<p>We are going to a surprise party next weekend about 6 hrs from here for our 2 s’s former babysitter/nanny. She lived with us for many years before she moved back to her home. I have been raching my brain to come up with an idea for a gift. She is not well to do, and could probably use money, but that doesnt exactly feel like a personable gift. I will try to call her daughter again tomorrow, but when I asked her a few weeks ago, she said we didnt need to bring any gift. If course we wont go empty handed. I can pull some photos from a photo album (my s’s idea) but I really want to come up with something special, yet personable. I dont khwo what size she is right now (can ask daughter) but am not sure if clothes is a good idea. Help!! I want to go shopping this weekend, if possible.</p>
<p>Tricky… possibly a gift basket with some candies or soaps and then stick in a gift card or two? Maybe to the grocery store?</p>
<p>Your son had a great idea! Maybe a few small framed pictures in the basket?</p>
<p>Thanks, allthisisnewtome. </p>
<p>A gift basket was my DHs idea too!! Any suggestion for the best plae to find nice gift baskets?</p>
<p>I had an idea that we thought might we amusing, but wes wnat to be clever, but tacky. The idea was to have a gift bah with someting nice like soaps aor skin creams or something, but then underneath it have individually crinkled $5 bills (like 40 of them!) It soule be instead if tissue paper under the gift items. We know she can use the money, and I dont know what stores are in he small town. I like the giftcard ideas too, if I can find out what stores are hnear her. I’ll check the web. </p>
<p>All ideas are welcome! Thanks!</p>
<p>You would know better than us if she might be allergic to scents or soaps that may be in lotions or other things in the gift basket. A gift basket with some slightly luxurious food staples with crinkled $5 bills sounds lovely, with or without some gift cards (her D could even use them to buy her things on-line, if there aren’t many stores in her small town). A few framed photos of her with your kiddos would probably mean a great deal to her, as well as a framed photo of your family & the two boys as they are now.</p>
<p>I’m sure she would like old photos and new ones of her former charges. Put them in with a card and a generous gift certificate to a local grocery store or department store. This way you are giving her something personal no one else can give her and at the same time supplementing her income with something she will use. The $ amount will depend on what you feel is appropriate- it can be $50 or even much more if you can afford it. It is easy to be generous with gift cards- the amount isn’t necessarily obvious to all who see the gift at the party.</p>
<p>I have trouble buying my father gifts- one year I gave him a gift card to his usual grocery store. It was something he could use and couldn’t return or let sit on a closet shelf like some practical “luxury” items we gave him in past years. He finally is using the set of towels I gave him more than a decade ago- back then I had noted the condition of his towels- most I remembered from my childhood! I was beginning to think I would inherit them.</p>
<p>I have received gifts of fancy soaps in the past and haven’t always liked the scent or found them usable. Older people usually have plenty of knickknacks. A fruit basket or flowers may be nice.</p>
<p>Costco.com has a gift tower basket for $29.99 including shipping & tax if you order by Dec 18. It has received very good reviews. It comes with fruit, which is practical. I have not ordered or received it, as it charges extra for HI deliveries.</p>
<p>I’m sure there are other nice options as well. I personally always prefer a food/fruit basket over things that have scented things because our family has so many allergies, including to scents. My folks also have to much “stuff” and save luxuries for “another day,” so I only get them practical things. I just got them a robotic vacuum cleaner & they seem to like it.</p>
<p>I love the idea of the crinkled up bills as well. I think a very nice touch would be for both sons as well as you and your husband each put in had written note that tell her what she meant to you.</p>
<p>I can make a suggestion… both of my grandmothers are around her age and they both absolutely loved the digital photo frame we got them for Christmas the other year… You could pull some old photos from a photo album and have them scanned in, and then put some other photos of your kids growing up since she left. I’m sure she’d love that. My old babysitter from when I was little LOVES when she can get her hands on new photos of my sister and I. Last I heard she had a giant photo of me on her refrigerator that my nana printed for her off of facebook, lol! Everyone that comes over to her house gets the story of “Remember so and so from when she was a baby… look how big she is now!!”</p>
<p>This is the one we got them… It has a really nice picture…</p>
<p>[Insignia™</a>; - 7" Widescreen LCD Digital Photo Frame - Black/Silver - NS-DPF7G](<a href=“http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Insignia%26%23153%3B+-+7"+Widescreen+LCD+Digital+Photo+Frame+-+Black/Silver/9376374.p?id=1218094892272&skuId=9376374&st=insignia%20frame&cp=1&lp=1]Insignia™”>http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Insignia%26%23153%3B+-+7"+Widescreen+LCD+Digital+Photo+Frame+-+Black/Silver/9376374.p?id=1218094892272&skuId=9376374&st=insignia%20frame&cp=1&lp=1)</p>
<p>If you go the gift basket route, I would get fruit or food rather then scenty, unless you are sure she’s not allergic to scenty. I am really really allergic to scenty things and everyone seems to forget that. I wind up re-gifting all of that stuff, haha.</p>
<p>And… Everyone likes money!</p>
<p>One of the cutest gifts I ever saw was a “Money Tree”. The person actually got a rubber tree potted plant and folded bills with ribbon bows and put them on each leaf. It was so darn cute, festive and pretty. You could also put some “decorations” with old photos on the tree.</p>
<p>In HI, money “leis” (garlands) are a nice gift–you can fold the crisp bills in a fan shape & tie them to a broad ribbon that is as long as you would like for the recipient. You can use whatever denominations you like from $1 on up. The recipient can unfold the fills as desired to use. This is a lot easier & quicker than the more ornate leis but fits the bill nicely. I am not the most “crafty” person, but had no trouble making them.</p>
<p>I used to be a nanny for the most adorable kids- that are a bit older than my oldest ( think the youngest just turned 30).
