What to get DH - NO CLUE whatsoever

[readingismycardio]

Hi everyone,

Hope you're all having a nice day.

I am starting to put some gifts ideas together for ths year and I'm stuck re what to buy for DH

• he works in IT (software)
• in his thirties
• he married an amazing woman (me) this year (sorry, couldn't help it)
• has everything he could possibly want
• has a shitload of gadgets (🙄)
• can't get him city breaks as I usually do because of the pandemics situation
• not crazy about clothing & we WFH so no point really
• doesnt't read
• doesn't drink a lot

I'm screwed, I guess... any help, wise mumsnetters, please?

For my DP who is also an IT person, I'm going to get him a Japanese puzzle (Huzzle I think is a brand name?)- he's been obsessing overbuying them for his brothers so only right I buy one for him.

A nice box / tin to keep his cables / drives / other tat in that is currently spread about the house.

He always wants coffee cups. Apparently Frank Green is where they're at right now. Allows him to work for hours without leaving his computer apparently.

He did have a multi tool phase although I think that is over now.

Maybe ask him what he'd like - I read on here that men (all of them, obviously) like newer versions of things they already have. DP confirmed this is true.

My OH wants a key smart, and a ridge wallet. Look them up on Amazon :) does he drink coffee? I also got my OH a Moka pot.

I'm sort of in the same boat so I was thinking of clothes but also good skincare (Clarins moisturiser etc) and better quality shower gel than usual
Rucksack from Northface / hat
Voucher for running shoes

(have birthday in Jan so for either occasion)

I’ll be getting my partner a treadmill this year. It is more lavish than I would normally be on his Christmas gift but I’m also factoring in that we’ll be unable to go on our usual January city break this year.

Woooow! Already so many great ideas! Glad to know I'm not the only one who has a mr have everything😂

Keep them coming please, I'm making notes!

I also have a difficult to buy for DH. Could you do a themed hamper? I do these every year for all my family members and they love them. Does he have any interests/ happy places? I'm doing DH a Greek themed hamper as we always holiday on one or other of the Greek islands at least once a year. Hamper contains novels based in Greece [like Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Durrells etc] a book on Greek Mythology, the board game Santorini, a Greek cookery book and various food/drink items associated with his favourite Greek foods and so on. I wrap everything in gold paper and then display all the gifts in a hamper with red shred, cellophane and a big red bow. Looks really impressive!! [Sorry, not very environmentally friendly I know.]

So far all i have bought my husband is marmite crackers.

Most successful presents have been-
A day of falconry
A sat nav ( in the days when they weren’t built into cars)
An indoor/outdoor thermometer so you can tell the outside temp while standing in the kitchen
A bat detector

Unused presents include:
Puzzle books
Most other books
A state of the art iPod ( back in the day)
Numerous CDs
A digital measuring device
A framed print
Any toiletries especially beard oil

For his birthday in April, I gave him some money towards a new laptop which he bought LAST week.

His only hobby is birdwatching but he has all the books and doesn’t watch the DVDs he has been bought.

I'm getting DH:

• This map
• A rotten fruit box subscription
• A tree planting subscription

I got DH an El Camino a couple of years ago, and buy him a couple of steps for it every year.
elcaminobracelets.com/

This year I’m also getting him a phone magnifier so he can watch his bt sports app, a magsafe wallet for his new iphone, a combined hand warmer/mobile power pack and a onesie.

How about an aero press coffee maker? I'm getting my DH one along with coffee from here www.contactcoffee.com

A robot kit?

Tell us more about him, OP!

You've said a lot of what he 'doesn't', but not much of what he 'does' –

What movies / TV shows / music / comedians does he like? What does he get excited about? What does he talk to you about? If you were walking down a street and he stopped or doubled back to look in a shop window, what kind of shop would it be? What does he spend his free time doing?

