I have this thing about gifts. They should either be totally random, but well thought out and never be something the recipient would purchase for themselves or they should be extra practical and be something they truly need but don't have the money to purchase them at this exact moment. For the most part I lean towards practicality and I'm curious, what's the best "down to earth" gift you've ever received?
Over the years I've received many great practical gifts from my folks. They're totally awesome at assessing the needs of a home and taking care of things. Last year they bought me an instant hot water heater (which isn't most girls dream practical item, but it was mine!) because our water lines are so long and showers or doing dishes were almost impossible.
When we were first married they bought us a new handheld shower head for our rental and we had no idea how much we'd be thankful for that, or that we'd quickly realize that our old one was so horrible.
Blankets? Socks? Tools? What was a great practical gift you received over the years? Do you like practical things because they take the stress off purchasing some necessities yourself or hate them because they aren't usually shiny or fun? Let us know below!
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This year my brother is getting me a fire extinguisher for my kitchen (in white!) and a fireproof document box.
I'd rather have stuff like that then clothes or jewelry. :-)
shark steam mop, food processor ... anything for the kitchen!
I covet a power sander for Christmas, but will most likely buy it for myself. Best practical gift I recieved was a cast iron skillet.
Funny, I got my mom a handheld showerhead this year. She got a rain one for the other side of her shower, and both of the ones she has are pretty bad.
I always love getting things like blankets and calendars. My favorite little thing is socks. It's not something I love to splurge on, but for a gift, they're perfect.
Last year, my in-laws gave us 10% down on my husband's SUV. That's one of those things that I can't argue with at all.
my brought me an awesome wool blanket from Ireland one year, great for making the leather couch a bit warmer. The 3 cup food processor is also the best kitchen gift I've gotten, use it for everything from nuts to pesto to sauces to graham cracker crusts.
My boyfriend got me a shredder one year for my birthday (among other, more romantic things) and I loved it!
Heated mattress pad from my daughter. I never get into a cold bed. Thank you sweetheart. You are forgiven for your adolescence.
My new house is chilly and I have been promised a heated mattress pad which sounds like a dream! Also, in the past, the best picks have been a decent camera, the Americas Test Kitchen cookbook and a set of beautiful pottery serving bowls.
Last Christmas my Dad bought me a full set of henckle knives, I almost cried I have wanted them for so long and just couldn't bring myself to spend the money. He's the best!
We're buying a rug for the living room as a gift to ourselves.. I couldn't be more excited!
Hands down, mini shop-vac from my parents was the most useful gift ever.
Last year we closed on a house that needed total renovation on December 23rd. We'd poured our savings into the down payment so he got a toilet and I got windows. :-) (Plus a joint faucet, light fixtures, etc.) And yes, I wrapped them and put them near the tree.
Every year my mother gives me a family calendar as a Christmas gift. Its filled with special pictures from my previous years excursions. It's fun to see what we were doing last year around that month and I know I will treasure it even more when I am older looking back on them. Its a fairly cheap present to give someone but it has a whole lot of heart and thoughtfulness put into it.
Towels, crock pot, knives, sheets, down bedding, etc.. Useful but dull. I think the diamond earrings I got for my 22nd birthday were very practical; I certainly wear them a lot.
I'm getting a new cell phone this year, since the puppy chewed up my (3 year old) current one. :)
I got a circular saw as an early Christmas present and it was JUST what I wanted! So happy.
A winter coat from the boyfriend.
Really good soap, a box of beautiful blank cards, and cash.
My bright orange mixing bowls and (for my birthday, not Christmas but same basic idea) a set of good knives. My folks have also given me a set of pyrex baking dishes with plastic lids that I ADORE.
Another practical gift that I love: my mom has made me two crocheted afgans and a beautiful quilt (wall art variety, not for the bed). They're even more special because she made them herself.
The power drill hasn't been quite as useful but it's ever so much fun. Hehe.
My fiance (back when he was just my boyfriend) bought me a Dyson Animal for our first anniversary. He was worried it would be horribly unromantic, so he asked me before he bought it, but it has been the BEST THING. Now that we live together, we have three cats and the vacuum is indispensable. It also performs great on our hardwood floors as well as the carpets.
