Most successful presents you've ever given?

DS aged not quite 3 asked FC for a trumpet and a policeman’s helmet - nothing else. On Christmas morning no happier child existed and, fifty years later, he still remember the best Christmas stocking ever. Still haven’t told him how hard it was to locate those two items!

6pm Christmas Eve, my four year old DS1 decided he absolutely HAD to have a Little Tykes Cosy Coupe car. It was "the only thing in the world" he wanted. Needless to say, he hadn't got one.

Cue quick phone call around all the friends I could think of to see if anyone had one they'd be willing to sell, and hallelujah! one did. He was the happiest little boy in the world - and I was the most relieved mummy in the world.

On the year the Nintento Wii was launched, it was absolute gold dust. Pre-ordered well in advance and still supplies seemed sparse. DS2 was desperate for one. His friend had got one for his birthday at the beginning of December, this was all DS2 had been talking about for months, since it's launch was announced.

I had ordered one, but all that had arrived was the nunchuck controller. I was so downhearted, thinking I was going to let him down for the first time ever.

It arrived the day before Christmas Eve, but I had primed DS2 that he may not get it (fortunately it was not a Father Christmas year) which he'd accepted. Come Christmas morning, I could see his face scanning the presents to see what looked the right size, and it wasn't there. He opened the nunchuck controller, and I apologised that he didn't have the Wii, but at least he could take the controller to his friend's house to play on his console. He was so brave, bless him (gosh, I feel horrible just typing this now - but bear with me!) but his bottom lip was definitely wobbling a bit.

Once all the gifts had been opened, I announced "right, that's it. Whilst I'm clearing up the wrapping paper etc, you kids go upstairs and bring me down your washing, and make sure you get the stuff out from under your beds".

It took about 20 seconds before the piercing scream came, accompanied by shouts of yes!! yes!! YESSSSSSSS !!!! when he found the present under his bed.

I think we spent most of Christmas Day playing bowling on the Wii. Best gift ever!! And got the best reaction!

When the children were small, always tried to give the same number of presents from Santa to each of them, often little things. One year was one short for DS, about 6 years old, happened to spot some toy handcuffs in good old Woolies, he loved them, spent most of Christmas Day handcuffing all and sundry.

Wonder Woman swimming goggles for my granddaughter, then aged six, last Christmas. She had mentioned she’s like them, but her reaction was extreme. Ever seen a little girl jumping up and down yelling with joy for what seemed like 15 minutes?

It was, of course, one of the cheapest presents she got. Cost is little to do with enjoyment.

Wow, that`s a tricky question! I liked the bicycle which I got for my BDay when I was 6 but I don`t remember much about it, then I loved Fluffy, my kitten, I got her for Christmas in 2009 (she passed away this year and I`m still feeling down). She was so tiny, playful and soft, I just can`t My Mom wanted to take another one but I refused, Fluffy was one of a kind… Well, next beautiful present is the picture calendar I got from my friend, this adorable thing has my favorite pic (Fluffy and me sitting on the grass in the park!!) on the cover and small photos of my Mom and Dad on the cells with their Bdays. I even made the same personalized calendar with the program from here and gave it as a gift to my teacher. And the last but not the least is the whole pack of Harry Potter books, it was a special edition with the most colorful covers ever, can`t remember the year, it was like 2014 or something.

Posted too soon: best friend’s daughter.

The delight on my the face of the face of my (then little) best friend when I bought her an Asian American Girl bitty baby and bought with it separately a bitty baby backpack. She loved it and it travelled to India many times. I was so happy she was happy and just seeing her joyous look was amazing. I hope this doesn’t sounds self congratulatory. Just that Asian dolls were (then) impossible to get and made the ££££ import charge worthwhile. She was (is) a lovely lovely girl (now young adult).

I bought Mr R a 'fly a plane' experience! His face when he realised what it was was a picture.
Mr R took me for lunch on the Orient Express for my 60th Birthday - it was fabulous!

One year I was short of money for a present for DM. I had a 'Beware the dog' sign engraved saying,

"Beware the Agapanthus"

DM was delighted, she thought it most amusing. What made it even better was that the milkman refused point blank to come in the gate after that! She never told him.

