Present ideas for a gran spending Christmas alone

As a nana and greatnana do you kniw what I would like best is the afternoon tea with my granddaughter a while after Christmas. Okay a small token on Christmas day but it would mean so much to me to spend an afternoon with one of my grandchildren.

Alexa - your name inspired me. A great present my DS gave me for mother's day is an Echo Dot with Alexa to listen to my instructions and play what ever music I want; any radio station; podcasts - you name it. It would be an ideal gift for a lone granny, provided she has wi-fi.

I'm possibly about your mother in law's age, 88. I like a quirky thing maybe a small amusing antique, or book of jokes. Or a bottle of Patou Joy.

Michael Buble cd, a dvd/blu ray, chocs, puzzle, book, a phone call/skype call at an agreed time. A promise to catch up for meal out or even coffee after Xmas.

A kindle sounds like a good idea, or a hamper. I can't have any flowers or smellies in the house, due to allergies. People forget but I don't dare try anything new just in case so they have to go to someone else or the charity shhop.

Hi, Rosierabbit, would your dear granny in law like a kindle? You could load it with books, favourite photos, games like Wordscapes, even set up gransnet for her? I know I spend hours on my kindle, it might be a great 'companion ' for a person on her own.

If I was alone at Christmas, I'd have a duvet day so wouldn't welcome anyone coming to see me out of the blue. I would need a good supply of chocolates and a good quality ready meal, plus chocolate ice cream in the freezer. Phone calls would be acceptable as long as they didn't interrupt my box set binge. Presents? A voucher for buying books for my Kindle. Smellies - no way. I don't want to be stuck with a load of toiletries I can't stand. I could choose my own scent with a voucher for a well-known department store.
So if the oldie who wants to be alone, beware: she might be as bloody minded as me.

From my own experience 'smellies' especially soap are a big no no.
I'd go for flowers and chocolates

Well done you for respecting her wish to be alone. I have friends who go to an hotel as their family, who all live away, won't let them be home alone (which is what they would like). They would come to stay and make work for the friends, when they would really like a quiet day.

My mother is 84 and has severe macular degeneration. She hates getting flowers sent to her - moans about it! She has great difficulty opening the boxes. I try to explain that it is a kind thing people are doing but she says her heart sinks when she gets a delivery of flowers. She is happier when we bring her flowers from local shops and arrange them for her. She has decided this year to stop sending cards as she can't write clearly now and won't allow us to help write them. It is a pity because she loves the cards she receives however has telephoned lots of her friends to explain and really enjoyed the contact.

I’m sure she’d love a small hello with a box of chocolates and tell her you’ve organised a subscription to a magazine she likes - Saga, Women’s Weekly - whatever. Always a welcome delivery I’ve found.

What is your budget? My granny was always overwhelmed with toiletries, diaries, sippers, nighties, paperbacks etc. However she loved beautiful wool - either cashmere socks for wearing with slippers, a cashmere scarf or perhaps a high quality super soft lap blanket. She would never have bought herself such items. Elderly people often have smaller towels. What about a gigantic super soft pure white towel D——-m have lovely ones for a very reasonable price. Remember though that it is the thought that counts. Or would she use a vshaped pillow that gives great back support and also supports the elbows if knitting, crocheting or writing. If she knits and has arthritis the bamboo knitting needles are much kinder to the hands. You could take her shopping for them then tea and cake.

How about a day in a box start with a luxury bubble bath or shower gel. A small bottle of bucks fizz,eggs and smoked salmon pieces to make Christmas breakfast.good coffee and mince pie for mid morning. Mini wine or special softdrink to go with lunch. After eights. A mini Christmas cake and a nice afternoon tea blend. Her favorite sweets to watch TV with during the evening. Then a nice hot chocolate, marshmallows or her favorite biscuits for bedtime.

Let us know what you decide to buy your Granny, Rosierabbit. There are some good ideas here, but you know her taste and what she would appreciate. Personally, I would choose flowers (delivered by her best local florist) and an outing with you - cream tea/lunch/visit to a National Trust property/garden maybe sometime soon.

I have been very disappointed by bloom and wild flowers. i bought myself a sub last year, never again. The quality was very below par. They were good when they started as a company but not now

I have bought myself a present for under my tree. QVCUK have on tsv today an amazon hd10 tablet. It will be perfect for my kindle books and my audible books. Now that really is a treat

Just wanted to say that I have received several gifts of letterbox flowers from Bloom and Wild and have never been disappointed and they have lasted for two or three weeks.

That's a great idea Humbertbear, I was going to suggest a hamper of the things Granny likes but your suggestion puts a new twist on that. Think I will be trying that myself for the people I normally do hampers for.

I am surprised at you being disappointed by Bloom and Wild letterbox flowers Bluebell. I get them every month courtesy of my DD and they are lovely and last longer than anybody else’s.

I'd caution against photos. I have loads of family photos upstairs - in a box under a bed - along with albums to put them in 'one day'.

Why haven't I done it? I feel as if my heart would break, so not yet, but maybe one day!

If it were me it would be some luxury chocs to indulge over the Christmas period, not too many, just a small box, a single bottle of baileys or similar , the ones you can buy in a set usually with a glass. Some dried fruit and nuts in a gift set with dried pineaple, etc not the usual dried fruit and nuts, and maybe a small christmas cake. All these items would be used over the period of Christmas and New Year. They are things that i probably would not buy for myself if i were alone.

every one is individual.
I am struck by how some people on here are confidently stating what an unknown person would/not like.
do not go to see her if she specifically wants to be alone.
as for gifts, maybe a Fortnum and masons hamper or similar if you can afford it, to be delivered.
a good and varied selection of crackers for late night nibbling. some mixed tipples maybe, depending on taste.
,gin n tonic in little cans.
photos can be tricky.
maybe a nice notecard/ writing set, with a good supply of stamps, and pens, if she still writes to people.
a nice diary. sketching book and pencils. crafty things to do.
perhaps a journal subscription, with current issue, national geographic, if she likes that kind of thing, and reads. that one is good as varied content with many stunning pictures.
similar browse-able coffee-table books.
good luck to you all. be led by her.

Not sure how much you would like to spend or if your Nan is able but what about a couple of months subscripion to Ancestry.com They do introductory offers too

Make her a food hamper im sure she would appreciate it .

If you know what she likes in the shape of food, sweets and drinks then put her a hamper together. My mam was exactly the same. She came to us the first year after my dad died but never again. She said that she actually preferred being on her own over the festive period.

photos, personally I would not want photos, just too sad and a daily reminder. Something cheery would be nice, one of the old comedy films for one of the days. Not photos to make her mope. I am in a similar position, although not as elderly. Some of us widows do prefer to be on our own during the family celebration season