I’m a regifter.
Yep.
Please reserve your judgement. This is about to get interesting.
See… I’ve been given all sorts of gifts this year. From two blogger conferences, I’ve amassed enough kitchen supplies to equip a small army of chefs.
The good news is that I want to share all of this loot with you. It’s not that I don’t love these things, it’s just that I love regifting more. It’s like the most fun recycling… ever. That’s where you come in.
I’ve got silly whisks. I’ve got gorgeous cookbooks. I’ve got coffee and milk frothers. I’ve got choppers and tenderizers. Cuisinart, people. I’ve got fancy sporks and way cool forks… all sorts of little gems.
I’m regifting four little bundles of kitchen goodies to four of you. Keep the goodies as a gift to yourself or regift them this holiday season. I won’t tell a soul!
To enter this (both humble and perhaps ethically questionable) giveaway, just leave a comment in this post sharing the best holiday gift you’ve ever received. Comments are accepted until Sunday at noon.
Suzanne Le
One of my favorite and most memorable gifts was the Christmas I was first married and we were celebrating Christmas with my in-laws. This was my first Christmas without my family and I was homesick. My husband went all out and surprised me with Tiffany earrings and necklace set. On top of that he got us a PS2…I was so blown away and it did cheer me up.
Jo Ann
1979 I had just poured me a glass of homemade eggnog when my Sister walked in and said “I’m in labor”. Being the coach I quickly handed my drink to brother Jim and waited 10 hours for the birth of her daughter. The most precious gift I ever received.
Auntie Jo Jo
vivain luong
MY OVEN!!!!!!!! =)
Kira
Fabulous giveaway!!! So far best holiday gift was a trip to Paris before my second kid was born!!!
Sue
My best Christmas present that comes to mind is when I was 10 years old and I was SO HAPPY to receive a shiny, new girls blue stingray bike, with a banana seat and a white wicker basket (on the handlebars) that had plastic pink flowers attached to it!
Alli
KitchenAid mixer (even though it was a gift I got for myself).
Tracy
The best gift I have received was a lovely purse!! :)
Gretchen
My best gift was my KitchenAid mixer! I use it constantly and am so glad that I don’t have to live without it. I love that it is a more vintage-y model, and my folks got it really cheap too! That just makes it even better for some reason :)
Lee R.
The absolute best Christmas gift I’ve ever received was my daughter – she’s a Christmas baby and has brought us so much joy. The best kitchen-based gift I’ve received was my Kitchen-Aide stand mixer (in cherry red) for late Christmas last year. I’d been wanting one for years and kept talking about it so much that my spouse finally ordered it for me! What a guy!
Leigh Ann
I love all things kitchen!! And I have no problem with regifting :)
Jacqueline
I take out my Holiday Treats Barbie to observe and supervise the Christmas Cookie making every year.
San
I think the best gift I ever received would have to be the first pastry cutter I was given. At first I was like, what is this and why on *earth* would I want it? Now it’s probably my most used kitchen tool and I don’t know what I’d do without it.
Jessie
The best gift I ever received was probably a dorky little change-sorting doohickey. It’s funny, but I’ve had it for years and years now and it’s the only gift I can recall having received that I consistently use.
Kenley
Book of family recipes from my dad.
Suzanne
Best gift is one I’ve already received this year from my mum. I’m participating in a 200K bike ride in honour of my mother in law (Brenda) who has ovarian cancer. This year my mum donated to support my ride in Brenda’s honour. Most thoughtful and touching gift ever. Mum’s sure know how to be sweet don’t they!
Goldy S
My Kitchen Aid!!!!!!!!!!!!
Melynda
My kitchen aid Mixer that I passed on to my daughter after 20 years and she uses it now.
Kristi
I’d love a milk frother for my humble home-made lattes. (Crossing fingers here). ‘course, new (to me) cookbooks always find a welcome home in my kitchen…
Also, thought I’d say that my coworkers and I are enjoying your Peppermint Sandwich Cookies. I made a batch for the office cookie exchange (and kept some for myself & my kids as well). Yumm.
Thanks!
Jamie Zaj
A digital camera.
Colleen
The best gift ever was my Strawberry Shortcake kitchen– I think I was two?
Kellygirl
My KitchenAid from my dear husband!
Jen
My favorite gift is returning home to best friends and great food!
Tiffany S.
Probably my first gift from Tiffany’s, a bracelet. It was from my mother.
tanya
Why, my Easy-Bake Oven, of course….
Heather
I would have to say the best Christmas gift I have received would be the Christmas of 2007. It was the first Christmas with my twin daughters. They weren’t even a month old yet. My husband and I were so sleep deprived but I know it will always be the best gift we have received.
Merry Christmas Joy!
JennR
My husband shopped around at every possible store and begged every sales clerk for a discount so he could afford a pearl necklace for me for our first Christmas. The work he put into staying within his budget makes them priceless to me!
Jan King
The best gift…my happy family and our continued good health. That and this year, we are giving ourselves a week getaway!
Jen M.
The best holiday gift I received was the recipe for my grandmother’s traditional Christmas Eve soup. Now that she’s gone, it’s my job to make the soup every year. It’s my favorite part of the holidays.
Christina
The best holiday gift I’ve ever received was from a coworker who bought me black and pink shoelaces to match my black and pink converse sneakers :) So thoughtful!
Amanda
A house! It’s a long story….
Lacee
My best gift ever would definately be last Christmas eve we got to bring our new baby boy home, who joined our family through the miracle of adoption!
Chatelaine
Today is my birthday and I’m so excited to have gotten a suitcase filled with cupcake liners from Bake it Pretty. I know, random, but my mind is so clouded today :)
Allie Zirkle
Ok, this is a killer giveaway. I have all the kitchen basics but I really, really need some fun added in!!
Sarah
best gift I’ve received in recent memory was a shiny, red Le Creuset dutch oven. i still absolutely adore it, even after many years of use!
Sil BsAs
My beloved kitchen aid!
Corrine
Mu husband and kids gave me a certificate last year for a dinner every month that they would cook for me… and do the dishes!!!
Mary
Every year while we’re traveling, my husband sneaks off and pockets a small stone from wherever we’ve landed. Every Christmas the rocks are in my stocking, engraved with the location and date. It might sound weird, but I love looking at the collection on my bookshelf and being reminded at a glance of all the incredible memories, the great opportunities we’ve had, and that I married the most amazing person I’ve ever met.
elizabeth
my daughter, Reilly…as they say “the gift that keeps on giving”!
have a happy Christmas and a healthy New Year
Joy!
Alex
A bear from my boyfriend 4 years ago. It reminds me of all our silly memories of goofing off together.
Ashley Keller
My best Christmas was last year. I learned I was Cancer Free! :)
Amelia
Ohhh how exciting! The best gift I’ve ever received? That my 95 year old grandmother is still spending Christmas with our family.
Brooke
After two losses and a long difficult pregnancy-our sweet little miracle baby came two weeks after Christmas :) He is baby #3 and such a joy!
RubyDu
My best gift ever? My husband being cancer free.
Anna
The best gift I got when I was 5. On New Year’s Eve (in Russia we celebrate New Year’s instead of Christmas) when “Father Frost” (aka Santa) came to visit us I pulled out what then seemed like the most giant Christmas themed teddy bear. I’m 18 now and she has been with me ever since- she’s been my go to for comfort every time that anything has ever been wrong. The best Christmas gift ever was Nancy! <3
Jen T.
Wow, loaded question! The last couple of years my parents have given me tickets to a musical I want to see, which I think is great. This year it’s including dinner at our favorite restaurant in the town we used to live in (which is where I’m seeing the musical). However, I’m also really excited about the pearl necklace (which I know nothing about) that I’m getting from my boyfriend this year :-)
Sharon
I love kitchen gadgets!! Thanks for the giveaway!
I guess I’ve received many nice gifts for Christmas over the years, but the best gifts are the handmade things my boys made when they were young–the little hand prints in plaster casts, the woven pot holders, the painted rocks(!!) You can’t put a price tag on those things!
Merry Christmas!
Betty
My engagement ring Christmas of 2007!
Jen
Last Christmas my aunt gave me a quilt that my late grandmother had completely hand-stitched. Not only was it beautiful on its own, but I am a quilter, so I think it’s totally fair to say I appreciated it in a way that no one else in our family would have.
To slightly cheat, though, I have to say that for my December birthday this year, my two boys gave me (a) a collection of Theodore Roosevelt’s works from the bookshelf in our living room (because they had conspired to ask me whether I liked fiction or non-fiction, and if perhaps my non-fiction interests extended to presidents); (b) a Reese’s peanut butter cup that my oldest saved from his Halloween candy because he knows they’re my favorite; and (c) a blue Hot Wheels car that my youngest sacrificed because he knows that blue is my favorite color. They couldn’t understand why I cried when I was telling my friends on the phone about my fabulous presents.
Brittany
In high school my family all pitched in and helped pay for a trip to Europe for me. What a gift!
Annie
My dog! I can remember how excited I was to wake up and see that sweet dog in my kitchen.
