Cliffy, maybe my story will help you out...
I was in the exact same place, wife has no hobbies, loves to shop, but also "loves surprises". Impossible to shop for.
Over the last 20 years of marriage I have tried every gift you can imagine, electric can opener, vacuum cleaner... these gifts, although needed, were not appriciated.
Later I caught on that what she really wanted was jewelry. So I tried my hand at ear rings (not the right color), watches (not the right model Tag Heuer) etc... All were returned by her for what she really wanted. This I saw as a waste of my time, so I told her I was done buying gifts.
What followed was a year of nothing. No Mother's Day gift, no birthday gift, nothing for Xmas. This drove her crazy. Now when I do get her something, she is happy as can be.
This method may not be for everyone, it takes a stong will to withstand the pressure from the wife and kids to get mom "something". But in the end it will be worth it, if you can stay strong.
