Are you done Christmas shopping? What did you get parents/in-laws?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only buy for two adult relatives and am always at a loss at what to give them. How do you buy experience gifts? Do you just pick a date? How do you know they’ll be free?

Sometimes (like if it's a concert that only happens one night) I'll ask in advance if they're free and tell them to save the date. They don't go snooping to see what's in town that night. Otherwise, we've done gift cards to Stubhub so they can pick their own event (usually sports) or to a theater they like. Cooking schools, ropes courses, etc. often have gift cards too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Done??? I haven't even started!

+1.

Same. And I go all out getting gifts for people.

[Anonymous]

We have three sets and each are getting a digital photo frame that we can send pictures to remotely. They all live far away and are pretty sentimental, and we're sharing the upload link with our siblings.

Past gifts that have been well received include memory books/photo albums from the year (some just of the kids, like for halloween, but mostly of things we've done together as a family), a nice portable speaker, lego architecture sets (they are all retired, and also usually save these to do with the kids when the kids visit), donations to a favorite charity, a watercolor book and set (the new "adult coloring"), a really nice cozy throw blanket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only buy for two adult relatives and am always at a loss at what to give them. How do you buy experience gifts? Do you just pick a date? How do you know they’ll be free?

We would buy them several months out -s they would be the rise hing on the calendar. Or restaurant gift certificates are good and do not ave a specific date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of these gifts seem really low priced. Don’t most people spend $100-200 on parents? We spend more on parents than our kids. Last year was an iPad and airpods to both families. I can’t imagine my moms face if she opened a lottery ticket.

I'm the PP who said my DH got his dad, dad's wife, and brother lotto scratchers. It wouldn't go over great in my family either because we're big gift givers, but before last year he hadn't given any of them Christmas presents since high school. It's just not a thing in his family. The tricky thing is now my mom lives here, and we do presents, and I don't want to upset their traditions but I don't want it to look like "here's your $20 present we got at the gas station on the way here" to FIL and then "here's your thoughtful $100 present I ordered in October" to my mom. And it might end up like that, because we buy for our own families.

[Anonymous]

Like most of you, I like to gift experiences or consumable goods. Things I've done in the past are a selection of fancy olive oils and vinegars, spices, tickets to see Bob Woodward for my dad (although even with hearing aids and close-in seats he couldn't hear a lot of it so maybe that wasn't the best idea), tickets to the Biltmore, registration for a class called cycling savvy for my in-laws. My husband's grandfather is in his 90s, lives alone and doesn't cook (he either eats frozen meals or goes out) so for the last few years instead of buying him a gift we've make him homemade meals (casseroles, crockpot stews, etc.) and frozen individual servings. He seems to really like that. For out of town aunts, uncles and cousins, I usually buy gift baskets on Costco.com and ship it to them. It doesn't have the cache of someplace like the defunct Dean and Deluca but I feel like the value is good.

I wish we did the draw name or only buy for the kids thing but I don't know how to bring it up in my own family and I feel like my husband should do it with his side of the family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Always a good idea for parents and ILs:

-Box of pears and other delicious items from Harrry & David

-Gift card to their favorite restaurant

Photo prints

Please rethink anything from Harry and David, gross

I'm a food snob and I love Harry and David pears. Or is there some political reason not to support them? I can't keep track of who I am supposed to be boycotting on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have three sets and each are getting a digital photo frame that we can send pictures to remotely. They all live far away and are pretty sentimental, and we're sharing the upload link with our siblings.

Past gifts that have been well received include memory books/photo albums from the year (some just of the kids, like for halloween, but mostly of things we've done together as a family), a nice portable speaker, lego architecture sets (they are all retired, and also usually save these to do with the kids when the kids visit), donations to a favorite charity, a watercolor book and set (the new "adult coloring"), a really nice cozy throw blanket.

Can you link the picture frames? We have out of town family and I love that idea!

[Anonymous]

I’m never sure of what to give as experience gifts. I thought about tickets to the zoo with my kids but then they’d whine it’s about me and not them. But if I did a play or something they wouldn’t want to go.

[Anonymous]

I am mostly done. I have all of my husband's gifts and a few of the kids. A couple of the children (college or graduated) are typically slow to tell me what they want for their big gift. I still need to do most of our elementary child's gifts.

For the elders:
Parents - rotisserie gas grill (will be delivered assembled & ready to go with a big red bow)
FIL - art supplies and sessions with an art therapist (FIL has dementia)
Great- Aunt/Uncle #1 - season tickets to NSO (the season has started so they already have their gift)
Great-Aunt/Uncle #2 - Monthly wine delivery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m never sure of what to give as experience gifts. I thought about tickets to the zoo with my kids but then they’d whine it’s about me and not them. But if I did a play or something they wouldn’t want to go.

Do they have any hobbies or interests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Always a good idea for parents and ILs:

-Box of pears and other delicious items from Harrry & David

-Gift card to their favorite restaurant

Photo prints

Please rethink anything from Harry and David, gross

I'm a food snob and I love Harry and David pears. Or is there some political reason not to support them? I can't keep track of who I am supposed to be boycotting on a daily basis.

+1 they are always perfectly ripe too

[Anonymous]

If you buy a parent an ipad, how do they manage the 4g part?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Always a good idea for parents and ILs:

-Box of pears and other delicious items from Harrry & David

-Gift card to their favorite restaurant

Photo prints

Please rethink anything from Harry and David, gross

I'm a food snob and I love Harry and David pears. Or is there some political reason not to support them? I can't keep track of who I am supposed to be boycotting on a daily basis.

+1 they are always perfectly ripe too

Harry and David pears are awesome. If you don't like pears, you might not get it. Is there some particular reason to avoid Harry and David?! Their Moose Mix or whatever popcorn is also great.

[Anonymous]

Isn't most DCUM posters atheists? LOL!