Help with a christmas present - I do know what I want to do!

jakes-mum

This present is for my father in law and I need it to be extra special and thoughtful BUT . . . I also have a challenge with myself to do the entire family Christmas for £100 so I only have about £10 to allocate to it

The reason it needs to be so special is because of last christmas, MIL and FIL came to stay at ours to do the xmas swap (we live 100's miles away) I had managed to get MIL a Albert Square plaque signed by the entire cast (shes a huge eastenders fan!) and I had made FIL a pot of gold. Well MIL opened hers and was over the moon, FIL looked very excited and opened his and he was so disappointed neither MIL or DH saw this as they were busy with the plaque but I did and i'll admit I was a bit heartbroken as he really means the world to me and I was upset he was upset IYSWIM.

Anyway after they went home and I got to thinking (as hes really not a man for turning up his nose at a gift) I realised in the 14 years ive known him he ALWAYS gets chocolate or screwdrivers for christmas and I think with how special MIL's present was he felt a bit second rate?

So I have a plan for this year. I have managed to win a copy of a xbox game I know he will love and im going to make him a hamper of some kind. Talking to DH earlier, we were talking about sundays and what we used to watch. Me The Waltons and DH says 'oh dad and I used to watch the old cowboy movies in the afternoon when mum and sister went to my aunts'.

So I get me thinking cap on and think I wonder if I can make individually wrapped presents in the basket with little notes on them, get some old john wayne films and write 'to remind you of when I was a kid on a sunday', put some lynx in there with 'for when we next go on the pull down XXXX', get a pic of DH his brother and sister + a pic of all the grandkids and put 'to remind you of how much your loved' im also thinking of asking MIL of memories of the day they got married so I can get something and put 'to remind you of your happiest day' and wrap the xbox game and put 'to remind you of your bedroom antics' (his xbox is in the bedroom and he will appreciate the humour

so my questions are: do you think this is a good present? and what else could I put in there that definitely ISN'T chocolate related

wendall

Love the ideas they will mean a lot to him, i think it is a good idea.

mumps

jakes-mum wrote: »

This present is for my father in law and I need it to be extra special and thoughtful BUT . . . I also have a challenge with myself to do the entire family Christmas for £100 so I only have about £10 to allocate to it

The reason it needs to be so special is because of last christmas, MIL and FIL came to stay at ours to do the xmas swap (we live 100's miles away) I had managed to get MIL a Albert Square plaque signed by the entire cast (shes a huge eastenders fan!) and I had made FIL a pot of gold. Well MIL opened hers and was over the moon, FIL looked very excited and opened his and he was so disappointed neither MIL or DH saw this as they were busy with the plaque but I did and i'll admit I was a bit heartbroken as he really means the world to me and I was upset he was upset IYSWIM.

Anyway after they went home and I got to thinking (as hes really not a man for turning up his nose at a gift) I realised in the 14 years ive known him he ALWAYS gets chocolate or screwdrivers for christmas and I think with how special MIL's present was he felt a bit second rate?

So I have a plan for this year. I have managed to win a copy of a xbox game I know he will love and im going to make him a hamper of some kind. Talking to DH earlier, we were talking about sundays and what we used to watch. Me The Waltons and DH says 'oh dad and I used to watch the old cowboy movies in the afternoon when mum and sister went to my aunts'.

So I get me thinking cap on and think I wonder if I can make individually wrapped presents in the basket with little notes on them, get some old john wayne films and write 'to remind you of when I was a kid on a sunday', put some lynx in there with 'for when we next go on the pull down XXXX', get a pic of DH his brother and sister + a pic of all the grandkids and put 'to remind you of how much your loved' im also thinking of asking MIL of memories of the day they got married so I can get something and put 'to remind you of your happiest day' and wrap the xbox game and put 'to remind you of your bedroom antics' (his xbox is in the bedroom and he will appreciate the humour

so my questions are: do you think this is a good present? and what else could I put in there that definitely ISN'T chocolate related