Paint us a picture and we can be more focused (also I'm nosy)

@ladybee28

You're not nosy at all, no worries!

he likes to watch youtube guys who do gadget unboxing (I know right)
He likes tv series (true crime, sci fi) and loves movies
He listens mostly to rock music
He'd spend HOURS in gadget stores
Free time: running, movies, youtube, sometimes gaming but not a lot and obviously ME

What about a running watch? Trainers? Socks? Remote training session with an amazing running coach?
Nespresso advent calendar?
There a bloody brilliant thread on here for impossible DHs. Check it out. Good luck!

Wow! He sounds so similar to my OH...although he does drink...he likes craft gin and craft beer, so that always helps on the smaller present front!

His birthday and Christmas are quite close together so sometimes I’ll buy him a bigger gift across the two celebrations as he’d rather have something he’d actually use than two things he won’t. Last year he got a Tag Heuer, although that certainly won’t be happening this year as I’ll be on maternity leave.

This year, I’ll be buying him the new Xbox for his birthday and then for Christmas perhaps some games/online subscription.

Does he have gadgets like a smart watch and a smart phone...my OH loves his docking station that charges both at the same time that he recently bought himself.

What about a wireless speaker? Would he use that?

Does he like coffee? You can get some lovely coffee subscription packages so that you get a special coffee in the post every month.

Does he do male grooming? My OH doesn’t really but has recently got into proper old fashioned shaving with a safety razor and so this year he’s after a nice stand, a proper brush, nice smelling blocks of the shaving soap and a ceramic dish to put it in.

Why are men so difficult to buy for!!??

Oooh, that's helpful, OP!

Running.... wireless headphones (maybe the kind that play music through the bones of your head?)

A foam roller for winding down after a run?

Garmin does a Running Pod that measures how you run (like if you favour one side over another and your running style) so you can run more efficiently.

Light-up shoe clips for night running?

A movie game? Or maybe a riskier one?

Or the Movie Kama Sutra (for the most risqué)?

Oh! What about an escape room in a box? Me and DH did one with some friends last year and we really enjoyed it! All the ones I’ve seen can be done with 1 or 2 players.

Following a MN recommendation, I bought my son (in his 30s) this wash bag last Christmas and I had his initials put on it. He loved it! He is also another man with a birthday close to Christmas!!!

www.elvisandkresse.com/collections/travel/products/large-washbag?variant=21186549579857

Band t shirts.
Cool jeans eg Japanese denim.
Projector for watching movies.
Food. Exotic ingredients if he cooks, unusual snacks if he doesn’t.

Big hit last year was the Spicery’s how to be a curry legend kit. Dh is getting the Taco legend kit this year. The kits are currently on offer and if you look at the Christmas referral thread there will be a referral code for a further 10% off.
Due to Wfh could you get him some nice lounge wear/slippers.
Can’t remember the company (someone will) but they do a snack/biscuit subscription box each month is themed on a different country.

A Readly subscription? Thousands of magazines to read on your phone/tablet including gadget type ones. £8 a month.

When you don't want gifts, the greatest gift is a discussion about not getting one another gifts.

@Duanphen

When you don't want gifts, the greatest gift is a discussion about not getting one another gifts.

True. Think that's a different thread though.

My husband is fairly similar. We usually buy something 'big' between us as a main present so a new TV/games console/holiday/possibly a dishwasher this year. Something that we want anyway but maybe wouldn't justify spending the money on. Then we buy each other some smaller bits to open off the children.

This year I'm making DH a stocking of small things like chocolates, beard grooming products, a couple of books, Hygge bands, socks, etc. Plus nuts & a satsuma at the toe! Stockings are his favourite memory of childhood Christmases. We have decided to recreate some of the things from our childhood this year so I've bought some of the foil garlands for the ceiling and I'll be putting up lots of tinsel (I normally hate the stuff 😂). Is there something that your DH has fond memories of that you could recreate?

Previously I've bought him experiences, graphic novels, art books, lights for running, food/drink gifts, wallet ninja, geeky toys, t-shirts. Off the top of my head.

A comic book subscription went down well.

For his birthday I bought him an online escape the room that he can do via zoom with his workmates, they are all WFH so nice to do something together that doesn't involve work. No waiting around to be allowed to get together either.

From other threads, pizza ovens have been popular lately.