Of all the presents you have GIVEN in the last five years, which was the most appreciated?

The one I just gave my boyfriend for his birthday. He’s a huge Zelda fan. He’s also a fantastic cook. So I got him a handmade cutting board with the tri-force (an important symbol in Zelda) inlaid in it.

I saw the space invaders version of the cutting board featured on BoingBoing and the guy who made it said he was going to do Zelda boards. As soon as I read it, I knew he had to have it. He has it now and he loves it! He’s difficult to buy for so I was really happy that he liked it. He apparently told all of his friends about it. I love, love, love giving gifts that other people love getting.

Well, my sister has this weird obsession with Hello Kitty.
So for her, I had bought this HUGE collection of these dolls that were the whole Hello Kitty gang. It was like $50 on Ebay, so it was a pretty good deal.

She adores them.

Pretty surprised I had bought her a present she loves so much.

Seriously, I highly doubt any of my gifts are ever appreciated. I really like inside jokes and cute things for gifts, while I put my heart in soul into the card. I guess most think I’m “cheap”, by all means they may look the part as inexpensive but to be completely honest my gifts are never cheap. I put in so much effort into them I feel hurt when I see my gifts just thrown around.

I bought a family member an iPhone.

One year I bought my Dad a package of bungie cords for his birthday. He lit up like I’d never seen before and ripped the bag right open and started arranging them by color and size! Then all night he kept telling everyone about different things he’d thought up to do with all his new bungie cords!!! (I’ll never understand why…)

My husband is extremely difficult to buy for…..he never wants anything and is very picky. Occasionally I hit a homerun and it is great. Last year I gave him a tool bag that he loves.

The year before my grandmother died, my wife and I had professional pictures taken, just like my granny had always asked for. (I hate these photos. I hate getting all dolled up; a process that leaves me looking less like myself, and more like my prissy sister.)

We had a nice one framed, and we gave it to her for Giftmas that year. She cried when she saw it. She put it up in her day room, where she kept all the photos that were special to her. When she passed away later that year, that same picture was used in a collage that was displayed during her funeral. That picture still sits in her day room, which still hasn’t been changed. To me it meant that she accepted my choice of spouse, and that she wanted the memory of us to be with her always. Now I’m teary…I really miss her.

After having felt neutral about pets all my adult life, I accepted fostering and responsibility for my daughter’s cat (need I keep mentioning the name?)

This allowed my daughter to gallivant around and finally end up N. of Vancouver – 3400 miles from us. (And never mind the vet bills. I just expect reciprocity when I need a litter box.) To be honest, we celebrated our four-month anniversary several days ago and all is well. We make a handsome couple.

A pair of shoes that I gave my mom (it took me a long time to find well-fitting shoes)
Also, bound books of my son’s and daughter-in-las’s writings that I put together and gave them for their 30th b-days.

I sent my girlfriend a care package of stuff that she’d asked for from the states. I threw in a couple of DVD’s that she had mentioned months ago (Mulan and The Animaniacs first season). She wasn’t expecting them—had indeed forgotten about them—and I got to watch her open the package on Skype. It was great.

My father-in-law had a beloved Chow Chow that died shortly before Christmas. As a gift for FIL I had 15 trees planted in memory of his dog.

my best friend from high school just got engaged to one of my best friends from college while they were on a backpacking trip together. since i assumed they hadn’t hiked in with a bottle of bubbly, i arranged to have a chilled bottle of champagne waiting for them after the 2 week trip. they were happy and sent me a photo of them with the gift since i hadn’t seen it myself. i am usually a pretty terrible present giver so it made me happy to come up with something thoughtful that they appreciated.

I arranged a trip for my husband and I to take to the Olympic Peninsula which included a stay near the hot springs.

ex-boyfriend (when he was my boyfriend): wallet he really wanted that was a little out of my price range, but to this day he brags about it to everyone he sees

dad: a donation in his name to a non-profit program that helps young kids learn about woodworking

mom: my sisters and I went in on the cost of creating a website so that she can advertise her craft business online.

That’s a few of the best ones.

a trip with my mom and brother when my parents were going through a divorce. I even brought my doggy as she loves him to death.

Best time we had as a family.

