Let me guess, your spouse asked you to buy gifts for your mother-in-law, and you are at a loss. Look no further! We have the perfect gifts for your MIL!
If you have been with your spouse or partner for more than a week, any conversation related to buying Christmas/ birthday/ anniversary presents goes a bit like this:
You: “We need to talk about what to get your mother for (fill in any gift-giving occasion).”
Him: “You will handle that, right?”
End of conversation…
And there you are, left with the task of buying a present for his mom (your mother-in-law), a woman you may not know very well. Even if you have known her for a while, there is pressure to buy a gift that is wonderful enough to come from her beloved son!
A number of my friends complain every year that they are at a loss of what to get their mother-in-law. So I turned to my awesome readers via Facebook for ideas and together we came up with this comprehensive list of perfect gifts for any mother-in-law. (The same group of readers helped me create this list of thank you notes to your mother-in-law a while ago.)
There is inspiration fit for any level of (dys)functional relationship. This is an equal opportunity gift guide for your mother-in-law.
Some of these products I have tried myself, given as gifts or they were recommended as great gift ideas.
The Perfect Gifts for Your Mother-in-Law:
- Patchwork bear/ quilt!
- Use code MAMA for 20% off your order.
- This is the perfect gift for any one who had a special time in their life that they wish to commemorate with a keepsake item.
- The Patchwork Bear I had made is now a sweet reminder of a very difficult time in our lives.
- Perfect for the mother-in-law hoarding her children’s baby clothes or her Grateful Dead t-shirts from the 60s.
- Personalized Life Planner!
- Use this link to get $10 off your first order!
- Let’s face it, it is hard to keep track of everyone’s life and ALSO plan their future at the same time… Personally, I LOVE Erin Condren’s Life Planner, simply because I am a mother of four with lots of appointments.
- I see first hand, how a meddling/ controlling mother-in-law will benefit from having this planner.
- This may just be the BEST passive-aggressive gift you give her… AND she will love it!
- (Or you could simply get her some personalized stationary… – there is something for every mother-in-law!)
- Color-In Recipe Journal!
- They say that coloring in coloring books reduces stress.
- Does your mother-in-law seem a bit tense these days?! (That’s a rhetorical question) – Then this awesome coloring book is what she needs.
- I received a copy of this book to review and I loved the creative idea of decorating your own recipe cards.
- This beautiful coloring book can turn your mother-in-law’s secret tomato sauce recipe into a keepsake for generations to come!
- Broom and Mop Organizer!
- Does your mother-in-law have a hefty collection of brooms, mops and even just broomsticks?! I have to admit, I always wondering what those extra broomsticks were for?!
- Help organize her broom closet with this handy rack.
- You know how much she loves an organized home, from her back-handed comments about your messy kitchen!
- Weatherproof Survival Kit!
- This may be a rather self-serving gift, but it is comforting to know that your mother-in-law has a survival kit handy when you visit her house.
- You just never know when you will need weather-proof matches, an emergency whistle and a fancy multi-functional tool.
- Hardback Cookbook Book Safe!
- This has to be the coolest safe, perfect for an elderly lady to hide her jewelry, that tomato sauce recipe and the evidence about her family’s deepest and darkest secrets.
- “The Words Your Kids Need” ebook!
- Encourage your mother-in-law to leave a legacy of written notes and letters to your children. This ebook gives specific ideas and how-to guides to help her get started.
- Imagine the treasured gift your children will receive once your mother-in-law has documented all the special moments in her life.
- “Thank You For Raising The Man Of My Dreams” Mug!
- Well, hopefully he IS the man of your dreams… but imagine the smile on your mother-in-law’s face when she receives this sweet token of appreciation for all her years of hard work!
- Hopefully she taught him to throw his dirty laundry INSIDE the hamper and to change the toilet paper roll when it’s empty… in which case she deserves more than a mug!
- “The Mother in Law’s Manual”!
- Let’s face it, not all mother-in-law/ daughter-in-law relationships are smooth sailing. Sometimes they start off rocky and get better with time, other times the relationship is downhill from the moment her son and daughter-in-law said “I do!”
- Making a concerted effort to improve your relationship might be a welcomed gesture.
- Buy two of these – one for yourself and one for her…
- “I am not bossy” Plaque!
- So your mother-in-law is the queen of passive-aggressive comments?!
- Let’s hope she also has a sense of humor to go along with it… otherwise it may only be you and your husband who find this sign hysterically funny.
- Fleece Throw Blanket!
- I bought one of these blankets for our bed. I have to admit that I have become rather possessive over it. It is incredible soft and the colors stay bright even with frequent machine washes.
- This is a great gift for someone in a cooler climate, going through cold winters… the palm trees alone are sure to warm her up!
- Werther’s Original Hard Caramel!
- Every grandparent’s home should contain the obligatory candy dish with the tasteless hard caramel candies. It’s a childhood must – and a mystery.
- Happiness Journal!
- Is your mother-in-law a Negative Nelly who tends to focus on all the sad and horrible things in life, instead of smelling the roses? Help shift her focus to see the beauty in life, her family and grandkids.
- This Happiness Journal is my go-to gift for my mommy-friends.
- Having to write a few positive sentences at the end end of each day is a great exercise for anyone, especially someone stuck in a negative rut!
When shopping for your mother-in-law, remember – she’s human (at least in most cases) – and she’s simply looking for a sign/ reminder that her son and his new family love her.
If you wish to REALLY win her over, add a heartfelt “thank you” letter! The two of you will be strolling through the mall, arm in arm – in no time! Best friends, shopping and connecting. Give it a try – and please leave a comment with how well you did!
