Birthday gift

When I’m stuck for a gift idea I give a beautiful white orchid wound round in a circle(Tesco and M&S do nice ones). Who could dislike that?

I always got awful gifts from my in-laws and moaned but it was due to my husband being clueless on what I would like .The 2sons and husband were useless at buying ladies ptesents

I think you'd feel bad if you did any of the things suggested here. You sound like you're a nice person. Don't sink to your sister's level. Why not get a voucher for a meal out somewhere and try talking to her. You never know you both might enjoy it!

I don't like to fall out with people, especially family members so how about the afternoon tea option, or a bouquet of flowers with a bottle of good wine or champagne?

My son bought us all an Oxfam charity gift one Christmas.
Each one came with a fridge magnet with a picture of the gift on it.
Mine was a supply of condoms... ?

My dear MIL died over 30 years ago, but she was renowned for her cutting remarks on presents she was bought in her lifetime. Buy her flowers and you got "what are those for I'm not ill", Buy her perfume and it was " do you think I smell", you get the gist. We once bought her a lovely little brass (she had brass all over the house) carriage clock, she looked at it and didn't even say thank you, just "I don't like it", at this point FIL told her to stop being so nasty and be thankful that she got presents at all !! She was an absolute nightmare to buy for, and she was such a big lady clothes were out of the question, as it would have meant asking her size.....
still I suppose it takes all sorts!!

I agree with Seacliff. Why not say that you're never sure what to get her, so you'd like to take her out somewhere she'd like to go. If you deliberately get something awful, you could risk spoiling the good bits of your relationship and life's too short for that!
My sister and I live a couple of hundred miles apart and agreed a few years ago to stop buying each other birthday presents as it was too tricky to know what to buy. We agreed that if we lived near each other we would probably go out for lunch around our birthdays ( 4 weeks apart) and then go shopping and each get something nice. Good luck.

I have a relative who is similar and despite trying hard to think of gifts she would like, I have ended up giving charity donations.

I have given donations of goats, water taps, cooking pots and the latest one was PPE for Palestinian Refugee Camps.

Then take your sister out for lunch and have a glass of champagne (even if she doesn’t want one, you should have one?)

Do you and your sister enjoy each others company? How about suggesting, as she has most things already, you treat the both of you to an enjoyable day out together.

Give her/ask for some ideas. Some suggestions (that I would like).
Looking around an exhibition/museum/gallery then lunch. (think some may be opening soon?)
A tour round a historic house and gardens near you, and afternoon tea of course. www.historichouses.org/tour-listing.html
A workshop to learn a craft, felt making animals, mosaics, glass etc.
Cinema trip (now some open) with meal
Boat trip, could be watching seals, wildlife etc.,
She is your sister and this is a special Birthday, so try one more time, to make it a lovely day for her.

I like Ginny’s idea very much

Give her the money and she can buy her own

DIL
who actually likes(or appears to like) gifts we buy her,was thrilled to receive a certificate of adoption for a leopard a few years ago,she is a passionate supporter of ecological issues.
So yes,I agree with a charity gift,and perhaps if you can afford it, and she and you would enjoy it,go out for afternoon tea,or even tea and cake.You are only 70 once.

I was thinking maybe you could adopt an animal in a zoo on her behalf. Complete with a photo and certificate of course.

You could choose the least appealing animal available ....perhaps a naked mole rat , a warthog or even a blob fish (yes there is such a thing) .

I’m sure such a gift would be absolutely perfect .

I could never be mean enough to send someone a nasty present, especially on their 70th birthday, no matter how ungracious they have been about previous gifts. I would also feel bad about sending nothing at all.
Just choose one of the sensible options that people have suggested, such as giving to charity. Personally I would opt for taking her out for afternoon tea, or a similar treat. Surely no-one could turn up their nose at cake!

My mother in law gave me a scarf every Xmas for about 15years. I started giving them back to her.

My sister in law misspelt my name in every card she ever sent me so I checked the spelling of her name and purposely mis spelt it back. Terribly childish but terribly satisfying too ?

A nasal hair remover gizmo.

Tell her you have made a donation to Help the Aged on her behalf. Send her a card with a really really old lady on it!

My friend split up with a particularly unpleasant guy who she later discovered that he was still using her account to watch a streaming service. She let him watch one series he was particularly fond of all the way to the last episode and then changed her password

Seems that your sister’s honesty is the appalling behavior. Not every choice of gift can be assumed to be pleasing. None of us can read people’s minds. Either take her out or ask her what she’d like.

Penicillin, for the girl that's got everything.
Or this tee shirt.

Why be as bad as sister.? I wud give to charity or give her shop voucher.

An empty box all gift wrapped! My niece is the same. She never thanks anyone for their presents, and makes excessive demands telling everyone what she wants regardless of their financial circumstances.

Log on to The Flicka foundation in Falmouth Cornwall and sponsor a donkey on her behalf. They will send her an information pack, telling her which Donkey she’s helping and informing her about the charity. I would not waste my money on a tangible gift because she is obviously a very ungrateful woman. I have sponsored Donkeys many many times as gifts. This charity desperately needs all the financial help atm due to not being open to the public because of Covid 19. You would be doing Something lovely for your relative And the charity.

Watermeadow

Why do you think she deserves a present as you obviously have such bad taste?? but if you must, give her money so that she can buy herself something worthy of her.

I agree with "ginny". A box with nothing inside it. So funny. Ha Ha !!