What is the best present you have given/received where the value was all/mostly in the thought/time/effort?

[cleanandclothed]

Mine are:

Given - a 'Santa is a tractor boy' (Ipswich town supporter) father christmas hat

• a DVD of DS

Received - a palette knife from my MIL - I couldn't find one to buy anywhere and she managed it

• a DVD of the Heidi series that was on when I was about 5 and I loved it (given to me when I was 29
• A tape my DH made me of him reading Winnie the Pooh.

A couple of years ago, my mum sorted all our baby and kiddie things out from the loft and did us each a box with them all in. There were things that I had completely forgotten about in there, including school reports, my first ever toy baby doll called Holly, scraps of hair from my first ever hair cut and all my tap and brownie badges. DD loves looking through it all.

She also made me a scrapbok of all the things she'd secretly been collecting on the run up to our wedding, which included all the receipts for things they'd paid for and fabric samples.

My dad made me a mechanical toy with three giraffes who move about behind some trees when you turn a handle. When I was about 25. Most of the leaves have fallen off now and I occasionally have to replace/fix the rubber bands that hold it all together, but it reminds me of my lovely dad (who died a few years ago) whenever I see it. And my DSs love it too.

Given -

to my goddaughter on her christening, I had a little necklace made with beads made of semi-precious stones according to their meanings. It was like a necklace of blessings - rose quartz for love, something for strength, something for something else. I wish i could remember it... I wrote it all down and gave it to her.

Received -

In the 50s a friend of my granny's wrote a lovely book about gardening. My mum has a copy on her bedside table at all times. My aunt died in February and in May my mum gave me my aunt's copy of this book for my bedside table. Completely free, but completely lovely.

My best present as a kid was a home made ginger bread house, made by my uncle. It was huge and had the scene of Haensel and Gretel in it. There was even the witch Best of all, after starring at it for days I could eat it all! Priceless!

As an adult: my mum got divorced years ago but kept all the family pictures. When I moved out, she made me three different photo albums: 1 me as a baby, 1 us as complete family, one after the divorce. It was very thoughtful and must have hurt her so much to put all those memories together. I cried when I opened the present and realised that it was my life in pictures... (she was working on it for 2 months every evening!)

this thread is so beautiful all from the heart!!!

When DH and I were first together, I had spoken at length to him about how obsessed I was with Neighbours and Kylie and Jason. My prized possession was a video called "The Scott and Charlene Love Story". I used to cry every time I watched it but my video ate the tape.

He went out and found me a copy for our first Christmas - I cried for hours. I still have it despite not even owning a video anymore.

oh alicet. how lovely. am bawling eyes out! what a wonderful husband you have.