Other than that, I've gotten SO much use out of the nice chef's knife my father bought me five years ago for Christmas. It's not one of the super-duper nice ones, but it's well made and handles pretty much any chopping task well.
My honey gave me a Concord hammered pewter flask for my birthday a couple years ago. It's the best! And my mom gifted us an All Clad stainless saucepan that we show off when we talk about how wonderful bechamel sauces are.
Otherwise, practical gifts I've received have been low-quality or don't fit- boo.
headlamp
great for hikes in the wither and summer or reading in bed :)
I realized this winter that I haven't had to buy a winter coat... ever. I keep getting them as Christmas gifts.
In Minnesota, that's very, VERY important.
4 tires for my car when I was in my early 20's. They were from my boyfriend. Not very romantic, but boy did my little Pinto need them!! One Christmas I could'nt make it back to NoVa (also in my early 20's), and I spend the holidays at my friends mothers house. I got up on Christmas morning and there were two packages for me under the tree. Warm sock in one, cotton 'underpants' (def not 'panties' haha) in the other. It was a sweet practical gift from someone that at the time did not have any money to spare. I always remind my friend that her mom gave me one of the best presents ever!
rowenta steam iron
A tabletop drill press! LOVE IT. Also have gotten an electric toothbrush and grind/brew coffeemaker. Practical is perfectly fine as long as it's QUALITY.
My boyfriend's brother gave me a food processor. Now I can't imagine how I was ever able to live without one.
For my first wedding anniversary I got a toilet. Not the most fun gift ever, but it was necessary.
Ah, memories. I suppose the most practical and the BEST Christmas present I have ever received was a 10" non-stick skillet and an iron with auto shut-off and a retractable cord. I had specifically asked for those items and was actually suprised that I received them. I still have both and miss my mom when I use them. I've also received a slow cooker, countertop grill and 4 tires. All great gifts. The older I get, the more I appreciate what I need versus what I want! And even better when I want what I need!
We bought a fixer-upper a couple years ago so practical gifts are a must.
The first Christmas it was table saw for him and I got a cordless tool combo kit. Last year he got a tile saw and I got a mitre saw. This year there is a router with assorted routers bits (for me) and a Kreg jig kit (for him) under the tree.
Even better than exchanging gifts we will use to make our house perfect for us? My husband thinks I am the coolest wife ever since I actually like getting power tools for Christmas.
The Christmas after moving into my new house (with 500' driveway) my parents bought me a snowblower - lifesaver!
My daughter bought me a professional strength hairdryer and I thank her silently every morning. And I, also, forgive her for her adolescence!
I got a bread machine once.
I got a fireproof safe one year.
I got my bed another year.
I asked for a food processor this year!
My parents think I'm crazy when I ask for stuff like this!
A commercial garment steamer. Seriously, everyone who has a job requiring them to dress in suits (or even business casual) needs one of these. I use it every day and it's saved me thousands of dollars over the years on dry cleaning .
Best gifts ever from my husband; a sewing machine, a vacuum cleaner, good knives, a computer, and a food processor. I would much rather have these than jewels any day. He is the best.
a really nice stainless steel trash can by simple human-- something i couldn't justify spending my own money on but appreciate every day
My brother gave me an entry level cordless drill. Hundreds of projects later it has finally died. I can't bear to toss it so it's been re-purporsed as a bookend.
I want a high efficiency toilet for Christmas!
I asked for and got a wonderful coffee maker for christmas last year.
This year I am 7 months pregnant and all I want for christmas is a car seat and stroller!!
We bought ourselves a food processor for Christmas last year instead of getting gifts for each other. Amazing.
I got a great 12-quart stockpot from my mom this year... I opened it early so I could use it to make wassail for our Christmas party!
My parents bought me an E-Pass and set up an account with $50 in it. Paid all my tolls for over a year, saved me a bunch of time, and kept from waiting in long lines. Now every time I go through a toll plaza I have a little smile on my face and think of the one gift I use all year long!
One year my mother-in-law got me a Vita-mix. It's one of my favorite gifts ever, as it was very practical and and I use it daily, but they're so expensive I could never justify buying one myself.
Food processor and a nice car snow scraper - they weren't things I would have bought for myself, but I use them ALL the time!
