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Off Topic: What are you getting your in-laws for Christmas?

lcking82lcking82 member
in July 2016 Moms
I love my MIL, but she's IMPOSSIBLE to shop for.  She actually has no hobbies, doesn't cook, doesn't drink (wine is always my go to gift), and stays at home.  I hate getting people knick-knack stuff, because I'm just terrible at picking it out, and her house already has every surface covered with figurines/photos/fake flowers and stuff.  In the past we've done:  a soft throw blanket (which she folded up in a closet), a pair of nice sunglasses (she gave them to her sister), and a giftcard to a restaurant in their city that they always love to go eat at (she gave it to her younger son, who took his girlfriend on a date).  We tried giving her a new Ipad (went in as a group with younger son and us), and she flipped out that it was too much and returned it.

I love her so much (really-she is wonderful), but I'm totally out of ideas here!
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Re: Off Topic: What are you getting your in-laws for Christmas?

  • noelietrexnoelietrex member
    Went to the Things Remembered store, got an engraved frame saying "I love you Grandma and Grandpa ___" and we're putting first ultrasound photo in it and giving it to the inlaws for Christmas jointly. It's kind of a cop-out gift, but they'll like it.
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  • Y0urm0mY0urm0m member
    Ha. Absouletly nothing. We haven't talked to them in about a year and have no intention of starting. I also don't ever plan on telling them about baby #2. They can find out through the grapevine
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  • Y0urm0mY0urm0m member
    Also your MIl sounds completely ungrateful and at the point I would only give her a framed family picture of us.
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  • fantasticmrsfoxfantasticmrsfox member
    I am giving my MIL natural body products (body butter, body scrub, etc), and DH is making FIL a cool wooden bottle opener. They are the type of people that have everything they need/want already.
    H. Foxe born October 22, 2013
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  • PinkLady2015PinkLady2015 member
    Make a donation in her honor to a really awesome charity
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  • MrsRo731MrsRo731 member
    Have you ever asked her for suggestions?

    My go-to gifts for my MIL are: candles (she loves candles and has them everywhere in their house), comfy slippers, scarves/gloves, tea set, and a gift basket with her favorite things. I really like doing the gift basket - I fill it up with things like tea, chocolates, soft socks, etc. Good luck - it sounds like she's a hard one to buy for!
    July '16 May Siggy Challenge 


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    Me: 29
    DH: 32
    Married: June 2011
    DD #1: December 2013
    DD #2: EDD July 2016
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  • MamaOliveMamaOlive member
    Photos of DD are the only thing I get MIL now. I collected freebies from Shutterfly all year so she's getting a calendar and some magnets too. She's also ungrateful, doesn't cook, has no hobbies, and wouldn't appreciate gift cards. I suggested a pedicure once and she went onandonandon about how she's not one of those "wasteful and spoiled" women who do things like that.

    The only other things I've ever bought for her that she seemed to like were sentimental etsy crap jewelry that said grandma on it or reusable tote bags.
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  • mckcak23mckcak23 member
    Harry and David pears.
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  • lcking82lcking82 member
    Ha! If we ask, she says "don't get me anything. Save your money!" We really might just start taking her up on that!

    I don't think she's ungrateful, I think she is actually just self-depreciating. This will sound mean (and I don't know how to make it not sound that way...) but she is a super devoted mother and I get the feeling that she doesn't believe that she also deserves attention and appreciation. Maybe a little self-esteem issue?

    Charity donation would actually be wonderful--maybe I'll do that with a little "grandma" gift---she has been waiting around 7 years for this baby.
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  • UTJESSUTJESS member
    Your MIL sounds like mine... I put my husband in charge of this for his mom.  She to is really difficult to buy for and doesn't like the normal things.  We honestly got her a tech pillow for her to us with her kindle, which she is addicted to, and an amazon gift card.  I wanted to get her a carton of cigarettes and a big bag of peanut M&M's bc at least i know she would use them... trashy, i know. 
    Me (29) and DH (29) Married 5 years now
    DX - PCOS and not Ovulating on my own
    DH - SA great! 

    Me - HSG Clear, Blood Work Normal - not IR

    Cycle#1 (May) - Femara 2.5 mg - BFN
    Cycle #2 (June) - Benched Due to Cyst on Right Ovary
    Cycle #3(July) -Femara 7.5 mg - BFN 
    Cycle #4 (August) - Met with RE and started process, BW shows possible ovulation
    Cycle #5 (September) - Femara 7.5 mg + Gonal-F + Trigger + TI = BFN
    Cycle #6 (October)  Femara 7.5 mg - and same as above, just started

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  • RachelT1234RachelT1234 member
    mckcak23 said:

    Harry and David pears.

    I second this!!! This is my go to gift for whomever, and everyone loves them
    image
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  • dolewhipperdolewhipper member
    lcking82 said:
    Ha! If we ask, she says "don't get me anything. Save your money!" We really might just start taking her up on that! I don't think she's ungrateful, I think she is actually just self-depreciating. This will sound mean (and I don't know how to make it not sound that way...) but she is a super devoted mother and I get the feeling that she doesn't believe that she also deserves attention and appreciation. Maybe a little self-esteem issue? Charity donation would actually be wonderful--maybe I'll do that with a little "grandma" gift---she has been waiting around 7 years for this baby.
    This is my MIL. We never have any idea what to get her because either she'll get it for herself and she never spends money on things like hair or nails.

    She does scrapbook though so I did pick up some stickers with baby stuff on it (which is really hard when you don't know the gender).

    My parents I got shoes for my step dad, and electric blanket for my mom, and some vases and a makeup case my step mom wanted.
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  • ALittleCountryALittleCountry member
    Maybe a massage? I'm getting my MiL a curtain. She has been saying for like a year that she wants a curtain in this one doorway but she wants me to pick it. I don't think that would work for yours though.
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  • benten24benten24 member
    Our Christmas gift to them is their first grandchild. Christmas is coming in July, folks.
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  • pourmeanothermocktailpourmeanothermocktail member
    We got ours a picture collage, gave her a cute one of each of us: me, DH, our dog, and a picture of little shoes for now, so we can give her a cute photo of the LO later. Plus some grandma/grandpa mugs - they are coffee drinkers.
    _______________________________________________
    Me: 33
    DH: 32
    Married 7/18/15
    1st born at 35+4 on 6/6/16
    Team green turned BLUE!
    2nd born at 38+6 on 8/30/18 
    Team green turned PINK!
    Due with #3 on 6/6/20 Team Green
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  • soberkfellsoberkfell member
    I like the charitable contribution suggestion. Another thing she can't take back that might work is some sort of "experience" rather than a "thing." If you like or don't mind spending time with your MIL, is there some sort of outing you could buy her tickets to go together to? My MIL is the same as yours, so it's become a tradition of ours that for every Christmas, we buy her a ticket to go with DH and me to the St. Louis Cardinals' Winter Warm-up - they're her favorite team, and she likes looking at all the baseball paraphernalia and meeting the players. If she doesn't have any hobbies and there aren't any concerts/movies/events in the area you think she'd like, maybe even instead of giving your MIL a gift card, you can instead tell her you're taking her to dinner somewhere?
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  • quartz02quartz02 member
    I am the worst giver. I have no idea. I'll probably get my mom a gift card to a restaurant she likes. I usually get her a DSW gift certificate but don't want to do the same thing again.
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  • EasterEggsEasterEggs member
    I let my husband choose the gifts for his parents and then I weigh in if he asks for advice. This year we sent them a cutting board/cheese board in the shape of our province (they live in France and he thinks they appreciate this kind of Canadiana thing haha) and a couple different kinds of tea. 
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  • MsBeachNJMsBeachNJ member
    We got my MIL a nice Kate Spade purse and a new hair straightener as she mentioned she may like a good one... in the past I've gotten her restaurant gift cards, jewelry, picture frames, etc. Hope that helps! 
    TTM - EDD 4/23 - Team Green <3 
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  • juliagulia38juliagulia38 member
    Nothing! We are spending Christmas with my family. She isn't getting us gifts either. She sent the kids clothes for Christmas. I hate my MIL though. An outing is a good suggestion!
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  • NerdchildNerdchild member
    I got my mother-in-law an engraved necklace that says "Grandma (Her name)". My father-in-law got a holster and accessories for his new handgun, his girlfriend got sports gear.
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  • lcking82lcking82 member
    Would love an outing but we are unfortunately pretty separated distance-wise, and we probably won't see her in person until baby-time. (We are gonna have to drug her to get her on an airplane and over here!)
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  • m8881m8881 member
    edited December 2015
    Two MIL here. One is getting a book and handmade bookmarks my kids made. The other is getting a necklace and little stocking filled with cocoa and lotion.
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  • anskipanskip member
    We don't do gift with my in laws. Only for the kids. We stopped about 2 years ago and it's kinda nice. It had just gotten to the point that we were exchanging gift cards with the set amount on them.
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  • Y0urm0mY0urm0m member
    @anskip hi! I'm glad to see you here <33
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