What do you get your parents for christmas?

[Anonymous]

Mine get a joint gift, first of all. Second of all, I alwaysbstick with gift certificates to a restaurant I KNOW they like and frequent. Sure, it’s not creative, but I know it will be used. My parents have everything they need and my mom, especially, doesn’t want more clutter. She explicitly says this. Photo books and Knick knacks don’t fly with her.

(For their birthdays, my mom only ever wants flowers and my dad likes to try different seasonal beers, so that’s how that goes, for additional ideas.)

[Anonymous]

Any food interests? My mom is very practical, and prefers consumables now that she is older. She was dabbling with gluten free a year or so ago, so I ordered on Amazon a GF snack pack...which could easily be put together from the right grocery store. But I know she sees individually packed foods as expensive and wouldn't buy them herself, and she also spends a ton of time in the car driving her mother to doctors appointments. I phrased the card as saying it would give her snacks that were easy to take a long and make sure she was taking good care of herself too.

She loved it.

I've also done fancier jarred pasta sauces, paired with dry pasta. The citrus fruit box. A plant.

My father always has a wish list of random tech stuff, so he's easier to shop for.

Multi tools, mini-flashlights, car escape hammer, good insulated metal water bottles, nice umbrellas are easy generic gifts that people can use, often even if they already have one.

I think the key with the practical gifts to make them special is to really search and buy the nicest quality of the item you can afford vs. the first of whatever you see.

[Anonymous]

Shari’s Berries. Mom doesn’t want/need more stuff around the house, but does need dark chocolate covered strawberries.

[Anonymous]

We have previously put together our own gift baskets from cafe/market places like Via Umbria in Georgetown or some of the shops in Union Market. Those were very well-received, and it's pretty easy to run up a decent sized tab doing it that way, if you're looking to hit a $ amt.

Last year, we did an electronic picture frame for my dad and pre-loaded it with pictures of the grandkids. He LOVED it. This year, we are doing old-fashioned framed pics of the kids, as we just had a professional photo shoot done.

[Anonymous]

My parents are local so we take them out to a very nice dinner somewhere and spend the evening together. We have a teenager so this works well. I would not do this if we had a younger child. I also do a photo gift of our daughter every year. My MIL will get the photo gift and dinner out with us as well.

[Anonymous]

Bourbon. It's something we can all enjoy.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the responses. It's mostly my mom who is difficult. She says she wants a sweater this year. Here are the criteria: Wool or cashmere (pref cashmere). Cardigan. Not too short, not too long. She is a petite, and it could be a small petite or a medium petite, unless its eileen fisher and then its xs. She prefers eileen fisher. Or Ralph Lauren. Not Talbots as the quality has gone down (this also means NOT macys, not any brand that isn't high end). Prefers a solid color but maybe a subtle pattern would do.

In essence, she wants something SO specific that I can't find it, I can't figure out the size, and it's really expensive (Eileen Fisher is like $300+). So I'd rather just get her something else, but then she'll be hurt that I didn't put the effort in. It's really not fun or in the XMAS spirit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all the responses. It's mostly my mom who is difficult. She says she wants a sweater this year. Here are the criteria: Wool or cashmere (pref cashmere). Cardigan. Not too short, not too long. She is a petite, and it could be a small petite or a medium petite, unless its eileen fisher and then its xs. She prefers eileen fisher. Or Ralph Lauren. Not Talbots as the quality has gone down (this also means NOT macys, not any brand that isn't high end). Prefers a solid color but maybe a subtle pattern would do.

In essence, she wants something SO specific that I can't find it, I can't figure out the size, and it's really expensive (Eileen Fisher is like $300+). So I'd rather just get her something else, but then she'll be hurt that I didn't put the effort in. It's really not fun or in the XMAS spirit.

Get her a nice pin or brooch she can put on the cashmere sweater she buys for herself

[Anonymous]

Maybe the Eileen fisher outlet store? Macy’s and nordstrom eventually has EF on good sale prices, if you are interested in stalking. Maybe just give her a gift certificate to Macy’s and let her stalk or pony up the extra? I like the PP posters idea of the broach...give her half the amount you would have spent on the sweater plus the broach and the note for what it’s for and play dumb about how much she is really asking you to spend on the sweater.

[Anonymous]

Gifts from my toddler. Hand print ornaments, pictures. This year probably a collage of all the grandkids

[Anonymous]

https://www.amazon.com/Eileen-Fisher-Petites-Cardigan-Sweater/dp/B0761BYFK9/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1512127326&sr=8-7&keywords=eileen+fisher+sweaters+for+women

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
In essence, she wants something SO specific that I can't find it, I can't figure out the size, and it's really expensive (Eileen Fisher is like $300+). So I'd rather just get her something else, but then she'll be hurt that I didn't put the effort in. It's really not fun or in the XMAS spirit.

It seems as though what she really wants is for you to put the money in. At the point that she's specifying brand, it's not about the hunt.

[Anonymous]

https://m.shop.nordstrom.com/s/nordstrom-signature-bateau-neck-cashmere-sweater/4622193?page=4&top=24

Not a cardigan but it's cashmere

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all the responses. It's mostly my mom who is difficult. She says she wants a sweater this year. Here are the criteria: Wool or cashmere (pref cashmere). Cardigan. Not too short, not too long. She is a petite, and it could be a small petite or a medium petite, unless its eileen fisher and then its xs. She prefers eileen fisher. Or Ralph Lauren. Not Talbots as the quality has gone down (this also means NOT macys, not any brand that isn't high end). Prefers a solid color but maybe a subtle pattern would do.

In essence, she wants something SO specific that I can't find it, I can't figure out the size, and it's really expensive (Eileen Fisher is like $300+). So I'd rather just get her something else, but then she'll be hurt that I didn't put the effort in. It's really not fun or in the XMAS spirit.

You could set her up with a personal shopper at Nordstrom and they could do the fun work of helping her find what she wants. You could either give her a gift card or give them your information so they can charge you for it. The actual shopper assistant part is free.

[Anonymous]

A photo calendar