Dyson!! :)
I find it incredibly hard to get people to give me practical gifts. But, I'd rather someone else buy me something I don't want to pay for! So after 4 years of people saying no, I did some serious campaigning before my birthday and finally got that Dyson vacuum! I loved getting it too!
for 3 years i've asked for a power drill or a laser level, and no one will get it for me, because they don't think it's a proper christmas gift for a girl,
sad!
I got a first aid kit from my mom last year. My partner got a Sonicare from her.
10 years ago my mom got me my kitchenaid standing mixer. I still love it.
Roomba
Haha, one year I got 3 rice cookers(all the exact same model) for Christmas, something that was meant to be useful, but I honestly never used them because they were crap.
It's the thought that counts :)
The best christmas present ever was when my husband (then boyfriend) had paid all my credit card debt off. I felt the lightest I had been in years!
my parents got me a peugot pepper grinder for my birthday this year. i was using a dinky old nutmeg grater that just wasn't up for the task. well done, mom and dad.
At the age of 30, and recently divorced - my parents got me Young Drivers driving lessons, and my freedom!
Though my former in-laws (who I wish I could have kept!) once got us an awesome plastic gargoyle and filled it with coins for doing laundry! Something a young, broke college couple REALLY needed!
I love the story of the warm sox and 'underwear' ..a girl always needs those and the mom was so sweet and thoughtful...I always include fancy 'panties' for my daughter with her gifts..I always 'joke' I'd love a pile of laundry quarters for myself ..bliss !
In my mid twenties, just after breaking up with the boyfriend who I had been living with, my youngest brother moved in for a few months and noticing that I was interested in cooking, tipped off my parents to get me a food processor for my birthday. I was gobsmacked... it was something I immediately loved (and was to use endlessly) but it hadn't been on my radar and I was touched by my 20 year old brother noticing something I hadn't yet recognized myself and by my parents picking up on this.
I still have that little Braun processor, many many years later. Makes me smile every time I pull it out of the cupboard.
I got a drill too! I always asked my sis and her bf to bring theirs when they come to visit so I could hang things. Her bf got smart and gave me my very own. Yay!
Flannel sheets. My boyfriend complained it wasn't a romantic pick, but I reminded him being cold wasn't romantic either.
one my best friend bought me a good bra. I bought her a macoroni pot
i always ask my mom for the practical stuff. A new blender one year, an immersion blender the next, a food processor...this year i asked for an electric blanket. our new house is so drafty!
i love practical gifts because if I want something shiny and fun, i usually just buy it myself without waiting for Christmas.
My mother in law got me a headlamp one year. During the winter, I keep it in my purse. When the power goes out (which it does a few times each winter), I may not know where the flashlight is, but I always know where my purse is!
Last year for Christmas my parents gave me a toilet :) I bought a condo 3 years ago in it's original 1968 condition, including a blue bathtub and toilet. I've been saving over the last 3 years to renovate and the toilet was a fantastic and thoughtful gift :) To keep with the theme, my parents also gave me a metal cat litter scoop hehe
well next year my husband says he's getting me a saw. after yet another "ooooh, please can you help me make this next year?!" (prompted this time by the white pvc wreath featured on at a few days ago), i think he finally cracked and decided i need to learn some practical skills!! :0)
Wow I've picked up some great gift ideas here! Especially the simplehuman trash can, iron with retractable cord, headlamp (reading in bed) and heated mattress pad.
Last year I received a sewing machine, but after the baby I didn't get a chance to use it. This year I've asked for (refresher) sewing lessons + craft books. I will be enrolling my Fiance in Writing courses as a surprise. He loves to write in his 'spare time'.
Snow tires (I live in Buffalo)!
When my husband was still my boyfriend, he bought me a very good breadknife. At the time I thought that was...strange, but then realized that he was buying me that I would use constantly, which is the point of a thoughtful gift. Thirty four years later, we are still happily married and that knife is still used every single day.
It might be this year: all I asked for is a Kitchenaid mixer. In Martha Stewart blue. ^_^
High-quality knives back when I was 21. Still have them to this day. In fact, all of the basics in my kitchen were gifts from the first several years of my 20s. I never could've afforded them on my own, and I love to cook.
Gift cards to my favorite stores. When I need or want something later in the year I always think of how the person who gave it to me made it possible.
