Miscellaneous Monday - Odd presents
So, my 40th is on 2nd April (in 4 days, right in the middle of Summit) and it got me to thinking about odd birthday and Christmas presents (why wouldn't it).
The sort of thing you look at and make this kind of face:
But you rally, you smile and accept them, and make sure that you use the item when the gift-giver is over and can see you using them, that kind of thing.
But then there are the odd presents that turn out to be fantastic, and if they hadn't bought them for you, you'd never have known you needed them.
For example, Mother bought me these for Christmas:
I didn't know I needed these, but boy are they useful! (adulting perfected, right there!)
So, come on, what's the oddest present you've ever had, or the thing that someone bought you that you never knew existed and that you'd never have thought of?
33 comments
Awesome topic @Esme Crutchley - like Jimmy said, I had to really think about this one for a bit. I think a gift that I didn't realize I needed but turned out to be very useful was a soda stream. I got this for my birthday last May and it is something I would have never thought to get for myself. Not only does it make sparkling water within seconds without any additives, it saves on use of both glass and plastic bottles. I have invisalign so it is also a nice treat from regular water, where I don't have to remove my aligners to drink, because it is just water. Definitely get lots of use out of this gift, and because of the sparkling bubbles it makes you feel fuller than regular water.
Plus it looks good on my counter, love the red colour!
My mother-in-law got me a Bugzooka, which lets you catch and release bugs. Both funny and definitely has come in handy because I am not a huge bug fan.
Oh what a great idea and topic - totally love it! The funny thing is, the older you get, the more you adulting @Esme Crutchley (thanks for this perfect word)
For me I found out - I get obsessed with stuff I laughed out before. Want examples? Here we go:
Let me show you Tupperware Quick Chef - something my mum got me for my 25th birthday (that didn't make me very happy) together with a 120 page of receipt book she collected during her lifetime.
It took me like 10 years to check out that this is more than an onion cutter - it's a revelation. You can make any kind of sauce you can imagine, your own mayo, dips, salsa - cut vegetables. How could I even live without this THING before :D
What I learned from this: Always listen to your mother/mother-in-law/older people - they know their sh**
Very true!
Nanny bought a wall ornament for Mother that looks like this and now it's hanging in our house because Mother passed it onto me:
I'm going slightly off-topic but I have two kitchen gadgets I have not seen in any other kitchens - but I wouldn't do without.
A manual ice crusher
... and ...
A vege peeler with a difference
Looks like I am in good company - I got a noisy window cleaner. For - yeah what for? Okay, it is a nice gadget but the good old cleaning tissue works (for me and my not so many windows) also.
So I am still a bit unsure if I will use the greenish devil on a regular basis or not :)
I'm quite taken with my stretchy lids, especially for leftovers! I've used them on half a swede as well and they kept it quite fresh!
Mother (and the rest of the family) used to laugh about how many pots and lids I had, then I started organising the house and putting things in them (like random screws) and using my Dymo retro label maker to make labels of what was in it. Now, nothing gets lost, we know where everything is, bliss!
I got this stainless steel tooth paste squeezer/roller from my parents for my birthday last year. Probably not the weirdest thing I've ever received, but useful.
Okay my soda stream was not odd enough, I remember I got a "Dust Daddy" for a gift, despite the odd name it is pretty functional. It has a bunch of straw like tentacles that are great to vacuum hard to reach spots in your car, and even your desk drawer without having to remove everything. Great for keyboard too if you don't want to use compressed air.
Reusable straws ! I didn't get what the hell was that when i opened the gift, but as i have very sensitive teeth, this gift is sooo amazing, and good for the planet !
Same! We bought these last year:
That's a cool topic @Esme Crutchley
And as everybody else, I had to think about that for a long time.
In our family, we no longer give each other gifts. We give time, that we want to spend together. So it's a long time ago since I got my last present :)
I once get an automated hole puncher (I googled the translation, don't know if it's the right word). No one needs an automated hole puncher... but it was fun to use it. Unfortunately the quality of this thing wasn't very good, so after 2 weeks it broke...
Last birthday, my wife bought me a gift at Shanghai Disneyland. She said that this Garage Kit looks like me when I put on my glasses.
How do you think ^_^
This honey dispenser! Its the best for folks that put honey in almost everything like me!
A few years ago my mom gave me a sewing machine for Christmas. When I was little I tinkered with a toy one, but I never really learned how to sew. I thought it was the most random gift, then about a year later my daughter told me she wanted to learn how to sew. As a birthday present at the time, I bought some sewing classes, she made a pillowcase, a pair of lounge pants and a skater skirt.
The sewing machine came in useful again for her birthday last week when we were stuck at home and decided to do a sewing project together for her birthday this year. We made some pajama shorts for her.
Got the swivel sweeper from the Father in law who loves buying "As seen on tv" items. Thought it was silly but we found it really useful. Ended up buying another one ourselves when the first on died.
I 'adulted' a few months ago and bought a Flash Power Mop, best housework item in my kitchen! Pro tip - put shower/tile cleaner on your bathroom tiles, and then use this like you're jousting! Loads of fun!
A few years ago, a friend bought me this book for my birthday. It was primarily a cute joke because of the name, and that I'm "directionally gifted" (never get lost). Being a native Texan, there wasn't much in that book that I didn't already know but I did learn the Texas State Fair is the largest in North America and has the largest Ferris Wheel as well!
Surprisingly, this little book has turned out to be quite the gift. It's a go-to when we have anyone over who has small children as the artwork is eye-catching and the story is about a boy and his lost dog so it's engaging on their level. So now, it lives on the coffee table in our living room. :-).
My Mom gave me this solar-powered, personal fan-in-the-brim hat for a birthday. I tried to seem excited when I opened it, and *never* thought that I would use it.
As it turns out, it's actually useful when mowing your lawn. 🤷♂️ Who'd have guessed?
We were given a hand blender and thought to ourselves "We have a blender, knives to chop stuff, and a wisk. Do we really need this?" We use it ALL the time now.
I got this Bug Bite Thing Insect Poison Extractor and I thought to myself; this thing is worthless! But actually I used it a lot for mosquito bites.
Of course I know DJ Bobo. I was never at a concert from him, I'm also don't listen to his music. But I know one song very well: Chihuahua :)
I thought at least in europe it was a summer hit
So, today's the day
And I got some awesome presents! I got this necklace (those of you who are Sir Terry Pratchett fans should appreciate this!):
And this ring (my mother had the same one, so I wanted one like hers):
And Luke got a wall mounted can crusher and 8 cans of Monster!
Today is a good day!
Happy birthday to anyone who has their birthday today!
Happy Birthday @Esme Crutchley
Ummmm, thanks @Monique vdB (that me telling myself happy birthday wasn't actually me in case that wasn't obvious!)
I told my mom in passing one spring while pulling weeds that I have an extreme dislike of garden gnomes. The following Christmas she gave me this.
She plays the long game.
@Andy - PTC Redundant on Sunday night:
