"Pot luck" present for middle aged woman

[redskydarknight]

A group of friends I meet up with regularly have decided to do a "pot luck" for Christmas presents i.e. like Secret Santa, but you are not given a specific person to buy for, you just need to buy a generic present that will be assigned at random.

I hate these things with a passion because I can never think of anything to get, while everyone else seems to manage to get well thought out unique gifts.

So hoping someone has some good suggestions for me?
The group consists of women from mid 40s - mid 60s; and budget is max of £10.

Luxury hand cream tube

Potted amaryllis or hyacinths

Festive book or poems for every day of the year or Almanac

Gregg Wallace’s balls gift wrapped

Sorry OP. Couldn’t resist

Lol. But you've assumed they're middle class women!

Insulated travel mug
Slippers socks
Scented candle
Hot water bottle

Bottle of prosecco

I'd go with a nice candle or reed diffuser

Everyone is getting a set of lush bath bombs from me this year. Teachers, in-laws, friends.

Pop to your best local charity shop and see what you can get with £10. At least it's not new tat for landfill then.

Buy something that you would like and if the person who gets it doesn't like it - offer to swap 😁

I have just bought a hottie microwaveable plush mushroom thing from Dunelm for my secret Santa. They are £7. Cute enough and hopefully inoffensive but useful.

https://amzn.eu/d/8iDVi7i

Carol Ann Duffy’s collected Christmas poems. Beautiful hardback edition.

Buying a generic gift rather than for a particular person makes it really hard to buy something thoughtful. Something that would be perfect for one person in the group will be an immediate charity shop donation for someone else. I think it's safest to go for consumables in these situations (nice chocolate, wine, fancy chutneys etc) so if the recipient can't use it themselves they can at least use it when hosting over Christmas.

Not a candle!! Not every middle aged woman likes candles. I'd get something edible or drinkable

Some really nice biscuits or chocolates.

Lovehoney magic bullet

I wouldn't want anything listed so far except chocolates or biscuits. I like Lush products but not the bath bombs. I'd also be happy with a giftcard from say John Lewis. Anything that isn't going to clutter up my house basically.

Fancy biscuits or chocolate. Can easily be re-gifted if not to the recipient's taste.

I realise its generic but I am in this age range and I'd like some nice claw clips or a lisa angel scrunchie or some nice lip balm (summer fridays quite cheap on amazon). I'm trying to think of things under £10 ..will see what else I can think of.

Books, chocolate or plants would be the only things I'd want from pot luck gifts. I have tonnes of revolting goo to smear on hands or face that I have no interest in.

Apart from the Prosecco, for me pretty much all of these suggestions would be straight to the charity shop or freecycle.

Is there anything special local to you eg you come from an area where they make amazing cheese or your neighbour sells her own local honey or something? That seems more thoughtful than just eg biscuits from M&S.

I love candles but not a £10 one.

Definitely don’t do a voucher. You may as well all just stand in a circle and pass a tenner round.

What would you want to get, OP? Buy that.

Look somewhere like this https://thebritishcrafthouse.co.uk for a handmade version of what you'd like to receive.

A nice Christmas decoration.

If you meet up with them regularly, you'd have an idea of what type of ladies they are?