A gift you didn't know you needed

[Laura17111]

We are doing a secret Santa where the rules are, something you did not know you needed. There is a budget of £10, I have a 55 year old woman (close relative) to buy for.

I am looking for ideas for something you would not know you needed. Any ideas would be amazing

Lids for mugs. Keeps your drink warm for a long time and if you have a cat who likes a sneaky swig of whatever you’re drinking, keeps the cat out as well. https://amzn.eu/d/4Pp5RWC

@GrinchiestGrinch adding to the recommendation for the playing card holder. We invested in these wooden multi level style ones (not this brand) for our Uno loving children and they have been brilliant, well worth the investment.

A cherry stoner
A melon baller
A lime squeezer

I own the top two, use them regularly and would like the third for Xmas!

So many brilliant ideas, I am going to have a look through them all now. Thank you

A salt pig.

(Actually that's just me. I broke ours this morning)

mini rice cooker - just enough for two - I got mine from Lidl at around £10 so prob not quite in budget

spoon holder for pans
Fingerless gloves or those with fingers that phone recognises
blue tooth speaker for music
Nice cup and saucer and decent tea or coffee
carabena key ring - love it for removing keys not needed for walks/work
etc
GOrgeous wool socks - love them for keeping my poor 57 yr old feet warm in this weather

I can totally see why, but these are quite useful gadgets that I do use regularly. The brief was “Something you didn’t know you needed”, so it’s hard to come up with novel ideas of things that people don’t already have. Unfortunately that does lend itself to gadgets that probably are occasionally useful but also superfluous to daily life, hence why I also suggested consumables.

These look fab! Thanks for mentioning, I've ordered a few as gifts for people who I know will love them 😊

I bought myself 8 eyeshadow pens from Amazon this week, amazing for under £10! They hold up well, go on really easily without dragging. I got the brown shades. I'm her age.

www.amazon.co.uk/LANGMANNI-Eyeshadow-Waterproof-Long-Lasting-Occasions/dp/B0D5HGNWHM/ref=sr_1_15?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6Alg8S8sWnjD5LbQB4IfKav2EtEnVAeI27pbovY825kq4RWD8vK3pkM1rwWLEgJuNojoukb_Al3Oq3fIkH2G3F7Qzv_NX1bLbIcDC8qpsMrUTRIp4yehcPmH6q_MKB_EbYp6ZApW56EgcnxaOH6E8LooZXCDSVv3dTy8AtSbX_1wcyTmvDigsj_nhIt26IzUFgVyHxPTJI46Ey1Q2qTlvjDwJ3qrp-Z6QIHjzhdj73_PL5VtZ3lUaYqW6sbUzPLQVBd_3YB8ntRVxj3H2Q9lLhyrEVKzAKZTMbsJL7__vWg.4E7ZbhRAEdAW3OWkbxSHPilSdwKsuEmmF7vnHmmRLX4&dib_tag=se&keywords=eyeshadow&qid=1765544898&sr=8-15&th=1

Ooh do you have link to yours, I'd love one and it'll stop me using the door frames !

Just thought of another that is genuinely great - extra long Japanese wash cloths. My skin has never felt so soft and clean, and everyone washes so won't be pointless!

This jug went down well with family last year, FIL especially pleased and called it a game-changer.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/OXO-Good-Grips-Angled-Measuring/dp/B000EHMR82/ref=asc_df_B000EHMR82?mcid=cc7cbbc9998735078f5f556ed6ff8f5f&th=1&psc=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697238879038&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16412939772606539261&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9180904&hvtargid=pla-422831524301&psc=1&hvocijid=16412939772606539261-B000EHMR82-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

A tweezers with a light.

If you have a local independent cookshop you’ll most likely find something that’ll fit the brief, or try the brilliant Objects of Use in Oxford or Labour & Wait in London - amazing shops (you can also order online from both).

My best things:

mini silicone oven grip - handy for small trays or getting things out of the microwave (mine are shaped like lips, but you can also buy slightly bigger ones with a magnetic clip)

mini hair rake for brushes - not a brush but a tiny rake and the hair pulls off really easily when done (got that from Objects of Use)

pasta tongs - I use them for also picking up small individual things from baking trays (ie ideal for party food)

bent preserve spoon that sits on the rim of your jar so you’re not juggling spoon and knife while spreading your first slice of toast or having to put the spoon down on the surface (saves surface, keeps spoon clean)

toast tongs

barbecue tongs - the type where you push /pull the thing at the end to open/close them. I have small hands and struggle to grip squeezy tongs so these were a game-changer. Actually we don’t have a BBQ, but handy for the grill and also for gripping and pulling down bags of crisps at the top of the cupboard or reaching for stuff that’s fallen down into awkward places you can’t put your hand into!

PS: coffee measuring spoon at the end of a metal clip - fabulous for ground filter coffee, clips the packet together, and spoon to hand - available at independent coffee sellers online or in-shop

A head/scalp massager. The kind with about 20 springy "fingers" and a handle.

Great thread

I would buy consumables. , nice foodstuffs that you know they like

I have never felt the need to hull a strawberry. Ever :)

I have one of those serrated knives and it’s absolutely brilliant!

A USB rechargeable torch is also a lot less faff than the classic battery ones.

otherwise:

• powerbank that slots on to your phone and charges it while you’re walking around with it (I have the brand iWalk, but I think that’s over 10 pound)
• a silicon cover with holes in the centre to stop liquid boiling over in a pan (I have the brand Kochblume)
• A mini balloon whisk (would never have bought this, but regularly use the one that came with DS‘ toddler baking set)
• A Sistema soup mug
• A battery charge checker
• A Sistema salad to go box with the extra tray for the dry toppings and sauce
• Clipped hangers to go on to towels without a hanging cord to hang them anyway. Can also be used for scarves/hats.
• A belt coathanger
• A hanging multipocket jewellery organiser

I don't, sorry I got mine from the Range, I think.

But there's similar on amazon, like this (photo added) mine has a black handle but I like the purple 😀

Scraper tool that gets labels off of things. They are sort of flexible but also hard. About the size of a thumb. Once you have one you wonder how you lived without it.

tiny box openers.

tiny screw driver

a good egg separator. Half the ones out there are awful.

basically, go look in your own kitchen drawer and think of what small thing you have there that is odd, but you use surprisingly regularly. That is what to get.

A Kindle page turner. I’m still waiting….

Steering wheel warmer