What shall I buy my sister in law for her birthday?

Take her out for High Tea, get your Husband to stay with him

Another vote for an afternoon tea hamper, M&S have a couple to choose from. My DIL loved hers!

Sorry above... you need to click on the menu for LIVE CAMS once at the page... messed up the link.

Someone mentioned a bird cam. There is also a site that has world-wide webcams you can watch for free of all kinds of wildlife.

explore.org/live-cams/ Scroll right to see all the cams. Landing page will change when you select one and all the cam's thumbnails will show below the video chosen so you can change.

I am currently watching the Brooks Falls Alaska brown bear salmon run. Mind your time zone as most of these do not have night vision. Right now the bears are hilarious, and if you scroll below the icons once you choose a cam set to watch, there is a chat board. It moves very fast for popular cams, but on the bear cams, there are people who have been watching for years and know all the bears. Plus the park service has a bear book you can download.

There are bird cams for osprey, eagles, etc. Bison on the Saska CA plains... humming birds... all kinds of animals have live cams when their season is at their height. Rest of the time (night or out of season) you can watch cam highlights and the videos are so labelled). You can open the videos to watch directly from YouTube if you you want a bigger screening.

Enjoy! It's free... courtesy of the Annenberg Family Foundation which gives grants to many of the cam's home causes. You just have to click around to get used to it.

I ordered a selection of goodies for an afternoon tea parcel to be delivered from Betty's in Harrogate for my ex's elderly parents and they loved it and it lasts a few days. You can choose what they would like and they can share it together. Arthritis is very painful and it makes sufferers cantankerous to be in constant pain, but it's also very hard for the carer coping with it all. Thank goodness she has you looking out for her and trying to give her a special treat.

I hope she has a lovely birthday.

Stansgran What a lovely idea...the company is Bloom and Wild

I love this site. Everyone so positive and helpful and supportive on troubling issues
Good on Us

There are organisations called something like Borrow My Dog where people look after a dog for a day or two, might be worth checking out.

Thank you all for your fantastic suggestions. I think something to do with flowers is the best bet.

I think I may have misled you with regard to BiL's disability.

He isn't house bound but, because he is so bloody minded, my sister in law almost is except when they go out together. He is really stubborn and insists that he isn't disabled enough to apply for AA so that they she could have some help in the house and garden nor will he apply for a Blue Badge.

I realise that he is in a lot of pain but my poor sister in law has no life of her own apart from walking HIS dog which is on it's last legs.

He is to be admired for keeping going despite everything (he drove to the South of France in the summer but ended up in hospital when his knee became swollen AGAIN)

I just want to cheer her up as I feel she will 'disappear' if we are not careful. I think I might suggest that she comes to stay for a few days before BiL has his op - but she would have to bring the pesky dog.

What about a!Wentworth puzzle with HAPPY BIRTHDAY whimsies. You can personalise this with your own photo! wentworthpuzzles.com
There are birdwatchers ones too!,

I have always found these a most appreciated gift for lots of occasions

How about contacting the children to see if they have any ideas, suggesting you were wondering if she'd like to go out for a meal. Depending on the response, a voucher for a meal near home for 4 might spur them into offering to make up the numbers if you've 'sewn the seed'

I forgot to say, they can be any price from about £30 upwards, in garden centres, hardware stores or the Internet.

On the birdwatching theme, how about a colour bird nest camera like this ? I was given one last year and it is fantastic in the breeding season. I can watch it on my ordinary TV or a small bedroom one. It might even keep her DH interested!

Loads of wonderful suggestions ! The magazine subscriptions would be lovely for her, and I like the idea of the 'obelisk' bird table ! My OH has a bird table and he loves it ...and so do the birds ...there is a bird bath as well which the birds love. Every year the RSPB does a garden watch during which day you make a note of all the birds you see in your garden (details RSPB website) ..... (I am assuming your sil has a computer ?) if she does not have one, and your budget would stretch to a small one, easy to use for a beginner, or a second hand one (I bought one, excellent value ...nothing wrong with it (it was bought for my husband , aged 83, to 'learn' on ....he gave up as it required patience (!) ...but it is still going strong ! It was a Toshiba Satellite and only cost 150 euros !) .....a lot of computer shops have reconditioned models when someone has upgraded. Also Amazon Warehouse website (the cheaper site for things !) sometimes have 'flash sales' of computers, tablets, etc (don't make the mistake I did, when I read an article in the paper advising not taking tablets into the bedroom, so you could sleep better .... I kid you not, I wondered why on earth I should not take my Gaviscon tablets into the bedroom .......dah ! (it must have been an age moment !).....anyway, I am sure you will think of something from these lovely suggestions people have made ! Good luck, and I am sure she will enjoy whatever you get !

Difficult when you live so far away, you can't nip round and take her out for a treat somewhere. I love the idea of regular flowers. Or a subscription to Netflix?

I bought myself a birthday present this year- It is a rather nice RSPB bird 'table' with several different trays so you can put out food & water for different varieties of bird. Bit like an Obelisk.
If she loves birds this is a 365 day a year present for her.
The birds love it & it is very easy to assemble.
Her husband may enjoy it too.
(BTW - DH did buy me presents too although I told him I was very happy with my own choice !)

Yes, can't your husband sit with her husband for the day and you go out with her for a spa day or a posh afternoon tea, or visit to a stately home/garden?

How about a spa day... a swim, massage, pampering, nice lunch, etc, might be a good de-stressor for her? 75 is a milestone, I'd think pushing the boat out would be appreciated.

My sis in law is my best friend!

What Pentstemmon says is a lovely idea. I did this for my MIL and dd1 has just done it for me. The company is called something like blooms n'wild or blooms are us and they deliver through the letter box so you don't have to be in . Then you just have to arrange them but not difficult to do as I'm cack handed with flowers.

My daughter bought me a bird of prey experience and I loved it. I handled different types of owl and a hawk.

Some lovely suggestions from everyone.If the children can't or won't stay with their father,would it possible to arrange a little trip that includes him?Maybe to the seaside or a country park.You could hire a wheelchair or mobility scooter for the day if necessary and treat them both to lunch/afternoon tea.If this would be possible,I think it would do your sister-in-law and her husband a great deal of good to have a change of scene before his operation.

What coolgran said

Could your dh sit with his db while you took your sil out for a treat. Lunch or afternoon tea. Perhaps a trip to the hairdresser for both of you beforehand.

If she's a reader then National Geographic Magazine subscription is very reasonable way of seeing the world from your armchair. You might have enough change to spend on another gift too!

Does she have a Kindle (or similar)? They can be a window on the World when you can't get out much.