Thank you gift for parents...ideas?

[TammyWright]

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Originally Posted by NATASHA Hi Janet - we've been struggling with the same thing. Although not finalized, we are leaning to "time." We're planning on giving our parents a weekend away with us. We live away from our family and we really don't see them often. For our moms - they're just starting to get to know each other, so we're planning on flying up to Napa and paying for their transportation, hotel, and one of the dinners. That way we can all get to know each other while enjoying wine and spa time. For my dad (who is recently retired and is loving learning how to cook from my FI which is a shocker given that he always hated the idea of cooking) we're thinking of flying him in for the weekend when we go to Oaxaca later next year for a cooking school weekend. It's sentimental. In 2004, both of my parents retired and I took both of them (individually) to Costa Rica. They still say that it was the best vacation of their lives. It meant so much to my mom that she and I went horseback riding, hiking, spelunking and the canopy jungle tour while she was still young enough to "keep up." (HA!). Anyway - this is on our "to finalize this weekend" list!

natasha, my parents are the same way...they just want to hang out with us..when you take your mom to napa, let me know if i can help...my good friend works at duckhorn winery and i can set you guys up. i am from the area (sort of...marin)

[deleted]

hey girls,

 

Thanks for the ideas. I think you are right about the time thing especially. I wish we had it in the budget to pay for a weekend away with each of them, or something like that!

 

I think I just need to mull over this some more. I wish I had starting thinking about this earlier!

[TammyWright]

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Originally Posted by JANET1111 hey girls, Thanks for the ideas. I think you are right about the time thing especially. I wish we had it in the budget to pay for a weekend away with each of them, or something like that! I think I just need to mull over this some more. I wish I had starting thinking about this earlier!

it doesnt have to be somewhere expensive...steve and i went with his folks to some goldrush town and walked around and just sent 1 night. the hotel was NOT expensive (prob $120 per night)

[JPMO]

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Originally Posted by host natasha, my parents are the same way...they just want to hang out with us..when you take your mom to napa, let me know if i can help...my good friend works at duckhorn winery and i can set you guys up. i am from the area (sort of...marin)

Hate to butt in. I've never been to Napa, well California. How much do you think it would cost for a weekend. Where would we fly into from Chicago?

[TammyWright]

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Originally Posted by JPMO Hate to butt in. I've never been to Napa, well California. How much do you think it would cost for a weekend. Where would we fly into from Chicago?

well, it really depends...there are some really chichi places (like where christina aguilera stayed when she got married in napa)...and some reasonable places. so really anything from $140-1200 per night depending on where you stay, in rom or presidential suite, etc. food is awesome! fly into san francisco or oakland...a good idea, fly into san francisco, spend a day or 2 there, then go to wine country

[NATASHA]

I Janet - I highly recommend a digital photo frame. You can get a great one from Frys for less than $150 (you have to go to the store, though - they don't have any good ones online). Give it to your parents and then surprise them after the wedding with a SD card populated with pictures from the wedding, showers, etc. It's such a great gift!

[Sarah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NATASHA I Janet - I highly recommend a digital photo frame. You can get a great one from Frys for less than $150 (you have to go to the store, though - they don't have any good ones online). Give it to your parents and then surprise them after the wedding with a SD card populated with pictures from the wedding, showers, etc. It's such a great gift!

I love that idea Natasha. I was actually just looking at those yesterday. They have a 7" 64MB one at Sam's club right now for $119.63 online. They also have other larger ones....

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/sea...mpleitemtype=0

[MARIAELM]

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Originally Posted by JANET1111 I've finished buying gifts for all the wedding party, but I'm stumped about what to buy our parents (both mine and his) to say thank you. How do you thank someone for something SO HUGE? How do you thank people who already have most every material possesion they want? (at least that I can afford!) Here are some ideas: embroidered keepsake handkerchief (for the moms) weekend at a B&B (not too $$ but still somewhere nice) ?? (Can you tell I am stumped?) We plan to make nice photobooks but those will be Christmas gifts. Do you have any ideas for nice but affordable and/or meaningful gifts that we can give them at or right after the wedding? What are you all doing? Thanks in advance!

This is a hard one. I got my mom a really pretty silver dollar pendant from a religious jeweler near us. She loves jewelry and will always remember that I got married at the beach. Dave took the Dad's on an ATV ride with the rest of the wedding party. He wanted them to have an experience, not a thing. Other than that, we'll give them a picture book.

[jamie0820]

I love the embroidered handkerchief idea!

[TLGnhci]

I am looking for a double sided photo frame where I can place a picture of myself and my fiance on our wedding day, and then a pic of the parents on the other side, and hopefully some kind of note about having a long, loving marriage like theirs.  Haven't found it yet though.