Best/worst Birthday/ Christmas present ever received (lighthearted)

A woman I used to see at work told me that her absolute best present ever came shortly before Christmas, when guests were coming to stay.

The house needed a really good blitz and her heart was sinking at the thought of it, when she was working full time.

Her husband paid for a team to come in and do a major blitz - everything, including windows, carpets, oven, washing paintwork, inside kitchen cupboards, the lot.

For my birthday a friend bought me a cruet set with such gusto it was silly. Would I not have one after 40 years of marriage? It was obviously a regifted item!

Last year a nephew gave me a jokey present of a bath plug- I do not have a bath!

Most years his mother gives me placemats- I no longer entertain and I did not need so many sets so they went to the charity shop.

Last year a little elephant for holding rings- apart from my wedding ring I do not wear rings.
My MiL gave me a kitchen utensil every year and usually, I had a couple sitting at home. Before marriage, we lived separately with our own utensils and when my parents died I inherired theirs also so again the charity shop benefited.

A relative once gave me a keychain with a real rabbit's foot on it. I was horrified and gave it back. My sister said not to be rude it was lucky. I replied it wasn't very lucky for the poor rabbit!

Worst - first Christmas after wedding dining room plates which were too big for the oven in our rented flat from my parents. He got the book. Huh

DH once gave me a deep fat fryer (returned on Boxing day) and MIL once gave me a pair of M&S full briefs, hideously floral and two sizes too large (binned).
My mother used to give us all presents from charity shops, mostly fine except for the soap with a pubic hair.

Plastic handbags & manmade, itchy, static fibre jumpers from my mother … despite I always waited until I could afford to buy natural products in leather, cotton and wool. These days vegan bags and shoes are good quality, but 50-60 years ago it was dreadful, so cheap and nasty!

My best ever was my transistor radio when I was 13 or 14, the one in the wee leather case with one earpiece which went into a pouch on the strap. I loved it.

We had an elderly neighbour ( maybe like Urmstongran’s) who gave us a pickle jar as a wedding present. She told us it wasn’t new, but it had great sentimental value for her, and she wanted us to have it. I’d have preferred it if she had washed the beetroot juice off it first!

I later discovered she used this line often when giving gifts.

My SIL has a friend she's known for over 50 years, who still has no idea what she likes. I think the worst one was a dancing hippo!

My (now ex-) husband once bought me a toilet seat. Ok, it was bright red, to match the bathroom I’d just redecorated, but...

the two worst presents I've ever received which really upset me at the time were at 16 My grandmother bought me a dress to wear to a party it was like a glittery ball gown you would wear on Strictly come dancing, both she and my mother expected me to wear it. The other was a car fire extinguisher my husband bought for me. He saw how upset I was but couldnt understad it as he said all he was concerned about was mysafety

As a teenager I longed for a record player. On my birthday a large box was presented to me. I ripped the lid off to find a large shoulder bag. I was gutted to say the least.

MIL's annual Christmas present to me included a brand of chocolates she knew were DH's favourite but I hated. Even when she spent Christmas with us she never seemed to notice that DH ate them all. Best present from DH was a diamond and sapphire bracelet on our 50th anniversary.

The wool to make a jumper for the Christmas before my 16th birthday, Christmas gifts stopped at 16, I had wanted a white jumper dad said give you something to do .

inishowen

As a teenager I longed for a record player. On my birthday a large box was presented to me. I ripped the lid off to find a large shoulder bag. I was gutted to say the least.

When the Bodach and I were ‘courting’, we were running late for a night out, so he borrowed his mother’s hairdryer for five minutes after his shower .
Pastel coloured shirts were just becoming fashionable, so he had high hopes of a lilac coloured one, as he’d dropped many hints to his mother.
How he loved his ‘ Pifco Ranger Hairdrying Gun for Men’.

I've had all sorts of things for Christmas which haven't been my taste or of use to me (and no doubt some of the presents I've given will have been viewed the same). However I rarely throw them out, they go to the charity shops instead, and in turn I've bought all sorts of things from charity shops, possibly unused gifts, which I've loved, so somewhere in the circle, we've all benefitted.
So, to answer the thread, my worst presents were a tin of chocolates from an aunt, 4 years beyond the use-by date (I did bin those), and an iron from my husband. We were short of money and the old iron had packed up, but he knew I hate ironing and avoid it at all costs, so I was pretty hurt at that.
However, best presents were, a beautiful collage of old black & white family photos, put together by my sister with a brief family timeline in calligraphy down the side and beautifully framed, for Christmas last year, and the first motorbike I had, bought for me for my 50th birthday by my husband, and which has led to years of pleasure, even though I later moved on to a bigger bike.

@Cfaz49, ??

Last Christmas our 2 children and their partners bought my DH the newest football shirt of his favourite team. My present was afternoon tea for two at rather grand local establishment. I smiled but was miffed. Were they expecting me to take him and if he was sharing my present was I expected to take turns with his shirt. Decided, still miffed, to take a friend for her 70th birthday. Unfortunately her birthday was end of March so that did not happen. The voucher has been extended but I still cannot see it happening because the establishment is only allowing meals not afternoon tea. It is difficult because I do appreciate the money they spent and feel mean because this year just to be able to see them all and my GC would be my best Christmas pressie ever.

The best and worst present I ever received was many years ago, from my ex husband, a bright red Porsche! Unfortunately, I was car sick every time I drove it ? It was like being dragged on a shovel ??

One of my aunties used to buy us either the best or worst Christmas presents. One year the best was a beautiful lamp and the following year it was a small plaster Venus De Milo statuette, which kept crumbling away

My very worst present was when I was almost 9 (birthday Dec 29th). I was given a pack of felt tips and a skipping rope. That's for your birthday as well I was told. We were then ushered outside where my two brothers were presented with their shiny new bikes, for their Christmas presents. The pain stays with me to this day. The attitude towards me, as a girl, never changed. My hubbie is a useless gifter but did once hit the nail on the head with a CD he bought me. I was and remain delighted with it.

Best present was a kenwood food mixer from my husband. I loved baking but always felt we couldn’t afford one. He got a Christmas bonus and spent it all on it. Almost 50 years later and my son now has it. Still going strong

I wont say the worst because again it could be one of you!! The best? DH will never take me out for a meal and it gets very tiring being the only one having to think about meals and cook! My DDs this year for my birthday had an afternoon tea delivered to us. It was absolutely gorgeous and delicious.

Thanks you girls!

Worse present was from my grandmother when I was about 13. A pair of those checked granny slippers with pom poms on the front, and turned down cuffs round the ankle. I wouldn’t be seen dead in them now yet alone then!

Best and worst were both from my husband. Best was tickets to a show and a weekend in the city for my birthday many years ago, worst was when ge bought me an ice cream scoop for christmas.