What has been the worst present you ever received?

[goofyshell]

One year my grandma gave us all deodorant. She interrupted the laughing to tell us, very seriously, never give deodorant to anyone who is not a family member. Got it.
When I was engaged to dh, she went on and on one day about how she was going to get me this special excercizer for my, um, chest. Because I was so small and he wouldn't like that. Went on and on about how my dh would want my chest to be bigger. That was a really comfortable meal.
One year I made all kinds of fun of my dsis because she opened a dreamcatcher. I told her how classy and useful it was in my most sarcastic voice, I recall making a rather big scene of teasing her. Turns out our new sis in law made it for her. (do we have a climb in a hole smilie).

 

[maslex]

Wow, I guess after reading about these awful gifts mine doesn't seem too bad. LOL About 3 years ago my husband made me PROMISE not to go into the living room early on Christmas morning. I'm always up during the middle of the night and will go into the living room to watch TV or go on the computer and then fall back asleep on the recliner (my favorite place to sleep by the way) So, I told him I promised not to go in there. He told me that he had a VERY SPECIAL gift waiting in the living room and he didn't want me to ruin the surprise. So there I lay...in my bed....all night.......I did get up to use the bathroom but resisted the urge to go peek at my VERY SPECIAL gift. He finally wakes up Christmas morning and goes ahead of me and tells me to wait in the hallway while he makes sure everything is all set. By this time I'm beside myself and CANNOT wait to see what it is. (most years we don't buy for each other so this year was really special and I'm thinking it must be something FAN-TABU-LOUS!!! This is how it pans out.....

DH: "Okay..you can come in now" (You can tell the excitement in his voice, poor thing )

ME: "Okay, here I come!!!!"

DH: "Merry Christmas!!!! Well, whattya think?"

ME: "What am I looking at, I don't see it" *I'm looking for something that either sparkles or something I'd been asking for* NOPE!!!

DH: "It's right there, on the floor"

So I looked down at a set of fricken floor mats for my vehicle!!! Not even wrapped, just laying there on the floor. He was so damn excited, knowing that I had bought an SUV earlier in the year and thinking that I would want new floor mats for the upcoming winter, so I wouldn't get snow all over the car's carpet. Thing is....the car already had floor mats.

Men....a species with no clue apparently.

 

[dismom2]

I was given a snow scraper thing for the car window once when I lived in Las Vegas (IOW--I had no use for one).

I also had an elderly relative who (bless her soul) used to give me all kinds of 'useful' household items like: plastic hooks to hang on the door to hang your towel or bathrobe on, a lemon sqeezer, higher watt lightbulbs because she thought my house needed to be brighter, etc.. I'll have to think about it some more....there were so many little inexpensive handy helpful household doo-dad's I can't even remember them all at the moment. Some of the things came in handy, but others were things I had no use for or no desire to own. But, I knew it was the thought that counted. It was just....interesting.

PS: OP, I use those ear candles on occasion, but wouldn't dream of giving them as a gift!

 

[kellyg403]

I guess the worst gift, and it wasn't intentional, was from my dad two christmas's ago. My mom had gone in the hospital and she sent him on the mission to make sure that everyone had something for christmas since she hadn't finished shopping. So with list in hand..Dad finishes so mom would rest in peace in the hospital.

So, the day he hands me this bag. Its a nice xmas bag, he was so excited and made sure to tell me that he picked this one out himself. I look inside to see travel size bottles of shampoo, deodarant. Evidently he lost the list, didn't feel like shopping so he found stuff around the house he thought we would like? I just said thanks dad, I will need this for all the traveling I do. I travel once a year to WDW most of the time and they have plenty but the look on his face and the excitement was too much for me not to say that.

My dd and dil got some ornaments from my mom's tree. Nicely wrapped. To this day when I hear my mom say she can't find so and so, I want to say dil or dd has that but I know Christmas is her favorite time of year. If she even knew what dad did she would pop a vessel. But his heart was in the right place!

Kelly

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

OHHHHHHHHHH-- I just remembered one my husband got from his Aunt....
She sends a box every year filled with a variety of things-- a lot of things shes crochets...

Anyway, she actually sent my husband tighty whiteys that were called "Oops" and the caption read "just some little mistakes" ..these were real mens underwear that were slightly defective, yet sold at an incredible discount.... for example...one pair, the "hole" was sewed closed and one another pair, one of the leg holes was much bigger than the other.....weird.... it was almost like a joke except, knowing her, it wasn't.....

 

[PatsGirl]

After DD was born, instead of showing up with a cute pink dress my mother bought me an abdominal cruncher Thanks Mom!