While they are positioned better financially, than I- it would make me uncomfortable to receive a present of money-however I don’t know what I would think when I was 75.
If she is living by herself- in a house, I think a gift of perhaps someone to come do yard work or small repairs would be greatly appreciated.
We get Christmas cards every year from the family with photos & it is really great to be remembered.
The mom & her oldest daughter also rescheduled a flight to see our oldest D graduate from high school ( they were on the way to see son graduate from college) & gave her a very generous gift. Which could have been awkward, but I am trying to get better at accepting things-</p>
<p>I think writing a letter perhaps touching on a favorite memory, would be greatly appreciated and the photos are a lovely touch- be sure to mark dates & names on them.</p>
<p>I would give a personal gift and enclose a gift of money. I like the framed picture idea. If she is in need of money that is what will be appreciated the most.</p>
<p>If she lives in a cold weather part of the country, she might like one of those soft fleecy throws (not the Snugglie,lol) that are in all the stores now. Older people often tend to be chilly when we are not, esp. if they are keeping their thermostat lower to avid high power bills.</p>
<p>I was going to suggest a large cashmere scarve or a throw.<br>
[Gilt</a> Groupe](<a href=“http://www.gilt.com/sale/gifts/cashmere-577]Gilt”>http://www.gilt.com/sale/gifts/cashmere-577)</p>
<p>You guys are great!! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!! I did my first round of shopping before I saw all these great ideas! So far, I’ve picked up a lilac colored fleece bathrobe and matching slippers and a package of coordinated jasmine scented skin lotions and bath salts. She lives in a very small town on the GA coast, but it can get chilly. </p>
<p>I love the digital photo album, but many of our photos are old 35 mm. Is it possibnle to convert the pictures to digital?</p>
<p>I spoke to her daughter this afternoon. Her mom has apparentyly lost weight, so I might get a gift cart to the only DSepartment store int eh area. However, her daughter also suggested a gift card to the most convenient store… Wal Mart. I love the idea of that money necklace, HImom. Is ther a photo of it anywhere? I am a zero when it comes to arts and crafts. I would probably really mess it up. </p>
<p>I am going to go to Costco tomorrow and see if they have that gift tower too. Or is it only online??</p>
<p>Thanks again everyone.</p>
<p>jym…you could also have a picture of each of your son, one showing each at the age the nanny took care of them and one at their current age. Kinda like a “Then and Now”. </p>
<p>My daughter photoshopped a picture like this for her bro’s party and it was a big hit!</p>
<p>thats a great idea, learninprog!</p>
<p>And oldfort-
I love gilt group since a very nice person introduced me to it a while back ;)</p>
<p>jym, do you or anyone you know have a scanner? You can just scan in the photo to make it digitized if you wanted to… Or if you take them to like a cvs photo or something I would bet they could do it for you.</p>
<p>Costco has a lot of nice gourmet food baskets of different sorts. That along with the bathrobe, slippers, and bath products could all go in a large gift basket or bag. </p>
<p>There was a nice tin of gourmet cookies at Costco that I am still thinking about getting (but I have to wait till closer to Christmas or I’ll eat them!) It’s Kirkland store brand and in an unusually shaped tin–square but slightly slanted shape. Their store brand items are always excellent quality.</p>
<p>Bookiemom-I plan to his Costco tomorrow (though it will be a zoo). </p>
<p>fendergirl,
I can scan the photos in, but the quality of the printouts we get isn’t so great. That said, we just bought a new all-in-one for my H’s computer (his printer died on Black Friday-- how convenient!) so if I can figure out how it works, I’ll give it a try.
Thanks all!! You are the best!</p>
<p>I offered to pay for the dinner or at least part of it, but her daughter won’t let me, so I am going to call the restaurant and see about getting flowers delivered for the table.</p>