Best and Worst/ strangest gift

[ChestyNut]

Best gift- suitcase I’ve been lusting after for ages but couldn’t justify spending that much.

Worst/ strangest- a stollen

@greenglassteacup I’m sorry you are giftless this year and send a virtual bouquet 💐 and wish you all the best for the New Year. X

Best: Hush pjs from DH. I chose them but they're a real treat as I'm not 100% at the moment and have suspected MS so I'm spending a lot of time in pjs. And also best- just being with my parents, DH (even though he's a bit of a grump at Christmas but he's pretty much estranged from his family and it's hard for him) and our DD - the child I never thought I'd have.

Worst: bloody self help book from my sister about 'how to live a healthy life! Or some such shite. Précis of chapter 1: if you're ill, it's probably your fault. The doctor who wrote the book then goes on to make revolutionary claims such as: don't eat sugar, cook from scratch, drink plenty of water, exercise. It comes complete with a chart that you can tick each day to record your 'eating of a rainbow'. There's also specific things around medication such as HRT and that it's unnecessary for the majority of people. Well, my ovaries fucking packed in in my late 20's and without HRT, I'd likely have developed osteoporosis, contributed to the global water-level rising due to sweating like a bastard and killed DH due to hormonal rages. Joking aside, and I do know that my sister means well, but I've clearly got something neurological going on and it's possibly linked to something autoimmune related linked to my ovarian failure and I just find a 'change your life to live in a saintly way like me' fucking unhelpful. Besides, my sister's two children (and actually my sister and her DH) are constantly ill. Never heard of so many stomach bugs, colds etc. So even though she follows this self help book's wisdom, it's not done them any favours.

Phew. I feel a bit better to have got that rant off my chest. I just found it rude, patronising and ill-timed given what I'm currently going through. Right. Off to 'embrace darkness' whilst 'breathing properly' (2 other sections from the book...). I probably shouldn't be having screen-time either. Think there's a section on that too.

for those who got thoughtless presents from people who should have known better.

My neighbour, a thoroughly lovely woman with slightly different taste in art to mine, bought me this absolute corker. In case it's not clear from the photo, there are LEDs within the canvas picture for extra festiveness. I'm very touched that she thought of me, but .

D&G light blue is the loveliest thing EVER ❤
Best = massive book case
Worst = nothing really, my family have excellent taste. I lost my grandma yesterday though which put a dampener on the festivities

Teddy, let's see the ring please!

Best was a small bottle of my absolute favourite perfume that I haven't worn for years because I never think about it.

Worst (but not really) the glitter make up palette dd2 picked for me in Primark. I had a bit of an "oh" moment in there yesterday when she went straight to it to try some colours out, but her face was priceless when I opened it this morning so we both went to visit Nanna wearing sparkles (I'll use it for dress up days at work + school most likely).

Best - velvetiser from hotel chocolat

Worst - lavender hand soap. Why does nobody in my family remember I’m allergic?

Best- thoughtful selection of chocolates, lovely pjs plus a book I'd forgotten I asked for months ago

Worst- another travel mug - it's nice but I receive one every year and never take them anywhere! I guess the idea is to use them to keep drinks hot when you have a baby to look after. I'm not ungrateful for it though, didn't get anything too weird (except perhaps slime from extended family for ds!)

Woolly hats for boiled eggs.

Thanks MiL.

Best: The Beastie Boys Book.

@bookmum08 m&s sell food, remember...and booze

God those monkeys are terrible

Worst- DH bought me Vera Wang perfume, princess I think it's called. It is vile which is a shame because he's usually so good at choosing me perfume.

Best- he did make it up to me though by getting me tickets to see Florence and the Machine.

My in-laws are lovely but they always get me dreadful presents. They're really bad at buying presents I think. They actually texted me and asked me what I wanted and I said euros as we're going away on holiday after Christmas so that would be so much more useful to me than tat and they just ignored me and got me a load of tat that I don't like and some disgusting cheap liqueurs that I hate.

@peanutbuttercheesecake

Worst the, pjs my mil got me this year, they are 2 sizes too big which is a bit isultung and they are hidious! 😂

I forgot to say my favourite was a voucher for having my eyebrows microbladed, my husband is clearly fed up of me moaning about my non existent eyebrows 😂 I'm surprised and impressed he even remembered what it was called lol

@LunaTheCat I LOVE Lego Architecture, I got some for Christmas- that and booze were my favourite gifts.

Worst gifts were bloody toiletries, I hate toiletries. Plus no doubt whatever strange things my parents have chosen- they tend to buy for who they wish we were rather than who we actually are.

@Teddy1970

It sounds exactly like mine, i wonder if its the same.

Best - cash from elderly aunt

Worst - floral see through blouse circa 1982, also from elderly aunt

She is a cracker

Best: a Madeline baking tray, mentioned it months ago so a lovely surprise

Worst: generic body cream gift pack 3 for 2. I have sensitive skin and can’t use it. I’m
so easy to buy for too, anything but smellies gratefully received!

Best : some new dungarees I was admiring for aaages

Worst: bunchems (hair destroying nightmares) luckily swiftly spotted after the wrapping tore so replaced with a lol surprise which DD greatly appreciated

A black satin Basque, thong, and stockings, from my stbx. We've been separated over a year....

Best: fluffy slippers and a lovely amethyst necklace.
Worst: one of my MIL's cast off horrible skirts that looks as though the designer from Per Una vomited on, 3 sizes too big.

@Galacticat my DP would LOVE those monkeys 😂🙈