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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Your best presents and the gift you never got

73 replies

RainingDogs · 10/11/2020 13:01

What are the best presents you've received, either as an adult or child? And what present did you want but never got?

One of my favourite presents as a kid was unwrapping the video of The Little Mermaid. I didn't know it had come out on video and it was my favourite movie at the time. I still remember the feeling of opening it. I remember another year Santa brought me a My Little Pony stable, I loved that. My favourite as an adult was last year, a drone from DH and DS. I love tech stuff!

One year me and my friend both wanted a Sega Mega Drive. We had different shaped presents under the tree from parents so wondered if one of us got one and one of us didn't. I was so sure I'd got it... Til I unwrapped a chocolate making set. I was of course very grateful for what I got and thanked my parents but inside I did feel disappointed. My friend got one, I was envious but got to play it at hers when I went over.

I have a feeling DH is going to get me a Mega Drive this year 😁

OP posts:

niki26 · 10/11/2020 13:10

One year I remember desperately wanting a saxophone (not random - I'd played clarinet for a few years at that point!) and being secretly disappointed that none of the presents were large enough to be one....I knew it had been unlikely and was very grateful for what I received.

After all the presents had been opened and we were entertained with our new gifts my dad said he'd found some more presents upstairs - he then brought down our 'main' presents - we weren't expecting more at all! And I got the saxophone! I was soooo happy!

Many years later, I spent months telling my now DH about the louboutins I wanted...for Christmas I had a distinctly shoe shaped box under the tree and I did wonder if he'd been so generous..... turned out to be a hairdryer!!! Although I am extremely lucky as he bought me the louboutins in New York when we went away for Christmas years and years later! And the hairdryer literally only just broke after about 9 years!!!

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 10/11/2020 13:18

My best Christmas presents as a child were a red dolls pram that looked exactly like I imagined it would look. When I was 5. And a little panda filled with beans in my stocking a few years later. He became my favourite soft toy and I still have him.

As an adult I have had some very nice things. But nothing really compares to the excitement of those early years!

There is nothing I ever asked for for Christmas that I didn’t receive. But all through my young childhood I wanted a rocking horse. I never had one - my mum was worried I would fall off and hurt myself. She is a lovely woman, but a dreadful worrier.

Untrained · 10/11/2020 13:29

Some of my best presents; a big toy collie dog (I wanted a dog and he was as close as I could get and I loved him as much as any real dog!) and when I was a little older, an onyx style ring which was my first grown up jewellery (from Argos don’t ya know!). The presents I never got; a girls world doll styling head and a Mr Frosty ice maker. Not that I’m bitter...

henryhooversnose · 10/11/2020 13:37

My mum and dad always went all out for Christmas but my favourite gift was a sindy house . I never did get a mr frosty or a cabbage patch kid though as my mum thought they were ugly .

Lovemusic33 · 10/11/2020 13:45

Not sure of anyone else remembers these but every year I would get a plastic money box (pig or dog?) which contained chocolate balls/eggs similar to kinder chocolate? Did anyone else get these? Was in the 80’s.

I remember my brothers presents more than my own, I was a Tom boy and always wanted the things he got, he man, ghost busters car, Star Wars toys etc.., I hated getting girly toys such as barbie sand the evil styling head thing.

Scanner20 · 10/11/2020 13:48

@Lovemusic33 yes I remember these and they tasted so good, I often mention them to my siblings but they don't remember them.

Scanner20 · 10/11/2020 13:49

I always wanted a post office and never had one, mr frosty we often asked for, did they actually work?

I had a baby alive one year and that was one of the best presents, polly pocket was a firm favourite too.

itsme · 10/11/2020 14:00

Best present ever was a toy kitchen- I think it encouraged my love of food and cooking.
As an adult there's not really too much I want- always grateful for some new pjs and slippers.

Lovely1a2b3c · 10/11/2020 14:02

We were spoilt so I think I got everything I asked for each year. My Dad was great at doing stockings full of fun little knick-knacks too.

My favourite presents as a kid were baby dolls (Baby Born etc.) and soft toy animals though so maybe they weren't hugely expensive.

Teachmuggles1419 · 10/11/2020 15:34

My best Xmas present was from my grandad who got me a broken down chopper bike from the scrap heap 🤣
At first I was really disappointed but then it was the best present I ever received it was fun fixing it up with him.

Teachmuggles1419 · 10/11/2020 15:35

Toy I never got that wanted - mr frosty !

CamdenLurker · 10/11/2020 15:43

Lots of us it seems didn't get a Mr Frosty, my mum would only ever buy us gifts that she approved of, if she thought it was a gimmick she refused to buy it. I must have asked for that mr Frosty every year until I left primary school but I never got it.

