How to Select a Gift for Your Grandmother

Grandmas are just like grandpas in that they can hardly ever think of a thing they need. Being practical is a good idea, but splurging a little will always make grandma happy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Greeting Cards
• Gift Baskets
• Photograph In Picture Frames
• Magazine Subscriptions
• Airline Tickets
• Gift Certificates
• Telephone Calling Cards

1. Ask her what she wants. This information can get you going in the right direction and save guesswork.

2. Buy her a prepaid phone card so that she can talk to the grandkids without running up her phone bill.

3. Give a gift certificate for hair styling, a manicure or a pedicure.

4. Fill a gift basket with her favorite "splurge" foods or beauty products.

5. Subscribe to a magazine or buy a book she would enjoy. Get large-print editions if needed.

6. Make a book about her life. Include photos, news clippings and letters from friends.

7. Have a formal family picture taken and put it in a nice frame.

8. Buy her something for the yard, or hire someone to take care of her yard.

9. Make something. Grandmas love homemade gifts from you or the kids.

10. Buy a year's membership to a local museum or another attraction she enjoys.

Tips & Warnings

• If grandma doesn't already own a microwave oven, a telephone answering machine, a computer, a VCR or a CD player, she may not be interested in learning how to use them. Resist the temptation to buy such gifts unless you are sure they will be appreciated and used.
• Grandmas generally have enough knickknacks. Unless she collects something special, it may be wise to avoid adding to the clutter.
• If she has trouble seeing, give her a new phone with large push-button numbers.
• Give her a plane ticket so she can visit family.
• Buy her jewelry if she wears it.

[careye]

on 3/14/2009 similar to another post. I recently had submitted a memory message for my grandmother's birthday through an online source www.celebrationjar.com. GREAT Idea, she loved the gift.

on 1/4/2006 Make a food gift basket filled with staple items she always purchases. For example, tea bags, peanut butter, chicken noodle soup, tuna fish, box of crackers, supplemental nutrition drink, sugar.

Make a gift basket filled with her favorite essential items: perfume, hair spray, soap.

Make a gift basket filled with the ingredients needed in her favorite recipes.

on 11/22/2005 Older grandparents are unfortunately not able to clean house as well as they use to be. A gift certificate for a reputable house cleaning service will make them smile.

on 11/22/2005 Make a scrapbook with a page dedicated to each family member in which they each create themselves. Every other page can be a montage or theme page. Remember to include an anniversary page for the grandparent.

Give a memory book of questions for your grandparent to fill out and return to you the following year. These can be made up by the family or purchased at retailers like Hallmark. If the grandparent is unable to write well, include a tape recorder they can dictate into.

on 11/22/2005 Decorate a pretty jar with ribbon. Put index cards inside that you decorate with stickers or drawings, and write something like, "I remember when you always met us at the end of the driveway on rainy days with an umbrella when we got off the bus."