A compass necklace from my father. It’s a little tiny compass (it’s real, moves & gives directions, just like a big one would… it’s sterling silver ) that hangs on a chain around my neck.
When he gave it to me…there was a note inside the box that read…
“I hope you never lose your way in life, always do what is right.” I am going to pass it on to my child. I often touch it…before I react to something or open my big mouth to say something that I shouldn’t. The best gift I’ve ever received. I’ve had it now for 18 years!
A true gift that keeps on going : )

Oh, I did pass it on to my child…they tell me about once a month…they love the necklace and am I sure, I want to give it to them.

Three years ago we made a “love jar” for my in-laws. I had my husband, brother-in-law, sister-in-law (and me!) write down 13 things that we either loved about them or that we were grateful for regarding them. I printed out what everyone wrote and made individual slips of paper for each item. (Each person’s name was on the slip that pertained to him or her.) We told them to pick one day during the first week of the new year, and pull out one slip. After that, they were to pull out a slip once a week for the rest of the year. To this day, my MIL says that was the very best gift they ever received.

Suprised my husband with a new Harley that he was lusting after. My brother and I were able to get it home from the dealership and hide it until we went out one evening. My brother parked it in front of the bar and when we came out, there it was! It was awesome.
I also got him a set of bagpipes when he was taking lessons some years back which brought tears to his eyes. (Mine too, at the thought of having to listen to him practice).

@Soap—Dang! If he ever messes up, give me a call!

Practical indulgences. One year I put together car kits—blanket, gas can, jumper cables, gloves, 2 rain ponchos, bungee cords. Good flashlights. This year, I’m thinking about crank/solar powered radios.

@AlfredaPrufrock: My mom gave us those last year. She has also previously given us the devices that will cut through your seatbelt and shatter the window to allow escape if you’re trapped or immersed.

Matching green boots and handbag for my wife. Although I have bought her more expensive gifts she appreciated it the most as I really thought about what she would want and I actually got the right size and colour!
Most other stuff she asks for the receipt and returns/exchanges – ouch.

My best male friend lives in CA with his Dad. His Mom passed away about four years ago. Twice a year I buy about sixty dollars worth of bison roast, make it into hot and spicy jerky, and mail it out to my friend’s Dad, who doesn’t get that kind of food anymore since his wife passed away. It’s a special treat that he looks forward to, and I feel good doing it. The man is 75 or so, and probably won’t be around much longer. My friend says that it helps to take the ‘haunted’ look out of the man’s eyes. Costs a fortune in ingredients, preparation, and shipping, but worth every penny to make someone happy.

@evelyns_pet_zebra: A very nice gesture but bite your tongue. “The man is 75 or so, and probably won’t be around much longer.” Don’t put the evil eye on him. A good attitude and the bison jerky could easily give him 15 more good years.

@gailcalled what is this evil eye you speak of? Surely you are not suggesting that a comment made on Fluther somehow could alter the man’s life expectancy? If I had that kind of power, just think what I could do. (insert evil laughter here)

Hmm, who do I want to eliminate from the human gene pool first?!?

The evil eye is something only Jewish,Greek and Italian grandmothers, born no later than 1888, knew about. Whether it is a dominant gene or not, I am not sure. I find that my stuffed voodoo doll, which comes with pins, works pretty well.

There is a Yiddish expression that means “Don’t talk about it. You’ll turn good news into bad.” It was passed down in the oral tradition; something like “Don’t bishrai it.”

@gailcalled – The Indian grandmothers are well aware of this evil eye that you speak of too.

I’m going to get some voodoo dolls and see if I can help make some really horrible people even more miserable than they already are. Have you seen this video ? This is the coolest voodoo thing I’ve seen in awhile.

@PnL: You mean Indian grandmas from the subcontinent, right and not the Amerinds?

@Evelyn’s: Some of the choices on my little doll; zits, SEC investigation, gain weight, fleas, impotence (in the crotch area), IRS audit, back pain, flight delayed, nose hair, car towed, flat tire, and slugs.

@gailcalled – yes

Every holiday and birthday my aunt gives all the children and grandchildren gifts or money. She’s not rich, just very generous. Especially since all of the grand and great-grandparents are gone. Anyway, I started getting her little things that we could afford, and I have never seen so much gratitude over a lawn ornament.