Grandparents are treasures; they give so much unconditional love, support, wisdom and guidance. We love them to bits, so why are they so darn hard to buy presents for? They seem to have everything, and those things they don't have, they claim to have neither a need nor a desire for. How can we show them how much we appreciate them, without giving them things that they'll never use?
Hopefully there will be something here as inspiration for a gift which will suit your grandparent, so get reading and use your imagination!
* TimeWe've already briefly touched on the fact that time with our grandparents is one of the most precious gifts they could wish for. Make them vouchers promising to do all the things which you've been meaning to do for months, but have never got round to doing. Get out there and actually fix their garden fence or leaky tap. Go round for the evening and cook them a lovely home cooked meal.
* Treat themNone of us are getting any older, and I'm painfully aware that time with our grandparents is running out. That's why it's a great idea to really spoil your grandparents - take them out or give them something which they would love to do, but they don't get a chance to anymore. This could be something as simple as a trip to the theater, or it could be more adventurous like a weekend away somewhere.
* ClothesAs they retire, people generally have less spare cash lying around, and they may find it more difficult to get down to the shops, so they may not take as much care over their wardrobe as they did before. That's why clothes and accessories are great little treats for them, as they may not ordinarily buy them themselves. For the younger, trendy grandmother this could mean summer hats or handbags, or for grandfathers it could be anything from shirts to socks!
* Something to remind them of their pastLet's be honest: old people are probably not going to be interested in most of the music and television of today. They prefer the stuff that they were brought up on! So give them something that will take them back to that time - something that they can reminisce on. My grandparents have been thrilled with some of the Vera Lynn and wartime song CDs which I've given them in the past, and often I'll catch them still singing along! Other options include DVDs, as you can get almost anything on DVD nowadays!
* Turn family photos into somethingIn this day and age of cell phones and digital cameras, we all have thousands of family photos at our fingertips. Do something useful with the best of them, by turning them into something which grandparents can look at and cherish forever. Alternatively, have one of those professional photo shoots done - great fun for you and the family, and it ends up in a great gift, killing two birds with one stone!