to think that tea towels are a RUBBISH present?

[bexster5]

Or am I just an ungrateful cow?

I would be very happy with nice fancy tea towels as a present. I can totally understand why others wouldn't though.

Lol at changey's DH's disdain for holiday sweets. Holiday and birthday sweets definitely the norm everywhere I have worked and I work in a highly qualified professional environment. Same for my DH.

Prrobably not done in professional circles. My OH is professional

I've worked in solicitors' offices since 1982 and holiday sweets have been standard in every one. Admittedly usually airport packs of Toblerone although I did bring 2 packs of unidentifiable sweets from Beijing.

I know lots of professional environments where they practically invent reasons for cake and sweets. Cake Tuesday is the norm for a very good friend and he's Mr Professional. He also brings us some very odd things from some countries. Strange sweets made from bugs and Instruction Manuals For Raising Children from some very odd and regimented places are my highlights so far. Oh and a plastic Jesus wearing a Father Christmas hat.

I'd like some tea towels. But lots of mine are worn out and like PP I rather enjoy practical presents.

For example, I am always delighted with bubble bath, shower gel, body lotion... I always use it and never get round to buying it so it is a great gift for me. Never understood why people like my mum moan. I'd rather have tea towels or bubble bath or socks or tights or gloves than a silly book of 100 things to do now you are 50 or whatever.

My kids seem to be the same - DS2 was delighted with new fluffy sports socks in his stocking this Christmas :)

Bit of a crap gift from a partner but from SiL if you have a new home/kitchen etc then fine.

BTW re holiday presents - I am a teacher and used to be a journalist and in both settings (reasonably professional I guess, tho I am not sure what it means tbh) people bring back crap sweets or nice biscuits from holiday and bring in cakes for their birthday.

Hahaha changeychangechangeychange! Now tampax would be hilarious as a gift!!

I wish this was a joke of a thread but I'm ashamed to admit I was actually slightly put out by tea towel gift. When I say main present I mean only present and wasn't expecting more. Tbh I'd probably have been happier with nowt and just the presents for the DCs which were great.

I cannot believe quite how much discussion this has generated. Far more so than feeding or colic threads I started. I have evidently seriously underestimated the importance of the tea towel!!!

Im a profession and so my dh and believe he holiday chocs happen. Everywhere ive worked they happen....

Professional ipad is being naughty. Solicitors offices and nhs locations i can ensure you do holiday sweets!

Oh and tea towels not practical for me as I do not use them (washing can drop dry!!)

DRIP dry!

I'm difficult to buy for (my siblings coined the phrase "and your present Is pre-donated to th charity shop" for me).

I quite like tea towels they are useful and decorative. I got one for Christmas from an elderly relative who is renowned for giving "interesting " presents, my siblings both wanted my tea towel instead of their gift!

I think the comments about sweets in offices are horrible. I work in a professional capacity and holiday sweets and cake for birthday are essential!

Drop dry! . That expensive op. seriously relook at your tea towels as it has other uses, or donate your unloved unappreciated tea towel.....

Love t-towels as gifts. Never been given those horrid check towelling ones but lots of Emma bridgewater/cath kidston ones and such like. Love bits and bobs for the home.

I have given MIL many many teatowels over the years
Harrods, Royal wedding, jubilee, Olympics, those ones that the DC make at school with their self portraits all over.....
I'm pretty sure she loves them all. At least I hope so....

I asked for tea towels from my elderly and much-loved friend for Christmas. She got lovely ones from M&S which match our kitchen exactly (grey, white and turquoise) I like practical presents and don't want a lot spent on me, so these were perfect.

I gave two friends some feminist tea towels for Christmas (yes, such things do exist, ask Caitlin Moran). Both of them loved them. But they were in addition to more sensible gifts and deliberately bought for the sentiment printed on them, rather than their absorbent properties.

I like tea towels. My mum who is now dead used to regularly buy one for me (amongst other things) at xmas and they now remind me of her, and my teenage student son got 1 for Christmas from me.

I wonder why they are called tea towels....

Tea towels are "compulsory" holiday gifts between me, my mum and my aunt. The tackier the better, offset by pretty ones. There are often little spats about who gets which one.Makes me smile every time I use my "Tenby and Saundersfoot sights"one. (I lost)

I absolutely love getting nice tea towels.

Should you go abroad as a girl guide they are excellent gifts for your host. take up no space, are v light and if you get one from the tourist info, it counts as a gift from your home town

I love a tea towel too. Am particularly fond of my Wimbledon one. V good quality. I got a lovely pack of M&S ones for a housewarming present too which I thought was a great gift.

Lol at the professional DH. Maybe his previous team just didn't like to share?

Tea towels can be quite pricey, I've got mostly black things in my kitchen and was going to get tea towels but would cost me to much.
My sil has a thing about pink so 1 year I got her a few pink items including some pink oven gloves, they were quite pricey. She opened them up at a family gathering and her and my dh uncle said oh arn't they hideous

She didn't say it just the uncle

DH is as professional as they come and they definitely take in sweets after holidays and cakes on birthdays!

I have a bit of a Thing about tea towels - I struggle not to buy one every time I go to a museum or similar.

I gave DP two for a Christmas present one year (along with lots of other things).