What to buy fussy parents

[gingerbreadmumm]

Morning

Just after ideas for my parents - they are so hard to buy for. They are in their 70s. Don't go out a lot.

If I buy clothes, they often return them. I bought perfume/aftershave last year (my mum doesn't wear perfume that often)

I'd do a hamper - but both are veggie, and fussy with food. They don't really drink.

Ive looked at all local venues to see if there are any shows etc coming up to get tickets, but there's nothing on atm they would want to see.

I've bought dinner/afternoon tea vouchers before - they sometimes use them, sometimes totally forget.

Anything Im missing?

thanks xx

What about a monthly flower subscription? If they have pets Arena do a pet friendly one.

do they wear PJs? If my DCs gave me PJs i'd say thank you of course, but i would be sorely disappointed since i have never ever worn them or expressed a desire for PJs.

If you get the Hairy Bikers cookbook make sure you make their carrot cake my goodness it’s absolutely insane!

Magazine subscription?
Good housekeeping
Homes and gardens
Good food
Gardeners world

I have a lovely one called The Simple Things

Letterbox flowers for 3 months

Netflix, Apple TV or National Geographic subscription

Sheepskin slippers from Celtic and co

Soup maker with recipe book

Mine are hard to buy for too. My mum doesn’t really have any interests. Last year I bought her a nice jumper but I do t think I have ever seen her wear it. My dad has lots of interests but if there’s anything he wants he tends to buy it himself. I think I am just going to buy them some food this year.

I’d get them a jumper and pair of slippers each and a box of biscuits.

don't get them a jumper - they probably have all the jumpers they could ever wear.

Consumables are the way to go at their ages. I love the idea of a monthly flower subscription.

I once bought a family member a large coffee-table style book of aerial photographs of the British Isles. He absolutely loved it.

Britain From The Air I think it was called, or something like that.

Mine have a million jumpers/fleeces/cardigans and they wear the same ones all.the time .

If my children asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said I didn’t need anything, that would mean I didn’t want them to buy me anything. You’re buying them stuff for yourself, not them. It’s daft.

agree, especially all the talk of PJs and Jumpers. Urgh.

How about a hamper of ingredients for your Dad to experiment with? Interesting spices, sauces etc.

Either ask them what they want or buy them nothing. Do not get involved in guessing games.

Fa la la la la…

Do they have a garden? If so, a bird box or bird bath can be endlessly fascinating.

I could give you some Wind-Eze for that, if you’d like.

A beautifully framed photo of their grandkids (if they have any)? Or ask if they’d like you to take them somewhere for the day?

A padlock for the garden shed, if they have one?
A bird feeder for the garden.
A jigsaw.
Costa vouchers / whichever coffee place your mum frequents.
A sudoku book.
Letter writing set.
Kindle.
Window sill herbs to grow.
A new cooking pan/le crueset.
Decent set of kitchen knives.
Bread maker.
Local area walks book (eg. OS pathfinders).
Subscription to a magazine, eg good food or other.
Subscription to a book club.
Subscription to The Spicery.
A day out with you - your time will be most treasured.

We don't really do presents in the way that we used to, but without fail I buy them each a book and put it under their pillow so that they have it just before bedtime. And I pop a hot water bottle around each of their nightclothes at the same time, so that they have a toasty bed to get into (they sleep separately).

if They like cheese, you can get cheese making sets.

Another one saying please don’t buy pyjamas or any other clothing. Go for quality over quantity, there are some great cheese subscriptions. Heated blankets probably a big no too. The White Company has nice body sets, would probably be something your Mum wouldn’t splash out on for herself.

I have one of those. Used once. Now lurking under the sink.

Apparently I prefer just buying cheese.

A fresh flower subscription ( bloom and wild or similar)
looks lovely and easy to enjoy
A cake subscription ( slices delivered every month )

Electric underblanket? My mum is super picky and let slip that she quite wants one of those and she's in her 80s

A big photo album with family photos that includes their childhood pictures, photos of grandparents and so on? If you have separate albums already, you can digitize those pictures and colorize them (here is a great article on doing so), then reprint them for a new album and add notes on when and where was the picture taken, who is in the picture, etc.

You can also make a family calendar instead with their photos and pictures of the whole family together from various years if you have those, grandchildren pics if there are any, pets if you have/used to have them, etc.

Various subscriptions could be a good idea as well, like a snack subscription box and it could be pretty much anything from healthy snacks to treats from around the world
https://www.allsubscriptionboxes.co.uk/category/box/food/snacks/
https://snackfully.co.uk/
https://snackverse.com/

Do they enjoy reading? Kindle and their subscription would be an amazing idea.