Kathryn Laughton
Wow. The spirit of Christmas! I just wonder whether Mary regifted some of the stuff she was given. I mean, sure she could use the gold; she and Joseph probably ploughed the sale of the gold into building up their burgeoning carpentry business. But the frankincense and myrrh, well…uhm. Frankincense and myrrh, admittedly, was pretty valuable stuff back in the day. It was used for everything from embalming to incense for religious ceremonies, but in the end, both these gifts are just gum resin. She probably didn’t have a lot of uses for it personally. Regift!!!!
Rob
hands down SPACE:1999 Eagle Transporter, Circa late 70s, christmas in baltimore.
jule
mine would have to be a teflon pan. seriously? yeah, my crepe-loving family was most happy giving it to me with some (rational) anticipations.
Caroline Cote
My engagement ring in 2004!
mharper
A brand new 10 speed bike put together the night before Christmas by my big brother. It was sitting under the tree when I woke up. It was beautiful!?
Merry Christmas, Joy. :)
jspargo
The best gift I ever received has been the cookbooks by mom has gotten me through the years. Every year, for about the past 5 years, my mom has bought me a cookbook for Christmas. If it wasn’t for her doing this, I never would have discovered King Arthur Flour Cookie Cookbook, which is AMAZING.
Laura T.
Last year my sister-in-law got me about 20 different perfume samples and wrote me notecards about each one. I liked trying all of the different perfumes!
Miriam
How in the you know what are you going to possibly read all 1752 replies?!?! ;)
You must enlist your family and split it up!!
Merry Christmas!
Danielle
The best holiday gift, is getting to be with my family.
Samantha
A few years ago, I was headed to Australia for Christmas with some friends. I also have a really tiny apartment and no room for gifts! My stepmom sent me a small box for Christmas. It contained: a scarf for a friend of mine who was traveling to Australia with me, a check, a perfect wooden spatula from Iceland (that I use almost daily!), and Ambien for the plane. Perfect!
Donna
When our children, of course, we would fill their stockings with little toys and candy from Santa. Somewhere along the way, our daughter realized that our stockings, hanging next to theirs, were never filled. So, when she began to have money of her own, she would fill our stockings with our favorite candy and a few other little treats.
She was married this year, and I know that when she returns home, she will secretly take our stockings down, fill them with goodies and hang them for us to find on Christmas morning.
It has never mattered what was in the stocking, just knowing that she filled them with love was all that I needed. I look forward to it every year!
Reagan Bush
Best holiday gift… how about a TASER from my dad? Yes, it keeps me safer, but it was also so fun to tell people what I got for Christmas and see the looks on their faces! Gotta love my family :)
Rochelle
The best holiday gift ever has been watching my kids unwrap their presents. Of course I like to get presents, too–cooking gadgets are tops–but it’s watching other people express their joy that really makes it feel like Christmas to me.
Maggie
a beautiful victorian style dollhouse when i was 11. i loved decorating it!
Lollie
Ahhh regifting, its like anything else those who can, do it well. Then there are those who cant and give you the re-gifted item, with bits of original wrapping paper and tape on it…..I will not use names to protect the innocent.
Larissa
I received a sewing machine from my mother-in-law, and can’t count the times it has come in handy. I love it!
Coline
Let’s see, the best Holiday gift…
Well, it wasn’t really a holiday, but I have to say my bed. I used to have a horrible mattress that hurt my back and creaked all the time, and them my parents gave me a nice IKEA mattress and a bigger bed! Sooo comfortable…
Diana Samour
I am up but not awake yet. He greats me with a grin and wants me to sit down in my favorite chair. He presents me with his guitar case. “Open it”, he says. I do and hidden in every pocket is a gift for me. I honestly don’t remember what I got–it was more than 10 years ago and many Holiday’s together. I do remember how excited he was at giving. You could tell he had planned this for months, and his joy lasted past that day. That moment remains with me and the many more my husband has shared with me. The joy of giving is a precious moment.
Beardyface
Probably one of the best gifts was from my father. He has the (wonderful) idea that, even though his boys are all grown up, they should still get a toy every year for christmas. A few years ago, that meant that my brother and I, both in our twenties, got model rockets. My brother, my father, and myself then proceeded to spend boxing day afternoon launching them, and giggling like small children. Gifts (or moments, or conversations, or memories, or whatever) that remind us how to laugh and see the world with wonder are the best sort.
Ayano
Best holiday gift – that would be a whole stack of beautiful cookbooks with illustrations and full colour photography and all.
If it didn’t have to be a “holiday” gift, I’d definitely say, my dog :) A month old Maltese puppy, which was cooing like a pigeon and looking like a smiling daisy flower. That was fifteen and a half years ago; she died this summer after a very full life…
Matthew
My best gift was a bus ticket to Colorado to see one of my best friends. See, I’d just started college far away from everyone I’d known so it was a bit of a lonely semester since I’m just not the most outgoing of people. I was able to visit my family for Christmas and that was great, but they could tell I was missing having good friends around so they sacrificed a little family time to me just so I could a high school friend.
The Greyhound bus ride, itself, was long and strange… As they usually are. Hot, strangers falling asleep on your shoulder, and the landscape outside somehow more desolate than it should be… It was even weird on the other end where my friend was waiting. The bus was late and no one there seemed to know what was going on. Worse, another bus from my area showed up… But I didn’t get off of it. They were getting kind of concerned!
Anyway, we had a blast and that, combined with my family visit, really recharged me for the next year!
Kim
martha stewart cookie book! and other cookbooks i just love them!
Kirstie
I think my favourite Christmas gift has been from my parents. For the past few years they have given each of my sisters and I two place-settings of holiday red transferware. Each piece has a different picture and part of the story “Twas the night before Christmas” entwined in the delicate design. My sisters and I look forward to pulling those dishes out and setting the table at Mom and Dads house for Christmas morning breakfast every year.
Terri
My favorite gift was a little doll made by my then six year old.
Cherry
Best gift ever: A bike! So I could work off all those extra cinnamon bun induced calories…..
annie
every christmas my aunt gives me needhams and italian wedding cookies, my favorites! i look forward to it every year. i love them! can’t wait until christmas. homemade treats trump almost all other holiday gifts i’ve received!
Christina
I like gifts that are very practical. I have a particular friend who is very good at this and one Christmas she got me a French press. Definitely the best gift I’ve got and I use it several times a week. :)
Lauren
I like to think of my new boy-bot as an early Christmukkah present.
Kate
Here’s where I get all shmoopy. I have a difficult relationship with my mom. About five years ago she bought me a heart-shaped, ceramic trinket box. The cover of the box reads, “You are my daughter.” On the inside it reads, “I am so lucky.” That small gift trumps every holiday gift I’ve ever received.
janice
My engagement ring that I received 20 years ago!
mouse
I still remember large and cute panda-bear-toy. I was 5 and hospitalized for the first time (during Christmas Holiday)
Megan O'Bryan
Last year, my mother put together a handwritten cookbook for me of all our family’s favorite recipes. She along with both of my grandmothers each wrote in their own favorites, then she photocopied both of my deceased great grandmothers’ famous recipes to include as well. On every page she added pictures of me in the kitchen at various times with all these wonderful women. Just to have these family recipes all in one place is so handy, but having them all in these five women’s own handwriting makes it so much more special. Best gift ever, by far!!!
Ginny
My favorite Christmas gift isn’t a specific item – it’s the fulfillment of a tradition my mother began for me over fifty years ago. Every Christmas I get a new book to enjoy. I have a library degree and work in a bookstore; my to-be-read pile is more than a full bookcase; but the one year that Santa forget to gift me with a new book for Christmas, I was crushed and pouted my way through the day. Now that my parents have passed on, a dear friend has taken up the tradition.
edina
Best holiday gift every year is continued good health, happiness, and friendship!
Tiffani Rathbun
One year I went to Uganda to do research for my master’s thesis in counseling and when I got back I was in a lot of culture shock and having a hard time adjusting back home. For Christmas that year, my cousin secretly collected all my pictures and blog entries about my time there and put them into an adorable little scrap book to help me remember what I learned there and all the people I met, but also to remember why I needed to come home and finish what I had started. It was such a surprise that she would do something so creative and so meaningful to me at the time! I still have that book and look at it quite frequently when I am homesick for Africa and my friends there.
Samantha
A technivorm moccamaster coffee maker. I’ve never had better coffee than what comes out of that machine. mmmm
Jess
The best Christmas present, past & present, is a plane ticket home to be with my family!!
Mike
My Giant bottle of SoCo.
Akshay
My best gift were the keys to my girlfriend’s place!
Leiliana
I just love my Kitchen Aid food processor, I know it doesn’t sound romantic, but my boyfriend really got that Christmas just right!
Lilly
My best Christmas gift ever was my first Doll from Santa when I was 5. How did he know??? :-)
Sarah
When I was little, my favorite book was called “Never tease a Weasel”, a quirky book from the sixties. I loved that book, and practically had it memorized. Unfortunately, at some point the book was lost, and since it was out of print, assumed lost forever. I cried when I opened my present from my sister a couple of years ago, and saw my favorite book! She had found a used copy online. That was my favorite gift.
