What do you buy for a woman who has probably already amassed a lifetime of “stuff”? And has kept the receipts. Instead of adding more clutter, the best gift ideas for women in their 40s and 50s focus on quality, experience, and insider jokes. Best to give fast fashion and ANYTHING that requires assembly a very wide berth.

I hope this list of ideas helps you say “I see you, I love you, and I’ll continue to laugh at your weird little ways.”

Home gift ideas for women

• Beautiful tea sampler box. T2 have an amazing range of gift boxes.
• Ceramic keep cup. There are so many beautiful examples around the world like this one from Kim Wallace Ceramics in Australia. Search for a ceramicist near you and support a local business.
• A houseplant. Everyone loves a houseplant! (or is that just me?)
• Ceramic egg crate. There are also lots of styles on Etsy.

Personal gift ideas for women

• Create a Mixbook! Mixbook.com is where you create a book of memories where you insert your photos into one of their book templates. It’s very easy to use and comes out beautifully with their design tools.
• Is she a golf enthusiast, sewing fanatic, or she’s always wanted to learn how to knit, surf, or play pickleball? Buy a gift voucher to get her on track. It could even be something you learn together.
• Fun pencil set when she needs to look busy and important. Love this one on Etsy.
• Memorabilia from her favourite TV series. Think Schitt’s Creek, Bridgerton, or whatever show she quotes from!
• Magazine subscription such as Peppermint, Good magazine or Platinum.
• Fun socks. Happy Socks have some fab designs. You can often find them in garden centres and art galleries, as well as their online store. Plus, there are companies that print your pet’s face onto socks these days.
• Skillshare membership. There are 3, 6 and 12 month subscriptions available. ‘
• Paint by numbers. So many cool designs from Paint by Frieda.
• Jigsaw puzzles. Browse Gailson (see Ru Paul) and Jiggy for some gorgeous ones.
• Framed photo of you both. Somewhere wonderful at some wonderful age you’ll never forget. #awwbless!

Beauty and care ideas

• Cream eyeshadow. Requires little effort to get right and you don’t end up with powder under your eyes. Trinny London and Mecca have loads of gorgeous colours to choose from.
• A serum you’ve found works very well.
• Luxury body or hand lotion.
• Solmates refillable sunscreen roller.
• A portable fan. Perfect for those too hot days that make her irritable.
• Boody clothing. Sleep in it, take out the bins in it, go to the supermarket in it.
• Dust and Glow waterless hair and skin products. I really like the Daily Face Polisher and Shampoo for Dry Hair. Great for taking on holiday too.

What success (or failures have you had with gift giving? Share your gift ideas for women in the comments …