Grandparents, what can we say about them. Well for starters, they're your second parents. Who was it that you ran crying to when you broke your mom's favorite china? It was Grandma! She loved you like you were her own little precious gift. She was always there when things got rough, and you needed advice. Now that you're all grown up it's time to return the favor and show her how much you appreciate her.

The holidays are fast approaching,and this could be the perfect opportunity to show her you care. So what do I get her this year, you ask? Not the same old stuff again; I'm sure she's already got plenty of scarves. Be different this year and get her something she'll really like or need.

We've put together a few tips on buying grandma a special gift:

1. Open your senses; listen to conversations. She may be dropping hints on what she'd like this Christmas without realizing it. For example, "This coffee maker is making funny noises," or "My friend Elizabeth told me about a new book that sounds great, but I don't want to buy it until it's out in paperback."
2. Be resourceful and shop around. Does she have some sort of special hobby, like collecting vintage pottery? If so, try to get her what she's missing in her collection.
3. Be creative; use your imagination. Year after year you send her a plain old Christmas card. Be artistic and make it personal by creating your own card. Or use family pictures or other memorabilia to create personalized gifts such as photo purses.
4. Be practical; don't get her something useless. Treat her to movie passes, travel accessorys or indulge her in a manicure. Make sure to get her something that you know she use and appreciate.

Giving gifts to grandparents, or simply showing them you care, shouldn't be done only during the holiday seasons. Show them you appreciate them the whole year round. If they live far away from you, a simple phone call would suffic. What really matters to them is the knowledge that their grandkids, and great grandkids remember and love them.

One day you're going to be a grandparent too, wouldn't you want you're grandkids to do the same?