Christmas Ideas

I don't know about you, but I have the worst time Christmas shopping for my parents.  Make that shopping for presents in general.  I have trouble for birthdays and Mother's/Father's Day too.  I usually just resort to flowers and candy and then and I.O.U. for dinner somewhere where I pay.  I have yet to take my parents out for dinner.  They're not the "dining-out" kind of people.  At least not to the restaurants I patronize.

But I want to make this year different and I think I have a wonderful idea.  The probability of my parents reading this is pretty low, near impossible, so I'm going to share my idea.  My mom wouldn't even now where the on button is on the computer and if it's not a power-tool, my dad won't use it.
 
Mom and Dad usually head into the city (ie. St. Cloud) once or twice a month and when they go, sometimes they hit the movie theater.  In the past, they have even done a double feature.  Not one right after the other, but maybe lunch or a little shopping at Menard between flicks.  Even though they don't eat out much (mom prefers home cooking), they do love Bonanza.  I can't believe those are still around.  I guess it's the "small town" version of Old Country Buffet. So here it is.... a date in a box.

The Waite Park theater is a Marcus Cinema Theater.  I'll stop in at Elk River this weekend and pick up a gift card.  I'll also buy some movie-themed snacks....buttered popcorn bags, Raisinettes, chocolate covered peanuts, little Diet Pepsi bottles, things like that.  I'm also going to get a Visa GiftCard from the bank and I'll print off a picture of a steak dinner and attach the gift card to the pic.  (It's a long trip to St. Cloud just to get a G.C. for Bonanza.)

Mom loves to bake, so I'm also going to put a couple bags of dates (ie. the fruit) in the box too.  A little play on words that good for digestion and regularity and maybe a little flatulence.  I'm not going to supply the candles though.  Dad has to do some work too, you know!

Any other ideas you might have, I'd love to hear them.