If your parents are anything like mine, they are extremely hard to shop for. For example, last year I bought my father a shirt with my college logo on it and responded with, "when am I going to wear this? It's too big for me." So here are some tips when trying to shop for the people you want to impress the most.
Make it relative to something they like.
Think about an activity or hobby that your parents enjoy doing and go from there! For example, if your mother enjoys drinking coffee every morning, get her a big mug for her slow mornings. If your dad likes to run outside, get him a hat to keep his head warm while it's still cold out.
Don't spend a lot of money.
I know my parents always get upset when they think someone spent too much on a gift for them, and I'm here to tell you that if you do spend a lot of money, that might make some parents feel bad. From my experience, people tend to like receiving smaller gifts better, because often more meaningful, and more thought was put into them.
Make it yourself.
This one might sound a little corny, but to elaborate, ideas include: making a framed photo, a friendship bracelet, a painted jar, or some sort of ornament for the tree. It might remind them of when you were younger and used to make that stuff for them all the time. Don' forget to include a home-made, heartfelt card to go with the gift!
Give them the gift of time.
Every parent wishes that they could spend more time with their kids, and as you get older, it gets harder and harder to do so. So anything that involves taking a day to spend time together would serve as a fantastic present for your parents. You could pay for a ticket to see a drive-in movie together, take them out to lunch, or go for a bike ride in the park.
A Gift card... as a last resort.
If you're really stuck on what to get your parents, but still feel like you need to get them something, go with a gift card. Pick a restaurant or store they like to shop at, and write a nice card with it. Gift cards are great because they themselves can pick out their own gift.
