Gifts for parents and grandparents

I posted gift suggestions for older adults last year but here it is again for new members. DH87 and I 79 have all the "things" we need and, actually, we are trying to unload stuff on our poor kids, lol. We still live independently in a middle class suburb. I've also included suggestions other Steptalkers added last year. Please feel free to add more.

What I like best are gift cards. Restaurant, fast food, gas, grocery. You can't go wrong with those. If you know the person's likes, then Ulta , book store or pet store, for example, gift cards are good. If you don't know their tastes, then stay generic (restaurant, etc). I still remember when my athlete SS kept giving us sports store gift cards. We'd wander around endlessly trying to find something to buy. I'm not sure if we ever used them up .

If you are short on money, I promise that a gift of your time and energy would be very appreciated. You'd have to be specific like "x number of lawn mowings" or "one whole house window cleaning" and you'd positively have to follow thru. My SS installed under cabinet lights 5 years ago and I think of him thankfully every day. My DS replaced my dryer vent 2 years ago and it was the best.

Along the same line are gift cards for cleaning services or lawn care services. This is especially good if the person is starting to need those services but hasn't quite gone there yet. My DIL researched good, local cleaning services and got a gift card for her mom. That first service gave her mom the confidence to keep going with that service.

If a child wants to give something, take them to the Dollar Store and let them buy a cup or wine glass. When they get home, let them paint a heart on the item. I got a wine glass with a heart and loved it

New family pictures are good. So are those electronic pictures frames.

My DH loves snack baskets. I am the food police here and never buy junk. So, when he gets a food basket with cookies, candy, peanut butter, nuts, etc, he's in heaven.

Please add any suggestions. Thanks.

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Occasionally, I have seen

Occasionally, I have seen offers for ballets, concerts, plays, etc. and have bought tickets for those who would love them. I've also been known to buy season tickets to their local cinemas. Just a thought...

Good idea

I guess it depends on knowing the recipient's tastes. Thanks.

A coupon book that your kids

A coupon book that your kids give you that has a bunch of coupons that read "I will leave you the EFF alone for 48 hours" or "I will not ask for money for 1 month" would be really nice. LOLOLOL

Yeah!

Wonderful idea! "I will keep quiet for 3 hours', 'I will not ask for a ride for 5 days", "I will not bring my friends here for a week". I'm sure others will add ideas.

My parents always say they

My parents always say they don't want anything but I know that's BS! HA!.

I've been sending them a bouquet of holiday flowers and then a box of nuts or treats they like and that does it.

Me, too

My 101yo mom is in a nursing home. There's nothing she wants so my brothers send flowers. I'm buying a new sweatshirt tho she says she wants no more clothes. I'm just tired of seeing the same clothes on her. Lol.

My parents are also at a

My parents are also at a point where they don't want things, but they do value time. I usually give them each a 4-5 day trip with DD and me. Sometimes they want to choose the destination, and sometimes they want me to pick. Over the last several years, it has been such a good way for us to create special memories. It's wonderful for them, but it's also a gift to DD and me because I know we're going to remember those times with them long after they're gone.

On the more boring end of things, my sister and I have also started keeping a year-round list of things Mom and Dad want or need to be done at their homes and then splitting the cost for gift-giving occasions. We've paid to have a new concrete deck poured around the pool, replaced a patio roof, had a dead tree removed, and repaired a privacy fence. None of this is very exciting or sentimental, but it seems to make them happy to have those kinds of things taken off their plates, especially now that they're retired.

I promise they appreciate it deeply

I've noticed that our kids who live here notice conditions around the house and fix or supply what we are too clueless to do. My DD is not a traditional holiday gift giver but has spontaneously installed smoke detectors and Ring cameras. She bought a replacement back door light fixture. OSS installed the under cabinet lights in the kitchen and recently determined that my dryer wasn't working properly due to a bird nest! DS turned off the water leading to the outside faucet and drained a pipe. He also bought us an atomic kitchen clock so we wouldn't get on a ladder to change the time for Daylight Savings. He installed Roku on my TV and pays for it.

Doing this stuff is keeping us here longer. I appreciate it so much. I feel bad when I complain about them on here. Lol.

My dad is 95.. .I usually

My dad is 95.. .I usually send him some kind of treat.. soft caramels he likes.. some of his favorite hot chocolate. He's a bit hard to buy for.. always has been.. I know we will find shirts still in the wrapper from decades ago when he passes.. When he had a dog.. it was easier.. we would get him some dog treats too!

Food, you can't go wrong

When all else fails, food.

Gifts given to us by SO

Gifts given to us by SO family(not the SKs, they do nothing) are normally gift cards. But they are always something we don't want.They know we travel, remodel, and have pets. Those are never the gift cards we get . We even mention through the year what we don't go to etc and it seems they don't listen. We have also said don't get us anything. It is hard to find something at a place you don't shop.