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Original poster

Most random but ultimately brilliant present you've ever been given...

492 replies

Limth · 18/09/2023 11:07

When I started my business many years ago, a 'friend' bought me a Rolodex as a bit of a bitchy present. As a 'fuck you', I started using it. Then I actually fell in love with it. And then I gave her it a name. And now I use it all the bloody time now. The 'friend' has long since disappeared from my life but Ms. Rowan lives on as my trusty side-kick.

In my 20s, I was moving out of a house to the other side of the country. I had stuff to go to the tip, stuff to go to the second-hand furniture shop, stuff for the charity shop, bags of tatty clothes for rag recycling. I was completely overwhelmed with it and struggling because I didn't have a car. For my birthday, my friend hired me a 'Man With Van' for a half-day. The sense of relief at having that help was better than any spa break I've ever had.

What random presents have you had that've ultimately proved to be brilliant?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
teal125 · 19/09/2023 20:17

A Whale vertebrae- found washed up on a Scottish beach. Looks like a work of art

fizzandchips · 19/09/2023 20:20

I was given a year’s family membership to a nearby farm that had a petting zoo, soft play area and outdoor playground. With preschool children it remains THE best present I’ve ever received.

ambitchious · 19/09/2023 20:24

My mum gave me a towel big enough to cover me, for school sports when I started school. With a print on that I really loved.

I now use it every day for washing my hair, it’s the perfect size and absorbs moisture like no other new towels. I showed it to my mum a while ago and she remembered buying it but could not believe I still had it. You can of course hardly see the print anymore. It was 40 years ago.

Such a great towel!

MouseMinge · 19/09/2023 20:24

I really want the "Fuck the Tories" mouse!

TinyKittenPaw · 19/09/2023 20:25

When i half baby one a friend bought me a delivery of cook meals and for the second a dominoes gift voucher - i was so bloody grateful !

Terriergrrrrrrrr · 19/09/2023 20:28

I received this for my birthday

Most random but ultimately brilliant present you've ever been given...
mrswhiplington · 19/09/2023 20:34

Thighdentitycrisis · 19/09/2023 19:38

That's the one!! An orgasmatron 😂My auto correct changed it to "organ matron".😮

MehtotheChristmasrunup · 19/09/2023 20:34

NoTouch · 19/09/2023 20:13

Was that in the 1990s?

OneNote has many advantages over a paper diary and no disadvantages.

It is portable - and definitely more portable than a Rolodex.
Anyone with any sense puts their notebooks in the cloud then can access it from work laptop, personal laptop, tablet, mobile phone. Losing access on one device does not prevent access on another.
You don't need to take it with you because you probably have you phone with you anyway.
You can't "lose" it.
Even if you delete it what ever you deleted is there in the recycle bin.
You can share all this knowledge with others - nothing worse in a team than some who hoards knowledge in their personal paper systems.
Functionality far outstrips a diary.
Systems are so robust now it is highly unusual for them to be down. Unless you have a really crap work IT department.

Fine if anyone prefer a paper diary, but it is an inferior tool in this modern world.

Show quote history

Mmm
My experience has been ( a work laptop and mobile phone, personal mobile, personal laptop and ipad) that work uses its own database for meetings on its own cloud which required so many logs on my own device I gave up. Although my personal numbers seemed to be my work phone which is annoying and potentially gets me in trouble.
If I want to synch I have to remember the passwords for each stage on every device as well as long in with two step authorisation from a different device.

NotHooray · 19/09/2023 20:38

Terriergrrrrrrrr · 19/09/2023 20:28

I received this for my birthday

Oooh he looks a bit more high-brow than mine Grin

NannaKaren · 19/09/2023 20:39

AlrightThen 👍I am with you in the present buying !

LindaDawn · 19/09/2023 20:39

Daffodilsandtuplips · 19/09/2023 08:17

A tray/ lap table with folding legs given to us as a wedding present.It stood about 30 cm high, maybe a little higher. I was a bit bemused by it at the time, we had a table and chairs so didn’t think we’d ever use it. However it came into its own when our kids came along, they loved to sit on the floor, backs against the sofa, the little table over their legs, it was used as a Stickle brick table then a Lego table, colouring in table, a shop, ‘office’, jigsaws anything you can think of table. As they grew and could no longer get their legs under it, they’d sit on the sofa with it across their laps.
The folding legs finally fell apart after many years of use so DH took them off and we’ve kept the tray top.

Can you post a link to something similar please. Be great for my grandchildren.

Reigateforever · 19/09/2023 20:40

DDs gave me an electric throw for the sofa and an under blanket for the bed. So snug in winter.

Southern1964 · 19/09/2023 20:42

Yes!! We have this too, I picked it up when buying my first house 20 years ago 😁

Terriergrrrrrrrr · 19/09/2023 20:43

The purchaser did remark that he looked 'all highbrow and political'. Now I need to top that offering for my friend's birthday. Quite a challenge

Richelieu · 19/09/2023 20:46

Oh, I do like that Swiss card with a light! I’ve had one of the basic ones for years, and given them as presents, but I don’t know where mine is now. Might need to treat myself….

hiddeneverythin · 19/09/2023 20:49

Where do I get one of these please?!

Daffodilsandtuplips · 19/09/2023 20:51

LindaDawn · 19/09/2023 20:39

Can you post a link to something similar please. Be great for my grandchildren.

Show quote history

Amazon had similar ones, I’ll Google to see if I can find similar to mine.

lilywillywoo · 19/09/2023 20:54

A brabantia whirligig, husband bought me it for Christmas a few years ago and I love it. He also got me a dry buddy washing cover which is great for those days that you’re not sure if it’s going to rain.

Greeneyegirl · 19/09/2023 20:56

A debobbler for my knit wear!

ambitchious · 19/09/2023 20:57

lilywillywoo · 19/09/2023 20:54

A brabantia whirligig, husband bought me it for Christmas a few years ago and I love it. He also got me a dry buddy washing cover which is great for those days that you’re not sure if it’s going to rain.

Does your dh not do the washing or why did he think a washing cover was a nice gift for you and not just something you buy for everyone to use..?

ambitchious · 19/09/2023 20:59

@lilywillywoo the same goes for the brabantia thing. How he still is your husband is beyond me. 😩

lilywillywoo · 19/09/2023 21:01

To be fair, he does do washing too, but he’s less obsessed with hanging it outside than I am, it’s a bit of a standing joke. He’s a very good present buyer, it’s not only household items! He puts much more thought into things than I do

ambitchious · 19/09/2023 21:02

laylababe5 · 19/09/2023 20:44

I like the idea! But what do you use it daily for?

nopuppiesallowed · 19/09/2023 21:02

My mother gave me the woollen blanket she was given when I was born. It's thinner now but I used it to wrap all of my three babies in and will give it to one of my daughters one day.