Best and worst gifts

[tracilicious]

I'm a fairly easy person to give gifts to. Give me something even slightly useful or unique and I'm a happy camper. Though I'm difficult to really impress with gifts. The flip side to that is that I'm also hard to disappoint. Did anyone else get any spectacular or spectacularly awful gifts this year?

I'll start with the awful. This was actually a gift to Michael from a coworker. It's a book called The Tao of Meow. It's supposed to be written by a cat. It's basically a book of really awful poems about or by cats that are supposed to give you direction or meaning in your life. Really really awful poems. I have you people to thank for it, too. Michael sent this coworker a few funny pics from Kitty Pics thread and I suppose she thinks we're cat freaks or something. We don't even own a cat. Not that a cat lover would like this horrible poetry though. (Of course, Michael is grateful that this coworker took the time to get him a gift, etc.)

For the wonderful I have two gifts. The first is a bunch of cards given to me by a friend. I usually hate cards. They are so lame. These, however, are fantastically unique. Each one has art on the front that is somewhat weird and almost grotesque in some cases, and the sayings are far from typical. Some are quotes from Einstein and the likes, and some say cool things like:

Guilt promenades its rotund ass across my unusually broad shoulders, rebeling in the ample room they provide. Yet instead of dissuading it with a jarring shrug or even a disruptive twitch, I stand perfectly still...glad to be of assistance.

or this one:

I really need to know. I'm stretched again, but my resilience is long gone and I can't bounce back. It's tiresome dragging around the excess, yet I'm unsure whether it's safe to cut it off. What if it houses my essence, or the directional portion of my id?

Nearly every person I send these to will think it very odd at best. I love that. These cards are so fantastic. I'm going to send them all out in the year to come. One of the most perfect gifts I've ever gotten. This person is a seriously talented gift giver.

The other fantastic gift I got was a photo collage from Michael and Indi. They snuck off to Michael's work to print the photos so I wouldn't know. Indi picked them out and they worked together to glue them onto a painting of a family tree that they did together. They managed to pull it off as a complete surprise too (I'm extremely hard to surprise). If I were the crying type, I'd have cried. I think this makes it to the very top of the list as the best gift I've ever gotten. Even though they did pick one picture of me that I really hate. The best gifts in life really are free.

[blueerica]

This year, the worst gift goes to the knee high stockings that I guarantee I will never ever ever wear. You'd have to see them to understand.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Best Gifts: A very good quality cookware set from Matthew's dad, a beautiful Buddha profile statue from Matthew, and a black and white vintage Tomorrowland framed photo, with the Matterhorn in the background, and a motor boat traveling under a Alweg Monorail. It was sent by a dear friend and I literally gasped when I first saw it.

Worst gift: A shower radio. I live in what we lovingly refer to as radio free Dana Point. We just have lousy radio reception here. Twenty bucks says that this radio picks up one station and it plays mariachi music.

[scaeagles]

My wife and I gave the worst gift to our duaghter. She wanted a laptop, and we were thinking it would be too expensive. my mother in law said "we have a laptop only a year old - you can have that to give to her because we never use it". So they cleaned it up, and we gave it to her.

Well, the laptop was 4 years old, the battery doesn't work, and it isn't high speed internet capable.

Had a very excited daughter for about 10 minutes.

I'm heading to Best Buy today to buy a laptop. Sigh. I could not give her that and say "Oh, well.....we tried. Merry Christmas."

[3894]

Best: A bracelet from Sundance. It's a bunch of hearts strung together and it's from the hubbo. *happy sigh*

Worst:My well-to-do sister needs to stay the hell away from Steinmart. She gave my kids (fashionistas aged 17 and 14) a tiny enameled-and-Swarovsky crystalled metal box (for pills?) in the shape of a fish, and a bent pad of paper. 'K.

[Alex]

Best: A $30 Applebee's gift card.

Worst: A $30 Applebee's gift card.

It was the only gift I received this year (how wonderful it was to find that my new job doesn't really do anything for Christmas, which makes sense since about 70% of the office are people of non-Christian extraction).

