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?

I got my young adult DS packs of three stick on spotlights that change colour. It was last minute gift that I chucked in their stockings. They're over the moon with them!

Bought this for £4 back in August as a bit of a stocking filler and ds loves it!

A toy hamster that runs around in a ball. Ds had asked for a ps5 or a hamster. He got the ps5 and the toy hamster and spent the whole day playing with said hamster while repeating.. I knew santa wouldn't let me down!!! Hes 10 🤣

The giant M&S Percy Pig, DD is 15 but didn't put it down all day, it even sat at the dinner table with us 🤦🏻‍♀️

[quote TeddyBeans]@NaughtipussMaximus he's palm sized! Called Tortellini (torte-mimi according to my 2yo) ❤️[/quote]
I love him! And his name 😍😍

I picked up a Brooke Bond card book on butterflies in the chazza as a joke present for dh, who is a massive nature nut. Obviously been collected by a child as some are in the wrong place, upside down etc. He posted on Twitter on a “favourite gift” thread that this was his absolute favourite thing. It took him back to his childhood and the mistakes are charming. And it was the thing that made him so interested in British butterflies.

My ds got a mouse, mat and new keyboard. It changes colours. He loved it. It was a last minute present.

My unexpected good present was 2 gift vouchers for a new tattoo.

For different shops. Doesnt matter i will make use of them.

An adult fluffy set of ear muffs from b and m for my 6 year old DD. She wore them for chtistmas dinner and in bed last night. Currently wearing them whilst eating a late breakfast and watching Zog.

The very last present I bought DS (3) was two extra Hexbugs for his bug in the kitchen game. They have gone everywhere with him yesterday and today.

@BertieBotts I was about to say I got a harmonica for DS and that was by far his favourite present too!!

An expensive bath oil... and a heated throw blanket for me and an oodie for dd.... happy days ahead

My eldest DS amazed me by giving me a wax seal set for sealing letters with different seals. As a massive fan of letter-writing and gorgeous stationery, I was surprised and thrilled. Can’t wait to try it out!

PS. Loving this thread, it’s so good to read happy stuff!

DS was thrilled with a bobbly bath mat. He went for a bath rather than his usual shower in its honour.

My DD (10) gets a token small gift from my DB’s inlaws. We only see them once a year, but at a Xmas event. They don’t have DGCs, so it’s a bit hit & miss. I usually beg them beforehand to settle for small chocs for her, since she’s easily pleased and they are elderly and find it hard to shop around.

Yesterday she unwrapped a shortish string of LED multicoloured lights from them. Maybe £6 tops? Turns out it is THE ABSOLUTE BOMB if you’re 10yo at her school. All the cool kids have them, yada yada. She’s beyond thrilled, best Xmas ever, etc.

That, and a £1.50 thing of hair chalk. Huge win, from a random cousin.

So much for my carefully curated, wincingly-priced treasures under the tree. Or the fab ‘experience’ presents from her closer relatives. Things I could only have dreamed of at her age.

Two more raging success presents: my 2yo nephew adored the foot-high fairground funny mirror I bought him. He thinks it’s hilarious, and some kind of toddler magic.

And I’m inordinately chuffed at a random jar of expensive baby artichokes in oil. ‘Oooo,’ says DH (as I unwrapped them) ‘that’ll be lovely for NYE snacks with crackers!’. No it bloody won’t, it’ll be me, alone, with the jar and a small fork.

Every year MIL buys me slippers, usually just cheap Primark or the like, and for the few weeks in the run up I walk around in bare feet because last years are usually dead by October and I know she'll have bought new ones.

This year she went all out and bought me UGG ones...... OMG game changer

Letter and number fridge magnets for toddler DD- spent an hour painstakingly arranging them all on the fridge and making me tell her what all the different letters were

I wish we had a magnetic fridge door

Toddler DS would love those!

A stack of secondhand Pokémon cards off eBay for DS (10). He spent all day looking at them, making notes on them, putting them into various combinations... he even wrote to my 86 year old grandma about them! Not what we had expected at all but it was very sweet.

A Lego robot for DD (8). She's never expressed much interest in Lego but DS got one (which he has completely ignored in favour of the Pokémon cards) and it seemed fair. She wanted to build it immediately, take it with her everywhere, talk to it, insist that we talk to it, take it to bed etc. 🤷🏼‍♀️

The fake oodies were a big hit. But the stand out surprise favourite was the lock picking kit I bought DS. He was so hard to think up ideas for.

A £3 (or something like that) mini basketball hoop and ball from tiger in a stocking. It's been used lots!

My Mum bought this hot water bottle for 9yo DS and he won't put it down. He's currently wearing it like a scarf while building Lego.

13yo DD got some mini toadstools in her stocking (for crafting) and she is in love with them.

I bought a random selection of stuff in the Science Museum sale for various stocking fillers including a cheapish ring from a costume jewellery collection they did for teen DD. She absolutely adores it.

Also a DNKY silk shirt from a charity shop for her which also absolutely hit the spot - she insisted on changing into it immediately and said it made her feel exactly like her videogame character.

@Onedropbeat

I wish we had a magnetic fridge door

Toddler DS would love those!

Fridge doors are usually metal (unless you've got a posh glass one) so magnetic letters should stick.

A 7.99 giant pat mat from B&M. It’s water filled and intended for babies but my DD(7) with complex needs loves it. She also loves her stocking filler unicorn slipper socks and she’s not usually a fan of socks.