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

[Limth]

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?

My back scratcher. So satisfying and it’s even in the shape of a hand. I use it to scratch my head too 😆

I had to Google what this even was. Do you have to write on every single card? What happens if you don't need the person any more, or there are new additions but they are in the wrong order?

I got a pair of secateurs from my FIL for Christmas. Best tool ever. They are amazing. The grip is perfect, they are so sharp, they cut loads of stuff I wouldn’t expect. I love them so much.

Wow! I think I am now in love with your husband. That is so thoughtful!

Me too! And they’re not cheap! I did think ‘what the fuck and why’ when my lovely friend bought me this but I’ve practically died with eternal gratitude ever since 😊

Please post more details for this. This would be a perfect gift my friend.

One of those kneely things for the garden, which if you flip the other way becomes a seat with bags either side for tools. Was a bit offended receiving this at 34, but it’s become so so useful for gardening 😂

A Le Creuset what though…?!

MrsAvocet · Today 01:07
My brother gave me a sandwich toaster and a copy of the Good Housekeeping cookery book for my 18th birthday in 1984.

I too got given a copy of the Good Housekeeping cookery book for my 18th in 1985, and at the time was a bit bemused as I couldn't cook and had no intention of learning!
Almost 38 years later, it's the best cookery book I've ever had.....it taught me the basics, plus some other lovely stuff, and I still use it regularly.

A hot glue gun as a 'new baby' gift!

When my DS was born nearly 20 years ago, a good friend of mine came to visit, and her 'baby' gift to me was a hot glue gun. I thought it was a joke at the time but oh my god what a gadget!! My friend told me that all the baby gifts will have a short live span, whilst I will always use a hot glue gun. She couldn't have been more right. The hot glue gun has been used pretty much weekly, at times daily, ever since, and it's still going strong. And so is my friendship!

@Theraffarian

I have a similar looking gadget I used yesterday on a hard to open coke bottle. It was originally mum's but not sure how long she had had it.

Thank you for the memory, ❤️My mum had a Bamix stick blender/mixer/chopper . it was the most versatile thing in her kitchen, she used it almost daily. She died twenty years ago and my sister inherited it. I’m going to see if they are still on sale and buy one if so.

@Deathraystare , sounds like mine as it has a smaller grippy circle on top of the main one , unlike the closest Amazon a like I could find . Honestly one of those gadgets I’m keeping forever!

A Victorinox tomato knife. It cuts through anything, especially your fingers.

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.

Mine too

Thank you @QueenOfWeeds that's my favourite little gadget but JL don't seem to stock them anymore
I'm getting grown up DCs these for their Christmas stockings 😊

We also got a Bamix as a baby gift. Perfect for baby food, soups and blitzing dates for sticky toffee puddings. Random! I think it came from Lakeland. Much easier to wash then the ten ton jug of our blender with heating element for soup. That’s never used for that purpose.

There is a shop on the South Bank in London that (certainly used to stock) the full range. I spent a fortune!

A few years ago I cut my hand badly while wrestling with the tin opener. That Christmas my DH gave me an electric tin opener, complete with a magnetic bit that catches the lid. My poor MIL thought he was going to be slaughtered when she saw what he’d got me, but I was delighted and it now lives on the counter and is used loads.

For my 30th, my sister got me a neon pink snowglobe with flamingos and pink glitter inside it. It lives in my bathroom and makes me smile every day.

They are not - I tried to find one for DD a year or two back.

The nearest I could find was the Oxo one, which I think is decent, but it doesn't look quite as enduring.

Ha! Only just saw this and that's what I ended up buying.

A Proper Massage table from DH, because it used to hurt his back to give me more than 10 mins massage, bent over on a bed.

So now, three years after getting it, he still consistently, many Sunday evenings, unfolds it, lights candles, puts soft music on, and invites me to receive a full hour-long massage, just when I'm starting to feel grumpy about the work week starting.

It's the gift that keeps on giving and makes me feel a very lucky woman....

A heated jacket.