As someone who prides themselves on their ability to give thoughtful gifts, I’ve long relished the challenge presented by a family-wide Secret Santa. A bunch of names go into a hat; you pull one out and must then prove how well you know that person by coming up with the perfect present (at a previously agreed upon price point).

Engaging in Secret Santa with my wife’s extended family is especially satisfying because the stakes are much higher, but so is the opportunity to shine. A true Christmas miracle is watching your partner’s distant aunt light up as she unwraps a new copy of the latest Liane Moriarty novel. “Thomas, that’s so thoughtful! I love Liane Moriarty. How did you know?”

There are few things more satisfying than giving someone a gift they truly love. Like me, in a stocking.Credit: Marija Ercegovac

Well, Aunt Becca, considering the Marian Keyes back catalogue on your nightstand, it felt like a safe bet! But for the past few years, the Christmas gods have put my gift-giving skills to the ultimate test by deciding I must buy for only one man: my father-in-law.

Given his own children struggle to come up with ideas (and they’ve known him forever), this is no small feat, made more complicated by the fact he’s the kind of guy who only really likes expensive alcohol and wearable fitness technology.

So imagine my surprise when this week, for the fourth year in a row, I pulled my father-in-law’s name out of the hat. Now I understand the whole point of a Secret Santa is that it’s supposed to be secret, but there was no hiding our mutual disappointment.

“It’s me again, isn’t it?” was all he could muster while I simply nodded. There was no point denying it; I have no poker face, and neither does he (what he does have, however, is an unopened poker set that I gave him for Christmas three years ago).

So many presents, so much disappointment.

Having previously burnt through my best gift ideas (the poker set, a Fitbit and a nice bottle of red), my first option was to demand that my brother-in-law switch with me. He refused, citing that he had drawn his mother and would buy “some of those expensive soaps in the nice bottles.” He was thinking of Aesop, which is famously a great gift and also fits well within the budget restraints.

My next port of call was to consult the internet, which is brimming with stories like “50 Great Ideas for Dad” or “20 Unique Gifts for Your Father-in-Law Who Has Everything”.