I hate getting gift cards. Not because they are tacky or show a lack of effort. If you buy me a gift and it takes you two minutes or 2,000 it is the same to me. I hate gift cards because they generally shift the burden of shopping from the gifter to me. Giving me the gift of shopping is giving me the gift of time spent in hell. I spent two hours shopping for a watch on Saturday and by the end of that I literally wanted to come home and take a nap I was so worn out.

So, 90% of the gift cards I get eventually just get thrown away because I'd rather not go to Wal-Mart or Barnes & Noble or Home Depot or World of Disney or wherever and I'm not going to keep them in my wallet for when life forces me into one of those establishments.

But as far as gift cards go, restaurant gift cards are probably best since I do eat out all of the time and doing so isn't shopping.

That said, Lani and I regularly make fun of the people lined up at our local Applebee's. Who the hell willingly eats at Applebee's if there is another restaurant within 40 miles (let alone 50 feet as in the case of this Applebee's)?

But regardless of the fact that we'll probably never use it I am glad to receive it since the last few years my grandparents have been going through a rough financial patch and weren't able to include anything with their Christmas cards. Not getting anything was fine (most years I never cashed the check they'd send anyway) but it was saddening knowing that they didn't because they couldn't.

[MouseWife]

It would seem I screwed up on some gifts. Gave the Hubster a jacket that was too small. {he has lost a lot of weight and I thought this was his new size...} He put it on to show me it didn't fit and it was quite funny.

I also gave my sis something too small {she says, she won't even try it on :rolleyes: }. A nice robe type thing, lounger?

I get what you say about gift cards, Alex. I used to feel that way, too. But, they don't expire and you can give them away if you don't think you'll use them. {before I felt like I had to use it right away, buy something 'gifty' since it was a gift, etc.}.

It does feel strange just giving a card. The Chickies boyfriend said that was all he wanted, as he is going to purchase something much larger and saving towards it. But, as everyone was enjoying opening their gifts, he had just a couple. That made me feel badly even though it is what he wanted.

But, I feel worse receiving gifts when we said weren't exchanging them...duh, cause I didn't get one for you!! I don't mind not receiving. Just don't f me over by getting me something and making me feel like crap. Stick to the rules.

I received a lot of wonderful movies, jewelry, a Jack Sparrow figurine :D and the Disney Scene It? game. I haven't unwrapped it because we are all going to play it and I promised no one would have the upper hand by playing it before the gang does.

[Alex]

On Saturday there was a bit on NPR with a "shopping psychologist" and she was talking about gift cards.

She said that men don't like gift cards because they trust their women to get them good presents and women like gift cards because they don't trust their men to get them good presents.

First I was puzzled by this idea that people are only getting presents from the opposite gender. But I also figure that if stereotypes are going to be the cause, the much more likely on is that generally men don't like to shop and that women do.

She also said that that kids like gift cards because they don't trust adults to buy them good gifts. I believe that one. However, if you're going to just give someone the gift of shopping, does it really show much more thoughtfulness to limit that shopping to a single store? Instead of a $100 Home Depot card (or whatever) just give me the $100 in cash and save me a trip to the ATM this week.

[Strangler Lewis]

Best: A $30 Applebee's gift card.

Worst: A $30 Applebee's gift card.

If you buy me a gift and it takes you two minutes or 2,000 it is the same to me. I hate gift cards because they generally shift the burden of shopping from the gifter to me.

The comic, Jim Gaffigan, has a bit to the same effect about people who buy something ugly and thoughtless and say with a giggle and a shrug as it's being opened, "You can always return it." "How about I just throw it in the garbage? I want a gift. Not an errand."

[Strangler Lewis]

However, if you're going to just give someone the gift of shopping, does it really show much more thoughtfulness to limit that shopping to a single store? Instead of a $100 Home Depot card (or whatever) just give me the $100 in cash and save me a trip to the ATM this week.

I think that if you give someone a targeted gift card, as opposed to a Visa gift card, you are at least saying that you know something about the person and what they're into. You're also giving them a slightly cool techie thing to whip out.

At Starbuck's the other day I had the good fortune to be stuck behind a woman buying $450 in gift cards in varying denominations up to $100 for a list of recipients as long as your arm. I am sure those gifts will be used.

[MouseWife]

Ooo!! I got a Starbucks giftcard! I am itching to use it right now!!!

I think that is totally true about kids and giftcards. The one who wanted one told me where from. I think it also helps them {in this case} not to spend it on something else {like they would cash}.

