Ok one for the girls! what would you say if your other half gave you a food mixer for Christmas? Comments would be good, interesting and maybe funny but at the end I need a vote of thumbs up or thumbs down!!
(Taking into account you like cooking and your old mixer was on its way out) 

ha ha!

I got a Kitchen Aid from mine last Christmas and I was delighted.
I use it just about every day.

I got a mixer last year for Christmas as mine died 2 days before!
I got a slow cooker the year before.
I keep hinting for a ken wood chef, but I didn't get one, for some reason he won't spend £600 on me!!! Lmao
So thumbs up from me!
Sorry
Lea :)

Big thank you for a Kitchenaid!  A Rolls Royce in the kitchen! :)

I had a food mixer for Christmas from my OH - I had asked for one :) Had a Kenwood years ago and have missed it, although my Magimix food processor does a lot that the Kenwood used to do :) I just asked for an Andrew James mixer as I only want it for making cakes which I don't do very often - not worth spending much money on :) :)

I got one for an early Xmas pressie as mine had finally given up the ghost. I love baking though so a food mixer is a good pressie for me. I was less impressed the year my in-laws got me a garden fork and a lap counter for running!

Not a mixer, but our first Xmas after we got married, OH bought me ...... Alphabet pastry cutters !  

It was my main present  :-(      Not happy, could have cried actually, and he was so pleased with himself because I love cooking

I spent the rest of Xmas day contemplating using them to tattoo his back with 'I'm a plonker'  or something similar when he fell asleep

It's taken many years, but he now seems to know what I'd like.   He does get a bit of help though, if there's something I really want, I tell him :-)

I guess, if it's what you wanted, then it's a big thumbs up and kudos for getting it right.

But if what you wanted was Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, then big thumbs down LOL

Don't worry about what anyone else thinks, it's what you think that counts and if you're happy, that's all that matters :-)

> I spent the rest of Xmas day contemplating using them to tattoo his back with 'I'm a plonker' or something similar when he fell asleep

Laughing like mad here!
More subtle would have been to serve him a pie with pastry letters on the top, "F*** Off!"

I find the only way of getting something you want, be it useful (my kind of pressie) or personal, then you have to tell them, be that husbands or children.

I replaced my Kenwood Gourmet Food Processor that had been originally bought for me by work colleagues as a wedding present for my first marriage in 1985.  It is still in one piece and working (the white plastic body had become cream, and there was a chip in the bottom of the see through brown plastic bowl) and has a home with a friend for occasional use.

I now have a brand new one with a 100watt motor compared to the 350watt old one.  I do wonder if this one will last over 27 years.

OH has a  new TV (LED), as the old one (LCD) was not switching reliably into channel from standby, though we decided at 4 years old we would repair it for a spare.

My mother has one [original Kenwood Chef] a vintage 1970's model, which hasn't been used for at least 15 years, with a lot of attachments. It's just too bulky and heavy to drag out of the cupboard these days.

I have a cheapish Kenwood food processor, a smaller food chopper thingy, a blending stick and a mixer with beaters, and they are all easier to use and clean, and can be kept nearby in drawers etc.

I wonder if the time has come for mum's old KC to be passed on to someone else via Ebay?

I find gadgets only get used if they are out on the worktop, which is where the Food processor, kettle and toaster are.  The small george forman, waffle and sandwich makers never see the light of day.

You would get a good price for it. I keep looking but they all go for huge amounts of money, even 30 year old ones!
Lea :)

One Xmas about 30yrs ago my husband bought me an electric shaver for my legs.  I was furious but didn't let him know and said 'just what I wanted'.  I threw it away never opened.  I knew the women at his work had said get the razor just to get to him.  When he went back to work he was able to say quite honestly that I thought it was great, bless him.

> He does get a bit of help though, if there's something I really want, I tell him :-)

In our family, we ALWAYS make lists of what we want for Christmas :) Nothing I hate more than to be given something that I don't want/need or give something that isn't wanted :)

I think it's a lovely gift - if it's what you wanted.  If you'd had your heart set on diamonds I can see that you might be a tad disappointed...

My husband and I gave each other the ability to afford new flooring this January - by not buying each other anything much.  We just bought a few things that caught our eye whilst we were out shopping for others so no surprises (actually we do most of our shopping like that!) :)

As we can buy each other gifts at any time of the year I'd actually rather not get caught caught up in the deadlines and price hikes for Christmas and would genuinely always be happy to wait until the sales or until our bank balance is less stressed!

When money is as tight as it is for some people, practical or useful presents will always get a thumbs up from me.

> My husband and I gave each other the ability to afford new flooring this January

:) My daughter and her boyfriend replaced their front lawn with a gravel drive as their joint Christmas present :) After experiencing their first winter with the grass turned to a quagmire as they have to park/turn there, any spare cash had to be spent on that ! :)

Taking into account you like cooking and old mixer was on its way out, then yes, I think its a thoughtfulmpresent and deserves a thumbs up :-)
My partner doesnt go near the kitchen so woyldnt even know which utensils and machines I use, let alone whether they were working or not!
Its no secret that men struggle with shopping. Sounds like your OH tried his best which deserves some credit :-)

I would be delighted with it.  I cook and bake a bit so it's really useful having something like that!  My ex husband once bought a salt grinder for me for christmas (our first married one)  It was my only present from him that year!

