My mom has everthing and is hard to buy a gift for. I am not really crafty, although I do sew. For her B-day recently I wanted to make her a scrapbook. I was in Wal-mart and found a scrapbook type photo albumn on clearance for $5. It had different size picture frames cut out and you just slid the pictures in, it held 60 pictures. The kids and I spent a few evenings searching through our basket of photos and placed a large variety in the book. She really enjoyed it and I think I will make one for my Grandmother too. For christmas I am working on quilts made from my aunts clothing (she died last Feb). I will be giving them to my mom, grandmother, and my aunt. I think they will like them, it will be a memento as well as useful. If you have any ideas for gifts for the person who has everything please post them.

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), October 06, 2001

Answers

Would she enjoy a subscription to a magazine she reads? How about a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant? A box of gourmet steaks? What about taking her to someplace like Sears or JC Penney photo studio and have a portrait done of the two of you? If you have children get a group photo done. You and she will both love having that. If her Mom is still alive get one of the three or four generations all together and you've got a great Christmas gift for your Grandma, too. I hope this helps

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), October 07, 2001.

It's October, so it's time to "do" Christmas and birthdays. A couple years ago I started doing a one day a year celebration. With so many birthdays to celebrate, it can get expensive. None of the kids/grandkids live around me, and I don't always have the money when one of them has their birthday, so... We go to our favoite orchard in Indpls. - Ardians. Indpls is half way point for all of us. Last year we went on a hayride, to the orchard and out to eat. This year we're going to Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement. They sell Adrian's cider there. I'll pay for the admission, the cider and apples, and we'll have a picnic. Closer to Christmas, I might bake cookies and send, or they may visit during Christmas vacation. That may sound cheap, but that's what we can afford and it goes along with the idea that we've all got too much stuff. It makes for a nice memory, too.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony@countrylife.net), October 07, 2001.

My Mother and Mother-in-law are both in this catagory. I think they enjoy food "baskets". (Neither want a basket...I use a decorated box or bag) Some is homemade and some is not. A little pkg. of flavored coffee is always enjoyed by one. I also look for inexpensive asst. cards and add a book of stamps. Think practical!!

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), October 07, 2001.

We did something similar for my husband's parents 40th wedding aniversary-We found some old wedding pictures of thiers from other relitives which meant a lot because they lost all photos in house fire not very long ago. We also had each grandchild draw a page about Grandma and Grandpa. Also, someone borrowed a digital camera and we took pictures of the celebration through out the day and quickly printed them and inserted them just as we gave the book to them-at the end of the day. They loved it!

Home cooked meals are appreciated, even by folks who have "everything"

-- Kelly in Ky (ksaderholm@yahoo.com), October 07, 2001.

You can also have phtotos put onto a video. I had some old films put on video for family members and it was a hit. We put a little of everyone's wedding on one tape!

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 13, 2001.