A neighbor family that we exchanged gifts with for many years two years ago gave DD a package of opened (unworn though) underwear that were much too large for her and a cheap nail manicure case, the kind that comes in that fake black leather zippered case for $1. Worse yet, she got DS nothing. This woman is the world's best baker so she could have easily just baked the kids some cookies and put them in a tin and they would have loved it. They were known to stalk her house for after-school baked goods

After that year I figured she no longer wanted to exchange so I just put a nice Xmas card in her door one day...

 

[legalsea]

Back in the late 70's (or early 80s?) my eldest sister gave me the album "YMCA" by the Village People. Since I was a firm Led Zepplin/Rolling Stones etc person, I was rather appalled. I did thank her, of course.

I never even opened it. Now, I wish I still had it ($$$ on ebay!)

Everybody now:

Y...M...C...A!

 

[ericamanda01]

When I was 17 my dad and his wife gave me jumper cables for my car. Jumper cables, just what every 17 year old girl wants!

 

[Katlyn]

When I was about 10, step mom gave me an old lady purse with a homeade pin cushion and a pair of panties inside. Just what evey ten yr. old would like for Christmas.

 

[phorsenuf]

Not for any holiday, but a just because I love you gift. An UGLY wooden carved foot (including toenails) that looks like someone was amputated at ankle ....and it's an ashtray! I have never smoked and neither has he! 20 years later we still have it.

I think I have the same thing! I have a set though.
Are they about 5" long and a few inches tall? Do you have a picture by any chance. What are the odds we have the same amputated foot!!

 

[kawing123]

I guess it would be when I was a teen. My sister and mom woke me up and keep in mind I was a teen. I opened up two pillows and a robe for christmas and I went back to bed and they were laughing that was when I was about sixteen. Probably the laughing got to me more as my sister did not receive these types of presents for christmas

 

[gregokdisney]

My grandma was known for giving horrible gifts. When we were younger she would get us what we asked for out of the toy catalog, but as we got older (I think dementia was setting in) she would get us stuff SHE liked or whatever she saw in the As Seen on TV aisle at Walgreens.

The worst, though, was when I was 17, she gave me a muumuu housecoat and a turban to wear over my hair.

I just thanked her very politely.

 

[jax677]

2 different gifts both from my inlaws at different times. One year they gave me a red, white and blue tube top. The year before our wedding I got a turtle neck and some, um, lingerie. They are unusual people to say the least. lol

 

[clovergirl5]

Omgosh, Im roflmbo!!!!! What are some people thinking with the gifts they give?

Oh, I hope 20 years from now, my dc don't get on a message board and complain about the undies, boxes of bandaids, toe socks and scotch tape I stuff in their stockings!

 

[GothTink]

My mother in law, always known for her tacky gifts, once gave me a rock from her yard with a face drawn on with a Sharpie. And she went on and on about how much fun she had drawing that face on it.

You got a Sharpie rock???

 

[AKL_Megs]

The worst gift ever?

Probably the three books that my MIL gifted me last Christmas. They were sarcastic and dry humor in nature, and totally not my style. All was fine and well until MIL, at the end of the evening, announced that when I was finished reading them, she'd LOVE to read them, since they were HER favorite author and she hadn't read them yet.

They went back to Borders the next day and three books from MY favorite author were purchased.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

The worst gift ever?

Probably the three books that my MIL gifted me last Christmas. They were sarcastic and dry humor in nature, and totally not my style. All was fine and well until MIL, at the end of the evening, announced that when I was finished reading them, she'd LOVE to read them, since they were HER favorite author and she hadn't read them yet.

They went back to Borders the next day and three books from MY favorite author were purchased.

at least it wsa something you could exchange! I'm still trying to figure out where one buys battery operated slippers mine are in a lovely shade of pink (I own nothing pink) and beyond tacky....

 

[Carriemel]

My parents went all out one year and got me a Chia Pet AND a Clapper. You know, "Clap on, clap off...the CLAPPER"...

 

[AKL_Megs]

at least it wsa something you could exchange! I'm still trying to figure out where one buys battery operated slippers mine are in a lovely shade of pink (I own nothing pink) and beyond tacky....

Okay, wait! Are they massaging slippers???

I think I ALMOST purchased these for my MIL three years ago! Does Homemedics make them? I found them at Target! (My MIL was on an all things massage kick, so I don't feel so bad for almost buying this terrible gift! )

 

[MM27]

Disclaimer: There was a good excuse for my worst present, so it's not as bad as others.

My aunt had a miscarriage right before Thanksgiving one year. She had been trying for years to have a baby. My family had encouraged her to not worry about gifts and hosting that year but she insisted. I was in probably 6th grade so fashion was a big thing. My older sister and I got matching sweaters from KMart. They were red with gold threading through them and a big Christmas tree with lights that really lit up Not something that I would ever consider wearing.

Again, I know that her mind was certainly not on Christmas at the time, so I understand. She actually gets us very good presents under normal circumstances.