Holly
Last week a friend offered me space to open a bakery in her street-facing yoga center . . . rent-free for a year!
Jennie L
My best gift ever was a diamond and tanzanite ring my husband surprised me with on Christmas Eve!
Esther
My gran made me a princess dress- light blue like the Disney Sleeping Beauty, and all silky. Fabulous.
Kolette
A handpainted Santa face mug from my husband’s Aunt Diane. She had painted them for my huband’s generation when they were kids, then we had kids, and she painted them for that generation—so now my husband and my kids had hand-painted personalized Santa mugs—but I didn’t. It really bummed me out. Evidently the mold for these mugs was missing, and AD jumped through hoops and drove all over the Pacific NW to get the mold to make the mug to match the others….it was AMAZING! It warms my heart every year I pull it out.
Kelly Shaida
A classic, beautiful necklace from Tiffanys that my romantic husband got me… knowing that I had wanted it for over 3 years. (Even though I didn’t “get” him at Christmas time, if people count then my adorable husband would definitely be my best gift.). :)
tali
A trip to nyc with my mom and sister!
Zoe
My favourite present I gave to someone else — a few years ago I gave my husband a new laptop for Christmas and he was 100% surprised!
Karla
When I was about five, Little Miss Makeup was THE gift that I wanted, and I think one of the big gifts for that year. Somehow, I managed to get one for Christmas. The more amazing thing is that my DAD found it and bought it. Usually my mom does all the shopping especially back then, but my dad actually when and found this doll that I wanted sooo much, and that’s why it was my favorite gift.
Hannah
The best holiday gift I ever received WAS AN ENTIRE HOUSE FULL OF MY FRIENDS.
amy h
The best Christmas gift I ever received was probably my first crochet hook and some yarn in my stocking. I have no idea where the crappy scarf I made is, but a few years later I’m still crocheting and my items are no longer so crappy.
Karen
Probably one of the best gifts I have received was a keyboard from my parents when I was younger. The best part is that I opened the stand before the keyboard itself!
Lindsay
My best Christmas present? A little pony. For reals! When I was 5, my parents found her somewhere and brought her home for Christmas. She was a chocolate palomino (chocolate colored body with flaxen mane and tail), named Tazzie. She was so adorable. Every little girl’s dream! (and, of course, it just fueled the horsey obsession for the rest of my life…)
Here’s a photo of her chilling under the tree with our malamute:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4181664648_267c4c5dba_o.jpg
Shirley
My favorite Christmas gift was a little bit of Christmas magic. When I was about 8 years old, my (much) older sister pulled me aside and talked to me about Santa, “You don’t really believe he’s real, do you?” For the first time, I started to doubt. Christmas morning, there was a tuft of white Santa coat trim fur clinging to the tree, where he would brush it as he clambered out of the fireplace and a great big Santa size boot print in the fluffy carpet by the hearth. With evidence like that, how could I not believe? That bought me at least a couple more years of childhood Christmas magic, best gift ever.
Alexis Hilgert
Oh my…the Best Christmas gift I’ve ever received??? That’s a nearly impossible question so I’ll go with the first thing that popped into my mind…Christmas 2004 I got a Picture of my engagement ring. Yes, a picture. My ring wasn’t ready, lol, and my husband couldn’t wait to show me what it looked like. I still have that picture somewhere.
Makirio
Hi Joy! My parents divorced, and I had to drop out of college to take care of my brother and sister. Things were hard, we lost everything and stayed in motels and were just starting to get on our feet again after moving into a new apartment. I took a job at Victoria’s Secret for the holiday season where, unbeknownst to me, the manager would go in my locker and steal all my money – everything I saved to cook my family our first healing holiday dinner! My brother and sister and dad were so amazing and we all went to McDonald’s for special dinner, and later that week, we went to pawn shops and thrift stores to pick out gifts for one another. It doesn’t sound like the best holiday – but going through that with my family and how humble we all were and how close we became – has made it the BEST holiday memory ever!
Caren H.
My best gift would be the original Nintendo I got in 3rd grade. I played that thing for hours on end and was sooo happy! In my adult life, my husband got me a bread maker and I absolutely LOVE it!
Sara
My boyfriend gave me a vintage jewelry box that played the tune “I left my heart in San Francisco.”
This was especially touching, because it was at the beginning of our long distance relationship, with me living in Berkeley and he staying in Los Angeles.
By December 23rd, we will live in the same city again!
Catherine
At the risk of sounding totally campy .. my daughter graduates from college this Friday and my son and his wife scrimped and saved their pennies (campus ministers) so they could come from Colorado to Texas to be here with us for graduation and Christmas. My house will be full of love, laughter and cookies! I can’t wait!!! I think I just wanted to share my joy more than anything. Christmas greetings to all of you! Thanks for your blog, Joy! I’m so happy I just might dance!
Janis
Two favorites….when I was 3 years old Santa left me a note telling me to go to the basement. There I discovered an entire supermarket contstructed from cardboard, complete with shelves, boxes and cans of food and grocery cart (straight out of the Sears catalog I think). Another favorite is the gift of peace and joy (came from straight above I should think!). Heavenly peace!
Kyla
yeah gifts! ’tis the season.
Robert
The best holiday gift I ever received was an instrument that haunted my dreams for most of my life: a thermin. It’s the world’s first electronic instrument played by manipulating electrical waves out of two antennas. One controls the pitch, the other controls the volume. I’ve been playing pretty regularly for over a year now and almost feel like I’m ready to possibly perform for other people. I was never expecting something so elaborate and expensive as a Christmas gift. It show just how much my family cares about me.
Joan
One year my husband surprised me with tickets to a musical I had been wanting to see. He also got tickets for my sisters and mom—it was so much fun and something we all wouldn’t have done on our own!
Julie
Definitely my son. He was actually born one year ago today. What’s that? Not exactly Christmas? Ok, well then I’ll go with my best actual Christmas gift and that would be my engagement ring 5 years ago.
Jeanna
Last year I was given the entire WillowTree Nativity set. The Nativity has always been a special obsession for me at Christmas time; my brother and I set it up every year and I’d spend hours staring at it or playing with it. I’ve been very excited to share this same love with my son. Well, his “Fairy Godmother” (that’s what we call her) heard about my obsession, that I didn’t have even one piece of a Nativity set, and that I particularly loved the WillowTree set so she went out and bought the whole thing for us. Lovely, lovely woman. :) And yes, my son and I had a BLAST setting it up for the first time this year!
Steph
My best holiday gift was a mp3 player from my brother – it was a surprise and very thoughtful.
And by the way, I don’t think this kind of regifting ethically questionable, it’s not like you’re giving away something your best friend specifically picked out for you… (and I’m not just saying that for my own benefit ;-) ).
Elissa
My best holiday gift was my bf who flew in from Germany. :)
Samantha
When I was 5, my daddy brought home a puppy as my Christmas gift. I still remember him walking in with a cute fluffy ball of fur with a red ribbon tied around his neck. I asked “Daddy, is that really my puppy?” He answered “Of course it is sweetie!” I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was so surreal, even dreamlike. I’ll never forget it!
linda
my engagement ring
Justine
My best friend made me a time capsule sort of contraption out of chipboard, string, and superglue. The entire surface was covered with transferred traces of photos I had taken at concerts we’ve gone to, places we’ve eaten, and parks we’ve played in.
I had to look around a bit to find the drawer, and once I opened it, there was a mixtape that I’ve definitely overplayed and a sketchbook with a long rambling letter written in microscopic handwriting (which is the kind of letter i love).
It was perfect; still makes me smile today :]
Marcy
The best holiday gift I ever received was for another holiday – Valentines day. One super busy and stressed year, my teen daughter got my clothes ready, did my makeup AND my hair PLUS a manicure & pedicure. Then my husband took me out to Hoffbrau’s where we sat in the bar by the window. We talked, ate and watched some car race on the big screens, and then we walked around the outdoor mall. It was the perfect de-stress romantic time with my man. It was wonderful!
Andrea
Canon Digital Rebel
Sylvie
A gift card to Surfas, one of my favorite places to pick up all things cooking and baking related!
Wendy
Best present ever was when my husband proposed to me on Christmas of 2002. :)
Ashley
The best Christmas present I ever received was a hand crafted 2 story dollhouse that my dad made for me. He stayed up into the wee hours of the night out in the garage to finish it before Christmas. He even made all of the furniture to go inside! I had to be about 7 or 8 years old at the time, and I was so pleased with my gift!
Hope your Holidays are filled with tasty treats and happy memories made with all of your loved ones!
micah rose
I think regifting is fab. If you don’t like that ugly sweater your mom gave you this year…just pass it on to her next year. So easy…no fuss.
lol
tia
hi joy!
the look on my 2 yr old’s face when he opens each and every gift on Christmas morning. The way he runs and jumps into my bed and snuggles in… the way his eyes light up. That’s the ultimate holiday gift.
however, interms of wrapped gifts, last year i got a 12 cup kitchen aid food processor which i cherish. Fire engine red!
merry christmas!
Orit
Hi, the best present i’ve ever got was a kitchen-aid mixer from my mother, after she realized nothing will prevent me messing up her kitchen with attempts to create the best cake\bread\cookies.
