Christmas Presents We've Loved/Been Disappointed In

[CraneBoysMysteries]

I always scour this board towards Christmas for ideas of what I might like and look at others Christmas lists.

I thought instead I'd list the presents I received which I have LOVED and recommend and those I thought I would love but ended up regretting.

Hoping this might help those building their lists now:

LOVED
-SeaSalt parker. Lived up the hype. Warm, waterproof and room for a jumper underneath
-Sherpa Hunters Wellies. Loved and warm but firm support for walking the dog
-Orelia Huggies gold hoops with stars. I haven't taken them off since I got them and look great
-Kirstie LeMarque wildlmoon necklace. Looks stylish but also good for 'everyday'
-Turtledove hand warmers. An MN favourite but they are great
-Kenwood mixer. I love a good cake and use this weekly
-Ninja food processor. Fantastic for smoothies
-Salter Caramel hot chocolate from hotel chocolat. Simply the best

DISAPPOINTING
-Van boots. Found them tight on my instep and took an age to get on and off!
-Almond Oil shower gel. Lots of hype but found I had to use a lot and it didn't leave me with a nice smell
-Slow Cooker. Although there are a few good recipes, I find most of it is just mush

Please feel free to add your past present recommendations or things that have let you down!

My Dreamland heated throw has been one of my best presents ever. Gifted with books and chocolates, I'm easily pleased!

I usually choose my present from Dh myself so it's always good.
But mil has been giving me presents I haven't been so keen of

Milk tray chocolates
Hand cream fragrance set, which she probably got from school Xmas fair.
Pink fluffy dressing gown
All sorts liquirice

I

Another Kirstie LeMarque fan here 🖐

My best present recently has been a ceramic knife- they stay so sharp! Anything from Diptyque or Aesop as I am a sucker for a nice smell. Big man's jumper from Brora. Glasses from the Vintage List. Mugs from www.cornishware.co.uk - these are much nicer than standard stripy mugs. Anything from Emma Lacey www.emmalacey.com/.

Failures- the famous Velvetiser, that I found made very ordinary hot chocolate which isn't hot enough so you have to stick it in the microwave, what's the point? Endless hand cream- I never use it. A million scarves.

Most memorable gifts for good where oddly books (specific ones to my interests) which is strange because Im dislexic and struggle to read, still only read 1 out of 5 of them 5 years on but I will manage it one day lol.

Worst gifts have included gym equpitiment, wierd/ugly clothes that are 2 sizes to small, really ugly 'clown like' shoes/handbags and general 'bizaare' stuff (a wierdly small circular shower rail when we have a glass surround cubicle shower etc...).

Kindle the one you can read in the dark. Possibly my best gift I've ever gotten

@NemoNotThatOne We love our Velvetiser! You must be doing it wrong 🤔🤣🤣

Best - my Celtic sheepskin house boots from dh (after heavy hints inc. leaving a printout on his desk with size and style circled!).

And a very old (late 1800s) and cherished book given to me by a grandfather many decades ago, which my mother saw fit to get rid of during a house move when I was away at uni.
My lovely dh somehow managed to find an exact 2nd hand copy somewhere, probably on abebooks. TBH it could have been the very same one.

Not to mention a massive, prettily presented set of toiletries proudly given to me by a little dd of only about 8 - she’d chosen it herself and bought it with her own money. TBH I think she’d found it in Woolies - brands unknown! - but I made a point of using everything.

Best:
Kindle
A book DH, my then boyfriend got me that reignited my love of reading.
Any lovely recipe book.
A really nice scarf with tassels from my MIL.

Worst
A computer chair (albeit very helpful)
A roasting tin (albeit very useful!)

Best
~ kuddly (an oodie )
~ heated throw
~ Alien perfume
~ ugg slippers
~ any pjs
~ hair towelling wraps (sounds really silly , and such a small thing , but MIL bought me some 5 years ago and they're used all the time .
~ fluffy hot water bottle

Worst

~ Any kind of body lotion or hand lotion
~ bras or pants that were wrong size 🙈

Best gifts as an adult have been things like NT membership, theatre tickets, escape room vouchers, booze from someone who knows what I like and things for the house like slow cooker, le creuset dishes etc.

Worst gifts have been when I ask for something specific (very rare) and they get something similar but not right. For instance, last year I asked my DH for some specific PJs...really good quality, pretty ones to make me feel a bit special at bedtime. He decided it would be more fun to get the kids to choose them so I got M&S cotton PJs with elephants and a silly slogan on them. Or when I've asked for a specific book and I get a book but not the one I asked for. Or perfume but not the right one. My MIL buys me jumpers every Christmas without fail and they are usually not my thing at all. I hate people buy me clothes.

Best:
A drone with camera
VR headset (which I specified that I wanted)
Writing paper (I have a lot of penpals)
Little Mermaid video as a child, still remember unwrapping it
My Little Pony School as a child

Worst:
A chocolate making set when I'd hoped for a Mega Drive. Probably sound spoiled but I was gutted. Never let on though as didn't want to hurt parents' feelings.
My Gran always gave me old lady style slippers 🤣

Another disappointing gift...last year we were given a voucher to spend at a wine shop from a relative who lives abroad. There's a branch of this wine shop near us so my DH went in to choose some bottles. It turned out that the voucher could only be used for online purchases so we did an online order and were then charged a ridiculous amount for delivery that was worth about half the value of the voucher! I think we were so pissed off about it (with the wine shop not the voucher giver...not sure he even realised!) we didn't even bother in the end.

I got lamp from this etsy shop I had my eye on for weeks it was a French horn turned into a beautiful lamp. I have now put a side table from there on my Xmas list x

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Lightsandfings?load_webview=1&bid=EfOFpeIR48seo6mVO9HbDrA0_5ol

Worst was a book mark from MIL 😂

A nice present a fleecy hat from DH Russian style with flaps down side of face and ties under chin with bobble ties. I get bad ears so hard really helps me in winter.

Cream tea at kitty cafe. I Loved it.

Waterman ink pen and gel pen set with cats stationary set.

Cricket tickets are always well appreciated.

Things I dislike are candles, toiletries of any kind, clothes I don't pick myself, calendars, any food except chocolate.

Has anyone come across powder socks before like these? Are they all bamboo and what do they feel like? I’m looking for ideas for my picky sister and wondered if they were worthy of a Christmas present? I was thinking of getting a pair for every letter in her name but after looking, I think that may cost me too much:-). Any other ideas for quality presents welcome that will not cost me the earth.