Don't get me wrong, I love it but he had some wary looks from women friends when he told them what he had bought me!

Having said all this, one year I got a pine toilet seat as my main present!!

> but he had some wary looks from women friends when he told them what he had bought me!

Much rather have your husband than theirs ........ :) :) :)

>> Having said all this, one year I got a pine toilet seat as my main present!!

LOL, I've been given drainage rods in the past, though it wan't my main present!

Tin hat on WW I would have been really peed off.

Cooking is an everyday thing that benefits everybody and so shouldn't be a personal present unless agreed before hand .

I remember my ex husband said an oil sump for our car was going to have to be my present and that was the first of many things that led to the end. Nothing else as I was supposed to be grateful .

It doesn't take a lot if money or thought to get quite inexpensive personal presents that give the recipient a warm feeling that it was bought with care and love.

One of the loveliest presents I had this year was pewter lab badge from my OH ( he got me lots more including a Joules large leather handbag that I asked for ) and two water colour paintings my lovely 10 year old gave me .

These were thought about and the knew I would love the presents because they were for me.

> that give the recipient a warm feeling that it was bought with care and love

:) My OH knows that I don't appreciate things like perfume/flowers/underwear and has to be told what I want otherwise he would be in trouble for wasting money on me - he really doesn't have a clue about buying presents and there is very little that I actually want/need  :) :) :) I ordered the food mixer myself as I wanted it before Christmas so I could make the Christmas Cake. The main thing on my Christmas Present list (other than the mixer) was a jar of lemon curd  :) We bought my DIL a large hammer for Christmas  :) :)

I know my OH loves me - he doesn't need to buy me things to show it :) :) :)

(Taking into account you like cooking and your old mixer was on its way out) 

Well..... I couldn't be mad with him as to your hubby that was the best present he could ever think of for you then, he wasn't just being practical, he knows you love cooking. :-) 

But, for me......... it wouldn't be appreciated (not because I don't cook - I do ;-) ) but because things like that I just go out and buy myself, anything I want or need for the home I like to choose, they are classed as everyday household items not presents.  If that is something you would naturally do yourself too, then I guess you also would not appreciate it.

But, if it is something you really would want and would need to save up for, then given as a present is fine too.

I remember when my eldest was approx 7yrs old he wanted to choose my mothers day present himself rather than Dad doing it for him, hubby went with him but left him to choose all by himself, well what did he present me with on mothers day.... a WOK! I mean....... well, I had to look happy and make a fuss and tell him it was lovely humph!, but it was shortly followed by a lengthy chat with my laughing husband on teaching my son later on the etiquette of presents. ;-)

The same mistake was never made.

But, it is each to their own........ only you know if you were happy or accepting graciously.  But he meant well bless him. :-)

I would have been thrilled to receive it, but I'm not really into frivolous personal presents. For my last birthday I asked for (and got) 2 hens, great as every egg is another gift! Had an electric window vacuum for Christmas last year, much more useful than perfume.

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I remember when my eldest was approx 7yrs old he wanted to choose my mothers day present himself rather than Dad doing it for him, hubby went with him but left him to choose all by himself, well what did he present me with on mothers day.... a WOK! I mean....... well, I had to look happy and make a fuss and tell him it was lovely humph!, but it was shortly followed by a lengthy chat with my laughing husband on teaching my son later on the etiquette of presents. <img alt=";-)" src="/images/default/sml_wnk.png" class="sml" /><br /><br />The same mistake was never made.

My children have always bought their presents out of their pocket money and I loved their choices. I remember one Christmas receiving half a cucumber from my 6 year old son as he knew I love cucumber sandwiches. The fact that he bought it two weeks before Christmas and left it wrapped under the tree so that by the time of opening it the resemblance to a cucumber was negligible, was neither here nor there - I loved that he had saved up his money to buy a present he knew I would like. My husband had tried to persuade him that it might not last too well but my son was convinced it was special - and it was :-)

Tears down my face over your half a cucumber Harley :-D :-D  That's got to be one of the most unusual Christmas presents ever :-D

Such a sweet thing from you son and very touching, but it must have been rank too.   I hope he wasn't too upset?

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Such a sweet thing from you son and very touching, but it must have been rank too.   I hope he wasn't too upset?

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It was almost liquid but I thought it might be from the feel of it  ;-) so undid one end, peered inside and then exclaimed what a wonderful present it was - he had no idea of the state it was in and was so pleased that I loved his present. The cucumber "disappeared" discretely later that morning but I told him I had made myself and his dad a sandwich with it.

That is lovely Harley....... :-)

Lea, Ideal World do frequent good deals on Kenwood Chefs.  I got a really good one with quite a few attachments for under £300.  Not used it often enough yet though :)

I say if u like cooking and you needed a new one then yes thumbs up.
My friend brought her mother a wock for her birthday as she kept saying she wanted one, her mum was not impressed and said the wock was not a gift for her it was a gift for the house!