I already got my gift for this year -- a new computer (iMac) to replace the one that died a sudden and unexpected death! Practical, lavish, and (his thing) TECHNOLOGY!
Funny story! When I was a teenager, a friend got married. I was FLAT broke. I had just bought myself an electric heating pad, still unopened. So, having nothing left to spend, I gave it to my friend as a wedding gift. Those tending the gifts table were aghast, stuck it under the table, pretended it didn't exist. But 20 years later she told me, no matter how odd it seemed as a gift, she still used and relied on that thing when aches and pains arose! You never know!
I agree with the original poster's philosophy. I always like to give one impractical whimsical gift my recipient won't expect and (hopefully) will love, almost as a joke. Some of them have been duds, but a few Big Hits. I'm pleased with this year's selections, we'll see which way they go!
In my 20's, people would give me warm bedding & it was always appreciated--an Hermes comforter; a set of flannel sheets; a royal purple polar weight sleeping bag.
The first Christmas my husband (then boyfriend) & I were together, my mother gave him a giant bag of bungee cords. We thought it was hilarious but bungee cords turned out to be a practical & useful gift.
My fiance bought me a dozen bars of my favourite soap, unexpected but gave me much delight over a long time.
Last year he gave me cashmere bed socks when our apartment was entirely unheated.
He died two months ago.
Catherine123, I'm so sorry for your loss. Please accept my sincere condolences. It must be very difficult to be grieving when people are celebrating around you. This post and the responses it prompted made me remember many acts of kindness and generosity from loved ones who are now gone from my life. I hope that you are comforted and warmed both by memories and kindness this difficult year.
I really enjoyed this post and all the comments. When I was in college and saving for a semester abroad, my parents gave me a huge supply of my HBC products - shampoo, soap, lip balm, cologne, razor cartridges, deodorant... everything. I was surprised, but it really saved me a lot of money I could then take on my travels.
Catherine123, I'm very sorry to hear of your bereavement too. You might get something of use to you from this blogger: www.susannahconway.com
My boyfriend got me underwear one year... thermal long-johns. Other people thought that was weird but I was delighted!
My parents gave me nothing but practical for years. A good knife and a saucepan when I got my first apartment. A vacuum cleaner and a wool blanket when I moved to the east coast. A set of Japanese teacups when I was more established.
Lately, now that they're retired and I'm relatively solvent, dishtowels and cloth napkins are easy and modestly priced.
Every year my mum asks me what I want... She used to think I was weird asking for a chest of drawers or a piece of art... But I use the chest of drawers every day and love looking at the art and not only appreciating the fact that its beautiful but that it is also a kind gift from my mum. So far I have gotten a chest of drawers, microwave, fridge, bed, three pieces of art, a tv cabinet... I can't look around my house without thinking of my mum. My hubby refuses to buy me practical gifts. I asked for a washing machine one year and he still brings it up when he's annoyed with me!
There's really no joy like unwrapping a present, only to find that underneath the fancy paper is a giant, greasy cardboard box full of smoked pig's ears! Second to that was one of those pricey overstuffed dog beds- pretty much anything for the dog is the perfect practical gift.
My parents are getting me a laptop for Christmas this year (shhh don't tell them I know!), which is really practical considering I'm in college...but honestly I'm really excited to get the Fossil watches I picked out a month ago! Yes it's jewelry, but it's PRACTICAL jewelry! ;)
I guess I'm more a fan of the gifts that are on the unexpected/sorta funky side. Although none of my friends buy gifts for each other (we're all broke & in college!), my friend and I did go in on the perfect gift for her sister (also my friend) - eyelashes for her car's headlights! Although it's slightly crazy & on the verge of tacky, we're sure she'll love them!
Catherine123, I'm so sorry about your fiance. I can't even imagine how awful life must be for you right now. Sounds like he was a very thoughtful guy.
Although I have not gone through anything as earth-shattering as losing a partner, my parents died when I was in my teens and early twenties, so I know a bit about how hard the first few holidays are without a loved one. Be very good to yourself right now - grief is exhausting. Don't force yourself to go anywhere or do anything just to fufill someone else's expectations. Just indulge in whatever your guilty pleasures are, and make sure to get lots of sleep and exercise. The year we lost my dad, we had no energy or interest in decorating, cooking, going to church, or any other traditions. Mom, Sis, and I just ate hundreds of chocolate-covered cherrys, put a red bow on a houseplant, watched trashy tv, and went out for Chinese. So what if it seemed pitiful compared to another family's holiday - heck, it got us through Christmas and that was all that mattered.
