Gift ideas for grandparents?

[ourbabygirl]

Can you help me come up with Christmas gift ideas for DD's grandparents and great grandma(s) :)? What have you given on your side, and gotten a good reaction to?
DH's grandmas are both still alive, but I don't know them well and don't know what to get them! Last Christmas we didn't give the one anything (we *never* see or hear from her), and I think we gave the other one a gift card to Olive Garden. I also made her a huge no-sew fleece blanket to put over her couch (she's got very old furniture and puts sheets or blankets over them). We've also done a small gift card to a local grocery store. I don't think she needs or wants any more trinkets or decorations for her house, but I'm out of ideas! Are gift cards super impersonal?

TIA!

[marie]

I don't know how old your DD is but what about something hand-made for the Great-grandmas? Even just a framed finger painting or hand print? Or photo calendar?

We are planning on getting the IL's a webcam so they can skype with our girls. (we're going in on it with BIL since he skypes, too.)

HTH!

marie
mama to
DD1 9/03
DD2 12/07

[Cheburashka]

Both of my sets of grandparents are really at the stage where they don't particularly need or want anything more than time with their kids and grandkids. From me and SO, all the grandparents are getting a picture of the DC. We might do simple frames too, but nice frames are expensive! IME, most grandparents like pictures. They can show off the grandchild to their friends and stuff.

[boolady]

My mom's very practical and thus a pain in the neck to buy for, but she loved the digital photo keychain we got her last year. DH loaded it with pictures, and my dad updates the photos for her from time to time.

I don't know what we're getting the grandparents this year, but I think we're getting my grandfather the DVDs of the Ken Burns National Parks series that ran on PBS about a month ago. We watched it and really enjoyed it, and he's a big fan of documentaries/nature programming/etc.

[infomama]

Photobooks are a great gift for grands. If you take some time to write about the photos....it makes them that more personal and special.

[purpleeyes]

I am thinking about a digital key chain as well. I will def. make some food with DS to give.
Really, though, I am going to hit our church craft fair and hopefully there will be something that catches my eye. I'm thinking something decorative-towels, or little bags or something.
It's hard!

[lilycat88]

A photo calendar has been our biggest hit. I put pictures on each month that corresponded to the same months in the previous years. I did it when she was 3. She was born in June so there were 3 pictures for June...birth, age 1, age 2. For months she had only been alive "2" of...Jan - May...there were only 2 pictures.

[sariana]

We often give framed photos of the kids.

What about one of those books where the grandparents can record their memories as a gift for their grandchildren?

I saw a Grandma one (& Dad & Mom--don't know why Grandpa got shafted) here:

The Lakeside Collection
www.lakeside.com
Item No.: 877123026 (Grandma)
Item No.: 877123018 (Dad)
Item No.: 877123034 (Mom)

I should say I know nothing about this company. They just sent me their catalog, and I saw this item in there. I imagine you could find something similar elsewhere.

[kozachka]

I've done pictures for DH grandma until she could not see well anymore. After that I've got her warm lamb skin slipper (she raved about them for months), nice wool throw and warm robe. She was always cold as she spent a lot of time just sitting in her chair. She also liked getting flowers and, believe it or not, perfume and body lotion sets as well as nice face cream. This lady was over 90 years old but she still was a lady.

My budget was $25-$50 per person with a total of about $100 per family but some years it was more. Last year I gave MIL a very nice gift for New Years (a purse) and a not so generous one for her birthday, she did a lot for us and DS that year so I wanted to thank her.