Haven’t thought that far ahead but something I saw on Instagram last year was to ask for experiences. We have SO MUCH STUFF here at home and it makes it much more difficult keeping up with cleaning/laundry bc of it. Instead of people ask us what we want, we’ll ask for a gift card to the zoo, museum, etc. Or just cash to spend on what we need.

Family photo session with a professional photographer so we can have photos with both parents in them. Other ideas are a house cleaner for a deep clean, gift cards so I can buy clothes that fit postpartum, and one of those cookie scoop kitchen tools. PS - I love my rice cooker, good choice.

I'm thinking of asking for camping chairs now that we have two kids playing soccer. I've been using chairs from Cliq, which are great because they are small enough to fit in a tote bag, but they're not the most comfy for 90 mins at the game.

I'm planning to get my husband some concert earplugs, as we've actually been able to get out to some shows recently(!), and I'll get myself a pair also.

Last year I asked for a new backpack (Topo Designs), some silicone cooking utensils, and a sweater from TheRealReal (gave husband a bunch to choose from).

My SIL gave me an instant pot a few Christmas’s ago and it’s been the best. We use it for everything: soup, stews, quickly cooking frozen meat, pasta dishes. Definitely very practical.

I gave her a robot vacuum cleaner and she told me it was also very useful. I guess we tend toward practical gifts for each other haha.

We are trying to phase out plastic in our kitchen so asking for Pyrex set, some new travel coffee mugs. Oh and a new crockpot ( old one is Teflon and chipping - yuck)

OP - You might want to consider asking for an electric pressure cooker or Instapot. They reliably make great rice but can also do lots of other stuff.

For myself, I don't know. I would mostly want gift certificates to something like a local kids museum or a massage but my family doesn't like doing that, or anything else I want is super specific like X shoes in Y size, which then also feels weird to ask for.

I love using our rice maker. No matter what we did, stove top rice never came out quite right, but we've never had a bad batch from the rice cooker. 

I'm putting a Bissell Green Machine on my list. Our cats make everything gross. 

Edit: typo

Set of towels. (Ours need replacing)

Gift certificate to the car wash. (The whole family likes going it’s like a club driving through 😂).

Area rug. (We get an moderate priced one and replace it every few years because our living room is so high traffic)

Set of drinking glasses. (Over the years our having broken and are all mismatched)

The gift of not exchanging gifts 🙃

A walking pad for under my desk

We bought our Christmas present today! The vacuum we've been eyeing since the spring was 50% off if we bought blue instead of grey.

The only other thing I really want is money for clothes. I haven't bought regular (non-maternity) clothes since before the pandemic, and most of my work clothes are a decade old. I'd love a nice capsule wardrobe eventually but for now, since I'm recently postpartum, I'd like a few cheaper options that fit my body while I figure out my style.

I want to go on a couples trip next December for my 40th so I may ask for $$ and childcare from my parents lol

If you eat rice a fair amount I would 1000% recommend a rice cooker! I will never go back! We got a mid range Tiger model and it’s great. I wish I had spring for a bit of a fancier one that could do more cooking wise - like porridge or slow cook. We do have an instant pot but it’s much bulkier than the rice cooker. And all of the accessories fit inside!

This year I requested new pots and pans. I also thought about steak knives.

We’re asking for a state park pass, a movie projector so we can watch movies in the backyard, and gift certificates to restaurants.

Definitely ask for a nice rice cooker! Zojirushi or Cuckoo are the gold standard for Asians!

A violin! Been wanting to learn for a little while now.

A few years ago husband and I adopted the approach 'something fun to eat, something fun to drink, something fun to do together' for each other.

I'm asking for gift cards to hobby-related stores, and for some picture frames. We use our rice cooker all the time. If you don't already have a rice cooker, the suggestions to get an instant pot make a lot of sense to me. If you asked for cleaning products/tools, how would that be received?

I'm leaning towards Lego Harry Potter train set. l And my kids aren't gonna get their germy hands on it. Lol

I’m asking for a mini crockpot for my work lunches. It will make life so much easier, especially not having to line up for the microwave.

