Active discussions

Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

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

Original poster

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

727 replies

GotMooMilk · 13/12/2023 15:15

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?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
housethatbuiltme · 13/12/2023 16:35

I'm not 50 or a minimalist but my view.

Honestly I have like 5 random pairs of slipper to get rid of after being gifted, I do not wear slippers, I have one pair of slip on socks thing (like ballet pump made out of fluffy anti slip sock material) for if I need slipper and I only wear them about 5 times a year. It's really the kind of thing you should only buy if you know they want a specific pair/type.

I have never had any urge or use for a chilled eye mask either, to me it would be random tatt.

Does a minimalist want another make up bag? Its another item I have so many off that even as a non minimalist I don't really need any more. Personally I think a nice make bag can be pretty I just don't 'need' anymore and I imagine a minimalist already has one and wouldn't want an unnecessary gift.

I'm not trying to be harsh just honest that they are quite generic gifts that don't tend to be needed by most people. Minimalist usually don't like unnecessary multiples of something.

Jellybott · 13/12/2023 16:36

My similarly hard to buy for mil enjoyed receiving pens and notepads from Liberty (she's a habitual list maker)

LozengeShaped · 13/12/2023 16:37

Bird feeder for the garden, and a pair of binoculars 🙂

RosesAndHellebores · 13/12/2023 16:37

I'M 63 @GotMooMilk

Things from:

Neom
L'Occitan
A nice umbrella (I lose these)
M&S leather gloves (I lose these too)
A moleskine notebook
A very nice candle if not Neom
A charging block and/or new phone charger
A shrub for the garden
A bouquet of flowers (always love)
A little torch for my handbag or keyring with a light.

flyingvisit · 13/12/2023 16:37

Oh Ive seen some cool gadget you use with red wine that is supposed to eliminate hangovers

loveinthe90s · 13/12/2023 16:37

GotMooMilk · 13/12/2023 16:34

@loveinthe90s I do know her 😂 she just doesn’t have hobbies! Or read. Or drink tea, or like clothes. She drinks red wine so I’ll add a bottle of that to the gift bag 😊 (a Nice bottle!)

Fair enough! As lots of people are saying, I do think one luxury item is nicer than 4 itty bitty ones. Like Aesop bath stuff or something. Please tell me she likes having a bath or shower?! 😂

Perfectlystill · 13/12/2023 16:37

I wouldn't bother with a make up bag. You're bound to get it wrong.

She must LIKE something beyond telly? Food/wine/clothes/pets/exercise/somethjng? What does she spend her money on?

I'm sorry for you OP. I hope things look up for you.

Xenia · 13/12/2023 16:38

I sound a bit like the MIL here. My best presents are things I would never be given - people removing things from the house that belong to them.

I wouldn't have liked any of the things on the list whereas a £50 Amazon voucher might be useful.

SpeculatingRooks · 13/12/2023 16:38

I would adopt her a donkey 🫏

Twiglets1 · 13/12/2023 16:39

I prefer to buy my own slippers, I wouldn't use the gel eye mask, I'm fussy about chocolates. The make up bag I would possibly use if it's a nice one.

She sounds impossible to buy for though! Does she use perfume? I would probably have a sneak around her house to see which perfume/body lotions etc she uses and buy her a nice gift set

Redkatagain · 13/12/2023 16:39

I'm late 40s. DH has asked what I would like for Christmas and I was only able to manage a long list of what I don't want.
He has committed to a bunch of (supermarket) flowers each week for the next year.
It's perfect and exactly what I will want- a regular little lift each week.

Perfectlystill · 13/12/2023 16:39

I know how about a photo book of happy memories of her, you (plural) and the kids over the years?

They're about £15 on Photobox and a joy to receive.

Warmhandscoldheart · 13/12/2023 16:39

A television subscription? Netflix, Prime Lionsgate?

AInightingale · 13/12/2023 16:40

LozengeShaped · 13/12/2023 16:37

Bird feeder for the garden, and a pair of binoculars 🙂

Just waiting for OP to get back and say her MIL isn't interested in birds either...

redboxer321 · 13/12/2023 16:40

loveinthe90s · 13/12/2023 16:37

Fair enough! As lots of people are saying, I do think one luxury item is nicer than 4 itty bitty ones. Like Aesop bath stuff or something. Please tell me she likes having a bath or shower?! 😂

Show quote history

I'm with @loveinthe90s saying that one luxury item is the way to go and would spend the whole budget on a bottle of wine. Nothing else.

scratchyfannyofcocklane · 13/12/2023 16:42

I'm 55 and wouldn't mind the slippers (although would need to be my 'style' & not what some would perceive as 55 year olds slippers) the make up bag would be pointess as I have too much make-up to fit in one and use a vanity case instead, the chocs are OK but would need to be luxury opposed to violet creams. At my advanced age I'd much prefer some nice ie molton brown shower stuff or maybe rituals, a nice scented candle, bottle of baileys, some new gym leggings or gym socks... Absolutely nothing floral, sensible, boring or middle aged please...

CatOnTheLap · 13/12/2023 16:43

Haven’t RTFT but a present that was finally popular with my MIL was a rechargeable hot water bottle.

Tiredalwaystired · 13/12/2023 16:43

Hmmm I’m in my 50s and not for me, but I tend to keep an Amazon wish list (mostly full of books) that I’d like.

So I’d probably plump for an Amazon gift voucher if you can’t think of anything personal…

DartmoorPearl · 13/12/2023 16:43

Can you put out a "no gifts between adults" idea? cuts down on tat and stress (Unless there's something desperate someone needs or some amazing exception. But then that could just be given "as and when" its required not a Xmas thing).

morningtoncrescent62 · 13/12/2023 16:44

I'm early 60s and I'd be very happy with those gifts. In fact, I bought myself some new slippers just yesterday, then realised it was a bit stupid because one of my (adult) children is pretty sure to give me a pair for Christmas. Like your MIL I've become minimalist in the house since my DDs left home, and I don't really appreciate stuff that will become 'clutter' - I'm beginning to think about the inevitable downsizing so I don't want to collect anything more. Useful things like those on your list with some thought gone into choosing them are perfect for me.

ImTheGoat · 13/12/2023 16:44

I'd buy her a fairly expensive bottle of red wine (for example this one https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/chateau-deyrem-valentin-margaux-aop/844818-448691-448692) and a red wine tasting notes journal from Amazon (for example https://amzn.eu/d/3mWH2yB).

I think instead of buying a generic item the best gifts are more personalised, taking something you know the person likes and buying a fancier version than they usually get for themselves. For me that would be candles or nice socks or soap but for your MiL it sounds like wine would be more likely to fit the bill.

Waitrose & Partners

Buy quality groceries and wine from Waitrose & Partners

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/chateau-deyrem-valentin-margaux-aop/844818-448691-448692

Ceramiq · 13/12/2023 16:44

I'm 57 and would hate all those things. Cashmere socks?

HoopLaLah · 13/12/2023 16:44

GotMooMilk · 13/12/2023 16:34

@loveinthe90s I do know her 😂 she just doesn’t have hobbies! Or read. Or drink tea, or like clothes. She drinks red wine so I’ll add a bottle of that to the gift bag 😊 (a Nice bottle!)

If she likes wine, that’s your solution right there.

Decent quality bottle (or two) and a set of two nice wine glasses or one of those pump action vacuum wine saver gadgets.

Keep the fluffy slippers and eye mask for yourself.

FortunataTagnips · 13/12/2023 16:45

Ticket to Dignitas?

Circularargument · 13/12/2023 16:45

GotMooMilk · 13/12/2023 15:15

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?

The problem is, it depends on the individual. I qualify but would be entirely uninterested in any of those ( too well mannered to say anything tho) , I'd rather have a book. But I'm not your MIL.