I usually give Target cards because the store has a lot of things and there has to be something someone would like.

But, I like this concept of the 'Visa' card because you can use it on line to purchase things like a credit card. While someone may not like to go to stores, there is so much on line to buy.

And, I will exchange the gifts I messed up on and not make them do it. I don't want to give them an errand, either. Although I wish she'd at least try the thing on!!

But I get it about guys not wanting to shop and I get it also about knowing someone and what to buy them. Unfortunately, my family gets what they want all year so there isn't much I can get them. And no, I can not get them the 2007 Mustang. If I could I'd be driving it myself!! Rented an '06 twice and it was fun!

[BarTopDancer]

Best gift = XM Radio from my mom and dad.
Worst gift = none

I turned on the TV this morning and they were talking about some websites where you can sell and swap gift cards.

Card Avenue (http://www.cardavenue.com/) - I think they said this one was free
SwapAGift (http://www.swapagift.com/) - I didn't hear if this one was free.

In CA there is a law or statue that says gift cards cannot expire, nor can they lose their value.

[Alex]

Yeah, I know they don't lose their value. But eventually they get tossed in a thorough house cleaning. I have a Wal-Mart card in my nightstand that must be three years old. I've been to Wal-Mart countless times since I"ve had it but it will never get used.

A gift etiquette question. You liked your XM radio gift so that is wonderful, but in general what is the thinking on giving gifts that continued use by the recipient would require an expenditure?

For example, a coworker got some new computer game as a gift. It is an MMORPG and comes with three months free play. But after that, my coworker would have to pay $12 a month to keep playing. Cell phones, gym memberships, XM Radio, etc.

[BarTopDancer]

Yeah, I know they don't lose their value. But eventually they get tossed in a thorough house cleaning. I have a Wal-Mart card in my nightstand that must be three years old. I've been to Wal-Mart countless times since I"ve had it but it will never get used.

Put it in your wallet. Then you'll see it when you're at Wal-Mart ;)

A gift etiquette question. You liked your XM radio gift so that is wonderful, but in general what is the thinking on giving gifts that continued use by the recipient would require an expenditure?

For example, a coworker got some new computer game as a gift. It is an MMORPG and comes with three months free play. But after that, my coworker would have to pay $12 a month to keep playing. Cell phones, gym memberships, XM Radio, etc.

Since it came from Mom and Dad they paid for a year of service. But, as a personal rule I avoid gifts that come with a subscription fee unless I know they wanted the game/item to begin with.

[Alex]

My wallet is already too full of stuff I have to carry around with me for me. All the slots are filled and some double filled.

Besides does whoever it is that gave me the card (I have no recollection) really want to be saddled with the cosmic record of having purchased me, for my birthday or Christmas (or maybe it was for that Web site I helped with), two bags of cat litter and a couple rolls of paper towels.

No, better that when they stand before the Pearly Gates and St. Peter (or whoever it is that stands there) asks them to justify themself they are able to say "I once gave Alex $30 to spend at Wal-Mart with which he may have bought something that brought him great personal enjoyment" than "I once purchased for Alex $30 dollars worth of cat litter and he spent the next month scooping poop out of it."

Really, by not using that card I am saving somebody's soul.

[MouseWife]

A gift etiquette question. You liked your XM radio gift so that is wonderful, but in general what is the thinking on giving gifts that continued use by the recipient would require an expenditure?



Good question. I guess it depends on who is giving it {like her folks, they paid for the whole year :snap: } but if your kid bought it for you, I doubt they would be expected to cover so much time.

Phones. We have switched over to the pay as you go phones for the kids. We bought them the phone and gave them phone cards. Every now and again we replenish the youngest ones {he rarely uses his phone, so, this is great for us $$}.

If I'd bought someone else the phone, I would give them a phone card with it and that would be it. I would be giving a pay as you go phone to someone who already had one, just upgrading it. Or, as in my daughters case, who had a phone whose contract was expiring and I wanted to encourage her not to spend so much on her monthly phone bill. I told her she could budget and save a lot of $$ and she has.

If I received something, I wouldn't expect too much but I also shouldn't be expected to go right out and get right into it. Like if they'd given me a paintball gun...uh, maybe when I'm ready....

