All I want for Christmas is...please just tell me

Christmas shopping is a stressful task. I view it not only as buying people presents but also as discovering how well you actually know your family and friends. Can you pick them out something that they will like or use or not just throw in the closet until they re-gift it to someone else? Do you have the faintest clue about your loved ones' likes/dislikes, hobbie/obsessions, needs/base desires? How I fared this year:

Mom - last year, I just asked her husband what I should get her - which were flannel pajamas - which I never would have thought to buy on my own. This year, I attempted to pick the perfect gift all by myself. My mom doesn't like perfume, doesn't wear jewelry, is picky about clothing, and already has a house packed full of everything she needs. She does, however, occasionally wear barretts, so I got her a nice lacquer one from the Black Cat.

Dad - has an extreme aversion to gifts. To the point where he made his girlfriend agree not to exchange presents this year. I try to get around this by either giving him food or alcohol. At Dibruno Brothers, I bought him apricot jam and plum preserves and some imported cheeses. I'm pretty sure he was kind of peeved at me for buying him anything.

Brother and Brother's Wife - They have a 3-bedroom house, three cars, and a large flat-screen TV, so I feel like anything I buy them will be puny in comparison to what they already own. Therefore, I bought them presents for their cat and two dogs, including an argyle dog sweater.

Stepfather - I gave up on this one and just asked my mom. Last year, she told me to get a long-sleeved button-down shirt in "subdued red" color. This year, it was a long-sleeved button-down shirt in a "muted green" color. They don't have cable, but they seem to have picked up the nuances of subtle shades of color from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy telepathically.

Dad's Girlfriend - I picked out a pair of glass earrings, handcrafted by a Philadelphia artist. I'm kind of interested to see whether she is as disinterested in gifts as my dad claims. I'm pretty sure my dad will be kind of peeved at me.

Cousin #1 - loves reading, especially Harry Potter. I got her a Philippa Gregory book and a box of Bert's Every Flavor Beans. Mmmmm...vomit-flavored jelly beans.
Cousin #2 - never met. She just moved to the US from Vietnam about 4 days ago. I got her gloves and cash.

Best Friend (BFF) - I bought gks an incense holder shaped like Cat Buddha. He bought me The Underachiever's Manifesto. We are soul mates.