In-laws can be particularly hard to buy for, especially if you haven’t gotten much of a chance to get to know them yet. Showing up to Christmas at their house without a gift isn’t really an option, so what can you bring that will score you major brownie points?
Edible Gifts
In most cases, there will be more than enough food at your in-law’s place already, so be careful when choosing an edible gift for them. Anything you make yourself is sure to impress, especially if it’s presented attractively in a festive tin or basket. Avoid bringing a box of chocolates you picked up at the grocery store or the classic tin of Danish Butter Cookies unless you know that one of your in-laws is particularly fond of them. If you’re coming from out of town, try bringing them something that is made where you live or is particular to your hometown or area.
Seasonal Spirits
Check with your significant other to be sure that your parents-in-law are drinkers before getting them anything alcoholic. You do not want to show up with an expensive bottle of spirits if your spouse’s dad is a recovering alcoholic. If your partner’s parents do enjoy a good bottle of wine, try to find one that is made locally or choose something unique like ice wine or an organic variety.
Perhaps your father-in-law is a scotch collector, or maybe your mother-in-law enjoys a good cocktail. Pick up a quality scotch or make a cocktail package complete with martini shaker and glasses. You can afford to spend a little more on this gift than you would normally on alcohol for yourself, since it is supposed to be a special present.
Picture Perfect Presents
Presenting your in-laws with a careful crafted photo book or framed pictures of your family is a sentimental idea that they are sure to love. This is especially true if you have children that they don’t get to see very often. Put together a scrapbook of their grandchildren’s big moments that they may have missed over the past year. For those without children, a photo of the two of you is a special idea or, if you’re really ambitious, you could track down Christmas photos from your significant other’s childhood and make a collection of them for his or her parents. With modern desktop publishing technology, photo books and scrapbooks can easily be printed at home, but you can also get them made at a local print shop or try the easy-to-use and reasonably priced publishing website, lulu.com.
Music and Movies
It may be tricky to pick out music or movies that your parents-in-law will enjoy if you don’t know them very well, but your spouse should be able to give you some insight. If not, you could always go with something classic, like a CD of traditional Christmas carols or a DVD of It’s a Wonderful Life.
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