I wish I had a suggestion. My wife even told me what she wants and I'm still clueless. She said she wants a nice watch, but one that doesn't look like a watch.

The wife made it easy for me this year.

She has a closet full of fleece (sweaters, vests, pullovers). She recently decided that fleece is "bad" because it is synthetic, and that she is only going to wear natural fiber stuff from now on.

15 minutes after she told me that, I was ordering her a wool sweater from Filson. She and her sisters get some wacky notions, but this one had benefit of solving my what-to-get-her dilemma for the next few holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.

The wife just tells me what to get, as I'm a clueless ape. This year it's Rumpl blanket stuff. She got their pullover thing for her Bday. The Yellow Fleece Blanket was the order this year.

That and this Simple Human Mirror. These assholes charge more than a box of 308 for trash bags but she has to have em.

https://www.simplehuman.com/pr...s/sensor-mirror-fold

Years gone by there were Yeti purchases as she's a Yeti Snob too.

Did the heated blanket thing one year.

My fall back gift for Mrs 12GA is a day at the spa. Last thing I’d be interested in for myself but she enjoys the pedicure, manicure and massage. The gift includes lunch and a glass of wine while enjoying all the amenities at the spa. This is where Mrs 12GA goes for relaxation -> https://reservations.mirbeau.c...%20+%20Specialties//

Not my thing, but I’m not a chick.

She still a birdwatcher? Buy her the “Field guide to the dumb birds of North America” by Matt Kracht. Less than $20 and it’s a hoot.

Pendleton store has nice wool products, not inexpensive but the products last. I get my wife a $25 Starbucks gift card that lasts her all year as usually only used in airports waiting for the next flight. She uses the card and it makes her feel like the $3 latte is free.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I wish I had a suggestion. My wife even told me what she wants and I'm still clueless. She said she wants a nice watch, but one that doesn't look like a watch.

One year I really lucked out. She called me at work and mentioned she had been in a jewelry shop and looked at a watch. Since I'm fascinated with the watch thread, and value a good watch on my lunch break I went to this store. Asked if they could identify which watch she was looking at. They said only one watch has been out of the case today. I bought it right there. I never would have picked that one out for her.

I think a thread like this one needs to be started every holiday season. I've already gotten an idea for a stocking stuffer.

Shot in the dark here, but maybe give her something you made. No matter what it is, you would be giving her the product of your time devoted solely to her. It’s a one-of-a-kind gift that shows more thought than a trip to the store or Amazon.

I did fairly well with one of those electric foot massager things on Amazon. It’s a big plastic thing. Your feet go inside. It heats and massages. It had a ton of good reviews. It lasted 2+ years before it finally wore through the material inside.

Unless my luck drastically changes, this may be the first year I just give up. If I studied my woman and took copious notes every day using precise scientific observation, I still could not find anything she would really appreciate. I don't know why God made women like that, it's almost every husband's curse no matter how hard they try. Could be some spoilage involved, I dunno, your mileage may vary.

I failed miserably for quite a few years.

So now I give ny wife Cash in early November and let her shop away.

If she gets something she really likes, she just starts using it or wearing it right away.


On Christmas day, I am the one surprised by the gifts I "gave" her.

She is happy, I am happy.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
Shot in the dark here, but maybe give her something you made. No matter what it is, you would be giving her the product of your time devoted solely to her. It’s a one-of-a-kind gift that shows more thought than a trip to the store or Amazon.

I love this idea. Also love the experience ideas..

Went with Luccesse boots last year. Very surprised and happy with them, never had “serious” boots before.

This year she has been on a naturalist tear. She has been looking for a bag for her walk/hikes. A Duluth Pack haversack, in as feminine a motif as I could find.

Get her a puppy!

A fancy heated water bidet for the toilet. Bonus is you get to use it too.

Although we took a cruise earlier in the year and agreed it was our Christmas and birthday gifts, I got her some fleece ear muffs (always saying her ears are cold all winter), some bangle bracelets she saw while we were out and I went back and got them. Soft slippers every year, and last year I got her an electric wine cork opener which she really liked.

Also, my wife likes photos and memories. A year or so ago my son’s got some old pictures of the two of them when they were little doing different activities, then they went back and did the same activities in present day, and put them all in a collage as then and now pictures. It was a big hit. She really loved it.

This year I have a nice family picture that a friend took of us at a party, it’s one of the rare times my wife mentioned that it was such a great pic, so I had that blown up with a nice frame.

Another thing she really liked was an organizer type box thing that goes in the cargo area of her SUV. It’s like a fancy canvas box thing with compartments that hold groceries bags etc, she keeps all sorts of crap in there like umbrellas, extra gloves, all sorts of stuff, and says all the time how convenient it is that when she wants to clean out the back of the car, you just lift that container out and leave it in the garage, and everything is contained.

We bought a Gaggia Anima for my inlaws to replace the one we bought 10 years ago that finally kicked the bucket. My wife loves their coffee machine and I had been wanting to get her one for 3 years. Finally, pulled the trigger on it this year and she absolutely loves it. Gave her the option to get it early since I know she would use it daily. This is replacing a Black and Decker drip coffee pot my grandparents got for us when we bought our house 10 years ago.



https://www.wholelattelove.com...tic-espresso-machine

We generally buy what we want, when we want. I'm a very practical buyer for her. So, this year, we agreed not to buy each other any gifts since we plan on heading to Florida to welcome grandchild #2. This is a win for the both of us.

There are some nice suggestions on this thread, thanks guys. I just ordered 2 of the little Japanese hoes that ensigmatic suggested, one for Barb and one for my daughter, both who enjoy gardening.

Barb enjoys tent camping, hiking, and canoeing so for something more personal I'm thinking of a get-a-way. One could be a trip south in early March (maybe Arkansas) with she and the dog, along with the canoe and tent. Then come up with 2 more options to have three different, generally planned, trips with places to see and things to do. Put them all in a folder tied with a ribbon to give to her on Christmas and she can pick the one she wants (or make one herself).

After we do something like this together she may be more agreeable to sit my dog for 3 weeks beginning late June so I can ride to Oregon for the Moto Guzzi rally!