Christmas is a time for many things, but gifts certainly rank as a feature of the day. The Transit Lounge asked a selection of women what ranks as their most memorable gifts.
Bronwyn Thompson
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? The best gift I ever received was a New Zealand greenstone ring from my Daddy (a graduation present). Given that Dad isn’t really prone to giving gifts at all, this was a special one.
What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? Worst gift (if you can call it that) was also a ring …. And a proposal … from a man I didn’t want to marry!! AHH!!!
Have you ever re-gifted something? I’m completely up for re-gifting. I figure if someone has given me something, and I’m never going to use it, it’s best recycled. Using the same logic, I’m not opposed to someone giving me a recycled gift!
What is your ultimate present? Will have to think about that…
What are you hoping to receive this year? This year, my family isn’t giving presents – we’re making a bulk donation to the Starlight Foundation. Actually, perhaps that is my ultimate present.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? The best gift I’ve ever given qualified as such because I didn’t have to pay for it. I thought I’d come up with the perfect gift for a friend who is notoriously hard to buy for. I thought a membership to the NSW Writer’s Centre would be great, so I applied online and gave my credit card details and thought it would all be organised in time for his birthday. Unfortunately, what I didn’t know is that as soon as you sign-up, an email is sent to you. So, he received this email and due to unclear communication (from a writer’s centre no less!), he thought it was an INVITATION to join. So he signed himself up. No sooner had he done this than he got a call from the Writer’s Centre saying he had now signed up twice, and which credit card details should they use. He said his own, as he had no idea whose the other numbers were… he therefore ended up purchasing his own birthday present. So, the best gift I have ever given is one that I essentially made the recipient pay for. Hmmm …
Jennifer Whyte
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Barbie’s Dream House. My Dad spent all Christmas morning setting it up with all the stickers, furniture, and even placed the plastic food in Barbie’s fridge.
What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? Toiletry bags. Useful in themselves, but not when receiving one each year, as they don’t generally endure a lot of wear and tear.
Have you ever re-gifted something? Hmmm… I once received a “free gift” for buying perfume, which I passed on to another person in a Secret Santa, does that count?
What is your ultimate present? Not needing to drive to four different houses, for four different eating sessions, in one day. One can only dream. I’d also like a Better Homes and Gardens-style makeover for our courtyard, but that’s about as likely as the previous point.
What are you hoping to receive this year? See above! Or a new mountain bike.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? My Mum goes nuts, each time without fail, when she unwraps her Clairns skincare. Also, my brother is getting a toilet from Oxfam Unwrapped this year… that one could go either way.
Sarah Chesson
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? I’ve had a lot of good ones – lucky girl! My sister is an artist so I love getting original artwork from her now. Silly as it sounds, a couple of years ago I got the full collection of Sex and the City episodes on DVD from my b/f and I literally cried I was so surprised at his thoughtfulness. Haha. The very best gifts probably come when you’re little so my first Breyer horse and my first Barbie sent me into total joy comas.
What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? Hmmm…I can’t think of a terrible one right now! My lovely aunts were notorious for buying my sister and me gifts that were 10 years younger than our actual ages. My sister got a scarecrow windsock for her 17th birthday!
Have you ever re-gifted something? Definitely. Who hasn’t? Most recently, it was a very tacky pair of martini pajamas that were re-gifted to me from someone who also received them as a re-gift. Surely, they’ll make it to someone who loves them eventually.
What is your ultimate present? My b/f and I never do gifts for each other anymore; we just plan a trip! I would rather keep travelling than ever receive a gift from him (often bad) or try and figure out what to give him (absolutely horrible!). Oh, also a pony which I’ve asked for every year for the past twenty years and still haven’t received...
What are you hoping to receive this year? As annoying as it sounds, I do love when people give to non-profits or charitable organisations instead of doing gifts. There are so many great organisations that offer this option now and I think a lot of times you get the gift-giver interested in something they wouldn’t have paid attention to before. I am also pushing fairly traded gifts on my family members this year – to give and to receive!
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? I can think of two at the moment. Last Christmas, I ‘gave’ my mom her first passport so that she could come and visit me in Sydney. Selfish, but really fun to see her so excited! Secondly, every time, one of my close friends gets married, a group of us put together a scrapbook for the bride as a surprise. I love making these, working with friends and remembering so many funny moments from long ago. They are nearly as fun to put together as they are to give.
Anna Catliffe
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Streamers, happy birthday signs and presents covering my work desk. The National Assembly is the place to be!
What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? I wouldn’t count this as worst... it wasn’t bad...they were lovely but it was sort of pointless... earrings (I don’t have my ears pierced).
Have you ever re-gifted something? Never, my Mum has though!
What is your ultimate present? Relaxation: massage, facial or holiday.
What are you hoping to receive this year? I am happy with Mum's turkey.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? I am the best gift I have ever given my parents (; he he
Julie Redall
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Hand and body cream.
What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? Jade key ring addressed to the person's mother.
Have you ever re-gifted something? Yes.
What is your ultimate present? For this year it would be cosmetics gift voucher.
What are you hoping to receive this year? Money.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? Hand made jewellery.
Ruvanie De Zoysa
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Loved ones in my life and my experiences with them
What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? Crockery when I was 9!
Have you ever re-gifted something? Probably chocolates or fragrance I didn’t like!
What is your ultimate present? Designer wear/ tailored –clothes, shoes, bags etc… or better still a shopping trip to the store so I can choose myself.
What are you hoping to receive this year? Love
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? Handmade cufflinks and jewellery to friends for their birthday, otherwise designer clothing/ merchandise to family.
Amy Goodhew
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? I immediately think of the table FULL of My Little Ponies I woke up to one memorable Christmas. An early gift from my partner this year of clothes from my favourite label (Gorman) also rates a mention.
What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? I've been given some pretty ugly odds and ends over the years from people who have all said "We thought of you when we saw this - it's different too!"
Have you ever re-gifted something? When my partner forgot his Yoga loving Grandma's Christmas gift one year I donated my own lovely new purple one to the cause.
What is your ultimate present? A shopping trip! I'm very particular and a day out shopping would be bliss.
What are you hoping to receive this year? Due to being particular and issuing 'suggestions' to my nearest and dearest, I hope to receive a bright yellow purse, ghost shaped salt and pepper shakers, a tangerine printed scarf and black Fedora.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given? No one particular gift stands out to me but I do pride myself on giving thoughtful gifts in general.
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