This gift made me try more recepies and it makes me happy at least once a week while i’m using it, and the other part of the week when i stare it and picture to myself the things i can do with it….
pisce
My best holiday present was lovely picture, gift from my mum
Cheryl
My Mac Notebook – it was a huge surprise, and opened me up to a wonderful world of blogs – food blogs – after a year, I am still so in love with finding amazing sites where people share their lives.
Anna
I love experience gifts… so my favorite gift ever was a gift certificate for a hot air balloon ride from my boyfriend (now husband).
And regifting – totally cool in my book, I actually keep little post-it notes on things though just to make sure I don’t try to give things back to the person/within the same circle of friends/family as in certain groups (ie certain parts of the family) they wouldn’t be okay with it. I always see it as a way of giving something to someone who will actually really appreciate it and use it.
Chrisgelica
ha, i didnt even answer the question. i was so excited about regifting. i really don’t have a memorable gift which is sort of sad. i remember getting a nintendo when i was around 6. that was fun!
Chrisgelica
I regift when I can. I admit it.
Curlyseas
When I was young, my mom sewed me Christmas outfits, headband included!
Olive
my ipod and cookbook
kathy s
don’t think i’m in time to enter but my best present was a Bistro Cooker- it’s a slow cooker,deep fryer,steamer or boiler all in one item- i use it all the time and its about 20 years+ old
Mary W.
It’s corny, but I love being together with family for the holidays. It’s the best gift :)
Sue S.
My favorite holiday gift was the year my husband packed a bag full of all red gifts. We were also newly married with little money-but I still remember the red apron, red wine bottle opener and my favorite for many years-a red teakettle. The Christmas it wore out, I gave my husband a new teakettle and he gave one to me. I guess we have always been on the same wavelength. Happy holidays!
Sara
Five years ago my family tried something different. Instead of buying and exchanging gifts with one another that Christmas, we wrote letters to each other instead. The notes I received from my immediate family members were filled with messages of love and happy memories. How much I value these letters…so much so that I keep them in my top desk drawer and read them several times each year.
Terresa Wellborn
The best Christmas gift I ever got was a wrapped quarter from my brother with a small, penciled, hand written note, “Go and buy yourself something.” Truly.
My other favorite holiday gift? A homemade fake bird in a cage. The cage was actually a recycled part of a cactus. Weird, but true. My grandma made them for all of us in the family. Mine strangely disappeared.
Katie Rose
The best Christmas Gift I ever received was a Nintendo DS Lite from a former partner. The best part about it was I received it far past when it’s appropriate to enjoy hand-held video games,which was as a university student. It brought back all the great memories of my childhood and I got to share them with my partner who gifted it to me. Plus, I think it’s totally entertaining to play Lego Indiana Jones.
Kristawn
the best x-mas gift i’ve ever received was a night out on the town with a good friend. great memories.
Jen R
I know that you won’t hold it against me that I can’t choose just one. I’ve gotten some great Christmas gifts. My copy of Joy of Cooking was awesome- I used it that very day to make pancakes, which I know you’ll approve of, Joy! :) My KitchenAid stand mixer rocks, too. And the antique cedar chest that my husband refinished and gave to me for our first Christmas. <3
Ashley
I just gifted myself with the earrings my brand new ex-boyfriend bought me for this Christmas… the thought of seeing them on someone other than myself prompted me to buy them at a reduced price from him this evening… so worth it :)
joy
a kooba bag! :)
Ysalabel
My best gift for christmas?! It would probably having a gift i didn’t expect to recieve! Where is the fun if there is no surprise?!
Well this year my best gift ever is to have my husband coming back from south america just to spend the holidays with me :) and his best gift would probably be me baking for him!!!
Have great holidays,
Cheers,
Me
Ann
The best Christmas gift I have ever received was a ring from my mom. The ring used to be her’s when she was younger, and she replaced the original stone with my birth stone. I think of her when I wear it everyday!
Karen
My plane ticket home this year to see my boyfriend and parents. 5 days and counting, till I fly back across the atlantic! The best present ever as it means I get to be with my family for Christmas.
An amazing blog Joy. Thanks for sharing all your fantastic recipes.
Happy Holidays! xox
Castal
Best Christmas Present Ever:
Actually for my grandfather, but one year when I was little my mom and I flew to his house and I hid in a big oversize red stocking. He thought I was a puppy and was growling and swearing at his friend (who picked us up from the airport) when I popped up and my mom hopped out from behind the wall. Definitely that takes the cake for the best present ever, even though I was the “gift”… and it was over 20 years ago.
Linnea
Favorite Christmas gift? Snow on Christmas morning!
junemoon
years ago my family gifted me with a basic cuisinart food processor. I have used it to prepare almost every meal I have made since then.
Thank you for a FUN contest! junemoon
Carol Jaynes
A puppy!
Alysha
My husband bought me a car starter and installed it back when we were dating and I didn’t have a garage. It saved me from getting outside in the morning to start my car when it was really cold weather. I think the best part of the gift was that he thought of it himself and I was totally suprised.
Cathy Breit
i was married 4 years ago, the week before christmas….Fact: my sweet, funny, wonderful husband is the best christmas gift ever!
Jennifer W
My first Christmas married to my husband, money was super tight, and we really didn’t have money to spend on gifts for each other. So, on the day after Christmas we ran to a shopping center and grabbed as many silly, fun things as we could for each other on a shoestring budget. It was SO MUCH FUN!!
Janet
My favorite gift was actually for my son. We got a beagle from a rescue organization. The dog is a real sweetie, a keeper!
Katie
My hubby and I were a little short on cash right before our wedding- so we decided to buy each other our wedding bands (since we were going to have to spend the money anyway…) and then just buy small inexpensive gifts- just for fun to open. It made my ring even more special :)
ikkinlala
I’m horrible at picking favourites, but if I have to name one right now the best holiday gift I’ve ever received was cross-country skis.
MO
Pearls from my husband. Thanks, Maureen (jnomaxx at hotmail dot com)
Aubrie
This is going to sound ridiculous: the best gift I ever received was a bunch of bananas. Really. It came after a big fight with my best friend, he showed up to work the next day with a bunch of bananas and said “I didn’t know if I was allowed to bring you flowers…so I brought these instead.”
dancing kitchen
I’m still waiting for my best holiday gift…
HeatherM
Mmm, I’d say the Kitchenaid food processor my now-husband got me the first Christmas we were together. It was a life-changing gift.
Mayra
My favorite gift ever was a gift i received from my sister years ago- Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook :) It made me fall in love with the whole cooking/baking experience. Its what started my cookbook collection (my kitchen has since been designated the “official cookbook area”). It not only got me to fall in love with baking but made me realize that I could use it as an art form. Best Christmas gift ever :)
Ina
My favorite Hanukkah present was a surprise visit from my family.
Rybread
We will be happy to take your re-gifts!!! :)
My Kitchen Aid definitely ranks up there. I don’t know what I’d do without it. It was a wonderful gift from my parents 8 years ago.
Sherri
The year was 2000. My sweetheart & I were having a “drop-in” holiday get-together on Christmas Eve. The last guest didn’t leave until after 1:00 A.M. on Christmas Day. My sweetie had planned on asking me to marry him on Christmas Eve after the last guest departed. No surprise that he ended up asking me on Christmas Day. My ring was hidden in a candy tin, surrounded by Milky Way MIDNIGHT chocolates. They’re still one of our favorite candies. Every time we have one, it brings a little secret smile between us.
Sarah
My stainless steel mixer was definitely up there with the best but it’s hard to say, I love my gorgeous quilt but that was a birthday present so it doesn’t really count. Though my birthday is in the holiday season haha. =)
Joy
Last year I received a positive pregnancy test on Christmas morning. My little 3 month old pumpkin is sitting in my lap as I type this. Wonderful gift.
sheauen
the best christmas gift was this big fluffy bunny that i got from my godfather. brown and white and with the puffiest cottonball tail!
Sarah
The best gift I ever received was a book from my grandmother that chronicled her whole life. It is priceless to me.
Jacqui
My favorite gift was a wooden sail boat hand carved by my then boyfriend(now fiance) for my birthday. He spent so much time on it and I love it so much!
Laura
When I was in primary school, my parents gave me a toy grocery store cash register–complete with working conveyor belt and coupon scanner.
jenn
nothing wrong with regifting, better than collecting dust in a drawer. thanks, love the blog!
sarah
hmm….i think my favorite gift ever was a massage gift certificate from my mother in law! i have been going to the same massage therapist since then and in addition to helping all the pain that i have, i have found a great new friend!
Eridqua
Well, the unicycle my dad got me was pretty cool. :)
stephanie
There have been many Christmas gifts over the years, and some of the ones that I get the most use out of are the bikes a get from my mom when I need a new one.
erin
Tickets to see “A Prarie Home Companion”. It was really lovely to celebrate Christmas again on July the 4th when we went.
Teppi
Hard question–difficult to say the best in my adult life–plane tickets home, probably. As a kid–easy one. I had a pink barbie corvette hot wheels!!
