An interesting aside, Karl Khales, an Austrian, invented the telscopic sight. His company prospered and grew and remained family owned until they reached the point there was no heir. A friend of the family bought it. Today it is called Swarovski.
To the original question, I think the lady will find a good pair of 7x35's to be the least tiresome and provide the best combination for general use. Nikon has and continues to provide a good quality reasonably priced glass. Looking back a bit, 7x35's were the standard land glasses configuration of choice for quite a long while and with good reason. Today's coatings and CNC equipment can make for more bang for your buck when the QC is strict & in place.
While IS can be worthwhile, particularly at higher powers, it also adds another component and a bit of weight and bulk.
Just my thots. Perhaps something of use to you.
