Best and worst presents?

I've had a series of weirdly useless presents from my dear sister over the years, the worst being small stainless steel disc which was supposed to remove smells such as onions and garlic when used for handwashing. It's actually quite a satisfying object in its own right but totally useless. On the other hand, she made up for it the year she gave me a bird feeder which I installed where I can see it from my living room window and which has given me hours of pleasure watching the birds that visit it.

But my very best present was the ancient Landrover my DP gave me for my birthday one year. It costs me a fortune to keep it on the road but it is so useful and I love it.

I can still remember a fantastic surprise Christmas present that I had in 1957 from my first hub. A large box of Elizabeth Arden
Blue Grass which contained 9 items, including a small bottle of the perfume. I've used Blue Grass ever since. (15 years later I again received a totally unexpected gift of a bottle of Blue Grass perfume from a "special person".)
I was divorced at the time !

My worst present was from a very well off friend. A pack of those bags you pop things in and then put in the toaster! I chucked them in the bin.

Best presents - an iPad from DD; afternoon tea at the Ritz, from same DD, for her Dad and I; wedding ring, to replace the one I lost, presented to me by DH with a romantic proposal ( this was after 36 years of marriage - but his original proposal hadn't been romantic at all!)

Worst presents - cheap and nasty knickers from a horrid cousin, a pair each for me and my sister, and 4 sizes too small; two cans of anti-perspirant body spray and three half-price lipsticks, still bearing their price tags, from the shop where my DH worked - and I never wear lipstick.

Best present was an IPad mini which our son and daughter gave us for Christmas a few years ago. Used daily, but DH monopolizes it.
Worst present was when I was in a foster home age 14, I received a triangle shaped plastic box for handkerchiefs. Just the empty box.

Worst present I can think of was not actually for me but for my youngest son when he was a tot from my sis-in-law. I opened it to find a pair of pyjamas with a stain down the front which looked as if they'd been got from a jumble sale. They went straight in the bin.

My MIL was talented at buying totally unsuitable presents. I used to dread the Christmas ceremonial unwrapping of presents at her house as everyone had to open their presents one by one and look suitably grateful for whatever was in them. She often bought things I already had and it was always a struggle to look 'pleased'. When my DD was 21 MIL gave her a gold and diamond ring. It is probably quite valuable and I think a family heirloom but my DD only wears silver jewellery and in any case it looks like an engagement ring so not something she would ever wear. She was very disappointed but didn't know what to say. Thankfully since my divorce I no longer have to worry about presents from her any more.
Best present was on my 60th birthday when DS and DD came to stay and really spoiled me. They made me a full cooked breakfast then whisked me off to London where they had booked us a flight on the London Eye. We then spent the afternoon strolling round places I'd frequented in my youth when working in London before enjoying a meal together in the evening. DD had also baked a birthday cake. The next day we all went out together locally too. It was a lovely and very memorable weekend.

My DH went on a corporate trip to Disney in Florida and when he arrived home he said he had got me a present. He proudly gave me the boxed Disney soaps which he had saved from the bathroom. Needless to say I was not amused.
Over the years he has made up for it with many lovely presents, but is not good with coming up with ideas, one of the best presents was an expensive watch, it wasn't what I would have chosen therefore I went back to the shop and changed it but the thought was there!

Worst present was a pair of woollen socks from DH ( I'm allergic to wool as he well knows ) !
Best was an IOU from my son to help me dig a wildlife pond which has given me hours of delight ever since ?

My ex father in law decided to paint a room for us as a wedding present after we had recently moved into our first house. When I returned home from work, I nearly died when I saw polystyrene tiles on the ceiling. They stayed there until I sold the house and the next buyer had to deal with them. My ex saw nothing wrong with them either.

Best: My ukuleles!
Worst: Tacky souvenirs our elderly neighbour brings from her hols and we have to keep them on show in case she comes round bless her!

Love these posts. Irma it just shows how different we all are.
One of my worst presents was a wheelbarrow, but it was beaten by a demister pad for my Christmas from my MIL.
Best was my kindle fire from my DS.

Best
My Kindle
Ticket to opera at Covent Garden
Digital photo frame

Worst
Huge v expensive box of chocs from DH one Christmas.Not onky ead I on a diet (arent I always) but it was so impersonal-like something you would buy your secretary .He got the message
I would be very dissapointrf9 to receive any household 'good'as a gift unless it was an indulgence and specifically requested eg some lovely and hideously expensive salt and pepper shakers from the DDs one year.Ditto electronic scales .

My ex once gave me a wooden hand carved into a bowl. It was utterly hideous. It was extremely badly carved, all the fingers were carved the exact same length, and quite frankly I very much wanted to cut off three fingers and give it straight back to him!!

The BEST present I was given was from my soulmate, he had been scared to death by my elderly car's habit of the engine cutting out at odd times....usually on a busy roundabout. So declaring he was fed up with the danger this put me in, took me in to a local car dealership, bought me a nearly new car! Not only that, as we were about to leave, he handed me his mobile, asking me to call my DSL. Some chat later, he had bought another car for my DD! A couple of weeks later, DD and DSL were asked to meet us at showroom, to see me pick up my new car. Only DD patiently put up with me showing off the various things of the new car, even to the point of sitting in the driving seat to see what it felt like. Then I was able to had over the keys, and say, 'you had better drive it home, it's yours!' . That's mine, over there! You should have seen her face......utterly gobsmacked!

My MIL gave me the most "unusual" gifts for many years my husband got the usual Christmas gifts ...shirt...aftershave...jumper ...but I got candy striped flannelette sheets ..hated them and they just piled up in the linen cupboard till one of my friends said she knew someone that would love them so they went to a good home ....one year she gave me the most odd shaped parcel and with the other gifts was put under the tree till Christmas Day ....when I opened it it was a fresh ham joint in a plastic wrapper didn't open or use it as it had been there for about a week ......
My best present was a brand new car from my husband I've always had a car but never a new one

A saucepan for my Christmas ( ex hub ! )
Best, Coffee machine from Dil and son!

My best present was for my 50th birthday. A surprise party at an Italian restaurant including friends and family I hadn't seen for years, and then my 3 children presented me with a shoe box - I was a Clarks Shoe shop manager at the time, and thought "Oh no! not more shoes" but when I opened the box, inside were a bottle of champagne, train tickets to London for me and my sister, a weekend in a lovely hotel, and tickets to see the show 'Miss Saigon'. That was over 20 years ago, but I still smile when I think of the fun we had. I can't think of any bad presents I have received - except I did once get a mouse trap for Mothers Day from my 6 yrs old DS!

My MiL is fame for her gifts- a ball of string, a can of Stella, a pack of notelets half used, a bag of elastic bands retrieved from the postman amongst many others. Worst present from my OH: a bread maker , he couldn't understand why I wasn't thrilled. Best present from my OH: a fantastic Bernina sewing machine( which I asked for)