Effie
there is absolutely nothing wrong with re-gifting in my books :)
Effie
and i also meant to add my favourite gift, which was infact a re-gifted coffee mug which i had been eyeing for awhile
Jennifer
The best gift I ever received was a NordicTrack elliptical. I had wanted one for years but they’re really expensive and I just couldn’t afford it. Last year, my partner surprised me with one. But the biggest surprise was how he got it in the house and up the stairs and in the living room in front of the tree without me knowing a thing.
LibraryGirl62
The best gift I ever got was a portable typewriter in Jr high! I was so excited~I thought I was so cool~like real writer or something
Kristin Kunoff
My brother came home from Iraq last year for Christmas…that’s probably one of my favorite gifts.
Jillian
Corny, but since this is a baking blog …. the stainless steel Cuisipro measuring spoons and cups my aunt gave me several years ago. They are durable and will be a staple in my kitchen for a long time.
Mej
i think my favorite gift ever is my kitchen aid stand mixer. it basically changed my life.
Michelle
the best gift I received was my Kitchenaid stand mixer. We were newly married and I was just testing the waters where it came to cooking and baking. My husband wasn’t sure if I’d really use it or where we would store it since we were in a crackerbox sized apartment. 14 years later it’s still my favorite and still well used.
Gwen
The best Christmas gift I ever got was a tiny “twas the night before Christmas” book that my boyfriend had customized with pictures of us all the way back from when we had first met.
Dixie Howard
My favorite Christmas present is a half finished crocheted tablecloth started by my great-grandmother before I was born. I was so touched that my grandparents gave it to me. I have never finished the tablecloth, but do get it out from time to time to feel a connection with my great-grandmother, whom I never knew. Love you blog!
Karen
Well, we were supposed to go visit my family over Thanksgiving and my birthday. I don’t get to see them very often, and I was especially looking forward to the visit. My dog got sick and was in bad shape just before it was time to leave. We cancelled the trip and made an emergency visit to the animal hospital. Three nights later, we brought our cuddly, goofy puppy home. It was the best gift ever — and a wonderful thing to be thankful for! My baby is all better, phew!
Heather
The best present I ever received was my Kitchenaid stand mixer from my husband. He knows how much I love to cook and bake and bought this for me even though it was more money than he should have spent. It was a truly thoughtful and generous gift that I use all the time still after several years.
Stephanie
As ridiculous as it sounds, the best gift I ever received was the old school Nintendo back when I was a kid. My dad’s family all pitched in to give it to my brother and me for Christmas and I remember my dad setting it up for us in my parents’ bedroom on the TV in front of their old waterbed. It allowed us to pass the time quickly with a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch before The Price is Right came on – haha.
SheilaM
Yes, I am going to have to say that the best Christmas gift ever is spending time with family. My brother was in a bad car accident about 2 1/2 years ago and we are truly blessed and grateful that he is here with us.
Jen
Last year, my lovely niece Carly gave me the best gift ever: She bought me a share of a piggy and a flock of chicks. What?? No, I don’t have a farm; she bought them through Heifer International, who then gives them to families in need throughout the world. Cool, huh?!? So this year, on behalf of the adults in my fam, someone somewhere will get a goat via heifer.org. Part of me thinks a goat is just hilarious, but the rest of me loves that this goat will really help improve someone’s life.
karen w.
Oh, the year my parents told us they were getting divorced, we woke up to brand new bikes! I got a shiny new red 10 speed and thought it was the best gift ever. We didn’t forget the divorce, but we loved our bikes!
Katie
I think my favorite Christmas present was diamond earrings from my hubby a few years a ago! My hubby ROCKS!
Lauren
ooooh I would love this regift! It be brand new to me! Thank you!
v
Omg 1600+ comments? Wowee, you’re a popular lady!
I got cupcake-shaped handwarmers for birthday/christmas this year. I love them. love. They’re perfect for our -30 degrees celsius weather!
Rebecca
I have to say the best gift I’ve ever gotten was my KitchenAid stand mixer 3 years ago. I was 16, and that’s the only thing I remember about my 16th birthday! After seeing all the pros use it on the Food Network and on all my favourite food blogs, I finally had one of my own! And it has come in very handy, I must say.
Heidi
The homemade gift (s) that my son made in elementary school. I packed them away and look at them every Christmas!!!
Roberta Whyte
Barbie Dream House when I was 7. I will never forget how I felt that christmas morning!
Brooke
A Nintendo back when I was eight. I don’t think I’ve ever played with any other toy for so long. We had to leave it on over night so we could continue in the morning. Good times with Mario!
Heidi Fay
I am lucky enough that my favorite Christmas gift happens to be a recurring one…
Every year I look forward to getting homemade Christmas cookies and candies from my friends and family…. I like getting to taste a piece of my friends’ Christmas traditions.
earlene
As a child, I got the Betsy Wetsy doll I wanted when I was 5 yrs old. As an adult, I would say, the crockpot from my husband that I begged him for 8 years ago when I went back to work. I begged for weeks I might add! Merry Christmas!!!
Jennifer
Best holiday gift? Hmmm…since my parents divorce that stemmed from my Dad cheating on Mom 10 years ago, it has been hard to enjoy any Christmas 100% without our family being whole. But, last year in April of 2008, I met the most amazing man. I’m still single and 33 years old. I do believe, though, that this man will be different from my father and remain loyal to me until the day I die. So, my best Christmas gift was last year, the man I’ve been patiently waiting for God to send my way. Finally! :D
Lynette
Finding out I was pregnant with our first the day after Christmas…My husband had been deployed to Kuwait and had left 2 weeks before! It was the sweetest surprise I have ever had!!!
Janette
My 8 foot long surfboard. My parents custom-created it. There are two giant silver lightning bolts directed towards the center, representing each of my parents. I tear up everytime I look at it :)
shirley
My best gift ever would have to be when I returned home from Italy after studying abroad for 3 months, my entire family came to the airport to greet me. That was the best gift… having them all there, and me returning safely!
hahainlala
It wasn’t actually a gift, but years ago I managed a BIG retail store and could not have time off to go home (a 4 hour flight) to be with my parents. As luck would have it my aunt and uncle had moved to the same state and for years (until I married and had a family of my own) welcomed me EVERY Christmas Eve/Day and treated me as their own child. Their kindness and generosity have never been forgotten:)
Kathy - Panini Happy
Sappy as it sounds, my very best holiday gift was my daughter 2 years ago :-)
Shannon
wow! holy comments batman!
my favorite gift has a little bit of a backstory.
my grandma spent many years knitting when she was alive. she always hoped that her daughters would show some interest in it, but none of them ever did. unfortunately, my grandma passed away when i was too little to remember her. the knitting needles got passed on to my mom and they sat in the basement of our house for many years.
the year after i graduated from high school, i decided to teach myself how to knit. i was gifted lots of hand-me-down acrylic yarn and left over mismatched needles. when my mom finally realized that i was serious about this knitting thing, she told me about how grandma knit and we had her old needles somewhere.
the summer before i moved, we hunted through the entire house for them, but never found them. two birthdays later, my parents sent me my birthday package. in it was something soft and squishy. i instantly figured clothes and groaned since my parents never quite get anything right when it comes to clothes. i opened up the package and in it were my grandma’s knitting needles. needless to say, i had a little cry while going through them. i still use them and plan on creating many more amazing knit items out of them.
Sharon D.
Thank you for entering me in your generous giveaway.
The best gift I ever got was from my honey. We stayed in a cabin in the White Mountains, AZ on our Honeymoon. It was equipped with a fireplace. My husband took one of the logs home with us. It got lugged around from state to state and one Christmas I was surprised with homemade coasters he made with it. He spent ALOT of time sawing the pieces just right, sanding and finishing to make them look perfect. Knowing that they are a remembrance from our honeymoon almost 13 years ago and that he labored over it made it the best gift :)
Marilyn
Of course my engagement ring…33 years ago.
Ellie
A few years ago my mother gave me a dutch oven. No matter how much I mess up, it’s impossible to make anything that doesn’t taste great in it.
Judy Harms
Last year I got a hand crafted bracelet that had a picture of my seven kids and their spouses. Each flat wooden rounded square had a photo of each couple. I love wearing it and looking at it. It is a great conversation piece and a great reminder of my wonderful children that I am so blessed with.
Becky
A couple of years ago my husband and daughter gave me a beautiful antique watchfor Christmas.
kara
This year I got a winter coat from my parents. A non-flashy, warm, practical winter coat. Boring though this may seem, I am telling you guys, this changed my life. Notice: It is possible to be outside in cold weather without shaking like a maraca!
rose
last year my boyfriend got me a special bottle of wine and there was a coupon for a special home-cooked meal to go along with it – interactive and tasty!
Karen
The best Christmas present I ever received was my Wusthof Trident super slicer. It does such a great job with slicing cakes into layers!
Aimee
My favorite Christmas present is my set of 3 Wusthof knives. My brother and sister got them for me and I use them almost every day. Sharp knives are a revelation!
Jackie
One year my aunt brought me a chocolate bar from Belgium. She had visited in October and saved the bar for me until December. She wouldn’t let any of her kids near it.
