I thought it would be fun to share some 'truths' if you 'dare' to join in.
I was pondering gifting during the holiday. Sometimes gifts are perfect and sometimes gifts are flops.
Truth time: What is the biggest 'flop' gift you've ever received? What do you do when you get a gift you don't really care for? Do you act like you enjoy it? Find something positive to say while inwardly cringing?
My answer: My parents split when I was a baby and I rarely saw my father as I grew up. I remember my father getting me a dollar store, hard plastic bride doll. It was the only gift I remember getting from him. I was a young teen and hadn't played with dolls for a long, long time. I felt like the gift and I were after thoughts. (My brother got an electronic football game.)
I also got a doll as an adult. (Still confused over that one.) I found something positive to say. It will hold memories for me because of who got it for me.
Your turn....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
21 comments:
When I receive a gift that "flops" I write a sincere note of thanks and then place the gift in the Goodwill box. I don't feel guilty because I appreciate the fact that the person thought about me, and I don't let a gift that doesn't work for me hang around my house and become clutter.
First the cheap gift...When I was growing up I took piano lessons, and we had an ancient and very out of tune piano. It would have cost more to fix it than to get a new one, and it would have had to be taken away for a couple months to be fixed. So, I wanted a new piano for Christmas. I begged and begged and begged. On Christmas morning, I opened a package that contained a tacky, ugly piano-shaped music box. I can't even remember what I did...I think I tried to act thankful, though I was thinking, "I can't believe they spent money on this! I would've rather gotten nothing!"
But the worst flop gift of all was from a boyfriend in college. Big earrings were in style, so I was surprised when I opened his present and they were tiny studs with green stones. They were actually emeralds, and he had spent a lot of money on them (for a college student...but not enough for them to be "gorgeous" =), but he had taken them out of the "real jewelry store" box because he didn't want me to think I was getting a ring! It took a bit for me to understand how nice of a gift they were! Then I felt horrible because I didn't really like them (they weren't that great of quality) and he had spent soo much on them. I acted thankful, though, once I understood they were "real"!
Dear Parsly:
Most of my gifts have been pretty cool except the Kong treats that i can't even eat cos i don't have a nose.
I also wanted to thank you for your comment on my last blog...i am so sorry about your loss also. I don't want anyone to think mom and I are so self absorbed in our grief that we would ever over look others at this time of the year. Its just so hard isn't it Parsly!
Your buddy
Stella rose
Seems like I get a lot of white elephants - but I get a lot of hand lotion and body products - so maybe they are telling me something! lol sandie
The only time I have gotten gifts I don't like were clothes from my husband. He didn't listen very well when I told him what to get me, but instead, got what 'HE' liked for me to wear! I learned to tell him they didn't fit, and I went and exchanged them! Works for everyone! Hugs!
I can't remember any...
But I have smiled as I've read the ones from your dear readers.
I wanted to wish you a good week...
Smiles,
Jackie
My biggest flop gift was also a doll. It was one of those big fancy collector dolls. I think it's still in my mother's basement. I tried to sell it once with little success. Fortunately, the original giver has wised up and gave me Star Trek ornaments the last few years.
The biggest flops happen to be gifts my husband's ex wife gives to my stepdaughter. The first birthday we were married, she gave her an old bottle of Avon perfume and a statue that was my husband's but somehow she acquired it and regifted it. Then one Christmas, they "adopted" an otter at the zoo but never used the ticket included to take her to the zoo.
I can't remember getting a gift that flopped.
A flop gift (but it was a sweet gesture on his part) was the iron board hubby gave me for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. He thought it was a great idea since we didn't have one at the time and I would iron clothes on the floor. I was looking for something a bit more romantic, LOL :)
My MIL was a wonderful shopper and dresser for herself; she always had the newest best styles and looked great. However, her taste to pick out clothes for other people was not that good and a lot of gifts we got from her flopped because of style difference or size difference. Trouble was she bought stuff all over the place when they traveled so we couldn't even take them some place to exchange them so we got to the point that we would be gracious in saying thank you and then selling the items at garage sales we tended to have yearly. I often felt bad since I knew she had thought she was doing a great job in picking out stuff and always spent a lot of money (they had the money to do so) and she thought she was getting something we could use but in reality it was rarely something we could use.
What I have learned is to be very specific in getting gift ideas from son (hubby and me don't exchange gifts and I don't shop for too many other people) and always get a lot of gift cards for people to buy their own things.
betty
I can't remember ever getting a truly flopping gift, but I distinctly remember as a young child an Aunt giving my 7 year old brother a nightgown withh a teddy bear on the front. Being 7 years old, he threw it back at her! Fortunately he has better manners now (although I think everyone else agreed the aunt should have known better)
I really can't remember too getting a gift and that is flopped..
Remember, it's the thought that counts!!! :) So keep smiling & say thank you...
So often you have no idea. We say thank you and hope the peeps meant well. Have a terrific Tuesday.
Best wishes Molly
I try and be gracious and then put things in the goodwill box. My husband I don't exchange gifts. it makes things so much easier. I wish it could be that way with other family members.
I worked for a guy who used to buy the most strange gifts. He usually got them from the same store and I usually took them back. One year I received a tin - yes an empty tin - not sure where he was coming from with that! Nevertheless I always thanked him on our first day back at work. My work mates always wanted to know what I had got and bragged about what they got from their bosses!
sweaters, that are way to big, or way to small.
The biggest flop was from my mother-in-law. The gift was wrapped so pretty with lots of sparkle and ribbon. Inside was a tiny screwdriver set that was an advertising freebie from a local store, a calendar that was 3 years old and several ladies magazines from 1975. Flipping through the calendar and magazines, I discovered that she had taken a razor blade and cut out portions of the pictures and articles making them useless.
Fortunately the kids were opening all their gifts at the same time and her attention was on them instead of me.
I must have won her approval over the years because last Christmas she gave me a beautiful antique tin box filled with beautiful antique embroidery floss.
Hysterical! My little Maddie stood and licked the oven door but she didn't dance!
One Christmas after my parents split up and my dads current wife moved in with him, my sister and I spent Christmas eve with them. My step mother was trying so hard to be liked and accepted by us. That night was such a strain on my sister and me!! I opened up a gift and pulled out a sweater. It wasn't grotesque in normal standards, but to me it was horrifying.. something I'd never be caught dead in. I was dumbfounded... and my eyes slid and met my sister's eyes and we both burst out into hard giggles. We couldn't explain ourselves and wouldn't. I said the sweater was pretty and I was just tired and stressed out that I didn't know why I was laughing. I didnt want to hurt her feelings!!
The flop gift wasn't actually for me, but my parents gave it to my DH. It was a ceramic floral boot, the kind I guess you could plant flowers in - or maybe smash against the wall, or lose in the woods, or better yet... fill it with chocolates and pass it on to my younger brother! Who in turn, filled it with little bottles of booze and passed it off to my older brother. Oh no, that means it's our turn next, I hope it's filled with something good!
Parsley,
They say it's the thought that count but there are instances when clearly there was no thought put into a gift and it is merely a check mark off a list. Still, the gift for me is that I made that list at all.
Your Friend,
Deborah
FairfieldHouseNJ.com
Post a Comment