. Authentic London on Etsy do the most glorious dressing gowns. Lots of people love Hotel Chocolat or you could look at Lakeland, they have great mulled wine spirits and chocolates etc. you could give her a cocktail box, with glasses a recipe and ingredients. Or a perfect cashmere and merino hat. A water bottle, a thermal mug, a book of poetry, turtle doves recycled cashmere fingerless mittens. Plant bulbs or take her the most beautiful Xmas bouquet in a vase ? Passenger do great fleeces and hoodies, Columbia do amazing fleeces. Sign her up to The Week???

Sorry more. You could buy her espresso cups. Look at Valente, I think it is,they have great candles and body lotion. If she walks or cycles look at a people’s poncho. If you are feeling very generous rise and fall do some beautiful things. Everyone loves an Emma bridgewater mug. Fill it with sweeties. Soak and sleep have perfect pillow case. King of cotton do great towelling dressing gowns. floris is lovely and on brand alley and everyone loved babedas. I will stop now. Poetry, Keats , we all read it at school and mr Kipling adverts.

Oh dear …

Other than flowering bulbs, a bunch of flowers or a new volume of poems I would (sorry) despise almost everything in your lists, @Clukess.

An Emma Bridgewater mug? In 2023? And I haven’t eaten sweets since around 1970 …

One random pillowcase would be a mighty nuisance.

I have all the thermos products I need.

And not a single one of the other branded products you mention are to my taste - so would be immediately re-gifted.

Emma Bridgewater mug? I have a thing about mis matched china so no one who knows me even superficially would buy me anything like that!

We may be 50+ but it is never one size fits all. And who on earth would want one random pillow case?

I think @GotMooMilk the OP deserves recognition for being a thoughtful and kind wife and daughter-in-law.
Hope you have a lovely Christmas.

What does she do when not working, sit watching TV all day? What a waste off a life. Does she never go out? As folks say tv subscription she must have watched everything!

Heated throw?, puzzle book, cross stitch, diamond art, jigsaw, art supplies. to try and tempt her to do something else. A table she can use while sitting on settee.

I'm in my 50's and just started to learn to draw, so books, art supplies, paints.

Frankly I'd give her a voucher she can use for her next food shop and not care about her reaction.

Agreed! And I like what you got OP!

Something useless from JML one off those shavers for her moustache, leg pillow, massager, portable fan for hot sweats, a grappler thing so she can pick things up easier. Smoothie maker,

Just fucking ask her lol. Why the guessing game resulting in shit generic TK Maxx gifts.

OP said pretty early on "i have also asked her x 10 for ideas and she just says ‘I’ll have a think’ so it’s not through want of trying!"

I would like (not all within the £25 budget). Mid 50s

A hoptimist- ideally a wooden reindeer
A Kay Bojeson monkey with Santa hat
Chanel Rouge Noir lipstick
Cloth bound penguin classic
Tweezerman tweezers as I have lost mine
Dark violet creams or dark coffee creams from Audreys
A Georg Jensen elephant key ring
L'occitane Lavender bath gel
Pantone espresso cup

No experiences or events. I dont have time for that and they just go to waste or get passed on.

I'm in this age bracket and I wouldn't be impressed with anything mentioned on this thread.
I'd prefer a love to shop voucher so I can get what I like, rather than something that's going to gather dust in the cupboard.

Ha ha!
This thread truly demonstrates the OP’s problem. We are all so different.

Completely the opposite here. Events and experiences, yes please. Stuff, no thanks (unless it's edible).

OP, you can't win.

I found that whatever I bought for MIL for Christmas or birthday was put in a drawer and regifted. I have been buying for her since she was late 50s. The odd item of clothing she used but most stuff was passed on. I now make up a food hamper, she is on her own so I buy small quantities. If she gives it all away I don’t mind. At least it will be used.
I’m in the 50-60 age group. I think your MIL would understand if you didn’t make a big effort this year under the circumstances. Why not buy her a lovely bouquet of flowers, or a big box of her favourite chocolates. Maybe a nice picture frame or a vase. I much prefer one decent quality gift rather than lots of bits.

A big bowl of hyacinth bulbs. You could get a mega one for £25 which would look impressive. They last way beyond Christmas and, unlike flowers, there’s no faffing around with vases.

Next do really nice beauty boxes with a selection of good brands and the total value of the items is a lot more than the price of the box. I think they start at £15.

My mum loved the one I got her

So for some closure- yesterday we were wandering down a lovely local high street and went into a little independent shop. Found a lovely super soft scarf that I think MIL will actually like! So returning everything else and giving her nice scarf + chocolates.

thanks for all the replies and i didn’t mean to offend anyone saying that’s a homogenous group with the same interests it was just for some ideas!

Lucky MIL, her super soft scarf and chocs are fab presents 💝 and it's always good to support local independent shops.

I hope you, dh and family all have a lovely Merry Christmas!

I gave DPs a full set of fluffy towels for an anniversary present (their household stuff was a bit… random). Then when a cousin got married DM said “we sent her some nice pink towels in a box”.
Silence. Look of horror on DM’s face…
I just laughed.
I knew full well she had a regifting drawer. Some people just don’t want to put the nice stuff into daily use.

@Dogwithagammyleg I've had fun googling some of the things on your list- and I'd love to know why you want a Hoptemist!

@Sgtmajormummy so funny. When my MIL died we found a drawer packed with expensive smellies we'd bought her over the years. I don't think she disliked them, they just weren't 'every day' things to her.

Glad you’re sorted @GotMooMilk

I’m 60 - a pair of posh pyjamas would go down really well.