Best Gift Ideas for Grandma: Presents She Won't Stash in the Attic

I always had a hard time coming up with great gifts for my grandmother when she was alive. She loved to get presents, but she was very old-fashioned and critical of modern products. As I've aged, I've come to agree with her, and more than that, empathize. Here are my top gift ideas - not boring doilies or things "too precious to display," but real gifts a grandmother will love. These ideas work for any occasion, not just Grandparent's Day.

Today's grandmothers are not exactly the little old ladies of yesteryear. They're hip, they're active, they're cool - as this Grandma's Gone Wild apron demonstrates - but one thing hasn't changed. With rare exception (and I've known a few), they're into their families and love getting presents that acknowledge their grandmotherhood...even if they do prefer to be called "Joanne" or "Amanda" instead of Grammy or Gran.

I use therapeutic massage on myself and my loved ones for pain, and a few times she enjoyed a foot-and-leg massage from me. I own one of these back massage tools, and I am in love with it. If my grandma were alive, she'd have one, too, because she'd have loved something she can use on those hard-to-reach spots on her back herself, without resorting to a (to her) embarrassing massage therapist or her grumpy husband.

As cheesy as it sounds, a grandmother's memories are her greatest gift to you. I mean it - I was so glad I asked my grandma to tell me about the "olden days" before her memories faded to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. I learned so much about her life in the Depression era, and she had a blast.

The journals and memoir books shown here are two-way gifts. She can write down (or even dictate) her memories, then give the book back to her grandchildren to savor. This kind of gift is perfect for a grandmother who likes to talk about herself, and especially for one who doesn't find it easy to talk about herself.

If your grandmother is a cat lover, get her a cat-themed present. I've given cat lovers gifts for their cats, like scratch toys and such, and learned one thing: If you like it, and the gift recipient likes it, the cat doesn't like it. Try instead a cat-themed gift.

For the new grandma who's just learning the joys of grandparenthood, I've chosen one funny and one sentimental gift, because becoming a grandma can elicit two emotions - happiness at finally having a grandchild and, let's face it, shock that she's old enough to have one.

For the grandmother who has everything, there's hope. Get her this exquisite - and inexpensive - flowering tea pot.

The flowering teapot offers a culinary and aesthetic experience that appeal both to those who like simple pleasures and those who like luxury. If she likes loose tea - or you think she might - she'll relish this pot and the assortment of teas.

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