[MouseWife]

My wallet is already too full of stuff I have to carry around with me for me. All the slots are filled and some double filled.


Maybe you could buy a new wallet? :D

Try on line. Although I recall having a helluva time trying to order things via Target {on my old computer with a million blocks/issues, that could have been it}.

[Snowflake]

Best Gift: A Christmas day of peace and serenity, no drama, no angst and calls from many wonderful friends. With an afternoon nap with my kitty, a nearly perfect day.

[Alex]

You are suffering under the misapprehension that shopping online is not shopping. I have no more interest in doing it on a computer than in a real store (my online shopping is exacly the same as in real life: I don't go to the web site unless I know exactly what I want and then the goal is to minimize the amount of time spent there).

I bought the Movado watch that Kevy linked to in the other thread (actually Lani did because after she found out I got her a Christmas present she decided she had to get me one; but ultimately it will be my money that pays the credit card bill so it all the same). I never looked at another Web site or another page on that Web site. Perfect shopping experience.

And my current wallet is perfectly the right size (total shopping time: 4 minutes, it was within two feet of the door at Wilson Leather). I'm not looking for a solution to the unused Wal-Mart gift card. I'm completely fine with having it in my nightstand until I clean or move and then throw it away.

Someone got the small pleasure of giving me a gift.
I don't have to shop, which is a large pleasure.
Wal-Mart gets free money, which they enjoy.
Some prison worker in China wasn't oppressed to serve my overindulgent globalized eco-imerio-consumerism. The ungrateful bastard probably didn't even notice.

It's win-win for everybody.

[MouseWife]

You are suffering under the misapprehension that shopping online is not shopping.


:D Hee hee. Must be that girl/guy thing.


Wal-Mart gets free money, which they enjoy.

Nooo!!!! You can't help them!!! Give it to your mail carrier. That is the least amount of trouble to put you through, you go to your mailbox daily.

I had a guest come in with a handful of gift cards. Found them in the garage as they were cleaning. He had about $150. Cards he had forgotten about. I don't think I would. I love to shop. Even if it is just to see what is out there. I don't change up the house a lot but I do like to see what options there are.

[Alex]

Actually, I haven't been to our mailbox in months (Lani checks the mail when she gets home from work) and I live in an apartment complex with a communal mailbox and no way to give the card to him unless I stand around waiting for her. Plus, tipping mailmen is stupid. As soon as they start tipping me for a well designed online billpay application I'll start tipping them for doing their job.

But I understand what you're saying. PM me your address. Next time I open my nightstand and see the card (could be months; I'm only reminded of its existence because I hid Lani's present in the drawer over the weekend) maybe I'll mail it to you.

Now that we've resolved that issue, how about the B&N card that is in the drawer with the Wal-Mart card?

As for the phrase "love to shop," that is a concept as foreign to me as "I feel god's benevolent presence."

[MouseWife]

:blush: I wasn't hinting around....

Dude. You see, you are the person I would love to have on my list. While I love to give gifts, I am very practical and if someone doesn't need something, I don't want to buy them anything. And, I would like that they understand this and forego all of the 'hurt feelings'.

The only frivolous gifts we gave were to the very young. Silly stuff that their mom wouldn't buy. I'd have bought them clothes but I didn't know their sizes.

My husband, isn't this way. I thought we'd agreed to keep it simple, just buy for the kids and a few family members.

He bought me some nice things. Damnit.

He was shocked when I bought him a birthday card this year. He said I hadn't bought him a card in years. I said I hadn't found one I liked.

B & N. I just bought their membership....Was going to give gift cards but luckily they had the books the kids wanted. After all I spent on them, I wasn't about to give them cards on top of it. They can use my discount. That's a gift, right? :D {editing to add this~ you seem to like reading, i.e., books. What a nice rainy day thing to do to browse around the store, like a library, but, you get to take home what you want to keep. This is shopping but it also could be just a fun thing...really...}

The concept of God/loving to shop. A good day at the mall with friends can be heavenly bliss. :)

[Alex]

Just for you, I'll make this offer. I'm uncomfortable getting gifts from acquaintances, but I'll make an exception.

Put me on your Christmas list for next year. Then don't get me anything. I promise no angst. And you get to have the perfect person on your list.