I remember getting the magnetic doodle face with the iron fillings inside and you used them to make hair or a beard. I loved that so much.

Thehollyandtheirony · 10/11/2020 15:48

My parents were pretty thrifty so I wasn’t used to big presents, although the presents were always thoughtful and i was grateful.
One year my mum made a big deal about needing to know my first and second choice main present, but I would only get one of them. She then surprised me on Christmas Day by getting both.
I always wanted the styling head thing that a PP hated!

Notgoingonholiday · 10/11/2020 15:55

RainingDogs I got the My Little Pony Show stable one year too. I remember opening it at 2am with my brother and sister and then wanting to go back to sleep and they wouldn't let me.
One year, I guess the year ET came out, I reeeeally wanted a Speak n Spell, as seen in ET... I got a Speak n Write. Not the same at all. I have to mention it every time ET is on...

Original poster

RainingDogs · 10/11/2020 15:55

I forgot about Mr Frosty! I wanted that too!

OP posts:

Whiskeylover45 · 10/11/2020 16:39

One year must have been about seven I saw an advert for Sindy's disco house. I remember running to tell mum and dad that's what I wanted from santa. That Xmas I will never forget the feelings I felt when I opened my present and it was a Sindys disco house! I always wanted a Mr frostys ice con maker. No idea why but I never received one. Obviously I was grateful for what I got but it forever stuck with me as all my friends had one and I desperately wanted to be the same. This year, after many, many, many years of hearing about it, DH finally thew his hands up in the air and announced he would get me a sodding Mr frosty if it would just shut me up! So yeah I'm getting a Mr Frosty

Cactuslockdown · 10/11/2020 16:44

Another one that always wanted a Mr Frosty here! I brought one for my DH a few years ago, it was most disappointing... I think it had reduced the amount of sugar and E numbers since the 80s!!
Also loved the plastic animals with little kinder egg things inside!

DialSquare · 10/11/2020 16:53

Penny Puppy Walker for me. A doll who could walk her own little dog (sort of!)
Loved that doll.

maxineputyourredshoeson · 10/11/2020 17:47

I have two favourite presents; my dolls house that my grandad hand built for me. I still have it (I’m now 41) and my heart swells to see the offcuts of my nan and grandads carpets. My other favourite present was a dolls pushchair, it was cream with navy corduroy on the hood and seat.

I also have two things I always wanted - a Mr Frosty like lots of others and a Fashion Wheel, not sure why I didn’t get them either.

mam0918 · 10/11/2020 18:13

I dont really ask for things so never expected something and didnt get it, except the year Furby came out, the most sought after and sold out toy - I got an IOU for one but I wasnt really disappointed, I got it a few weeks later and honestly it was fad tat that I was over in a week lol.

Best gift have ALWAYS been stuff I had never heard of before, theres nothing more of a suprise than something you litrally didnt know existed until you opened it and it was always cooler than the stuff you had seen. Thats why I feel sad for kids (and adults) that do lists and only get stuff off them, they are missing so much joy they are unaware of.

mam0918 · 10/11/2020 18:15

@maxineputyourredshoeson

I also have two things I always wanted - a Mr Frosty like lots of others and a Fashion Wheel, not sure why I didn’t get them either.

a fashion wheel... that brings back memories :)

I never see toys like that anymore (or maybe its just because I have all boys so never get to buy girly things).

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 10/11/2020 18:18

Like many others i never got a Mr Frosty. Even though I now know how shit they are i still kind of want one.

Best was a big pile of board games because we spent so many lovely evenings playing them together.

mam0918 · 10/11/2020 18:20

the Mr Frosty thing is funny, I had one and honestly it was a dirt magnet, always sticky, hard to clean, hard to use and the result was underwhelming... I definately think the 'idea' was much better than the real thing was.

My parents tended to get me the 'must have' gifts but they usually where the biggest let downs, I know people want what they want but honestly you werent missing out must 'must have' where impractical rubbish.

This has reminded me that I always wanted a rocking horse and never got one though... I dont know why as most other girls I knew had one.

laudemio · 10/11/2020 18:40

My best gift... a weekend city break
The gift I never got... a black panther (animal, not comic character)

GreenClock · 10/11/2020 18:40

I got the styling head in 1980 and adored it - “Girls World”. I also loved my Spectrum ZX years later. Also Swingball. And Monopoly. I played a lot of tennis from the age of eight, and got a tube of tennis balls in my stocking every year - not very seasonal, but welcome.

I tended to be disappointed with clothes. Other than that, I was easy to please 😀

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