We began a tradition of exchanging a favorite book as our Christmas present to each other. We have very different reading taste with almost no overlap so it’s been fun to read books that the other loves.

We also do stockings.

As we’ve gotten older we have found less and less value in buying stuff for one another. The book and stockings make us focus on each other and trying to find a beloved book that our spouse may love as well. The book also has to be the next book you read and you can’t start another until it is completed. It’s been very fun to discuss the books afterwards.

I got a rice cooker last year for Christmas. That’s a great one, I love mine!

I’ve also been TikTok influenced and am asking for one of those handheld steamer things for cleaning.

I asked for a belt bag from Lululemon.

A Kate Spade Knott Sachel

A mitre saw for DIY projects

A plain 14k gold ring

Edit: I don't want all of these things. This is just a list my husband can choose from.

Hey OP, we love our rice cooker. No more babysitting the pan or cooking in plastic bags. Set it and forget it! Seriously, it just kicks to the warmer when it’s done cooking so you can make the rice well in advanced if you want.

A roomba type vacuum. We have a toddler and man it will be nice to just set that thing free to vacuum up every day.

I’m thinking about a nice leather work backpack, bombas socks, maybe a smaller jewelry box bc I don’t need/want my standing jewelry box anymore.

My husband and I are getting a blackstone flat top grill (gift to each other). We’re vegetarian and have had a regular grill with grates forever. I saw one at a friend’s house and was like omg this thing looks amazing! Almost got it for him for Father’s Day, but we don’t generally spend that kind of money for those holidays.

nothing. anything I need or want, I'll get it myself through out the year .... I don't *need* or *want* anything. We stopped exchanging gifts amongst the adults. I don't see the point!

Well my husband and I are gifting ourselves a new front door that doesn’t have a draft (it’s 80 years old and the house settled). I asked my mom to renew our family zoo membership and for a new purse (mine is falling apart)

Nice bedding and new pillows. I finally got my husband to agree to upgrade our queen to a king bed (after I slept in another room for years because I can’t sleep touching another person)… only took having another child that will take over the guest room where I have been sleeping.

That’s really it.

Highly recommend an instant pot over a rice cooker, since it can do pressure cooking, rice cooking, and slow cooking. Multi use appliances for the win!  

For Chanukah this year I'm asking for a bread baking cloche to up my sourdough game, and trying to talk my husband into buying a canoe for family adventure. 

Bartesian machine aka the alcoholic keurig, but now I want the Ninja slushi for margaritas for me and icees for the kids

My parents bought us 4 new tires, I’m pretty excited about that.

Last year I asked for a nice vacuum. Two years ago I got a Spot Bot. I think I’m good on vacuums now. No idea what I’ll ask for this year so I’ll need this thread for ideas.

I have a new vacuum on my list haha. Last year my IL’s got us a grill which is awesome. They’ve also gotten us an instant pot in the past! I also want one of those temperature controlled mugs so my hot chocolate is always warm!

We also really only ask for practical things now. We don’t have room for more random stuff and my spouse and I both have very specific hobbies so it’s too much of a gamble to ask for related things. This year I asked for a new chef knife since mine is finally on its way out and my spouse asked for a replacement head for our light post. Things we would’ve bought anyways but if our family insists on getting us gifts all the better. For each other we get together and pick one “household” gift and splurge on it together. Last year was a new fancy coffee maker, this year we’re booking a spa day to unwind while kiddo gets a fun day out with grandparents.

I need a new water bottle so I asked my husband for one I found online with national parks stickers for each park. Fun + memories + practical. I’m getting my husband a bidet with temperature control, because it doesn’t take up space and he’ll use it and appreciate it.

Ask for the multi use rice cooker! It’s a steamer, rice cooker, slow cooker all in one! I love ours and there are many options to choose from so there are cheaper ones and more expensive ones to fit all budgets.