That was a major one, B9ex!

I've just remembered a woman I used to see at work, who told me that shortly before a previous Christmas, when she had relatives coming to stay, the house needed a really good clean, and she was tired already - her husband paid for a team to come in and do it all - carpets, oven, windows, the lot.
She said that was her best present ever.
I'm sure quite a few would agree!

I know I am not answering the question exactly but one of my favourite presents that I received was a bird of prey experience. I love owls and handled several. It turned into a family occasion and I have a lovely photo of my little grandson very gently holding a bundle of feathers (a baby barn owl). I think, as we get older, we don't want more 'things' so this was lovely.

How lovely, Joannapiano! Best present ever.
And I love the step ladder! My Gdd used to,love my step-stool but I never thought to buy her one for home.

I planned a surprise birthday present for DH when we were struggling financially and hadn't had a holiday for years. I found this run down property in France. He had booked a week off to paint the house, and hired ladders, so I secretly cancelled those. I persuaded neighbours to take him out for a drink whilst I packed up the car. Then when he woke on his birthday I explained everything, we loaded the six of us into the car and set off. The house needed a good clean, it was run down and on a main road, so noisy at night, but he still talks about that as his best present ever!

I had a baby girl on Christmas Day 1974, a nice present for all our family.

I gave one of my grandsons a small lightweight aluminium step ladder for Christmas when he was three. He absolutely loved it.

Thanks for all stories - that cookbook was inspired! Also love yours, Monica. How lucky to find that pram just as you were going in!
I wish my dds wanted a sewing machine! They both loathe any sort of sewing, hems stay down, buttons off, etc. - my SiL is more competent at stitching a button on than dd1!

Dh once gave me a very old out of print book to replace one got rid of by my mother when I was 18 - they moved while I was away from home and I wasn't consulted.

It was called Freshwater Aquaria, given to me by a grandfather, published pre 1900 by a country clergyman, full of his own line drawings of all sorts of fish, plants, etc. I was only 9 or 10 at the time and very interested in my tank of goldfish! I loved that book.

Couldn't believe it when dh found an exact copy so many years later - could almost have been the same one.

When I was younger, my mother had a cookbook that she loved. Somehow it got lost. A few years ago I was able to find a used copy for her. She has been looking for 15 years for one. It had been out of print, so she was very happy to receive it.

Any internet devices or Lego sets.

The DGGP are really difficult to buy for because they never seem to need anything. But they asked if their GGC could do a piece - a party piece- to perform on Christmas Day.
I told our DC and didn't expect them to respond but on the day, we were moved to tears when all the DGC (7 of them) plus their parents, sang specially written songs, recited poems and one accompanied everyone on the keyboard.

Apart from that. I try to find one original present to give each family. It's often a game but one year I got windup torches, another boot beetles. They still use them! although DGF thought it was an ornament....

One year I bought DH a loft ladder for Christmas.

Well, he'd said he wanted one....

Love that Monica.

Tickets to a pantomime for the whole family. Everyone absolutely loved it and asked if the could have the same again the following year. Been 5 years now, and counting, so it must have been ok!

A mini sewing machine for my daughter. She was VERY huffy when she saw the box and assumed it wasn't anything she was hoping for. Then she opened it and was delighted.

Same for my mother when I got her the same one in a different colour.

Our charity shop Christmas when funds were tight. Someone was taking a rather battered coach built dolls pram into a charity shop as I arrived, I bought it for a fiver, DH cleaned and repainted it, I made bedding from fabrics in my scrap bag and my DMiL knitted a pram suit for DD's favourite doll.

I also bought a part used chemistry set for DS, DH made a nice wooden lab with a drop down flap from offcuts and we added a few very cheap extras and a chemistry experiment book, also from a charity shop.

We have pictures of two beaming faces as they open the present and as DD took her doll for a walk in her beautiful pram. For years the children said this was their best Christmas ever.

A beanie hat from Lidl.Sil and gs wear them all the time.