I don’t know about you, but, I find it really hard to buy gifts for the other women over 60 in my life. After all, so many of us are trying to reduce the clutter in our lives. What do you get for someone who doesn’t want or need any more “stuff?” Well, I’ve done some digging and, today, I would love to share what I found! Come join us for a cup of tea (or coffee) and a chat. And, if you enjoy the show, please tell one friend about us today. Your support means so much to me!
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Here is a transcript of today’s article. I hope you find it useful.
Good morning, everyone. It’s Margaret Manning here. Welcome to Sixty and Me.
Today’s topic came up when someone asked me, “What kind of gift would you like for this event?” As usual, and like many of you, I said, “Oh, you don’t need to buy me anything.” That statement is true to a certain degree.
At this time of life, we are downsizing. We are trying to make our lives a little simpler so we don’t generally need new things. Still, there are some gifts that we do enjoy getting.
What we’ve listed here are categories that can be appropriate for a wide range of people: son, daughter, friend, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, or anyone in your friends’ network who wants to know what you’d like as a gift. Maybe this will inspire them, and you as well as.
Don’t purchase any item based on a stereotype. We are different people with different interests. For instance, some of us have collections they have been expanding for years. I collect crystals, glass pieces, etc. Some people collect porcelain figurines, coins from different places or stamps.
Yet most of us are trying to get rid of items we no longer need. Sometimes we receive gifts of clothing we would never wear, so think outside the box.
Here is our list of wonderful gift ideas that won’t add to the clutter.
Don’t assume that women over 60 aren’t adventurous and that they don’t like to try new things. Gift your loved one a bus ticket or a train ticket to a destination they’d love to visit. If you’ve got lots of cash, and you really want to give a special gift, how about a cruise?
If you know the person’s tastes, it won’t be difficult for you to pick an adventure for them that will push them a little bit out of their comfort zone. How about a helicopter ride or a hot-air balloon ride?
There’s an English company called Red Letter Days which offers coupons for adventure as a gift. That would be a wonderful idea to try if you live in the UK.
Gift certificates to a favorite shop are another great gift option. And, it’s always fun if someone does give you a gift certificate and says, “Let’s go have a cup of tea or coffee and you can enjoy spending your gift.”
I think the gift certificate, along with sharing someone’s company while shopping, is both unexpected and very clever. Spending time with loved ones is a great gift for any age. Do you think that’s true?
We all know that as we get older we need to stay socially engaged. A great gift that involves both social and health benefits could be a yoga or Pilates class subscription. Or, if your loved one would prefer, a DVD or online video course that will help them stretch and do healthy exercises at home.
A different kind of healthy gift could be a supplement or special food that you know your loved one or friend is interested in.
Handmade soaps and handmade skin care products are a perfect gift for older women. We don’t tend to splurge so much on ourselves, so those little items are truly special and lovely!
You may give a gift certificate for a creative activity such as pottery class, painting class, cake making or knitting. As long as it will enhance the person’s skills, that could be another great idea!
There are lots of things that are important to us in our 60s – we wouldn’t buy them for ourselves, but they make super gifts.
Although we’re trying to downsize, we’d always appreciate a comfy pair of pajamas or a sensual nightie that makes us feel good in our own skin. Silk and velvet feel really lovely when you’re walking around the house, reading curled up in a chair or having a cup of tea at night.
No matter how old you are, that desire to feel sensual, sexy, desirable and beautiful never stops. Even if we don’t have a guy in our lives, it’s okay. It’s one gift a lot of women might like. What do you think?
There are the Mr. Gray books that a lot of women seem to think are quite fun to read. There are also books by authors like Anais Nin, who wrote Delta of Venus, which are sensual and erotic. I don’t think there is anything wrong with giving those kinds of books. It’s all good fun!
If you are really creative, there are other cool and wonderful ideas and toys that you can buy. It depends on whom you’re gifting, what they like and how well you know them.
You may give them a scrapbook or a coloring book – anything that will help them show their creative side. Have you noticed creativity seems to pop out in our 60s?
People can be inspired by many things. It could be inspirational or aspirational books, like the ones I read from Pema Chodron, who is a very down-to-earth Buddhist nun. She writes books and articles about coping.
You could also gift a crystal heart or a candle – something symbolic that you know will go in the person’s little altar at home or the place where they keep their treasures. There is nothing better than a gift which will remind them of you every time they look at it. Such gifts become real treasures.
I have talked to you about aspirational cards before. Every day, you choose a card from the stack, and it gives you an inspirational message that spurs you on and gives you confidence. There’s a lot of those around, and they make a great gift idea.
Do you like giving gifts? Have you received a gift that you particularly appreciated recently? What do you think are the best gifts for women our age? Let’s have a chat! Please join the conversation and tell one other woman about Sixty and Me today. The more the merrier!