When I originally envisioned this post, I was simply going to pull items from the Sharper Image catalog or the As-Seen-on-TV aisle, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had very good examples from my own family. So, here goes...
8. 40 Pound Box of Laundry Detergent - Yes, my mother is a hard person to buy for. She tends to be very practical. One year, my dad took the practicality too far. He got her a 40 pound box of laundry detergent for Christmas. He claims that he got her something nice to go with it, but NOBODY remembers that. She wasn't too pleased, and therefore got him an air filter for his car for his birthday.
7. Smelly Hammers - My grandfather gave all of his grandkids a hammer one year, and these were REALLY nice hammers. However, the rubber handle smelled awful. What most of us did not realize was that the smell would go away with use. Instead, we bathed with and washed our hammers in scented bath soap in the hopes that the smell would dissipate.
6. A Baton - Yes, I am from East Texas, and so yes, one year I desperately wanted and received a baton for Christmas (yes, a twirler's baton--East Texas is the land of feature twirlers). By the time I outgrew that baton, I had managed to give myself multiple black eyes with it and bruises on my arms and legs.
5. Hilary Clinton for President Tshirt - My dad received this tshirt from his brother one year. If I remember correctly, my dad wore it for the day and then cut it up for cleaning rags. (Can you tell how he feels about Hilary for President?)
4. Fingernail clippers - Every year (well, now it is every other year), my grandparents would put fingernail clippers in our stockings. Apparently, it is important to have 1 or 2 or 17 pairs on hand. There was finally such an overabundance of clippers in all of our houses, that we asked them to go to every other year. I've managed to lose all my pairs right now, so I am hoping this is a "clipper year".
3. Tires - A couple of years ago, Santa gave me a set of 4 tires for Christmas. It's not the most normal gift, but it was definitely the most appreciated one.
2. Those Awful Chocolate Oranges - On one side of the family (not the nail clipper side), we get those awful chocolate oranges in our stockings each year. And each year I am surprised that they are still being made, because I am sure no one in the country actually likes the taste of those things.
1. Dollar Store Items - The year that my mother REALLY discovered the world of the dollar stores (Dollar Tree, Dollar General, etc.), she did most of her Christmas shopping at those stores. To be fair, those who shop at these establishments know that at Dollar Tree, everything is $1. However, at Dollar General, everything is just cheap, and most of the items cost more than $1. I remember being amazed at the Dollar General skillet I received.
Well, Happy Friday, and I hope you are enjoying the countdown. Tomorrow's countdown list will be 7 Ways to Survive the Holidays.
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4 comments:
Okay. . .I am a chocolate purist--I like it plain--plain and milk--BUT, I must confess to liking the chocolate orange--it comes in a blue box with the orange foil and you have to smack it hard on the counter to break the "slices" apart and they have a stamp on one side that makes it look like orange pulp? Those? Yeah. . .if you're not gonna eat yours, I'll take it 'cause I NEVER buy them for myself, but I'll eat one if it's anywhere near.
Okay, as a mom of three messy boys, I would totally get into the 40 pounds of laundry detergent. We are all about practical gifts around here!
Hate the chocolate orange!!! Fortunately, tobe likes them so he graciously eats mine.
We get the chocolate oranges every year too...we did not know they would become a tradition or somewhere around year 2 we would have told her we don't like them. Now its too late. Brandon has entered the family and actually likes them, so he gets to eat several!
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