Need Ideas! - Bonsall,CA

the last two years we took my parents to the theatre. It is pricey but it makes for great memories.

When my grandmother died I found some gifts we had given her that I had forgotten about. I found out from people at her retirement apartment that they were loved gifts. One was a nice pen engraved with the great-grandkids' "pet name" for her. I have it now and find pleasure in knowing that it was something that reminded her of how special she was to the kids.

One other gift we found for my inlaws was a music box that played "their song". It brought tears to their eyes when they opened it, and now we have the memory of seeing them dance to it, and sing it as they heard it play. If you are talking about older-ish people the music of their young days is likely available.

Get with other family members and see if you can dig up any old documents pertaining to either family. Hospital records, phone books etc and find a way to have them framed.

Our grandparents have so much "stuff" so experiences are better gifts now than "things." We take them out as their gift, usually out to dinner and then some kind of show or movie. They seem to look forward to that more than anything else! Plus it makes memories for the grandkids as well. You can't put a price on memories.

"Chocolate of the Month club?" I don't know if something like that is sentimental, but it'll last a year and is unique.

One idea I've seen a lot of that's real nice looking is a shadow box. Perhaps if you want a real sentimental one, you could put in the box: your mom's hair clips from when she married your dad, a piece of her veil, his cuff-links, plus a photo or two of them at their wedding (if of course you can get ahold of such items). Inlaws may be harder. But if you had a picture of a visit with them, PLUS something 3-dimensional to go in the box, that'd be sweet. See lots more ideas here: http://www.lilsugar.com/Darcy-Millers-Shadow-Boxes-Make-P...# Like maybe have a book that they read to your kiddo, plus a picture of them reading that book to him ....

What about having a family picture taken and having O. framed for them?

I gave my parents a calendar with all the months with pictures of my parents and my brother and I and our families on it. We put the anniversary dates and birthday dates on the appropriate month and day. One of my kids did that for me this year and now I know how much my parents appreciated me doing it for them. (I hope they do that for me next year.)

When they passed away, they still had it, even though it was 20+ years old. If I had known how much they loved it I would have given them calendars for several years.

When my mom and dad turned 75, We drove from Texas to California to sing "Happy Birthday" to them on their birthday. They didn't know we were coming so it was a surprise for them. It was something they remembered and commented on for the rest of their lives. Remembering it brings moisture to my eyes.

One of my sons won a trophy and he gave that to my parents and they used to brag about how their grand son won it and loved them enough to give it to them.

Good luck to you and yours.

What about making some ornaments with kids' handprints? Either at one of those paint your own pottery places or on the cheap at home. Other ideas may be to send them to a show (not sentimental, necessarily, but I know it's one of the only times my parents go out to a play)...maybe a book to read aloud when kids visit, chores around the house (depending on their situations - my brother always gives firewood...again, not sentimental, but really appreciated), coffee mugs also always a hit regardless of how many they have - grandpa choses his favorite each day...
have fun!