Christmas is the time for giving, spreading good cheer and being kind to all. At Christmas we show our appreciation for not just gifts, but all the people who are important to us, more than we do at any other time of year. We teach our children to be grateful and thank people; and if they don’t like their presents, to be polite and graceful about it. But let’s face it…Be it Christmas or a birthday… We’ve all been given a totally SH*T present at some point in our lives!
I remember when I was a little girl, on my 6th birthday, a friend I invited to my party gave me a gold headband. It was gold and black, but the way the threads were interwoven, it looked as though it were brown. I loved pink and purple. Not brown. I instantly burst into tears and when asked what was wrong, I said I hated it! Cruel and ungrateful of me yes, but in my defence… I was SIX!
Karma came around to visit me about eight years later. I gave my friend a windchime for her 15th birthday (I was only 14). I thought it was a lovely windchime – It had little owls dangling from the threads. I had a similar one myself but with dolphins.
It was the first time I ever tried alcohol and possibly the first for most of us at L’s party.
After a few drinks, L blurted out “Someone got me a frigging OWL windchime… I F***ing HATE owls!!!”
Well… not really knowing how to react, I swiftly left the room before anyone asked me what I had given L as a present.
I could have felt annoyed at her for being so ungrateful.
I should have felt annoyed at myself for getting it so wrong.
Instead…I just thought…
Maybe the brown hair band wasn’t so bad?!
However, the absolute worst present award, goes to my brother…
My brother is one of those people who always moans that he doesn’t know what to get people, does his shopping at the very last minute, but always seems to buy to most awesome and original gifts imaginable. I always look forward to seeing what he has got me, that nobody else would have thought of.
So imagine my delight on one of my birthdays when he presents me with an enormous present. As per usual with more sellotape than I am likely to be able to remove in under half an hour. I eventually get through the tape and paper to find… another present. I get through that, to find, another present.
You probably get the picture… My present was many boxes inside boxes and every layer was wrapped up. The anticipation of the final present, which turned out to be rather small – was ever mounting. When I got to the very bottom, I found…
… A Brick. Yes… A Brick. A red house brick. There was a note with it. It said he’d get me one for every birthday and Christmas until I had enough to build myself a house (which clearly would be never!). Despite my surprise shock, it was hilarious!
What’s the worst or most inappropriate present you have ever given or been given? Or the worst present your children have been given?
Here’s a bit of a competition for the bloggers out there… Link up a post for “The Worst Present Award” and the one that entertains me the most (well written post and a chuffing awful present), I will post a mystery Christmas present! And I promise you it won’t be a brick! (or an owl windchime or a brown hairband!) Tag some other people in your post that you think may enjoy getting involved too!
To get started, I’m tagging…
Just a Normal Mummy
Fun as a Gran
Mummy to three butterflies
Homemade Happiness
Kat Pearce
Twinkle Mummy
Actually Mummy
Silly Daddy
Half Baked Mummy
Mummy and her Boys
Mum’s the Word
My Mills Baby
Attachment Mummy
Mummy Bird
Any blogger can enter – you don’t have to be tagged above, but if you want me to add your tag – tweet me!
There’s no badge (because I am technologically inept) but feel free to link to this page (or make me a badge)! (May score you extra brownie points!)
Good Luck! x
Add your post to the linky below before Tuesday 18th December 2012. Winner will be chosen on Dec 18th at 10 am so that Christmas pressie can be posted in time!
I don’t think I’ve got anything that can compete with bricks!
I’ve had some fairly dubious Christmas gifts or gifts where the person has meant well, but maybe hasn’t quite got it right…
My aunt in law (husbands only relative in the UK) bought me a huge selection of “tasteful” hair scrunchies and clips, last year, (which I don’t wear anyway) but hadn’t seen me for a few weeks and didn’t know that I’d had my hair cut short. Fortunately, my 5 year old acquired them and was delighted with them. I’ve also been given rash enducing body lotions and perfumes, which I’ve tried once and then either had to give away or throw in the bin. My mother in law, bless her heart, (not) sent me a cookbook last year, written by a lady who thinks most foods cause behaviour problems in children (which may or not be true) so I could “feed Matthew properly” ( my 2 year old who is not the best sleeper) “so he sleeps better”. I know she meant well, but I spent an hour on Christmas morning sobbing, because it was like being slapped in the face. I’ve also been given a pair of beautiful earrings, that sadly, I’m also allergic to, and can’t wear them.
We’ve decided this year that the adults in the family. won’t do presents, other than personal ones between spouses/partners etc, makes life far less complicated! 😉
Ps I can’t enter the linky competition, because they all read my blog and would be horribly offended, but I thought I’d comment and share anyway.
Here you go my lovely! http://mymillsbaby.co.uk/2012/12/the-worst-present-award-blog-comp/ I’m seriously not doing myself any favours am I? Lol. My Christmassy posts have made me sound like such a mean-spirited little S*~t xxx
Gemma Mills / Chamberlain recently posted..We’ve moved!