Holiday Gift Guide for Parents and In-Laws

Some of the trickiest people to buy for, what do you get for the ones who have everything or always say they don’t want anything? Parents and in-laws can be tough to get gifts for because you want to get something useful and meaningful, but often times they really don’t want more “stuff.” These are some of my go to gifts for those difficult to buy for people on your list.

Gift Ideas for Parents and In-Laws

One. The secret language of birthdays and half baked harvest

Two of my favorite books to give as gifts. The Secret Language of Birthdays is always a great conversation starter and really fun to pass around at gatherings during the holidays. I stocked up on the new Half Baked Harvest Super Simple to give as gifts this year, it’s so great for anyone that loves to cook.

two. personalized calendar

This was a huge hit last year with everyone we gave it too. You upload your photos for the 12 months of the year and choose the script for the months. It’s great quality and looks beautiful, and it ships pretty quickly too.

three. coravin (wine by the glass preservation system)

This is always a huge hit as a gift for a wine lover. No more wasting a bottle or feeling like you have to drink the whole thing when you only want a glass. The Coravin allows you to pour one glass of wine at a time without ever removing the cork. We have the Coravin Model Two and I gave my Mom the Model One for Christmas last year and she loves it.

four. DNa Tests

This is one of my go to gifts for parents and in-laws because they always seem to love it and it’s usually a good option for the person that has everything. If they’ve already done the ancestry thing or you’re not into it, try doggy DNA! We did Wisdom Panel for Nora and Fuji and it was great.

five. instant pot

I think by now most of you know my love for the Instant Pot. It’s seriously one of the best kitchen tools ever, we used it several nights a week. They’re so affordable now it’s a great gift for anyone that loves to cook.

six. namamat (non toxic foam kitchen mat- black friday sale is on now)

We LOVE our Namamat. It’s an absolute game changer for your feet and your back in the kitchen, laundry room, etc. It is so hard to find a foam mat that actually looks good, these have tons of gorgeous designs, they’re non-toxic AND they’re made in the USA. Their Black Friday sale is going on now, 15% off kitchen mats with code THANKS15. Their play mats are 25% off with code THANKS25 and you can get the bundle (kitchen and playmat) for 50% off with code BUNDLEUP.

seven. self cleaning/purifying water bottle

With sleek colors and a cool design this is an awesome water bottle especially for someone always on the go. We always bring our LARQ water bottles when we travel and honestly I don’t remember the last time I bought a plastic water bottle.

eight. puzzles

My family loooooves puzzles. Especially for downtime, vacations, etc. everybody loves getting into a good puzzle. This 1000 piece New Yorker puzzle should definitely keep everyone busy. You can also use your own photos to make a personalize puzzle. This travel backgammon set is also a great gift.

nine. original and personalized artwork

Every time I’ve given someone a personalized pet portrait from Shore Creative they immediately start crying. She has a way of capturing pets that’s just so pure and wonderful. They sold out quickly for holiday but she added two more openings for JAK readers. I use Artifact Uprising for framing. Another favorite of mine are the Oyster Minis from Kristen Coates. We have several at home and I’ve given a bunch as gifts. Kristen has offered 15% off Oyster Minis with code JESS15. I love these watercolor pet portraits on Etsy too.

ten. subscriptions

Don’t want to gift any more stuff? A subscription or membership is an awesome gift. It could be something like Headspace for meditation, Thrive Market for healthy and sustainable products or you can get a local membership to a museum, bird sanctuary, etc.