Christmas shopping for the unshoppable

[Hound]

I thought about maybe getting my parents some theatre tickets. They do like to go and watch plays/musicals. It might be too pricey though and I hate to give vouchers for part of something, they're comfortable but I don't like obliging someone to spend more money to use their gift.

We have the same issue with them being better off than us. My sister and her husband are also and they tend to get pretty extravagant. Last year they got him a laptop. We just can't do things like that and my parents understand that, but it's still uncomfortable sometimes. They wouldn't want us to be in the poor house on account of their Christmas presents.

It would be nice to just take them out somewhere for the day while they are visiting us at Thanksgiving but we're in a pretty remote part of the country and with all of our animals it's hard to get away. Especially now we have a litter of puppies. My mother is a lot easier to buy for, and she said all she wants is a nice Christmassy scented candle. Thankfully she usually knows what she'd like.

 

[SparksNV]

Maybe tickets to a play or show or concert? Maybe a weekend trip away?

I love gift cards but the receipent has to be motivated to spend them. When my MIL got really sick last year, we had to go into her home and winterize it. She had a stack of about 6 gift cards on the counter that were about 18 months old.

I like the idea of a donation to a charity or cause he has interest in.

We always do Christmas lists - and list items in order of importance. We also have a rule, if you get something you really just don't want or need (from someone not aware of the list) no feelings are hurt if they return it. I would rather them get something they want rather than put it on a shelf somewhere.

 

[Hound]

I had an idea but it might be more like something to do while they're here. My dad loves our pointer and loves to take him walking on the ranch. Perhaps we can visit a state park with him and have a picnic.

 

[Hound]

Quote:
Great minds think alike LOL I'd much rather have a practical gift too, maybe i'm a little boring because I prefer to give those kinds of gifts. It's a little different for us because we have livestock, there's always something we could do with. They're not as countrified

We're just more practical about putting money to good use; we usually need things rather than having things we just want.

 

[wildeflowers]

I am stumped every year for a few people and my husband likes to get a gift for every bloomin' person in his family. This is ok with me, but I do all the Christmas shopping and some of these people I don't know well enough to know their hobbies, likes or dislikes.

Last year a coupled of gifts that I gave that were a big hit were a solar powered rainbow maker. Yes, I said solar powered rainbow maker. LOL I stumbled across it on Amazon and I am not kidding you, people at that thing up. You would think it was the best thing I could have given anyone. It is a little micro solar panel on a suction cup with a motor that spins a crystal around. You put in in a sunny window and voila! You have rainbows all over the place. The things that amuse people!

I decided to get it because I KNEW that no one else would even find or think of such an odd thing.

The other thing I bought the was a hit was an indoor outdoor weather station. It comes with a outdoor sensor that you can place where you like (chicken coop anyone?) and a indoor reader that tells the time/temp/forecast.

Both of these are relatively inexpensive. Food and drink are always a big hit in his family, too. One year I did all local products, like a gallon of maple syrup for everyone. May do that again this year as I neither have the time or inclination to shop for people with all the drama in our lives right now.

 

[Hound]

LOL I know what you mean. FIL is near impossible too, and DH is no shopper. I'll spend weeks trying to come up with ideas for him and the only response I get is "I don't know". If I left it up to him we'd be struggling to come up with something the night before, or he wouldn't get him anything.

 

[Hound]

A couple of years ago I started making some people (like neighbors, the ranch cook etc) stackable boxes of handmade candy, cookies and truffles. I foolishly thought it would be cheaper and easier than shopping for gifts. Anyway they go down very well, too well. My husband complained last year because he doesn't get one. FIL loves his. So that is part of FIL's present taken care of, but his wife is diabetic. He also has very dry/cracked hands from too many years outside, so i'll get him some really good hand cream, I know he wouldn't go to the trouble for himself. I'd love to get making toiletries with my goats' milk, I think that would be a nice gift. That would take some forward-planning though, i've usually dried them off by December.

 

[wildeflowers]

Quote:
Holy cow, you just described my husband. He is a Christmas Eve kind of guy. Hmmm, perhaps husband is not going on business trips all the time.

 

[calicokat]

I've got two folks on our list that are impossible to find something for, and I finally got super lucky last year!

I gave them each a subscription to "Reminice" (probably not spelled right) magazine. It's all about old memories, mostly of the 40's, 50's, and 60's -- cars, dating, how you lived, photographs, "what is this gadget", etc.

My mom actually called to gush and say how much she loved the magazine. She got a renewal only a couple of months later and she called to see if we'd be renewing it for her each year as her gift? Because if not, she needed to get her renewal card filled out and mailed in because she liked it so much. I said, yep, that would be our Christmas gift each year

It was an absolute home run!!

 

[1mommahen]

Just had the Christmas talk with my mom. Told her I was getting her a Keurig Coffee Maker and then at each holiday I can send her some K-cups. Solves a lot of issues with gifts!