Are you looking for a suitable and innovative gift for your gran? What do you get someone who has everything? I remember when my grandmother was alive, she’d answer the “what do you want for Christmas?” question, every year, with “oh, I don’t need anything dear.” Then, of course, on Christmas Day itself she’d be secretly upset that no-one had managed to think of anything to get her, other than yet another pink jumper and a pair of slippers.
When someone has everything she needs, it’s time to start thinking about things she might really enjoy. A spa day, or a meal at her favourite restaurant. If you live close by, you could even consider taking her out with her friends – running the taxi service, picking up the tab for the meal and providing lifts home at the end of the date.
Not everyone has the available time or money for a full afternoon date with Gran and all her friends. Buying budget gifts doesn’t have to mean holding back, though.
They say time is the most precious commodity of all. The gifts most appreciated by a grandmother are the ones you spent time on: a whole family photo in a presentation frame; or a goodie basket put together by all of you. This last idea can be doubly effective if some members of the family – like the kids – haven’t got the same amount of money to put in as the others. By putting together a basket of her favourite things and presenting it as a gift from the whole family, you’ll give her something really spectacular to open on the day, without singling out any gift giver as more “important” than the others.
Location plays a part in some gifts. In the UK, the National Trust has put together a “Day Out For Two” pass offer, which is ideal for grandma or grandpa. Treather.com stocks these passes, along with a number of other gifts suitable for her.
In the US, bigger distances make it less likely that trust gifts like the “Day Out For Two” pass will be easy to find. There are some nationwide organisations that do offer membership deals potentially likely to appeal to Granny – notably the Smithsonian Institute and National Geographic. The Smithsonian also offers a Washington area resident’s membership, giving specific benefits to local grandparents.
Being a grandmother means being the root of the living family tree. If Granny has a garden, then, one of the most beautiful and suitable gifts you can buy her is a tree or flowering shrub. Roses are popular and hardy and will take up less room than a tree; smaller trees, like cherries, are also great. In the UK, you can take advice on the best plants to buy for your area from the Royal Horticultural Society. The National Gardening Association does the same thing in the US.
If our grandmother is on her own this Christmas, the best gift you can give her is a day with her family. Get her over for the Christmas meal, or have her to stay for a few days. She’ll enjoy the attention of the grandkids and they, at this special time of year, will enjoy their Granny being around too.