Judy
The best gift ever will be this year.. my fiance is flying from the Southwest to the Northeast to see me, then we’re flying home to separate states in the South, and I’ll be reunited with him in his hometown for a few days before vacation ends.
Patricia
The new laptop my husband got me. Told him it would be Christmas and birthday for at least a couple of years. I’m now retired, and I spend a lot of time reading food blogs. Love yours!!
maren
My favorite Christmas present was a trip to Copenhagen!
Christina
i want fun kitchen goodies!
Alysa
Definitely, definitely the *Homemade Craft Kit*
All year long my mom collected:
-scraps of fabric, ribbon/yarn, wire, and paper
-“confetti” (those tiny circles left over from a hole puncher)
-pine cones, sticks, pebbles, and feathers she found during walks in the woods
-smashed up dyed egg shells (from Easter eggs)
-beads from broken jewelry
-buttons from rundown clothes
-empty cardboard containers
-old paint swatches, and carpet/tile samples
And then she threw in:
-homemade crayons (melted down and re-poured from my old worn out ones)
-googley eyes
-bird shaped sequins
-markers
-watercolor paints
-glue
This kit set my creative little heart ablaze and was my most cherished gift.
katie
The best gift I ever received was probably an Easy Bake Oven when i was 9. I loved it!
Juli Gregg
I think that the best gift that I received for Christmas was last year. My boyfriend and I had our first christmas and he had trouble picking out a gift for me. He ended up getting me a cookbook based on the fact that a picture in it looked really good. Turns out that the book was written in England, so I have to convert everything before baking, but I love his innocence about it all. :D
Jan C.
The best gift I ever received was when I was 13 and my mom told me she just didn’t have the time or energy to do the Christmas cookies that year. When I protested, she told me to feel free to get busy and do them myself :-). So I did, and it was empowering. And that is probably one of the reasons why I’m a baking goddess today, if I do say so myself!
Stacey Lokovic
The best holiday gift I ever received was….gosh this is hard! Maybe the year my sister and I got new bikes. Or the year (as an adult) i got a Kitchen aid mixer and a collection of spices from my fave place. Or the one we spent with out first baby! So many memories over the years. Thanks for the chance to win some of your re-gifts. :)
Amy
as an adult, my bread machine. Ever? My Barbie Country Camper.
pisce
My favorite holiday gift is lovely painting – gift from my mum :-)
Thelma
It’s a toss up between the bread machine and my awesome bright orange Rachael Ray skillet. Although, to be fair, I love my $8 double-sided silicone spatula more than both of those. :)
Allison
My favorite gift was from my older brother last year. It was a beige cashmere sweater. Perfect for getting cozy in while preparing a tried and true Joy the Baker recipe!
Anna
I meant the *mainland*, not *states*… oops…
Alison
I think the best and most memorable gift I ever received was a hand made, giant doll house from my dad. He spent months working on this thing and transported it all the way from Vermont to Ohio to give to my sister and I for Christmas
Anna
The best gift ever was getting into graduate school. It was such a stressful, challenging and competitive process that I prayed every night and said that if I got in I would not ask for anything else ever again. Somehow, I got into my top choice doctoral program in psychology and I am finishing my first semester next week. To be able to make my dream a reality is the best gift ever.
The best gift food-wise would have to be part of my birthday present from my friend Danielle for my last birthday. When I visited her in Hawaii I loved Honolulu Cookie Company. She was visiting the states during my birthday and, in addition to tons of other thoughtful gifts, she brought me back some cookies from Honolulu Cookie Company.
Karen
The best holiday gift I received was my macbook. Now, I can’t imagine my days without it! (especially to read your blog!)
Alexandra
My Barbie mansion when I was six :D I still remember the excitement opening that one up!
Shalva
My parents gave me cooking lessons with a chef from Le Cordon Bleu-it was the gift of a lifetime.
Jo
Well, I got married at Christmastime, so I am thinking that that was a pretty good present, don’t you think?
Chrys
My best gift ever was my beautiful red mixer last year from my husband. Christmas morning it was out of the box and under the tree with a big bow on it. ;p I am anxious to see how he’ll top that this year.
Connor Sullivan
The best gift I received was a cot. It was a strange thing to ask for, but I loved having camp-outs in my living room, and a cot made things feel that much more authentic. Plus, it’s always handy to have a spare bed for when guests come!
sarah
roller skating barbie when I was 7 it was what i wanted all year!
Alya
This is a tough question for me, since in my culture we don’t have a holiday that you exchange gifts in. We do have a holiday where the grown ups give money to the young ones. It happens twice a year. Nothing’s better than a fistful of cash right?
Haha, but to be honest, every gift I’ve ever gotten was special to me because I like recieving things. (Not gonna lie!)
p.patchouli@gmail.com
Traci
Three years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) was traveling the world doing humanitarian work. We hadn’t seen each other in person for a year and kept in touch by video chatting when he found internet cafe’s wherever he was staying. One day, he started me on a scavenger hunt around my hometown to all the places special to us. He had me convinced he was in South Africa, but really he was hiding in a sweet little chapel which just happened to be the last clue! The aisle was lined with candles and rose petals and our song was cued perfectly to when I walked in the doors. There were a dozen roses on the front podium and a note from him. I heard a knock at a side door and when I opened it, he came out dressed in a suit, got down on his knee and proposed!!! I was SHOCKED that he was back in the country, much less on his knee in my favorite chapel! We got married a few weeks later on New Years Eve! Definitely my favorite holiday gift :)
Carrie
my cabbage patch doll- many, many years ago. oswald peter.
Elaine
Best holiday gift ever: my beautiful, beautiful Macbook!
deva
when my husband cooked me palak paneer and chapatis…he never cooks a proper meal for me.
Erin
My kitchenaid standing mixer!! I’ve wanted one since I was 4 and finally got it last year. Gift that keeps on giving! :)
Laura B
My favorite holiday gift was probably a new piano when I was younger. I was taking lessons at the time, and I was overjoyed!
Micaela
best gift evarrrr? i’d have to say my play kitchen when i was 8yrs old! i think that absolutely helped initiate my love for cooking and kitchen gadgets!! ;)
Iris R.
Last year when I came home from college, we went through all of the gifts and then my mom pulled out brand new skis from behind the radiator. I don’t think my excitement has ever been so high-pitched.
Deborah
It’s not unique to this site, nor is it glamourous, however it is a gift I treasure. Around 20 years ago, my mother and grandmother got me a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. It is no longer shiny and new, its watts are only 275, it’s a boring white and I will keep it until the ends of our lives. Everytime I make something as simple as chocolate chip cookies, or as time consuming as divinity fudge; I think of my late grandmother, and the joy on her face as I opened my favorite gift.
Mallory
My First SLR Camera. It changed my world. :)
Lindsey S
the best gift I ever received for the holidays was a celtic ring my mom gave to me, it has a lot of sentimental value and it was also the last thing she ever gave me before she passed away. It’s getting to almost 10 years old, and 2 of the 3 stones in it are missing, and it’s quite dirty honestly, but I still love it.
Anne B.
my GPS… My boyfriend gave it to me and when i opened it, i thought it was the worst gift ever… but that thing has saved me many, many times!
skess
The best christmas gift just happened! I finished all 500 holiday truffles that I make every year! JUST in time for cocktail hour! ;)
Kelly
I have 13 cousins, and growing up we always celebrated the holidays at our grandmother’s house. For Christmas, she always arranged for Santa and Mrs. Claus (family friends dressed up) to come to her house with sacks of toys and candy canes. I remember jumping, yelling and running all around waiting for Santa to arrive. Then, I would have to sit and wait paitently until it was my turn to go to Santa and Mrs. for my gift. What an amazing gift my grandmother gave all of us when we were still believers! ;o)
Alison
I think it was probably the year my brother and I were given a Nintendo for Christmas. Best story ever: So we go through the usual frenzy of unwrapping, all sorts of fun stuff, but no Nintendo (we weren’t expecting one, so all was hunky dory). Then later that day, my parents take us down to the basement where there is a Nintendo all set up! Awesome!
Fast forward to a few years ago, when I learned that my parents had set it up after we went to bed on Christmas Eve, played with it while they had a few drinks, went to bed, and then completely forgot about it!
Michelle
ONION GOGGLES were given to me for my birthday last year. So simply amazing.
Chris Lawlor
A kitchen aid mixer of course!
sherry
My best present was my kitchen aid mixer from my mother-in law. I have had it now 13 years.
Lisa Dhankhar
My favorite holiday gift would have to be my chihuahua. I wasn’t allowed to have a pet as a child, and my fiance bought me a chihuahua puppy last year. She is so special, and is the dog I’ve always wanted.
tara
Best holiday gift? — a puppy, when i was 7 years old.
Shani P.
I would have to say an Easy Bake oven I received when I was 8 or 9 years old.
Gingy Cookies
I got for Hanuka one year a scrapbook and scrapbook papers. It was really nice, I was able to take all the pictures from our family gathering and put together a scrapbook page.
Rachel B.
