Unexpected hit presents

[NaughtipussMaximus]

What random presents have you given or received this yeah that have gone down really well? I got DH a beanie hat with an LED torch on the front for going into the loft as we don’t have a light up there, and he can never find his torch (and when he does it’s out of charge, and he ends up using the torch on his phone). It was super cheap and a bit of a last minute random thing, but he loves it! It’s really bright, and we’ve already both used it loads for going out into the garden to get things from the garage fridge. I especially love it as I used to hate going into the garage when it was dark and groping around for the light switch....

Anyone else got something similar?

A slinky is currently the most played with present. Which pleased me because I picked it.

A wooly poncho. Not fashionable and my mum wasn't sure I'd like it, but she bought it because the classroom is so cold. Its perfect and much more practical than large scarf that keeps slipping down.
My DD got a bubble set that makes huge bubbles. It was reduced in the tesco summer sale. She loves it!

a £1 dot-to-dot book.
He loved all his presents, but this is the one that made him get all emotional and excited.

My cousin bought dd 16 and ds 7 a Teddy bear fleece reindeer sleeping bag each and they both absolutely love them, not something I would have picked at all, mainly cos I hate blankets everywhere but they both spent all day on and off snuggled up in them and ds went to sleep in his last night.

It was from Tesco and has a dancing unicorn on the front.

A proper styling head. Wasn't asked for in any way but I knew DD,8 would just love it. She does and has even named her. Scared the bloody life out of me in the night when I walked into the half lit kitchen where it so screwed onto the table though. 😂

A plush pet cat from Battersea dogs home

Bizarrely, a horse lead rope. We have no horse, and this was a last minute stocking filler for my horse daft teen. She does ride, and will be starting work at the stables once this lockdown lifts hence the addition of a rope, but we didn't expect it to be as popular as it was!

IMAK eye mask. Unexpected present but I really like it for soothing sore eyes and total blotting out of every vestige of light for sleeping.

Teen DD absoloutely loved metal reusable straws and iced coffee sachets. Very last minute but a certain hit 🤷‍♀️

These are all great!
@Thebookswereherfriends love the soap idea - especially useful this year!
@Onedropbeat Dyspraxic DS(6) gets a tiny slinky in his stocking every year and nearly always tangles it up within hours! DH says ‘Why did you get him one of those AGAIN!?’ It’s a triumph of hope over experience, because DS does love then!
@katmarie your DS sounds v cute with his baby shark 🦈

Another one - DH and I are both sporners and he got me a usb camera to peek inside my ears, with ear cleaning accessories. I’m extremely excited to get rooting around in there.

6 year old DS is hilariously thrilled with a beige hoody from his great aunt. I mean I’m not knocking it, it’s a lovely and practical present I’m just tickled it’s got such a big reaction. I think he thinks it’s very grown up maybe.

My 1yo has played nicely with all of toys which is somewhat unexpected as I wasn’t sure if she’d be overwhelmed. Biggest success was some sylvanians as she keeps stealing her sister’s. My 4yo played for longest with a sticker book. Sometimes it’s the simple things they like the most.

Bought my brother a pizza box which has 4 pairs of socks with mushroom, tomato etc pizza topping patterns on them. He loves it.

I should probably add my best ever random last minute hit present (from about 20 years ago!). My mum always used to get a Rupert the Bear annual for Christmas when she was a child (in the 1950s) and to her it was the quintessential gift. She used to talk about them with fond nostalgia every Christmas. One year I was in town on Christmas Eve and happened to nip through WH Smiths -they had stacks of annuals reduced to about £3 each, among them the latest Rupert annual, so I grabbed one as a sort of cute “gag” gift. Readers, she cried when she opened it! She was so touched and said it brought back all her happy childhood Christmas memories. It was her most treasured gift that year.

@Mumdiva99 they’re amazing aren’t they?! It’s silly but I used to imagine something waiting for me in the dark garage and grabbing my wrist and dragging me into the darkness... too much Stephen King! But the LED is as bright as a thousand suns so I feel much safer 🤣🤣🤣

DS got some kinetic sand for Xmas from a friend and I absolutely love it. So soothing. I’d resisted getting it for him because I imagined it would be really messy but actually it’s fine.

I got dyspraxic 18 year old a huntsman Swiss Army knife. Already cut herself putting the blade away. All the teens think it's cool!

@NaughtipussMaximus my mum got my DH one of those hats with a light for walking the dog. He absolutely loves it too. Was sat wearing it in the house all day!

A knitted hat for dd2 with a hole in the top for her ponytail.
She wore it all day yesterday - the cracker hat went over the top obviously.
She wore it to bed abs has just surfaced with it on.

Duplo police station for DS (2.5) He has developed a love for 'naw nee's' and add in the button to make the siren go on the police car and you've got an instant hit.

My favourite present is my new pet tortoise. He arrived at the beginning of December and has been a massive hit with both DS and myself 😁

Best presents here was a big jelly bean machine, DD8 like all her other presents but I was told nothing I bought could top that one that FC got her. DD7 had asked for loads of barbie clothes and accessories, managed to find her some stuff then 2 days before Christmas a Barbie campervan popped up on FB selling site for £5. I thought I'd get it, bits missing but she wouldn't know what it was meant to come with. Best present ever. She and her sister spent all day yesterday playing with it and its out again now.

Mine aren't really unexpected 😅 nevermind!

@TeddyBeans very jealous of your pet tortoise! What’s he called? Is he tiny? I’ve always wanted one!

@Haggertyjane

Bought my brother a pizza box which has 4 pairs of socks with mushroom, tomato etc pizza topping patterns on them. He loves it.

We bought the pizza socks for my DS last year! He loves them but has made holes in all of them. This year he's had fried egg socks.

@NaughtipussMaximus he's palm sized! Called Tortellini (torte-mimi according to my 2yo) ❤️