[MouseWife]

Deal!!

If you have a list, the offer goes both ways.

I really have no hurt feelings over not receiving gifts.

The only thing I ever want badly is to travel. And that I like to plan out myself. And, I don't need a group to go with. I miss the kids when they don't go but I don't guilt them about that either.

Ooo. Guilt trips. How many got that for Christmas?

[Jughead P. Jones]

You know, this year, I lucked out, because I didn't get anything that overly sucked. In the past, I've gotten some rather...um...unique gifts...the year I got a five-pound jar of mustard stands out.

The best gift I got though was a new DVD/VHS player (my old VCR quit, and rather than buy a new one, I wanted a combo deal, and luckily, I got just that.)

[Betty]

I'm now the proud owner of The Clapper. 'nuff said.

[Snowflake]

I'm now the proud owner of The Clapper. 'nuff said.


Coulda been worse, I was afraid I'd get a Chia Pet.

[katiesue]

My mom likes to wrap up stuff that is mine, but at her house, and send me that. Obviously if these were things I treasured they would have already made it to my house by now.

[JWBear]

The love/hate for shopping isn't a gender thing. I know a lot of men (myself included) that love to shop.

[lizziebith]

Best gift to the whole family was the Wii - I'm posting from it right now!:D

[MouseWife]

Oh my gosh. The Wii is pretty darn cool. I was just hanging out with the boy. Watching pictures from my SD card! I didn't know you could do that!! There is so much you can do with that thing.

And, I pointed out to my son that the SD card thing is pretty good. Most newer gadgets {cameras, the PSP, etc.} take newer more expensive memory cards/sticks. I am going to keep my eyes open to get them one each.

So cool. I watched a 'movie' I filmed years ago in Yosemite of it snowing. I wish I hadn't deleted my footage from the Maroon 5 show.

And, the Boy was totally surprised. He had no idea we actually had found a Wii. I know a lot of people didn't and I am sorry for them.

AND some games are on sale at Target today. I saw the flier, some for only $39.99. I paid $59.99 for the Zelda game but I think it is past their price guarentee deal.

I want a clapper. For my mother, of course.

And, geesh, if your mom is going to go through the trouble of mailing you things, she should ask you if you want it first. I would. We can't remember every single item we have in our life.


And, my husband loves to shop. Too much. I love to browse, window shop. He loves to buy. It isn't always necessary to purchase anything when shopping. I still enjoy it.

[Mousey Girl]

Coulda been worse, I was afraid I'd get a Chia Pet.

I gave a chia pet...does that count? :evil:

Best, Mom gave me cash (well a check, but for once it does not have David's name on it).

My sisters-in-law gave me seasons one and two of Deadwood.

Worst was for Nickolas...He asked for and recieved Moon Sand.

[tracilicious]

Now that we've resolved that issue, how about the B&N card that is in the drawer with the Wal-Mart card?


I'm sure the very next LoTer you see would be thrilled to get the B&N gift card that you will never use. Heck, you could just hand it to the next human you see and make someone's day.

If someone knows me well enough to get me what I want, and wants to take the time to hunt it down, then that is spectacular. But if someone doesn't know what to get me (which almost no one does) then I appreciate the thought of a gift card. Anyone that asked what I wanted this year got told B&N gift card (just family, I didn't do the gift thing with friends). I appreciate that while they really don't know me well enough to shop for me, they still want me to have something I want and will use.

What I really hate are the gifts that I've gotten where the person was obviously just in the grocery store because they were assigned to bring soda and picked up a gift while they were there. I've gotten a talking picture frame that way (actually, Indi loved that), a really crappy book of inspirational sayings about marriage (anyone that's ever met me should know I would hate that), and random boxes of really cheap chocolate. All for various wedding anniversaries. If you don't care about what you choose, don't care if I'll like it, and are just getting it because you feel obligated then please don't bother. Especially if you've been a member of my immediate family my entire life. I don't mind not getting a gift, really, but to get me something that any modicum of thought would reveal that I will hate is sort of offensive.

[tracilicious]

I gave a chia pet...does that count? :evil:



I've always wanted a chia pet, and would be so happy if someone got me one. :blush:

[Alex]

We once had a clapper. We got it because for years after we moved to the Bay Area we slept on the floor (it took us about five years to get around to buying a bed) and light and floorlamp switches aren't situated conveniently to someone on the floor.