I think it sounds lovely. Something I did one year was got old photos, if you can find one of his parents, one of him as a young man, wedding one, one of his brothers or sisters, nieces and nephews, his children, his grandchildren. I got some thin card and printed off a calendar, one photo for each month and you can find the calendar bit on line. I went to a local printer and I think they charged me £1 to bind the top with a bit to hang it up, I can't think how to describe it. They also cut the semi circle out that the hanging thing goes in. Thinking about it I did a cover as well so 13 photos. It caused tears, old forgotten photos are great and if you can find grandparents that is a real tear jerker. Hope he loves whatever you do.

kittywight

i think its an excellent idea very personal also

one suggestion, just make sure they are films he already doesnt have

xxx

jakes-mum

I know exactly what you mean mumps I did the same thing for MIL a few years ago as my mum owned a printers :rotfl: Its a lovely idea but im really trying not to duplicate what ive done for MIL as I really want him to see how much thought has gone in (does that even make any sense??) plus they live over 200 miles away and we wont see them again until a week before xmas . I have facebooked MIl and asked her for info on their wedding, did they have a first dance song etc, as to be honest I dont know if it was a registry and home job :eek:

I was thinking of putting a scratch card in a box and writing 'to remind you how lucky you are to have us as your son and DIL' :rotfl:

EDIT: I dont think he has any cowboy films tbh, all the dvds in their drawer seem to be for the kids

JLL

This has brought a tear to my eye. I think you have all wrapped up in a hamper shall i say. What a lovely thought. You must be the best DIL in the world:T

Jessikita1983

I think that is a lovely idea and you are a very kind person. I can't stand my MIL!

bishboshbluebell

what a sweet and thoughtful lady you are. It will be a gift that he will remember and treasure for ever. Have fun making it.

jakes-mum

Aww thank you, I do love them both to bits, im one of those lucky DIL's whos MIL actually likes her and doesn't think she stole her son :rotfl: I only have one competition for the titel of best DIL and she lives in Australia so im def favourite in the UK lol.

Ok this is what ive got so far:

Letter taped to front: Dear dad, you must open these in order NO CHEATING! we will be checking with mum in the christmas phonecall.

John Wayne DVD - To remind you of when I was a kid on sundays
Lynx - To remind you of us going down the pub in XXXX to look at women when the wives werent there
Chocolate Tools - To remind you what your good at (ok I said no chocolate but he was a builder)
An after dinner hint - To remind you what needs a bit of work (hes not terrible but will find it funny, or MIL will :rotfl:)
xbox game - To remind you of your bedroom antics (stuck to game - :O you thought it was going to be something dirty didn't you!)
Kiddies cheap megaphone - To remind you your DIL cannot hear you!! (he talks really quietly and finds it funny that I cant hear him at all)
Scratch Card - To remind you that your lucky to have us as a son and DIL
Extra Strong Tea Bags - To remind you that we know you (I swear you could stand a spoon in the mans tea its so strong)
A pic of Us - To remind you that we love you xx

Can anyone think of anything else?

mumps

jakes-mum wrote: »

I know exactly what you mean mumps I did the same thing for MIL a few years ago as my mum owned a printers :rotfl: Its a lovely idea but im really trying not to duplicate what ive done for MIL as I really want him to see how much thought has gone in (does that even make any sense??) plus they live over 200 miles away and we wont see them again until a week before xmas . I have facebooked MIl and asked her for info on their wedding, did they have a first dance song etc, as to be honest I dont know if it was a registry and home job :eek:

I was thinking of putting a scratch card in a box and writing 'to remind you how lucky you are to have us as your son and DIL' :rotfl:
Edited to add: Any vintage TV stuff he liked, my DH likes DVD's of old things like The Likely Lads, original Star Trek? You can get them quite cheaply.

EDIT: I dont think he has any cowboy films tbh, all the dvds in their drawer seem to be for the kids

Great minds and all that :j I am struggling to think of anything else, you seem to have it all covered.

jakes-mum

Loool thank you everyone for trying to think of things and telling me its not a rubbish idea, I now just have to get everything to come in under a tenner :eek: