Would really appreciate ideas for a couple please

[OMGitsnotgood]

Budget c. £30. ‘No present’ is not an option and I don’t want to give a voucher. They don’t drink alcohol. They don’t like coffee and just like ‘ordinary’ tea. They receive a photo calendar from family each year.

Past gifts have included candles; cookery books; plants & pots (indoor and outdoor); herb seeds and pots; vase; photo frames and albums; various food gifts; scarves and gloves. I’d rather avoid toiletries, as she has sensitive skin.

We usually get together between Christmas and New Year. Judging by the generous boxes of chocolates & biscuits they bring if they come to us / put out if we go to them, it would seem they receive a lot of those. They used to enjoy walking but one can’t walk too far now so anything related to that is out. Don’t really have hobbies other than reading and watching TV but would be a gamble buying books as I don’t know what they already have.

All suggestions appreciated. Thanks

Waiting with interest to see what is suggested ... I have done

• Cook voucher (so they can have a tasty night in)
• Selections of jams and chutneys
• Bath pack - bubble bath, shower gel, book, floating duck (but see you have a sensitive skin person there)
• Mugs and hot chocs / teas to go in them
• Insulated backpack for walks with lunch
• Magazine subscription

Jigsaw they could do together?

I am tempted just to do jams and chutneys with biscuits for cheese but have done that before and fairly recently.

i enjoy doing jigsaws but know they don’t . Possibly an idea for others reading this thread for inspiration. If so, I’d say buy a puzzle which is designed to be a jigsaw, not a ‘nice photo turned into a jigsaw’ as they can quickly become tedious if there is lots of sky/sea/trees etc

Our post crossed, I think jigsaws are great presents but know they don’t like them.

A nice plaid, perhaps?

I know you said you didn't want to give a voucher but one of the best presents we ever got was a cinema voucher!

What about an acorn vase, so they can grow an oak tree sapling? We love ours!

A fancy olive oil and balsamic or chutneys?

What about something handmade? Like cookies/gingerbread, a malt loaf or Dundee cake. Could make it into a nice hamper perhaps.

Or perhaps a magazine subscription – sort-of like a voucher but you can wrap the first issue and perhaps get a small, related gift. If they have a garden, a birdwatching magazine with a couple of bird coasters/mugs could work, given they used to like walking/the outdoors, so they can look at the birds in the garden.

Also Bird Bingo (birds on the mind, clearly!) is a big hit at ours and works perfectly well between two people.

What about the game Rummikub ? My neighbours introduced my husband and I toot and we really enjoy playing

What about a magazine subscription based on where you live? Devon Life? Somerset Life or whatever

I was going to suggest magazine subscription but how about a new teapot?

Cheese hamper?

Handmade bowl cosies? ( You can find on Etsy)

Cheese hamper?

Handmade bowl cosies? ( You can find on Etsy)

What age are they? I wouldn’t do the jigsaw thing, it will just end up being clutter around the house.
Something they can consume is probably the best option. You said they drink ordinary tea, does this mean they would not appreciate more fancy tea? I always find that nice tea is a lovely gift.
Otherwise I second the suggestion of a fancy bottle of olive oil if they are the sort of people that would appreciate that.
A good quality panettone in a nice tin?
A nice candle is also always nice assuming they like and use them, as you have given them before.
Or maybe a nice serving dish/plate?

A sheepskin rug that they can drape over a chair if not put on the floor? £30 on offer at John Lewis at the moment.

Cinema gift card perhaps.

Also things like “fancy” crackers, cheese, chutneys or tapenades etc. You can make your own mix of these things and put it in a box of nice bag

I’d not heard of these before but really like the look of them. Daft question: do they come with the acorn or do you need to find your own?

I'm assuming they're an older couple (maybe in-laws?). In which case they won't want ornaments and the like. How about something practical like a key finder? Or a weather station which are quite a talking point and cost around £30 quid. Maybe a nice bird feeder/butterly house for the garden?

https://www.marksandspencer.com/tea-and-treats-gift-bag/p/hpp60591732#intid=pid_pg1pip48g2r7c1%7Cprodflag_plp_ts_QPH_77

I know it's food but it's basically ordinary tea, biscuits, jam, marmalade and honey so will last?

Otherwise just buy things you know they like - a fruit cake and cheddar truffle from M&S

These are good ideas if you think they'd be interested. We have had a weather station for many years. It has a unit in the garden and one in the kitchen. The one in the garden sends info to the one inside so we always know the temperature outside and inside. Very useful.

I would be absolutely delighted to receive a lovely bouquet of flowers, at any time of the year. That's another one where you'd have to be confident they'd appreciate it.

Nice bowl planted up with spring bulbs?

I opened the thread to suggest a voucher for a meal, but I see you're not keen on that idea. Fair enough, but I'd be really pleased to get a voucher for Pizza Express or similar. I used to arrange for my parents to have a voucher for a restaurant in the next street. It worked effectively like a tab. Every time they went in the cost of their meal was deducted from the voucher. It typically saw them through a few Winter Warmer lunches (soup and sandwiches) and one evening meal, and they seemed genuinely pleased to get it, as they often ate there anyway.

I agree with flowers - or a poinsettia as there are some lovely ones around at Xmas

You could choose a Christmas or winter themed book?

Tove Jannson who wrote the Moomins has a collection of wintry short stories? Philip Pullman's Clockwork? Richard Coles Murder under the Mistletoe?

They're easier to buy than trying to choose a random fiction book that they might like.

You can order one to come with the vase (we got ours from Ilex). You can also just find them on the ground- there are loads around at the minute! But they need to be in good condition - not cracked etc