So my husband is USELESS when it comes to gifting his family. Growing up, his sister would be the one to get the gifts for everyone and he just chipped over some money. Due to this, he has absolutely no ideas on gifts for his family, and honestly, I don't know either!
What do you get your in-laws for the holidays? Any suggestions for generic gifts that everyone should love? I need help!
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
Last year I made everyone calendars with a monthly photo of my LO. I think photo gifts are always appreciated. A nice framed family photo?
honeydew / 7968 posts
i'm in the same situation - my hubby and his family never really exchanged gifts. what's your budget?
i was going to say photo items if you have kids, as well. when my hubby and i first got married, i made them a photo book with some of our wedding photos. i've gotten them a tea gift set (teas, crackers, mug). candles, makeup (for my MIL)....
if you knit or something, make them a scarf or something?
gift card for dinner somewhere nice? snuggies?
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
We made them a baby. Hope they like it, because there are no returns!
pineapple / 12802 posts
For generic gifts, and if you shop on the internet, Amazon has "gift idea's" for everyone and they have them seperated into categories "dad" "mom" "wife" "husband" "kids", etc etc. I've found it helpful in giving me ideas for people!
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@Twist - Thanks for the idea - I'll look into what Amazon suggests. 
@MrBee - That might work for us next year (fingers crossed), but I need ideas for this year!
@Tequiero21 - Unfortunately, we don't have kids yet, otherwise photos would definitely be my choice! When we got married, we did give them photo albums of wedding pictures, and last year we gave them more pictures, but I think they probably are pictured-out, especially since we don't have a bundle of joy to include in them, haha. Candles is a good idea though - everyone likes candles, right???
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
Do they have hobbies? Bee got her dad some gardening stuff, and he uses it every day!
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
They do have hobbies, but I wouldn't know what they needed for them! For example, my MIL likes to cook, but I really think she has everything she could possibly need for that because she used to cater. And my SMIL gardens, but I honestly know ZERO about gardening so I don't know what I would get her. And her other hobby with my FIL is traveling!
I'm currently leaning towards making them truffles or something... homemade and easy and also consumable so they don't just have "stuff" left over that they don't want.
coffee bean / 37 posts
I have the same problem with my in laws. Last year I gave them a digital picture frame. This year we're thinking about getting them a gift package from Omaha Steaks. We had given one of our groomsmen a gift from there and he loved it. I think any ____ of the month club is fun. People love getting things in the mail and it doesn't have to be too personal!
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
We once gave my in laws 6 months of Netflix.
My FIL is kind of paranoid and thinks that if he uses it they'll make him pay for it forever, so they never actually used it. But it seemed like a good idea at the time.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@Artbee - haha, that's too funny! We actually give my parents Netflix for the year and they LOVE it. We just renew it every year for them. 
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
I have this problem every year for every special occasion. It doesn't help that my ILs own everything under the sun and really aren't into receiving gifts!
In years past I've tried to base gifts around sentimental items such as photobooks, customized mugs (they're huge coffee addicts), calendars, scrapbooks, and then buying trinkets for MIL and chocolate for FIL (sweet tooth)
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
I had a difficult time coming up with gifts for the inlaws too.. esp since they're rich and have everything they want/need! We sent them a Harry and DAvid gift basket last year.
This year we're giving personalized items with pictures of our baby on them.
persimmon / 1202 posts
Omaha Steaks. They have loads of pop-in-the-oven meals. We did that for my in-laws (they are divorced). For my parents, we did a B&B gift certificate.
pear / 1852 posts
Last year we gave them both books, and I was really distressed after we arrived there when my FIL said he hoped we didn't get him a book!
This year since we won;t be visiting and want to save on postage we'll be sending out gift cards to a restaurant they may like.
GOLD / apricot / 337 posts
This is hard every year. Usually we get MIL a cool cooking item (a new big name cookbook or fun spices) and a piece of jewelry. For FIL, we created a basket full of gourmet snacks that he absolutely loved! We filled a popcorn tub I found at Crate and Barrel full of goodies from various artisanal food shops in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Dean & Deluca. We also got an uncle who is a chocolate lover a giant cookie jar (also from C&B) full of various chocolate items we had been collecting (i.e. Mast Brothers chocolate bars, Jacques Torres truffles, Marie Belle hot chocolate, Liddabit Sweets specialty chocolate bars). It was a hit!
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
We give FIL food. We can't buy him anything else bc we really don't know what else he would want. MIL gets lotions. My parents are so easy. They're golfers. Balls, shirts, tees, divot fixers, swing lessons, etc. We went to Pebble Beach this year and stocked up for Christmas.
Omaha steaks is a great idea! We might do that this year for the in-laws!
pomelo / 5073 posts
Hubby and I have disagreed some on Christmas gifts. this will be our first Christmas as a married couple, but our third getting everyone gifts. My family grew up giving a 'theme' for the year, i.e, movie night---give everyone several blu rays, dvds, etc. food baskets, things like that. Hubby's family goes all out at Christmas because they don't really do birthday gifts throughout the year. Well, I have 3 sisters, he has 3 siblings, plus a stepfather, and his parents. That's not even counting nieces and nephews and I'm like, "We can't spend $100 + on everyone". So, he has gotten on board with the theme idea and this year we are making decorative pottery. I'm going to go work on it today actually. For our parents, we are going to do a really gorgeous platter that they can use for entertaining, etc. It will be pretty because it's pretty (:)) and special because we made it too.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
how about a fruit of the month club - http://www.harryanddavid.com
i've heard that parents really love those!
or a beautiful coffee table travel book perhaps like this:
What type of gardening does your MIL do? Perhaps I could suggest some gardening tools? I've purchased a lot for my dad over the years and those have definitely been his favorite gifts.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
@Adira: Hahaha we must have the same husband! I really like Mr. Bee's suggestion. 
Really, though, what grandparent wouldn't love a photo gift? I want to do one, but I'm still deciding on what type.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@Mrs. Bee: My MIL has a vegetable garden - I know she grows pumpkins, squash, pees, tomatoes, etc. I'm not really sure what else, haha.
And my SMIL has a flower garden but that's about all I know about it.
@Boogs: I definitely think once we have kids, a photo gift will be perfect! But currently they have a bunch of pictures of just Hubs and I together already, so I think I've used up that gift for now, haha.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I gave my dad a fruit of the month for his birthday, he loved it.
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