Exercise routines don't have to be thrilling; ask anyone who slogs through a 6AM workout every day. But even if someone is happy with a dull routine, that doesn't mean they will derive joy from unwrapping a sparkly gift box that contains (yawn) another pair of weights. So try these gifts instead.

Some people just don't like change. Whether it's an unwanted redesign of your favourite website; a new, healthier recipe from your snack food brand of choice; or a poorly considered decision from America's most popular Cupertino-based smartphone manufacturer to remove a ubiquitous and egalitarian connection method, change can hurt.

The phrase "the gift that keeps on giving" gets tossed around much too liberally these days, in our opinion. Especially because it so perfectly describes one very specific type of present: The Advent calendar. What could be more jolly and festive than a gift that, within it, contains at least a dozen sub-gifts, to be opened one by one every day? Whether or not you adhere to the religious significance of the days-until-Christmas countdown, there's been an undeniable boom in the Advent calendar market in recent years, whether your preferences lean towards beauty products, lollies, toys or high-end alcohol. Why not take advantage?

Though some lifestyle gurus may claim to subsist on "chemical free" food, such a thing does not exist. Like the entire world around us, food is made up of complex chemical systems, and those systems can be manipulated to make olive oil powders, cocktail spheres, or cheese sauce from any cheese, even the ones that don't melt so well. If you know someone who views their kitchen as a laboratory, these gifts are for them.

Books as kid gifts can be hit or miss - while the parents might be thrilled, unless it's a title that's on the child's wishlist, the present might be met with polite disappointment ("Oh, how ... nice"), or if he's under four, wild exasperation ("Books for Christmas?!"). They're sort of the ambrosia salad of children's gifting.

When raising a tiny human, it's easy to neglect self-care. Give the new mums and dads in your life something that will help them re-energise for the long days (and nights) ahead of nappies, tantrums and Caillou.

Let's face it: There are people in your life who, in a variety of ways, need to shape up. Maybe they aren't getting out enough. Maybe they're getting out too much. Maybe they can never hang out because they're too hungover. Maybe they can never hang out because their cat, Mr Snuffles, has separation anxiety. Maybe they never want to hang out because you're an unbearable prig who keeps telling them how badly they need to improve? No! This clearly has nothing to do with you. You're perfect.