We know it’s the thought that counts, but sometimes we’re really curious to know where the thought came from.
Here are some of the most ridiculous presents sweetspotters and the ladies of iVillage.ca received as kids and teens.
(Apologies to anyone reading this who gave the gifts.)
Sock It to Me
Around the time I turned 15, my parents stopped understanding me. And by that I mean that they failed to understand me at a base level, but also actively took less of an interest in me. The first Christmas after that pivotal point was a disaster – a muddled attempt to give up on my gifting paired with the keeping up appearances of wrapping and ribbon. Beneath the tree, I found a carefully wrapped pie cutter, two packs of batteries and a personal alarm that was meant to scare off potential predators. Oh, and some socks.
Jes Watson, SweetHome Editor
Puzzling Presents
My sister gave me a puzzle for Christmas. I hated puzzles. She made them ALL the time. So I passed it over to her with a pout. In case she’s reading this (Hi Diane!) I’d just like to say she is now the sweetest sister ever (and I’ll take whatever presents I can get).
Lori Mastronardi, Copy Manager, Marketing
Roll the Dice
My grandmother has always prided herself on finding great deals – especially since she spends her winters in Florida. When I was about 18, she brought me home what she believed was a bag to put my undergarments in when I travelled. I’m not sure she really even looked at what she was buying, she probably just saw a cute silk bag that said Victoria’s Secret in the sale bin. What she didn’t realize was that it wasn’t a bag to put your undergarments in when you travel. It was actually one of those sex games with dice. I’m not quite sure who was more mortified when I opened it at my family party – me or my grandmother.
Samantha Speisman, SweetFit Editor
Hat-Trick
I loved my grandmother; she was a wonderful woman. But she was a wonderful woman with very little knitting abilities. She could knit, but everything she made turned out so lopsided and quirky that it was absolutely un-wearable in public. Bless her heart, she knit me a hat. Every. Year. I wore them to make her happy when we were at her house, but as soon as we came home to Toronto they went into a drawer. Thank goodness my mother completely understood and never asked me where they were once we’d come home.
Jennifer Hamilton, SweetMama Editor
Hip to be Square
When I was around 10, I really wanted to jean overalls (because all of my friends had them). I wanted the name brand overalls like Silver or Levis in dark denim that fit really nice. My mom then proceeded to buy me overalls in some no-name brand that were way too big and had an acid wash look to them. When I opened them, she was so excited about them, so I tried hard not to look disappointed. Later I learned she’d seen some girl rap group wearing the baggy overalls, so she thought she was being a “cool mom” buying similar ones.
Liana Peart, Digital Marketing Manager
