I already started shopping for the kids, and we have ideas for my BF's parents and my dad and step-mom but we are stuck when it comes to his grandma. She is 87, doesn't go anywhere and when we do take her out it can be quite embarassing. For instance a few weeks ago we took her to breakfast then we were taking her for a little drive to get her out of the house, we got to the diner, sat down, she opened the menu and started complaining real loudly that the prices were outrageous and all she wanted was a slice of pound cake whch she then placed in her purse to bring home She is a very bitter woman as well, she complains about everything and anything. I am always nice to her and try and do things for her but it is never good enough cause there is something she doesn't like. It seems she is one of those people who are never happy no matter what. I should also mention that her apartment is very cluttered. We have tried cleaning but she takes the stuff from the garbage and puts it back where we got it from, she saves all the plastic bags from the grocery store (why we dont know she just saves them and tells us "I may need them one day" She does the same with boxes and food containers and I don't mean the plastic ones from the chineese restaraunt I am talking the buckets from KFC, ice cream bowls from Baskin Robbins etc. They have taken her to a doctor because of this and the drs say that she she is fine mentally. The only thing wrong is she has arthritis. Sorry for rambling we just have no clue on what to get her. I said maybe I can take her to the nail salon with me to get her nails and hair done, but my BF reminded me that we did that once before and she complained the entire time that she didn't like this or that etc. Gift certificats are out because she won't go anywhere. We are lucky if once a month she wants to go for a short drive and that turns into a problem I know spending time with her makes me miss my grandma even more cause my grandma was always on the go Sorry for rambling i just need ideas..

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~~~~**Maryann**~~~~

I just got a firm grip on reality....
Now I can strangle it

How about a nice throw. She can use it when she watches TV or goes for a ride with someone. Older people get cold easily.

A nice sweater??

Jewelry??

A new purse??

Photos in a nice frame??

I'm VERY into practical gifts, no matter the age.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

What about pjs or a robe? There was a thread on the LWIF (internet) board for really great deals on pjs. I ordered some for DHs grandma. If not, maybe some cozy slippers or some of those socks that are non-slip?

Sounds like a loaf of pound cake might be enjoyed. I'm not kidding. Pretty it up in a basket with some other cookies, biscuits, tea, and coffee. Elderly people tend not to want stuff so much....but a nice little treat that can be consumed and not contribute to the clutter.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I like the PJ or throw idea, or how about a personalized pillow........you described my DH's Grandmother to a tee......that last few years she was alive we just would give her a collage picture of all the the grandkids together and a gift certificate....The gift certificate was the only thing we ever gave her that she didn't complain about......

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

We thought about that since she has 7 great grandchildren but she doesn't like the kids. For my BF's birthday we had his neices and nephews and went to Chuck E Cheese (the kids wanted to go there) so afterwards we went back to his house for cake(my BF lived with her till he moved in with me) so she could celebrate with us and have cake and all she did was yell at the kids from the time we opened the front door and call her great-granddaughters some names I can not even repeat here (and the girls are 10-8-6) the boys are 15-12-7-6) I think I will mention all the ideas here to my BF. I like the pjs and slippers idea and cjs's idea of the gift basket. Thank you all for the ideas

__________________
~~~~**Maryann**~~~~

I just got a firm grip on reality....
Now I can strangle it

LOL....ours didn't like the kids either....she would complain about not seeing them, but couldn't handle being around them! I wish ya the best of luck!

__________________
"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

How about a gift certificate for Schwan's? They deliver, so she doesn't have to go anywhere, and they probably even sell pound cake.

SCHWAN'S®: Fine Frozen Foods Delivery Service, Online Grocery Shopping & Home Food Delivery

I like the idea of a food basket as someone suggested. Smuckers.com does some cute jelly baskets When my DH's grandmother was alive she was super hard to buy for too. The one thing that she always loved to get though was whitmans chocolates and chocolate turtles. She would recieve enough at Christmas to last until spring

I think a gift of food would be the best thing. She has enough clutter in the house so something that will be eaten would be a good idea. You could even order something from Hickory Farms or Swiss Colony. The food items come in little packages so it should be the right amount for her. Candy would even be nice then she would have something to offer people that came to visit. Does she write letters? Stationarey and stamps would be nice too.

What about a magazine subscription or paying a bill for her. We lived out of state, so we would buy my grandmother AT&T (her long distance carrier) gift certificates so she could call us and then use the certificates to pay the bill. Does she grocery shop or have someone do it for her? Maybe you could buy groceries or something like that you know she'll need. I can remember one year when when I was little, we bought my grandmother all kinds of baking supplies (she loved to bake) -- flour, sugar, cocoa, shortening, etc. Stuff that she would have bought herself, but it was nice that she didn't have to.

How about a collection of blank greeting cards if she likes to send cards. My grandmother loved to send cards, but as she got older she didn't get out too much. At the time, I worked at a Hallmark store, so every year for hier brithday, I would pick out greeting cards for her and buy her a few books of stamps. That way she never had to worry about going to the store to get a card.
For my other grandmother, she LOVED Kit Kats, so we would always buy her some of those.

Sarah.........mom to Jason & Devin

Stamps are a good idea. Even though it is just practical. I know someone of that age that would LOVE that! Or maybe pay for her newspaper for the year or however long... Something like that.