Chicken bald back

[dancing cloud]

Following a conversation at work, thought we could share experiences of presents we bought (or received) that were great successes or failures.

 

One of my greatest successes was a secret santa for a very staid and very senior work colleague. Bought him an "Executive Washing Up Kit" and he absolutely loved it, spending the xmas lunch wearing his new rubber gloves and shaking the brush at people . Just goes to show, you never can tell

 

Biggest failure? A large and very expensive banana-leaf cat tree for Puddy-cat, the first Christmas after she'd moved in. Took over an hour to build on my own and she didn't even LOOK at it, not even after I moved it in front of the radiator so she'd be warm. Ungrateful little mog !

 

Anyone else care to share?

[gavclojak]

Love to share this one......my mother in law gave me a faux gold poker, brush and dustpan set, one of those rascals in a stand that you put next to a coal fire....I lived in a flat with central heating, that was 21 years ago and that's the last gift she gave me.

Best gift given, OH had a taster session for scuba diving in a pool in Greece and was hooked so I saved up and paid for a week diving in Egypt on a boat...he was beyond surprised and was so nice for him to have a week away on his own doing what he lived and recharging his batteries!

Best gift I was given...a necklace and each one of my kids brought a charm and had it engraved with something personal from each, I never take it off!

[Minnie&Moose]

best present ever received - at the age of 8 I got a for Christmas - Freda was the love of my life for the next 5 years, and the thought of her still makes me smile 45 years later

[Grandmashazzie]

My daughter got a nice little gift last year from a friend.It was a little Christmas tree box,inside was a candy cane,chocolate coins,a pair of Christmas socks,hand cream and a little decoration.I thought it was really sweet.So in the sales last year I bought some boxes,socks etc and now have them all ready.

[soapdragon]

I swear that the romance went out of our marriage the Christmas that I bough OH a Remington Nasal Hair Clipper......puzzling

 

Last Christmas we gave YS Lego and I spent over 2 hours on Christmas morning building Lego Pirates of the Carribean Isla De Meurta only to have the boy break it up on Boxing Day so he could use the bits for other models.

[Cat tails]

I've given up buying gifts for my parents each event. I know ask them what they really want, something bigger, that they wouldn't buy themselves.

My dad got a very fancy weather station, which lasts me at least 2 christmasses, fathers day and a birthday. He was really chuffed and I didn't have to think of a gift for a really long time!

[bluekarin]

My daughter got a nice little gift last year from a friend.It was a little Christmas tree box,inside was a candy cane,chocolate coins,a pair of Christmas socks,hand cream and a little decoration.I thought it was really sweet.So in the sales last year I bought some boxes,socks etc and now have them all ready.

 

I do something similar for my kids to give for their secret santa pressies at school. I usually buy a mug from £1 land and fill with a candy cane, a christmassy pencil or similar, pair of seasonal socks. Stuff like that. They seem to go down well

 

I can't think of any real successes with presents myself. Actually, I can! My dad gave me a canvas print of my dog as a puppy. It was a family secret santa present, but he told me after a while. I love it

[Cinnamon]

Best pressie I ever received was my Cube - I opened the curtains on Christmas morning to find it glowing orangely at me from the back garden.

 

My Dad once decided I HAD to have a set of those terrible china plates with puppies & kittens on, & got me a subscription for one to come every month. They are still up in the loft....

 

Last year I got my Husband a canvas print of a photo that he & his best mate had taken just before they did a bungee jump in Switzerland (from the Dam at the beginning of the movie Goldeneye)

His mate had died a few months before Christmas in a dreadful accident, & I hadn't realised what an effect my gift would have on my Husband...it upset him for the rest of the day, although he loves it now.