The best gift I received: a scarf from my boyfriend that HE knit! (now husband!) :)
Claire
It’s impossible to pick a favorite gift! Getting a guitar was pretty exciting to me, though. :)
Lynda
a solar powered hat with a fan :) we were exchanging ‘tuques’, and everyone else got cute fuzzy winter hats … mine was appropriate, as i’m living on the edge of the sahara!
Chelsey Green
Best holiday gift? Going behind the scenes in the Thanksgiving day parade when I was little, it wasnt during the Holidays persay but it was so exciting…
With love and cupcakes, wishing you the best,
Cookteen
Rebecca (Foodie With Family)
Oh man. The best gift ever? I don’t know. I have received so much wonderful stuff over the years. Would it be really dorky to say the first one that comes to mind is the “American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary” that my husband got for me years ago?
Stephanie
My best Christmas gift was the house I bought for myself and my kids, by myself, after the divorce.
Kristen
My best holiday gift was a photo book my mom made me of all our family pictures since I was born till now.
Megan @ LittleBellaBean
I’d have to say my son. He came in November 4 years ago, but for me, the Christmas season begins early! The gift of becoming a mom, and holding that baby, expanded my world and heart times infintiy. Holding him through that holdiay season, all warm and tiny and baby-smelling, was the best gift I’ve ever received at Christmas time. =) I get all gooey just thinking aobut it.
Blessings!
Megan
allyson
The best christmas gift I ever got was in 1977 when I was 10 years old. We didn’t have much money but my mom and brother worked together to make me a doll house. My brother(the aspiring architect) made the house from recycled cardboard and my mom sewed little things out of fabric. I remember the matresses were made of striped dish towels. I loved that doll house!!
Sara
My best holiday gift was my iBook.
JoJo
the best gift has probably been my kitchen aid stand mixer. so pretty!! I love it. and my apple macbook. use it everyday :)
Karen Yang
A TY teddy bear from my friends in elementary school. I still cuddle with it!
Hettar7
My favorite Christmas gift was my Kitchenaid Atisan Stand Mixer my mother got me last year. It’s not my favorite gift because of how much time is saves me or how pretty and bright red it is (though it does and it is), it’s my favorite because of how I got it.
I had been wanting a Kitchenaid mixer for a while after seeing all the tv chefs on ye olde food network use one. I didn’t want to spend that much money though, especially since my two hands had served me well so far. But I finally couldn’t resist and started researching and reading reviews for mixers online. I read several negative/so-so reviews of the Kitchenaid mixers on Amazon and was getting unsure of my choice. After reading more mixed reviews I was quite discouraged. I previously thought Kitchenaid was just the superduper bad boy of the kitchen counter, but now I wasn’t so sure.
So I call my mother into the living room and tell her all about the so so reviews the Kitchenaid mixers had gotten and how I’d decided not to get one and how I thought I needed to do some more investigating before buying a mixer. well…
My mom’s bottom lip pouched out. Her eyes started tearing up. She got all flustered. I think she might have wrung her hands. I’m not sure. She finally manages to say, in a shakey voice “You’re ruining Christmas!” …. shocked pause ….. She continues, “I’ve already bought you a Kitchenaid mixer. I was really looking forward to seeing your face when you opened it up Christmas morning. Your grandmother and I thought you would be so happy.”
Talk about feeling sorry and sad. There is nothing like making your mother almost cry to confirm that you are indeed a horrible person. I immediately go into repair mode and say something to the effect of, “well, maybe the reviews I read were wrong. I mean, every chef on tv has one, right? If it’s really bad we can always take advantage of the warranty.” Anything to salvage some shred of my mother’s Christmas spirit.
So, yeah. That was my favorite gift. The Mixer and the Year I Ruined Christmas.
And by the way, the mixer has worked fine all year long, though I still finish kneading bread by hand.
Sasha
The best holiday gift I’ve ever received was a beautiful silver Star of David necklace from my parents.
Jennifer C
My boyfriend just gave me four small ramekins and a kitchen torch which I had been wanting for years now!
Emily Kyle
My favorite christmas gift was my RED kitchen aid mixer. LOVE IT!
Zom
Nothing will top opening the giant package under the tree at 7 years old. It was a brand new nintendo (the first, original, and only in my heart)!! I can’t remember ever wanting something so much as I did then…& actually getting it!
Elizabeth
Last night my boyfriend said “thanks for bringing so much light into my life, just like Hannukah!” That’s a pretty sweet/dorky gift.
BTW, I know beggers can’t be choosers but that Big Sur cookbook tops my holiday list!!
Happy HannuChrismaKwanzakuh Joy!
Julia
What a great idea, to share memories of your best gifts with the others!
One of my best gifts, was a collection of italian culinary magazines, which i got from my friend after her holidays in Rome. She was there for 2 weeks, and bought me 10 magazines! Fabolous!:)
Ruby
My Nespresso Machine & travel carrier. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It’s a good way to start the day, whether we are at home or away. Happy Holidays Joy!
Sarah
a Pampered Chef mini serving spatula; probably cost under $5 but I’ve used it SO much–it’s perfect for serving up brownies!
Sara
Thanks for doing this, Joy!
Hm… I think the best present would be Christmas parties with my friends. With gift-giving, homemade cookies, and laughter galore.
tricia
My best gift was the year my husband went out, bought a HUGE basket, then drove all over town buying all my favorite foods and wine to fill it.
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes)
This is so exciting! Entering a giveaway, without knowing what I’m entering for!! The best gift I ever received was when I was 7 years old, and my dad, who was working in another country, came to surprise me!!
maren
my puppy zeus was probably the best gift ever. love him so much!! great giveaway, no judgment here!!
Sunny
The best gift is my Maltese puppy whom I received from my boyfriend a couple years ago. He’s the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen and incredibly smart and loving.
Jessica Farmer
I got married a couple days before Christmas 5 years ago. So I got a husband, which was the best gift ever. ;)
Sarah Jackson
Duh…my cabbage patch kid!
Is that cookbook called “The Big SARAH Bakery Cookbook” That’s right, I thought so. You can send that right over here, Joy.
-Sarah
Remi
I can’t narrow my choice down to one. I love when you receive a gift that is perfect for your personality and likes and it is a genuine surprise. My husband and children manage to do this every year. My children always love my reaction to their gift, homemade or bought. So, I guess my family is my favorite gift.
Rachel
A pair of those Nike track shorts from my mom. I wear them to the gym all the time. It’s so much easier to run off brownies when you have cute shorts to wear! :)
Sandra
A snowglobe from boyfriend. He had seen me admire them for a while now and surprised me on Christmases with one. He now gives me a snowglobe for every Christmases. :)
And there is no shame in re-gifting, especially when the gifts are as awesome as this. :)
Meghan
My kitchen aide stand mixer from my mom! the perfect gift for a baker!
meag
In Summer of 2005, my family of five went on a trip to Europe. My parents wanted to take us to all the major tourist attractions, so we spent a lot of time wandering around cathedrals and their gift shops. While waiting for my mum to select the most appropriate postcard to commemorate our visit, I often gravitated towards a little book called Cathedral Cats. This book was in pretty much *every* gift shop and it profiled the many cats who live in Britain’s old cathedrals. Of course, it was full of adorable pictures. Despite the fact that I looked at it in every gift shop, I never bought it. It was quite expensive and I felt a little sheepish, a little too old to be buying a novelty book about cats.
At the time, my little brother was your typical teenage boy – grumpy, embarrassed by his family, hard to get along with. We definitely weren’t very close – how we survived the trip, I’ll never know!
Six months later on Christmas morning, my brother was uncharacteristically excited about his present for me. He begged me to open his gift first.
You knew this was coming – but he bought me that Cathedral Cats book at one of the gift shops when I wasn’t around, and then resolutely kept it hidden for months.
Of course I cried! It was the first time since we were little that we actually connected. It seems weird that a gift could bring us closer, but it made me remember that under all his teenage posturing, he was still my sweet and thoughtful baby brother.
Amanda
The best gift I ever got was a pair of leopard-print betsey johnson high heels. Amazing!
NF
Packages with my mom’s cookies inside!
Tori
When I was pregnant with my second child, 5 years ago, my mom passed away. I got a picture of her, when she was a little girl, from her house. I can remember it hanging in my grandparents house when I was little. A few months later, in my big pregnant state, I knocked it off the wall and broke it. I sat in the floor and cried. My (then) husband came and cleaned it up and told me not to worry. On Christmas morning there was a huge box under the tree for me, to my surprise he had taken the picture and had it reframed. It is displayed front and center on my living room wall, and has by far been my favorite gift!
Kaitlin
The best Christmas gift I’ve ever received would have to be my first diamond from my dad. With all of his daughters he makes it a tradition to give them a small diamond ring when they are 16 for Christmas.
Ariel
I got a new piano keyboard this year…that was pretty exciting :D (It arrived early).
Danielle
My Baby Alive Doll in 1990. I was six years and had supped on the wonder of Christmas advertisements for weeks. I went so far as to proclaim that if Santa didn’t bring me a Baby Alive doll I was going to spend all of Christmas in bed. My mom talked me out of that but on Christmas morning, ripping open the gifts, I still found a beautiful doll waiting for me.
