Gift for MIL for Her Birthday?

If you know how to knit or crochet many people love the dish towels that you hang on the fridge, or the homemade washcloths and the homemade scratchy pads.
Also, a really nice card with kind words or a poem that you wrote would mean a lot.
I often like my cards more than my presents. A card tells a lot about how much a person cares.

Hope that helps,
K.

What about having the girls make a coupon book for her with things that they can do for her or around her house or even special events they can do with her.

Have the kids make art for her, then take a digital picture. Upload it to artsonia.com. Then you can buy a product with the artwork on it. The pictures and products are good quality. They have things like t-shirts, canvas bags, journals, coffee cups,calanders, etc. I also like the idea of a massage or a pedicure sounds nice : )

Last year, I gave my MIL a scrapbook with just a few pages in it and a note that said she would get a page a month (at least a page!) until her scrapbook was filled... I also divided a page per child into 12 sections, and in addition to the page each month, I pre-cut several pictures of each child so she can have a page for each child with pictures throughout the year. (Because I have a couple of young kids, the changes in the kids are really evident!)

I just heard a great sermon where the pastor was suggesting giving more "relational" gifts, and it made a lot of sense. In other words, instead of giving a gift card for a meal or shopping, take someone out to lunch or shopping to have a more meaningful and memorable experience together - stuff like that. Or have your kids make something sweet and special for her - crafts or baked goods and homemade cards. Older people can sometimes be hard to buy for, so that might be more special and meaningful to her. Good luck!!

She sounds wonderful :) If we could all have and be mil's like her! I would look into getting her a gift certificate for a massage or time at a spa getting her hair or nails done. Everyone likes to be pampered sometimes. I think the place near me does 1/2 hour massages for $25 and 1 hour for $40.

Odds are it's something she wouldn't spend money on for herself.

my mil LOVED the handprint stepping stones the kids made for her

i have had the kids do artwork and frame it.. we also have made cookies, created fun pillow cases with artwork - there is always a mani - pedi idea - i think for like $30? best of luck with the search...

Hi A.!
I have a mother in law that is so similar to yours. She does have everything and really doesn't NEED anything. But it is always nice to get something from the kids. I had my girls make stepping stones for her one year for her birthday. You can get them at Michaels or Joanns and you put in their foot print and hand print and let them decorate them with jewels, stones or write on them. They love doing this. We also do it for daddy every year for father's day. Hope this idea could help you! Oh! By the way she LOVED them. She has them on her porch and says she loves to look at them everyday.
D. :.)

Hi A.,
If your mother in law cooks or bakes you could buy an apron at a crafts store, like Hobby Lobby, and fabric paints. Have the kids put hand prints on it and write "I love you". I made a tool apron for my husband like that when my daughter was about 1. It is such a nice keepsake. I know you mentioned that you give her framed pictures so I'm not sure you'd be interested in this idea but a frame that you can record a message (they run about 10.00 at Radio Shack) is a nice gift as well. I got one for my mom and my baby was barely beginning to talk. I listen to it know, seven years later and wish I had made one for myself!
I hope you can find something! Good luck!!

I think the bringing her breakfast is a lovely idea. Maybe your girls could draw some pictures or make some paper flowers to be presented with the breakfast? You could even include a note about how much you appreciate her. Those notes are always my favorite gifts.

Hi A., I'm a MIL and I think she would love the baked goods and/or homemade breakfast. Another idea may be movie tickets, or better yet, tickets to a Christmas performance locally (Nutcracker, Christmas Joy, etc). Or how about a gift card to a book store? You could also trade her cars one day and have hers washed and vacuumed. Perhaps a holiday manicure? If all of these are outside your budget, and because you like to bake, I know she'd love anything you make. Even a frozen meal to keep for those days when she's too tired to cook! J.

Dear A.,

You are truly "Blessed" to have a MIL like that!! Mine never even cares to see our kids or even call!! Really Sad!

So, having said that you have to do something to make her feel loved, special, and appreciated!! To me, the same old gift or type of gift just will not do it. I love to give gifts and "do" for people. I definitely agree with Diana and Jana when it comes to gifts make it more relational. Especially since she has everything.

I like to study people and notice what they enjoy doing, what they may say they would love to do or go, favorite color, what they may like to buy, hobbies, what perfume they wear, etc. Sometimes I did this with my Grandparents if I could find something to make life/a chore easier for them. Something they were not aware of- You know sometimes the gadgets you would like to buy-even cheap ones. But you have other needs and it does not make the Budget List. But I always look at those things as great gifts for the older ones in our life that have everything. Such as the Ove Glove- they sell it at Walgreens I think. The oven mitt that will withstand up to 500 degrees.

On the cheaper side but meaningful would be to "do" something for her. A gift is easy to do but to "do" something for her as she does for you. You know a Labor of Love I think would be the best and really show your heart and appreciation. Why not, cook her favorite or a special meal at your house and decorate with candles and have her and your FIL come over. Make a Banner on your computer or by hand that says "World's Greatest or Most Loved Mother in Law" Or perhaps a simple but special "tea" that you can do for her or possibly take her to. How about clean her house, and give her a manicure (Do her errands or grocery shopping for her- I know my Grandma would love when I did that for her and if I took her to lunch on top of that she was over the top!)or just pamper her for a day. Start with making her breakfast and asking her to choose what you can do for her that would mean a lot (within reason because of cost and she sounds the type that would choose accordingly).

Hope this all helps and gave you the ideas you were looking for.

A.

If this were my situation, I'd write a letter to her telling her just how special, trusted, needed, loved, respected, admired and appreciated she is. I'd go into detail, letting her know that I'm aware of how lucky we are to have her, and that we don't (and never will) take her for granted.

I'd tell her how comforted I felt knowing that when my children couldn't be with me, that they were in her hands.

Then, I'd rewrite the letter into a blank card with a picture of my MIL together with my children.

You're blessed.

I treated my MIL with a pedicure on Mother's Day. She had never done that kind of thing for herself before. She loved being pampered & we had fun girl time.

You could go to JoAnn's and get (really inexpensive) a canvas bag for her to carry things in and get the iron on transfer paper that goes in your printer. Scan artwork that your kids have done, onto your computer, then print it onto the iron on paper. Then iron your kids artwork right onto the bag. Or if you happen to already have a bag in good condition at home, use that one.

The breakfast idea is good. I'm in a similar situation with my MIL and I always do a craft with my girls we can give to her. I also give her gift certificates for a manicure or pedicure.