Like others, I recommend a list (I use Evernote and any time I think of a gift or hear of something they like, I put a note or grab a webpage or whatever in and label it with their name) and just review it occasionally, throw out the odd question to see if they are still valid ideas without telling them you’re thinking of getting it!
Regarding gift giving, I am horrible buy for - if its something small, I usually buy it for myself and if its something big, I don’t expect people to buy it for me!
So we only do stocking presents to each other now - I always get interesting bottles of beer and gourmet bits and pieces (chutney, crackers, dried meats, that kind of thing) and she always gets bathbombs, soaps etc. And we love it.
Although my gifts seem to get used up over Christmas by more than just me and hers get saved for herself!!
I cannot recommend our “5 gifts for £10” challenge enough.
You have to think about it to get everything for under budget. The presents are cheap enough that the stakes are really low if one doesn’t land and you get to give and receive 5 gifts. You both have the same restrictions so you both have to be be creative, but you can go with funny, useful, hobby adjacent etc
This year we have…
Something beginning with F
Something black
Something that floats
Something to wear
Something that will make you say ‘What the fuck?’ - part of my wrapping issue is that I got my friend to make Kate a pair of Command Staves (she’s quite short and is like Sun Tzu when we play games so I figure she might actually use them!)
I really like trawling Etsy or a charity shop to find something that fits the bill.
That’s the one that is starting to shed little plastic parts of the handle… it’ll be good for a while though, so a replacement would not actually be needed for a bit. Zesting has never been so great and so dangerous at the same time. We also use it for ginger and that can get dangerous
Wine of the month, coffee of the month, even international snack of the month are safe and great bets when in a pinch. Anything else, I"m sure a web search will turn up your category.
6 months seems to be the right duration, you go from excitement to routine to backlog, one more thing to do, and around 6 months you are done. Or it hits and it becomes an annual tradition in perpetuity. Nothing in between.
I think I am pretty decent at gifting and I enjoy doing it. Like many of you, for my wife and my closest friends I keep a list on my phone / PC (Google notes) and every time I see something or hear about something I immediately add it. Started that years ago and it was the best idea ever.
The best presents are the ones the recipients wouldn’t have bought for themselves. Like the classic “I would like this, but it is too expensive” or even better like @JGD said gifts they didn’t even know they wanted . Hard to pull off though, managed it last year for a close friend. Was a really great feeling
There are people who have everything they need or want for different reasons, so for them I think more along these lines:
@Marx If she is not into materialistic things how about a ticket to something? A comedy show, a concert, theater play, musical show, sports game, nice dinner reservations, etc.
Or a self-made coupon for a day trip somewhere, outdoor activity or another special activity? Pottery class, dancing lessons, museum, etc.
Or something I often go for because it is easy but great because almost everybody loves it: Food. We have some great delicatessen stores around here which offer meat, cheese, antipasti, wines, etc. on a quality level (and price level) you usually don’t buy for yourself. But you can taste that quality and so it is a great present. I like it because it can be used up and is never totally wasted.
I am firmly in the “make a list” category. I try to remember things my wife mentions through the year, and I should really make a note somewhere so I don’t forget everything. As it is, I tend to remember one or two things that I can work with. Then I just try to get other things that I think she will enjoy, with mixed success over the years.
Meanwhile, I always make a list and try to make it rather large so I don’t get everything on it, meaning there is some surprise (this year is an exception, as my list was very small as I am realizing I really don’t need much). Plus, my wife tends to also get a few things as surprises, also with mixed success. The gifts are always appreciated by both of us, of course, but sometimes they just miss the mark.
Today was my work holiday party! So on top of getting a nice two-hour long catered lunch, we also each got a $150 gift card to a local department store chain as well as a gift draw. I got pretty lucky this year and got a set of AirPods. And I have been tempted to pick up some fully wireless headphones after seeing my wife use hers for the last year, so this worked out wonderfully.
I found my airpods fit (and noise cancelling worked) better when I replaced the tips with aftermarket foam tips. Apple’s only fit ear canals that are appoximently round, and mine aren’t. The foam things are more compressible, and fit irregular shapes better.
Maryse is getting over a bout of what turned out to be a nasty laryngitis (she basically spent the whole week in bed, she felt that crappy) and I have a cold. We’re both annoyed but happy it’s happening before Christmas at least.
Next week is gonna be rough, with her final oncology appointment happening on Wednesday at 9:30. Unfortunately, it’s about 2 hours and 30 minutes away by car, so that’s gonna mean getting up at ridiculous o’clock.
Ah well, it’s gonna be good news and then I’ll be 2 days away from 3 weeks’ vacation.
Ahhhh, ok. Yes, we have a few of those. The traditional Ikea standing grater x 2. Plus a fair few peelers, but I prefer the ones that are sort of knife shaped. Larger ones can be dangerous for your fingertips (unless you are into losing fingerprints and become a master thieve).
Today I learned that there is an alternative name for a cheese grater, and that some people keep theirs sharp enough to require the same kind of gloves that I have for my tiny chainsaw
Tiny chainsaws are cool btw. My dad has one–he got to use it this week-end, helping me with the vinyl flooring. (He also used a bigger saw for … bigger cuts)
I didn’t look at it that closely, power tools are not just cool but also… scary?
I mean I already hit myself with a hammer yesterday… imagine what I could do with something motorized?
(But yeah probably, tiny cute chainsaw thing, do I need to get a picture?)
. Hard to pull off though, managed it last year for a close friend. Was a really great feeling 