Since then, we have kept the tradition of a red bow on a houseplant. I guess it just reminds us that no matter how much life sucks, we'll figure out a way to keep going.
To answer the original question about practical gifts, here are my top three:
1) On my 16th birthday, my dad brought me a breakfast-in-bed tray with tea, an english muffin, and a book about becoming a woman. I can't remember the title, but it was a compilation of advice from powerful and/or famous women, including some surprisingly candid advice about sex. Although some of my friends' parents threw them big Sweet 16 parties, I was not disappointed at all - breakfast in bed made me feel very loved, and the book had some information that was very useful to me at that stage in my life.
2) I work in a freezing-cold warehouse. Last year, my best friend got me luxurious silk long johns. I was so, so grateful!
3) Over my loud objections ("Real women know how to read maps!"), my boyfriend got me a GPS for my car. It has saved me so much hassle, especially when I am running late for an appointment at a place I've never been to before.
A drill! The best present that keeps on giving me ease, time, independance & ability year after year. Thank you to that boyfriend (who turned out not to be near as useful).
My brother has a long narrow country lot that goes down to a river in the back. We gave him and his wife some good radio walkie-talkies, so they could talk when one is down by the river and the other is up at the house and needs something. They're still using them several years later and they like them so much they gave us a pair back. They're great for roaming around at flea markets and when we go camping.
And this year, I've asked for one of those panda mini-washing machines for our tiny house.
Without a doubt, the GPS my husband got me for Christmas a few years ago was the best practical gift I've ever received. When I opened it I was like "um, yay?" and not very impressed. But as soon as I started using it I realized it was the absolutely most perfect gift anyone could have gotten me. I guess he knows me better than I know myself!
My bestie bought me a Dyson vacuum...excellent gift! (Though I normally prefer ultra-unpractical things, this was great!)
My wife and I got a floor steamer one year from her grandfather. It is amazing, and we use it way more than we ever thought we would.
I have received so many useful gifts over the years, I feel quite blessed. Bicycle (save the environment AND health), MacBook Pro, Sonicare toothbrush, fishtank heater... I gave my parents a Cuisinart and they have been using it for years and still comment about how useful it is.
One year my parents gave me The Joy of Cooking. I was just out of college, living on my own, and just getting into cooking. It's been a great resource to have; I even like skimming through to see what new recipes/methods I can find.
My dad proudly got me a label maker a few years back. So practical, and fits my nearly-OCD organizing personality perfectly. It does make me smile every time I use it.
A pooper-scooper. A really nice one- from my in-laws. Seriously. We have two big dogs and I use it all the time. But kind of hard to wrap.
My sister is good at this, she gave me both my garment steamer (fantastic convenience, saves a lot on dry cleaning), and a set of simple human kitchen cannisters.
My family is all about the practical gifts (drills and batteries make it into the Yankee Swap each year), but there is one family legend that reminds us all of the limits of practical gifts: My grandfather bought my grandmother snow tires one year (and nothing else.) He slept on the couch for a week.
The year I lived in an unrenovated historic house in downtown Charleston (which equaled $400 electric bills just to keep it at 50 degrees) my parents got me a down comforter. It was the best possible gift I could get that year!
WINE
My long-time boyfriend and I broke up over Thanksgiving, and I hadn't spoken to him in 6 weeks while I was out of town for training. I ignored all his phone calls and emails. But curiosity got the best of me when he went home for Christmas and left a voice mail saying that Santa had left me a gift on his doorstep, since he didn't know where I was. I went to check it out and found a hand-wrapped bread knife. I questioned the wisdom of getting an angry ex-girlfriend a knife for Christmas, but I had been saying for years that I wanted one. It did the trick and I called him for New Year's. A year later we used that very same knife to cut our wedding cake and we've been fightlessly married since!
Hello Kitty humidifier -- a pleasant cool mist jets out of the cat ears and the mid-section glows a soft purple -- practical and pleasant to look at, if you like Hello Kitty of course.