Time for a worst/most bizarre Christmas present thread

[pinkksugarmouse]

Ex DH and I separated on good terms and the first Christmas exchanged gifts in front of our 12yr old DDD.To show we were friends. He got me 2 lush bath bombs. Now I have life long Rheumatoid Arthritis and haven't been able to use a bath since I was a child. We'd been married for 14yrs. We'd lived in a place with a walk in shower due to my arthritis. I wasn't upset just baffled.

Slow cooker liners. In my stocking, but still

Things from charity shops do not stink to high heaven

Get over yourself

My family actively tries to give terrible stocking fillers. Probably the best was a Vicks nasal inhaler or one of those smelly things you put in the dishwasher. My mother also spammed me with sticky lint remover brush refills for several years.

So far from reading these, I would have really liked the rugby World Cup wine bottles and the cheese.

I have probably shared this before but MIL once gave her other DIL a slightly battered cardboard box for Christmas, all wrapped up. Nothing in it, just an empty box. When questioned she said “you can never have too many cardboard boxes”.

Do you think he realised they were just for the bath?

Hahahaahah

I know someone who very clearly regifts.
I once got a box of chocolates not only out of date but had all melted then gone hard again.
Once got a nice notebook already written in. Just a shopping list but it did make me laugh.

I’m 54. In the 70s and 80s when I was a kid, remember how older women (maybe my age now!) woukd give you strange practical womanly things? Folded rain bonnets (head scarves) in a tiny plastic case that looked like a handbag. Small notebooks with tiny slim pencils attached. Kitchen gadgets like the wire thing you slice a hard boiled egg in. Notelets. A crust set. Lily of the valley bath cubes. Knitting needles. Pin cushions. A set of floral coasters. It was kind of adorable to be thought of by these kind old ladies but I was sometimes a bit puzzled. Was I, a nine year old, supposed to proudly use the coasters? Was I supposed to put them carefully away until I got married? Does anyone else remember this sort of thing

NC for this. MIL had form for P/A gifts over many years. I received Birthday gifts including oven cleaner and wrinkle cream for my 40th.
I was presented this monstrosity on Christmas day in front of many family members. One DN even said, "Well someone hates you."

I had 1 estranged, odd nan as a child. Mum's MIL. She called mum to check if my brother would like a dart board for Christmas. Mum said no, because he was only 4. Nan said 'well too bad, I've bought it already!' It was indeed a full sized dart board that you'd see in a pub!

My own MIL doesn't wrap anything. Your present will be in the carrier bag it was bought in, and if you are lucky, she might have written your name somewhere on the bag! 1 year my 2 sizes too small, primark onsie had a packet of boys superman pants in the bag. Another year, a bag of defrosted peas with my gift!

DH can't wear polyester because he sweats. MIL knows this. She gave him a black, balaclava one year. Burglar style like the pic! We live in the south east of the UK, not Antarctica!

Some things definitely do.

Yes. So many notelets

@GeorgeandAsh what is it?

As a 15 year old Mod ,I got a beach boys cassette from my Gran..she meant well.

WTF is it?

It's a glass crab isn't it?

Yes! I acquired quite a collection of bath cubes, lace doilies, pincushions, coasters, needle books, notelets and the notebooks with the teeny pencils!

Oh and tons and tons of those teeny little glass and china animals that looked like they’d been a cracker prize. There used to be absolutely tons of ‘em at any church fete or bric à brac stall for 5 or 10p each (1980s prices…) I saw some on sale recently at an antiques centre for TEN POUNDS EACH — I nearly fell over in shock!

A dear friend loves giving gifts, and I know they aren't cheap but my goodness they are often random - frequently large ornamental things that are unbelieveably ugly not at all to our taste.
For instance there's been a huge print of a drawing of the exterior of a 1950s American diner by night with street lights and neon signs that light up when you plug it in.
A recent one was a large silver octopus which is gracing a spare bedroom at the moment. It's much like this... https://www.homeluxeinterior.co.uk/silver-octopus-candle-holder-decor-12300-p.asp?srsltid=AfmBOopzn5OqfvwmETIdda6VEreSaEoMyhoI0QNJACEdTXUJSARXgdqmoY

My Gran always carried a rain mate (plastic head scarf 70s.

The mind boggles!

Tbf though, I'm in hospital unexpectedly and likely to be for several weeks at least.

So I ordered disposable knickers online and was very pleased with myself.

Now, however, I feel frankly cheated out of a black g string with bonus pantyliner

What IS IT?!

Thinkyou just won the internet 😂

Ok, slightly OT but rather sweet.

Dd aged 10 opened her stocking presents in the morning. She was very pleased with them and put the more special presents in her wooden box.

Fast forward to the summer holidays and I get a shrieking yep of delight as she finds the box and had never remembered she had it!

So we had a little chunk of Christmas as we got ready for the autumn term.

@Newstartplease24 The lily of the valley bath cubes whizzed me back in time, and I remembered that that same breed of lovely, practical older ladies you describe also used to give lily of the valley and sweet pea (I think) soaps with flower pictures, literal photos, on their surface. They came in very smooth, hinged polystyrene packaging. I had forgotten they existed until your post but now I feel like I can smell them!