If you are far from parents/ILs

anna7602

We're about to move abroad for a year. Currently, my parents live a 3-hour drive and ILs live a 3-hour flight away. We see my parents at least once/month and my ILs about once every 3 months (they come up here or we go down there).

We'll probably see them 1 time each, max, over the next year since we don't plan to come home and they'll probably only visit once. So, I was thinking of good Christmas gifts in anticipation of the distance. I just got my parents a camera to hook up to their computer so we can skype. Is there anything else along those lines I could get for either them or the ILs? I'm drawing a blank (probably because my mind is too cluttered with the logistics of the move).

lite-bright

A digital photo frame that uses a flash drive?

You can put a bunch of photos on a flash drive, and send more flash drives over the year with new photos -- they're not that expensive and hold a lot of photos. 

kellnbri

A photo calendar.  You can add a countdown to when you will be back! 

FortMyersBride

I was going to say a nice photobook, but a camera for skyping and/or digital frame sound even better.  The one thing I will say about the frame is to preload it with photos if your parents or ILs aren't computer saavy.  We bought one for my mom 3 yrs ago and I heard she just started using it b/c one of my sisters came to visit and actually set it up for her.  

ArcticFox

I was totally going to say a digital pic frame too.

Also you could do stuff like have the kids make crafts with handprints (frames or whatever) or other momentos for when they don't see the kids for a while.

Asquared

skype is the magical tool that we use to stay connected to inlaws 3000 miles away.  My kids seem to have no "getting to know you" time when we do get to see them (maybe twice a year at most) because they see and talk to them all the time.