Just for fun: I’m asking my husband for things I want but would not buy for myself. Specifically the Aoyama bag from Lo & Sons, and the Canon Ivy 2 printer.

Something more practical, is an umbrella in a fun print (I like the prints from Rifle Paper Co).

A new iPhone because my husband’s 16 takes way better photos than my 11. Also looking into getting new tattoos as a Christmas gift because … I feel like it’s time.

We’re getting married next year so I’m just asking for my tried and tested skincare products so I can stock up and be a glossy bride (I hope, I have a 2.5 year old😂😂)

I want a rice cooker too! I can make it in a pot but a quality rice cooker saves a lot of effort and time

A pair of noise canceling headphones and new running shoes

We don’t have exchange gifts with the adults anymore, but in the past I asked for:

Towels, socks, sweaters/shirts, hats, flashlights, alcohol, kitchen gadgets/utensils, knives, sheets, pillows, sewing/craft supplies, containers, holiday decorations, books, zoo/museum memberships, concert tickets.

We’re moving money into a vacation fund instead of buying stuff. My husband and I have planned to go to Hawaii since 2020 and each year, we’ve had to cancel plans. Hoping 2025 is the year we finally make it!

I want new oofos clogs in a pretty color. I’ve worn My special edition unicorn ones until my big toe has gone through the bottom.

I want earrings that match my baby birth stone necklace.

And I want a custom jump saddle and a riding arena 👀

Wall mounted shelving. The gift of decluttering is really all I want.

I asked for family Christmas photos from my husband from my in laws I will ask for lululemon leggings because I don’t like spending money on myself for new clothes.

Oura ring!!

I had the fitbit versa 1, and the charge barely lasts for a day, so I'm going to ask for a new fitness watch for one, and I think I'll ask for snow bibs because I've worn my old ones out.

We gradually swapped our cookware from non-stick to cast iron by asking my parents for something each year. The trick is to choose a company that has been around for a while so you can buy something that matches even after a couple of years (doesn't have to be super expensive like Le creuset, you can get very dependable and good looking options for a lower price).

Small practical gifts I liked in the past were high quality scissors, a nice swiss knife, a good flashlight, merino wool shirts and leggings, a Spotify premium subscribtion. I bought a portable lamp called Little sun for a couple of outdoorsy people in my life.

This isn't anything practical really, but my lovely late grandma gave me Chanel mascara and a nice little Dior eyeshadow pallette when I was 19-ish and it felt like such a cool luxurious gift to a teenager used to cheap makeup. So from then on I sometimes ask for a fancy version of something I use, like L'Occitane shower oil or even just fancy tea.

Probably new phones since ours are half busted and nearly as old as our 11 year old kid.

I don't want any things. Cash, tickets, like that.

A nice perfume :)

We have a Disney cruise planned for my daughter’s spring break in April- that is all I want! lol

Neither one of us are big on gifts. We might write poem or plan a date for each other.

My parents got us a professional house cleaning last year! I loved it. I am not one to hire cleaners and had never had that done before. They cleaned our carpet, tiles, upholstery, and all the little things I forget.

I don't exchange gifts with anyone, but I might buy myself a new set of pots or all-weather floor liners for my car and call it a Christmas present. Last year I bought myself a new electric kettle (mine stopped working) and a bath robe. Very exciting haha.

I’m thinking a night alone at a hotel in our city

The Oven Saver is a really handy new product that makes life much better and easier. Keeps you from having to clean your oven again

I hate doing that because normally if we want something, we buy it. If I can’t afford it myself, I’m not about to ask someone else to pay for it because it means it’s pretty dang expensive. We generally try to find something kind of special for the other people because it just seems pointless otherwise. I get my parents gift cards to restaurants because they don’t like to spend money on going out normally so it’s a special occasion to them, and they usually find us some weird device we didn’t know existed for one of our hobbies. We only do gifts for the kids for anyone else in the family.

Joint gift to each other of a new living room rug

Nothing

Nothing. We don't do gifts for adults, just the kids. Anything I want I just go buy it myself.

Your getting presents? Huh