Not clothing - always the wrong size, colour or style. Gift vouchers to favorite stores are a hit, movie vouchers. MIL knows I love handmade items for the house - like a nice dried flower arrangement, candles.

Do any of the recipients have hobbies? I'm thinking of vouchers for folk with themed little items.

Movie vouchers with microwave popcorn, large chocolate bar, bottle of coke...

Bubble bath sets - can never get enough of these.

Can you give us more info on the recipients:

hobbies?
activities?
like to eat out?
new home owner?
gardener?

One year my sister gave me a ton of seeds, garden gloves and plastic seed pots - fantastic because I start seeds indoors in the winter. Another friend, as a joke gift, gave me a bag of dirt - I went nuts with appreciation and she was stunned. It was supposed to be a joke gift but I couldn't be happier.

More info please so we can be of more help.

I'm a MIL, and I've always tried to give DDIL things I know she likes, like GC's to Victoria's Secret, or things she's admired when we've been out together around Thanksgiving. This year, she and my son want to go out of town for a couples weekend, so I jumped at the chance to give them something I know they can really use - the cost of the weekend and keeping my DGDs. The last part is my gift to me, actually. :)

Milkdud, that really sounds like a winner!

I just realized, in trying to think of something, I don't think my MIL has ever given me a personal gift. I've been married 15 years, known her for over 20. I just cannot think of anything. I think that's partly her not knowing me well enough, partly her not seeing me as a full family member to her, and partly she is not a big gift shopper. Birthdays, she sends a card and some cash. Sometimes she sends cash, sometimes gifts to DH and the kids. Christmas, they send a check for family use. She has occassionally given me items she does not want and thinks I might use (sometime I do, sometimes not), but not as a gift. Ironically, every gift from "us" over those 15 years I have picked out or made, not DH. ;o)

So, honestly I'd be moved if she chose anything with some thought for me. She knows I love to read, a bookstore gift card would make me very happy no matter how boring it might seem. A GC for a manicure or salon would be good, too. A floral arrangement to enjoy through the holidays. Glvoes or slippers, something of nicer quality than I would normally buy for myself. Something that said "I know a wife/mom needs a little treat for herself now and then."

The best thing my MIL gave me was a beautiful cashmere sweater I had given her the year before. She had a bad habit of giving her gifts away and would forget who had given them to her. I was delighted!!

For the life of me, I cannot remember what my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. Shame! Shame! Shame! on me. I know they were thoughtful gifts and something I probably loved because that's the way she was, but I can't remember what they were. I say that because I know she loved me and threw me two surprise birthday parties (short time married to her son), baked the cakes herself. And, I know her son's second wife had a hard time with MIL and had to live in my shadow for 20-something years. She often told my daughter how much she cared for me. Anything I wanted, she saw to it. The first time she made creamed peas was because I said I wanted some. I feel so bad that I don't remember the specific Christmas gifts. Problem is it was so long ago that I was married, I guess. I think I fell second only to her own daughter, whom she nearly worshipped.

I guess the moral of my story is that my MIL was a warm person, who made an impact on my heart in many ways all year. You are a thoughtful MIL to want to please your daughter-in-law at Christmas, and I admire you for wanting to make sure your gift is a nice one. Maybe begin with the simple things, like if she's a real coffee drinker, get her something exotic or a better coffee maker than she has. There's a gift idea for coffee drinkers on the board. I haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it's a nice idea. Something similar if she's a tea drinker. Or, something she doesn't normally do for herself, like a massage or day at the spa. A nice little getaway. How about a keepsake jewelry box with her name engraved? A cell phone if she doesn't have one, or a better one if she does. Something for her computer. Has she made any complaints of aches & pains? A foot, shoulder, or back massager.

My mil always shops for me at the store that has the best soaps and bath stuff. Buys me the latest scents and scrubs. I love it because I just would never allow myself to have such wonderful bubble baths and hand soaps and lotions that to me are so expensive, but love them to pieces and feel spoiled all the time having them around.

The best gift ever in my life!

Trin

My MIL really didn't give me good gifts. She used to give me a check for my birthday. She gave me books on housekeeping for Christmas,grr. One thing thoughtful she always did for me was she made peppers whenever I visited her or she came to visit me. My favorite.

My dmil is Nola-Anne who used to come here to the KT quite often, and now pops in here and there.
The best gift I have ever received from her was she had a blanket that was dh's favorite when he was little, and she had someone make 2 country stuffed mice from the blanket's material, and they are dressed as a boy and girl in cute little outfits. I love them and keep them in the living room sitting in a little wooden rocker that was given to us by her dad, my dh's grandpa.

One year I opened a present from my MIL....it was a horrid green knitted poncho with lots of fringe. It was truly ugly but I loved it because she knew I liked green (just not that shade) and she wanted me to be warm.
I wore it until it was ragged....
Just knowing she took the time to do something just for me was the best!
She was very generous and I got lots of gifts I loved.....nice jewelry, some Italian leather gloves, some Limonges minatures but the ugly green poncho has to be my favorite. Sure do miss her!

Since my MIL passed away in 1966 I cannot remember anything special, except we all (all her kids, grandkids etc met went over to her house every Christmas eve and I still miss that. She had so many goodies and was so much fun and really enjoyed it.
But I do remember something so funny but so special to me. For my birthday, she deceided to make me a pink angel food cake--by the way her favorite color was pink so every thing she did or gave was pink, anyway the house was full of relatives as usual, and she got flustered as usual, so she opened a package and mixedthe liquid and powder stuff, in (from a box) and beat, and beat and beat. The darn stuff refused to whip up so then we read the directions. She has opened the wrong package (came in two parts) one dry whites the other the cake. She was trying to whip the cake. She was so upset because she thought she had ruined my birthday so she just dumped everything into a bowl, mixed it up and baked it. Funny cake, a layer of pink geletin on the bottom and a very thin cake on top, but it did not taste bad. Everyone ate it (cake) and to the day she died, still laughed about it such a special memory.

Thanks so much for all of your responses. My dear MIL always gave me the $$ to buy gifts for myself, DH and our son. She didn't get out as much as I did, and she said she wasn't "up" on things young people (we were back then) like. I can sure understand where she was coming from now!

My dear DIL is an attorney who loves gardening when she has time. I saw on another thread about clay seed balls and plan to order some of those. Also found some really nice gardening gloves she would like. I had already thought about GC's for local restaurants or cafes so she & DS could eat lunch or supper on the run. She would love a GC for a manicure/pedicure, too, I'm sure. I think I was looking for some one thing that is unique, and I seem to have no imagination for that!

Mine never gave me anything.BUT now I HAVE 2 daughternlaws .
WhatI do is ask what they need and buy that.That way I know its what they want.PLUS ILL buy something just for them,watch,birthstone ring type.

The poor thing sucks at gift-giving! She is a wonderful person and I love her to death but I fear it when she says "I got you something..." We've been married almost 23 yrs. and she hasn't pegged a good gift yet! Oh well, it's the thought that counts!

we always ask for a list!

this year bought one dil a picture frame (huge) for her new office...another, gift cert for boots...

gift cert for sil from lowes, and the other, a "joint" gift...a cabinet for the dining room...

i've tried buying things on my own, but never saw hide nor hair of them! i HATE wasting money!