I think the real reason this was the best present ever is because it was the last year I believed in Santa Claus. The thought that a magical man knew what I wanted and brought it to me, with 8 tiny reindeer…That was the real Christmas gift.
cookienurse
My engagement ring, 8 years ago!
Michelle Morrison
can you say..Super Barbie Bonanza!…I was 8
Angelie
My best Christmas gift ever, would have to be this year, and as it happens I received it early! It is simply, my husband! We were married 3 months ago, and life just keeps getting better! He is so warm, genuine, and sarcastic all-in-one! :D And hey, he even likes his job of “Official Foodie Guniea Pig”, which means he tries all my successes and not so successes and at the very least makes me laugh at myself!
Katie
My greatest Christmas gift ever was my horse! Love him:)
Kai P
I would have to say that my best gift was a scooter when they were popular. I was so excited to ride it that I ran out and started using it asap!
Laura W
Off the top of my head, my KitchenAid mixer my mom got me the year I was engaged. I love it and use it a lot!
Lisa Stokes
One year my hsband bought me a diamond heart necklace that I was admiring in a magazine. I was surprised & very happy!
Shelley Spackman
The best Christmas gift I ever got was my engagement ring and of course the joyful squeals of my kids on Christmas morning. There really is nothing like it.
Hleure
a special doll my grandmother gave me on New Years when I was in elementary school…
Katie Towers
A bouncy horse (one of those horses on springs) when I was two or three. My parents still say it was the best gift they ever bought me.
Joan
Best ever Christmas gift was my cobalt blue Kitchen Aid mixer (circa 1990) . I use it almost daily and it still churns out the best baked goodies my family and friends say they have ever tasted. I love that old thing! :)
Thanks for the opportunity!
Jess
I got an iPod last year!
Julz
Oh, re-gifting is the funnest way to recycle :) Nice post!
Hmmm, my favorite gift was a trip around the country that my parents funded after I graduated high-school. To this day memories of that trip make me smile and I’m still in touch with several people I met while traveling around & that was many moons ago.
That gift was a fantastic experience and I think we all would benefit from traveling more. Seeing how things are done, enjoying the foods and customs from different areas and just seeing how people live in different parts of the country/world is so wonderful — the differences and similarities made me realize we are all doing the best we can to get along and find some joy in life!
Thanks for this post!
The Purple Foodie
The best holiday giveaway I’ve received is the KitchenAid my uncle got me last year!
Such a cool giveaway, Joy!
angie
Kitchen ais mixer, by far!
Lindsay
The Beatles poster in the cheap plastic poster frame that I got when I was eleven. I was so excited. Love the Beatles!
Heidi Harris
The best Christmas gift I ever got was realizing that we didn’t need GIFTS to have a great Christmas. That was 12 years ago, and that’s when we started the tradition of FAMILY. We pull out all the board games, pop some popcorn, warm some hot coco on the stove, bake up a holiday treat, maybe watch a family favorite movie…basically JUST BE TOGETHER!!! Then we top the night off with a drive around town to look at all the Christmas lights. Our shoulders are much lighter because they don’t care the “weight” of the holidays–WE have joy, love, and peace in our hearts instead.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Jamie
one of my friends back in high school gave me a notebook that she had divided into different cookbook sections, leaving the pages blank for me to fill with recipes, and she had decorated the book with pictures from dinner parties we had thrown with our closest friends. simple and amazing.
Karen
My Husband and I have a credit card that gives reward points which we had been building up for years. When my bread machine took it’s last leap from the counter’s edge, my husband was bound and determined to purchase a 6 qt. Kitchenaid stand mixer for me. He traded out the points from our credit card for gift cards for a local store in our area that sold the Kitchenaid mixer he wanted for me. With 14 gift cards and a store coupon, my Husband purchased for me the perfect holiday gift.
Andrea
one of the best gifts i’ve ever received was an awesome recipe journal … love it!!!
Annabeth
ooh, Joy! What a fabulous idea. Totally ethical. =)
My best all-around gift is the time and energy and thought my husband put into collecting letters and comments from my friends and family about me. Very sweet.
My second best gift also came from my husband, and it’s my Bosch mixer. =) Luv kitchen tools!
Erin
I remember a wonderful Christmas where I received this amazing regifted kitchen gadget from this super awesome blogger….oh, that hasn’t happened yet. :)
While I try to love all presents equally, the most touching for me was the stocking full of candy the first Christmas after I became vegan. My mother searched the internet to find fabulous and unique chocolates and other confections that were animal-free so that I’d get to have treats like the rest of the family. She put so much time, effort, and love into such a simple gift. Amazing!
Nancy
I’m not sure if it’s the best but I was REALLY excited about my singing Barney toy.
I can never see purple and green together being reminded of him.
Sarah M
A le creuset baker from my boyfriend – in the perfect cheerful yellow!
Amy
My best gift, without a doubt, is a beautiful carved wooden box that my grandmother gave me just before she passed away. It is my most cherished possession.
Jazzalto
Hmmm. . .best gift of all time? Probably my french press!
Thanks for a great blog, Joy!
Donne Gullion
The best Christmas gift I have ever received was my first car when I was 16. It was a dying vintage Saab with a big red bow on it and covered in a sheet of ice. I skated across the driveway and hoped that I would have my license some day soon as well as the knowledge of how to drive a stick shift.
anita
Snowshoes. Taking a walk out in the woods after it snows it magical.
Megan
A plane ticket to Indonesia.
Mal
my easy bake oven when i was 6, i want one now that i’m 22.
Erin
My favorite gift was from my husband on our first Christmas. He bought me pasta bowls without even knowing what they really were for, but he knew that I wanted them.
Tracey
Honestly, my favorite ‘gifts’ are just being around my family… But, all those Barbie playsets from when I was younger come pretty close!
Emily
My sister and I each got a brand new sled one year. We took them out in our backyard and tried to sled down the hill even though there was no snow. We had a blast sliding down icy grass.
Janene from Ellinwood Kansas
My best gift ever was a kitchen aid mixer from my husband the first year we were married. I use it every day!
Dianne
My dog Buffy!!! I was an only child and she
was like a sister to me, really! I got her when
I was 5 and had her until I was 21!!
Julie Jessup
I’ve been blessed with many wonderful Christmas gifts throughout the years. One of the best was when my husband proposed on Christmas Eve. Now . . . that’s not untypical for an engagement, I realize , . but I was 17 years old at the time (three days away from my 18th birthday . . . yes, my parents freaked out). We were married two years later and we’ll celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary next year . . . and they said it would never last! Two beautiful children later, two even more beautiful grandchildren later, and we’re still madly in love. Well, perhaps not madly (we’re not so young anymore) … but very much in love, and we’ve built a beautiful life and I wouldn’t change one piece of our history! Merry Christmas everyone! May the year ahead bring us peace and joy and health . . . and lots of baking!
Amanda :}
probably my easy bake oven :)
Marta
my best gift ever was the necklace that my son (8 yrs old, then) gave me. he had asked my mom for $5 so he could buy it for me. :)
Laurel
A couple of books of family histories that my parents compiled
Amelia
My best was always the yearly movie we would watch after breakfast that we received each year.
Frances
A traditional wooden rice cake mould pass down from my grandma. It’s suppose to make a turtle shape bright pink rice cake filled with red bean paste. YUM!
Nothing beats that for 18th birthday, except maybe a car…..hmm….maybe not.
Samantha Pedersen
I begged my Mom to have another baby that I could take care of (I must have been about 6). Instead I got a preemie cabbage patch kid to raise. I was a happy “Mommy.”
Gina
microwave-that was a long time ago—
Emily
A plane ticket to go see my boyfriend. :)
Aaron
My sega saturn when I was a kid. I thought it was so cool at the time.
Becca
I’m all about regifting, nothing wrong with that! One of my favorite Christmas gifts that I have ever gotten was a gift certificate to get a mani, pedi, eyebrow wax, and massage.. heavenly!
Lonnie
Best Holiday gift was probably two playstation one memory cards two years ago. I was complaining to a friend of mine online that they don’t sell them in stores anymore, so he shipped me two of his own – from California. Very happy with that
Joan
My best Christmas gift was Barbie and a whole box of clothes my aunt made for Barbie…she was styling! I have always wondered where all those clothes went…
Amanda Sue
One year we got the most awesome gift ever, a super nintendo. We were so excited. Well, within a hour of getting it set up, we fought over who got to play first and got it taken away for 1 month. When we got it back it was like Christmas all over again, LOL! And we never fought again….yeah right.
Abril
When I was little my sisters and I received an Atari game console. We played non-stop for a week!
Jenn
an old book of Christmas carols. Sentimental value.
KR
my kitchenaid ice cream attachment… yum!
Lindsey
I really don’t know! If I had to say… maybe my laptop?!
rachel
Every year my parents get me an ornament for Christmas, so that when I move out and have a family of my own, I will have plenty of decorations for my own tree!
Emma
A two week vacation with my boyfriend. Nothing could beat that!
Diane
Gee…I won a house (yes, really!). I would have to say that is THE gift of a lifetime!
Rita
The best Christmas gift I ever I got was from my dad. He had been to Japan and bought me a set of two amazing chef’s knives. