birthday present help

Hello
My mum is 70 soon and I can't think of anything to get her!

She is hoping to sell her house soon and move somewhere smaller so I can't get anything for the garden or house. She has lots of jewellery she doesn't wear and tons of bags.

She doesn't do 'cutesy', 'kitsch' or vintage! And although she is turning 70, really isn't 'old'.

I tend to buy her theatre tickets for birthdays and Christmas unless she says she wants something.

My brother is meant to be arranging a photographer to take photos at her party as we live a long way from everyone else to arrange a separate photo session.


Help! ... any ideas?

Thanks x

A kindle has been one of the most successful gifts for my MIL - she loves the fact that she can make the print big whilst she awaits a cataract op. But it is registered to our account as she doesn't have the internet.
Last birthday -84- I gave her a photo album filled with all the photos that she had kept in a 1953 shoe box behind the sofa , I did it like a scrapbook and added names and quotes, at her party she entertained her grandchildren for over an hour with reminisces prompted by the photos. I got the album and scraps from TK Max for £8, with a few bits from my collage tubs it was a very inexpensive gift but she loved it.

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Originally Posted by FloraDora

A kindle has been one of the most successful gifts for my MIL - she loves the fact that she can make the print big whilst she awaits a cataract op. But it is registered to our account as she doesn't have the internet.
Last birthday -84- I gave her a photo album filled with all the photos that she had kept in a 1953 shoe box behind the sofa , I did it like a scrapbook and added names and quotes, at her party she entertained her grandchildren for over an hour with reminisces prompted by the photos. I got the album and scraps from TK Max for £8, with a few bits from my collage tubs it was a very inexpensive gift but she loved it.

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Thanks. My mum has a tablet with Kindle on it and she is on the Internet all the time :0)
And that's a great idea for the photos as mum has boxes of them ... But I live a long way away so might have to collect photos when we are down for the party ... hmmmm I'll have a think ... i think though that I'd need to do it with her as I wouldn't necessarily know who people are/when ....

So could your present be the promise to be there once a month to put the photos in albums and learn about your mum and your family history whilst sharing a meal?

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Originally Posted by MessybutHappy

So could your present be the promise to be there once a month to put the photos in albums and learn about your mum and your family history whilst sharing a meal?

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Mum comes to stay with us every 6 weeks or so for the weekend. And sometimes we swap and go to her but childrens and Dhs commmitments make it very difficult for us to be away ( its a 5hr drive ) that said, mum is just as busy as we are! And invarably when we are free she isn't!
I could definitely bring photos home with me and we could do it when she is here ... plus I could have time to sift photos so not 100 of the same thing! And I also need to get her latest digital photos ordered!

Could you give her an IOU for a day out somewhere?

That's what we did for my grandad's 70th, he was 70 in December but we decided his present was going to be a day at the races but the races weren't until April, we paid for him (and my granny!) to get in, gave him money for his bets and beer and then his meal at night time too.

He much prefers stuff like that, a real family day out, than presents he doesn't need. Anything they want they just buy themselves!

For my granny's 65th we did the same sort of thing only her IOU was a weekend away at stobo castle.

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Originally Posted by kellib

Could you give her an IOU for a day out somewhere?

That's what we did for my grandad's 70th, he was 70 in December but we decided his present was going to be a day at the races but the races weren't until April, we paid for him (and my granny!) to get in, gave him money for his bets and beer and then his meal at night time too.

He much prefers stuff like that, a real family day out, than presents he doesn't need. Anything they want they just buy themselves!

For my granny's 65th we did the same sort of thing only her IOU was a weekend away at stobo castle.

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that's an idea. thank you x

My Nana turned 80 a couple of months ago and my Uncle lives in Scotland so my Mum and Dad paid for them all to take a trip up to see him, they're on their way back as we speak. She was beyond over the moon!

What about a nice spa day just the 2 of you or membership for the national trust x

Kellib - what's a stobo castle or is that a misprint ? haha

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Originally Posted by jadavi

Kellib - what's a stobo castle or is that a misprint ? haha

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http://www.stobocastle.co.uk/?redirect=false

;)

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Originally Posted by Rachel6

What about a nice spa day just the 2 of you or membership for the national trust x

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nice idea thank you ... she already has membership ;) and for English Heritage as well, and I've just given her the spa day voucher I was given for Christmas as she enjoys them and I can't think of anything worse !!!

... that's why its becoming sooooo hard to think of presents!!

thank you everyone for the ideas, and please, keep them coming!

How about a digital photo frame? We bought my parents a ticket to "Battle of the Proms" a couple of years ago - it was at the castle they film Downton Abbey at (but they do have other locations across the country).

How about making your own gift voucher promising to get the family photos taken at the party framed or printed onto canvas?