A Lump of Coal: The Worst Gifts Ever
‘Tis the season of giving! We love giving gifts and watching reactions as people open them.
But what if the gift you are given is the Worst. Gift. Ever. How do you try not to look shocked, saddened and disappointed? We’ve collected from our friends and family a few funny stories of gift-giving gone wrong, posted here to bring holiday cheer and to serve as a guide of what NOT to do.
What’s in a wedding gift?
Whimsical wedding gifts can be fun, unless you receive one that makes you doubt it was given from a place of love. Cici tells us about a wedding gift that just made her say, “huh?”:
“I received a large, empty soup can that was cleaned out and stuffed with Styrofoam. Plastic vegetables were stuck into the Styrofoam in a haphazard way, with no rhyme nor reason.”
Feathered Friends
We all have that one family member who just doesn’t get it. Eric shares his story of why attention to detail matters:
Eric and his dad often played Angry Birds on their phones. So, for Christmas, Eric’s mom thought she had scored the perfect gift idea: An Angry Birds T-shirt. BUT — the “angry bird” on the T-shirt was not one of the birds from the game. It was actually Woodstock, Snoopy’s yellow-feathered friend, from Peanuts. (And Eric says he’d never even shown an interest in a game-themed tee!)
Pretty in Plaid
Remember those plaid blazers that were super-popular in the early 1980s? Preppy was in, and we all wanted one. But, this is what happen to Sarah:
“It was the year that plaid blazers were in style, and I had received the most beautiful one for my birthday. Then around Christmas, my mother started dropping hints about my gift. She was so excited that I became excited, and I made the horrible mistake of peeking. What a knot I had in my stomach when I realized my FANTASTIC gift, my BIG, ONE GIFT that year was going to be … matching plaid pants. Like Bozo the Clown. The good news was, I had plenty of time to practice my “so happy” face. I never peeked at Christmas presents again.”
Puppy Sighs
Sometimes our disappointment in a gift can linger. Kelley reminisces about a gift over which she still harbors some hurt feelings:
Like many of us did as kids, nine-year-old Kelley had asked her mom for a puppy for Christmas. She happened to see her mom’s Christmas shopping list, with the word “puppy” written on it. Yay!! And on Christmas morning, she got her puppy: a plush, stuffed-animal puppy.
Don’t Try This at Home
Ah, the joker. He thinks his charm and wit will keep him out of trouble. Not so, says Cassandra:
“My husband is a prankster. He revels in my torment when I open his oh-so-funny “As Seen on TV” gag gifts. I will admit that a few of them have been practical and useful, but it is NEVER okay to give your wife a drain hair-catcher for the shower, as a present. Nope, never a good idea.”
Best Gifts Ever
Don’t let your gift show up on this list next year! You can find the best gifts ever at The Floating Lotus:
- Treat someone to an at-home spa day with amazing organic and natural products for face and body by Eminence and Farmhouse Fresh.
- Show your love with a Wellbeing Membership, featuring monthly spa services and unlimited yoga.
- Let your loved one decide, with a Floating Lotus gift certificate, available in any amount
You’ll find the best gifts at The Floating Lotus, 900 N. University Ave., Suite #4, in Little Rock. Prefer shopping online? Purchase gift certificates, good toward any service or product, through our MINDBODY page.
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