those of you who are fantastic inspired present-givers ...

[Bink]

... how do you do it?

Do you have your antennae out all year to pick up that faint hint of "wouldn't it be nice if we had a [insert thing]", or do you go round the shops endlessly till inspiration strikes, or do you lie in the bath running through the person's likes and dislikes until you hit on something that is missing?

Or do you have some sort of other plan?
I've always wondered.

ask CD she is.

I'm normally considered good at this kind of thing bink and I have a couple of pages in my Dodo pad where I jot down ideas all year round. I also make excellent use of suggestions on here - you need to Mn more in 2007

lots of planning and listening
i am always on the look out for great presents for people throughout the year for birthdays/christmas

i love buying gifts but i normally start in october for christmas as i like to get it right

also when i am buying birthday cards and i see a fab card for somebody else i buy it and put it away

Also scan weekend books/culture sections for early booking goss for theatre ticket presents, forthcoming DVDs etc.
London Review of Books and Word magazine are my trustworthy recommenders.
Folio Soc membership worth its weight in gold once you and most of your pals turn 40
Also a good regular scuffle in Abebooks for high quality o/p hardback favourites

I like to shop. I really, really like to shop. And I can justify spending money if it's for other people.

I'm a costume/vintage jewellry junkie and antiquer, so I'm constantly on the prowl in charity shops, boot sales, estate sales, etc.

My mother and father have been going to boot sales, estate sales and auctions since I was knee high to a bullfrog, so I guess it's in the blood to love to prowl.

I am like expat a natural shopper and trinket spotter My dp and I with ds in tow have been trawling car boot sales and antique fairs for years.Generally the 1st thing I see where I think that would suit x is the right gift

MIL just dumped an absolute treasure trove of vintage costume jewellry on the girls, her only granddaughters.

I'm hiding it from them until they're 21, to present to them as gifts then.

They're even in vintage boxes.

As girls, my sister have fond memories of playing w/my mother's collection, which she mostly inherited from her own mother.

But we never wore it outside the house till we were women grown.

The pieces I have handed down from her are among my most prized possessions.

I just keep my ears open and kind of 'absorb' stuff - comments people make, things suited to the situation they're in, where they are in their lives, what they like doing. I don't go round shops much at all, but when I do and I see something nice I quite often get it and squirrel it away. ds's Christmas present was bought in March

CF - we opened it thank you so much!

Right: squirrelling is key, it seems - which requires a degree of cool headed long view-ness (ie you can resist giving them whatever it is immediately because "It's Thursday!!" (which is me)).

The picking up of clever insider (MN) tips, though - indeed. Have just spotted something via Issymum which could not be better, & has inspired a trip by me & ds to a shop which will be full of deeply non-appropriate Banksy items, which I will have to try to soberly justify & culturally locate, in a 60s parenting way.

expat, your vintage costume jewellery - stuff of dreams. Your lucky lucky girls.

I buy things when I see them.For example I saw a painting I knew My MIL would love in May so I bought it right then. You may think you'll remember later but chances are you won't.

I'm playing with it!

Well, they won't know.

I think some of it will work well as pendants w/velvet ribbons.

Oooooooo.

This is SO much fun!

Oooo, antiquing.

Mama has a field day when she's here.

My dad bought their place here at auction. He loves auctions.

He likes to watch 'Homes under the Hammer' and 'Antiques Roadshow'.

When he dies, we're gonna be rich!