My son wants a sink....

My husband bought me an electric chainsaw for my birthday. I had been complaining that we kept running out of firewood. We had 3 children under 6 at the time, and he was away from home a great deal. I did use it, a lot. We are still married.

Oh my word. I am having flashbacks here. That rolling pin was my favourite gadget in the 80'S . Had it for years until we got a chewy puppy

Tupperware water-filled rolling pin that is

I've still got one and it is in regular use!

My MiL is well known for her “practical”gifts- a ball of elastic bands (I’ve collected these over the year from those dropped by the postman”), last years diary ( “someone gave it to me but it’s never been used”). An ashtray on a stand (“ I know you don’t smoke but you might have visitors”) it’s become a bit of a family joke about guessing what we’ll get next.

As a child I loved browsing the cabinet, at the local stationery shop, which had lots of large shallow trays each containing different, beautifully coloured sheets of blotting paper (for those big desk blotters). What else could I give my Mum but, the most beautiful thing in my world? I duly saved up the required, six old pennies and spent ages choosing the colour to buy. I do not recall seeing any disappointment on my Mum's face when she opened my gift but, looking back, I know that she would have had no need of blotting paper; perhaps she gave it to my Dad, who did, at least, use a fountain pen.

I love all these sensible, practical presents. My DS's regularly bought me such things, such as a vacuum cleaner, breadmaker, set of 'good' saucepans, garden spade and many more which I loved.

Now I often get 'experiences' eg theatre trips, musicals, ballet etc. They usually take me on these trips and last year we all went to see Professor Brian Cox as a whole family. This year is an evening with Chris Hadfield (astronaut from the ISS, for those not in the know). I am so excited! I have taught them well!!! Oldest DS had cavity wall insulation for his extension from me!!

My son, then aged about 7, bought me a mousetrap for mother’s day! Bless him

I read out some of these responses to The Wonderful Man earlier - the defibrillator and zimmer frames caused him to raise his brows.
TWM is very fit and he always has been, I on the other hand, am not; he's more of a carrot shape to my apple if you get my drift. So when he bought me a bench press for my birthday soon after we were married it was NOT at my request. He got a lot of use out of it and the accompanying weights though!!

The Christmas when 1st baby was due within the month, DH and I agreed to buy each other 1 present only to cost no more than £2. Surprise, surprise on Christmas morning we had each bought the other the very first Guinness Book of Records. I exchanged mine for Lewis Grassic Gibbons' Sunset Song Trilogy which has remained my favourite book of all time.

And they say romance is dead!

I bought my husband and myself a zimmerframe for Christmas. We have everything we need so we have started to buy things we may need in the future! I purchased a commode for one of his birthdays! Which we have since used for his broken leg and my back seizure!

When my DD was 5 she asked for my very own ‘rainy window’ for Christmas..

Had absolutely NO IDEA what she meant and everytime someone different asked she said, ‘a rainy window and pink vest and knickers from Woolworths!’ (This was 27 years ago) it always brought puzzled looks from whoever had asked, with me shrugging my shoulders and shaking my head.

I racked my brains trying to figure what it was and was panicking as Christmas approached, especially as she kept saying she believed Santa was magic and HE knew what it was!

Then one day we went out in the car and it was pouring with rain... sitting in her car seat she was mesmerised when the wipers went on!

Ping! Lightbulb moment for me!
Her own rainy window!

Managed to find a little toy steering wheel/dashboard of a car, with windscreen wipers which sprayed water on the windscreen at the touch of a button!

Sat it on her little table and sprayed a bit of water on the ‘windscreen’ just as she got up on Christmas morning.. never seen such an excited 5 year old who had her ‘ very own rainy window’ the Santa had delivered for her..

He’s magical you know

Our young (as he was once) DS asked for a mains adaptor from Father Christmas for his electric train set. He wanted nothing else, just that! He got other toys of course but the adaptor costing FC just £4 was the highlight of his Christmas.

Flossie77
Bless him . It reminds me of how, many years after we were married, my late DH on one of our wedding anniversaries presented me with a beautiful bouquet. Taken by surprise this was most unusual always thrifty, not one for extravagance, all I could think to say was 'were they reduced? Needless to say this was not forgotten.

Shazmo24 I gave my son a home made voucher one birthday , the gift was "time" . He's a stay at home dad, he cares for his girls until Mum gets home as well as working . So I gave him a precious day off and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

One present was, quite literally, a heap of sh*t - and yes, I had well and truly asked for it (for my allotment)

The funniest thing was seeing my very 'girly' late sil's face when DH told her what he had given me. Priceless!

On my request DD bought me decent quality garden arch. My old cheap £9 one had died and is held up by a bamboo cane and gaffer tape.
My roses will have to be cut back hard to get the ol stems out of the old frame but they will grow again and my Lovely "Graham Thomas" rose will soon grow back .
This was it flowering on 20/11/2017.

My husband always bought me practical presents , one years birthday it was a tin of paint and brushes - lovely!

Carpet.

The first Christmas after we were married, DH and I bought each other half the tiles each to do our kitchen.

An Oxfam toilet, which was requested. I made the appropriate donation and the recipient received a card with a picture of the sort of loo needed in impoverished communities with little or no sanitation. it was great. I want one next!

My daughter bought me a posh (John Lewis) washing up bowl for my birthday last year. Its what I'd asked for and I love it!

For me its got to be Barmyldbats request for defibrillator

I think that's a brilliant present, if that's what he wants! My husband's uncle once bought us a new boiler, because we needed one and couldn't really afford it.