A dinner together out
An experience that is out of the ordinary for them; like a spa day (together?)
Time together, such as going to an interesting restaurant or a day out at a museum (though have to find a creative way to avoid the gift shop or be resigned to spending 2 hours in there)
Last Christmas we bought them a gift certificate for a dinner cruise around XXXX .
Experiences (dinner, trips, plays etc.) have been my family's favorites. Good times, good memories, no additional clutter (well, except for travel souvenirs...)
For her Birthday I took her to the circus. Now this was a big deal. Apart from having to maneuver the wheelchair into the BigTop - I hate circuses but Mum loves them. So she got a gift she loved and more importantly I didn't add to her collection.
This year my sister and I are giving manicures and pedicures by taking our mom, my MIL, and my SIL directly to the spa and making it a day for all of us!
The registration fee for a fun workshop or mini-course --- maybe it's a one day flower arranging workshop, or a 'quilt-in-a-weekend' session, or a watercolour class... Happy holidays!
Schedule an afternoon get together once a month in lieu of gifts to each other. These could be lunch out together, a walk in the park, a visit to the zoo, a matinee, any other activity you enjoy together. Time is a gift of love
I think a great idea for a gift would be a spa day or even something as simple as a manicure or pedicure if you're on a budget. This is a great idea for people who are busy and never have time to pamper themselves. It also prevents hoarding cuz it's an experience, not a bracelet or clothing or a gift card which they can use to buy stuff they don't need. And it can bring you closer with your mother if you go on the spa day/pedicure with her.
Go to LV, NV; NYC, NY; Branson, MO; or any local shows that are sort of Broadway-like. These would be grateful gifts for any special occasion. Oh, and be sure they do NOT buy anything from the show's after-show store, merchandise, and/or gift area, even, you could make sure they do not get a program, if you can. The local shows in LV, NV are Mamma Mia, about four or more Cirque De Soliel shows; incl Mystere, Ka, and Zumanity, many, many rock concerts (though, these may be taxing on the ears, go to where you can stand it!), comedy acts, et al. Eat out, and especially order only one dish for the two of you (Bring tupperware/rubbermaid!), two dishes for the three, or four of you, and so on, and so on. You could look online for the various multitude of free talk shows tickets. Do the price is right, or other game shows. You could look online for NYC, NY shows. Go see NASCAR. The main operative word is, do NOT bring any material possession back from these!