95% of the time it was pretty handy. Unfortunately it had a somewhat broad definition of what constituted a "clap."

[Betty]

We got the kids Guitar Hero 2 and I just lost an hour of my life playing it. I could have gone for much longer had the kids not have been cramping my playing style! ;)

We also got them a stange little game called Viva Pinata - a sort of sims with Pinanas... but not really. It seems very cutesy - overly so. Until you learn that in order to be really successful you have to behave in very uncutesy ways. It's in interesting idea - will you be mean to creatures you love and have nurtured in order to get ahead in the game? Well - will you?

[MouseWife]

I saw the commercial for that game. It seems sort of evil. :evil:

Well, were you mean or not? :eek:

[Mousey Girl]

hehehe I just found out that my brother-in-law is still scratching his head at the electronic aquarium I gave him. I warned my sister ahead of time that I was in a verrrrry odd mood and his gifts would reflect it.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Best: Best Buy Gift Card

Worst: Stainless Steel coffee mug. (I don't drink coffee)

Was a thin year. Oh well, what else is new...

[~MS~]

Best gift...the gift of time from a loved one, second best...my Patriotic Mickey big fig

worst gift...barney purple sweater that will never see the light of day!


For Missy>....best gift, time with someone she loves, second best would be a toss up between her new bowling equipment and the Elmo X she got.

Worse gift for missy.....the wrong color bowling shoes in her box :(

[wendybeth]

I got lots of great gifts, but my favorite is a scrapbook Tori made for me.:)

The worst thing I got was the flu. Yup, first I try to cut my finger off, then I get the flu. Now it's turned into a headcold. Fun times. I haven't even had coffee for two days! That's got to be a record with me.

[Kevy Baby]

My mom likes to wrap up stuff that is mine, but at her house, and send me that. Obviously if these were things I treasured they would have already made it to my house by now.Sounds like a passive-aggressive way of telling you to come get your damned stuff!

[Kevy Baby]

And, the Boy was totally surprised. He had no idea we actually had found a Wii. I know a lot of people didn't and I am sorry for them.I found a Wii for my boss for his son last Thursday. I found it via eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&item=120067086166&rd=1). He had to pay a premium: $435.00. Did the same thing for him last year: found an XBox 360 for about $600.00

[MouseWife]

I found a Wii for my boss for his son last Thursday. I found it via eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&item=120067086166&rd=1). He had to pay a premium: $435.00. Did the same thing for him last year: found an XBox 360 for about $600.00

That isn't too bad for the XBox, if it was the, duh, version that goes on line. Whatever that is called. But that is a lot for the Wii!!! I luckily found mine at cost {+employee discount} at Target.

Just remember people, games on sale right now...I need to find out how long they price fix.

Anywho, that was mighty nice of you to do that for your boss. Hubsters boss said he was looking for one and we chuckled.

{but I didn't laugh at my friend who took a second job to help make Christmas better for her family as well as get the discount on presents....or stayed outside of the store all night to be #17 when they only had 15...}

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Best gift? That's tough! I got my lovely wedding jewelry (http://www.16handsgallery.com/images/ssgpwset.jpg), which was probably the nicest "thing" I got-- but both of my siblings had excellent not-really-thing-y gifts.

My sister scanned in my grandmother's cookbook, complete with hi-res images of the well-loved food-spattered pages. Bits of biscuit dough made by my grandmother herself. It was really sweet.

My brother recently connected with my grandfather's sister. Long story short, my grandparents wouldn't let any of their children/grandchildren touch or see any of the family history, geneology, etc. But my grandfather's sister is much nicer. She allowed him to scan in my great-grandfather's memoir manuscript, the family tree, and some other things. From this we discovered an old family secret-- on my father's side, we're actually part Irish! And that both sides of my grandfather's ancestors came over on the Mayflower, not just Governor Bradford (about whom we knew.) My brother also bought us a Mayflower nonfic book with stories and pictures of artifacts owned by our now-traceable ancestors.

I didn't get a single bad gift! But Tom and I managed to give each other the same gift at the same time. But, unlike Alex, we enjoy the shopping. So exchanging will be fun.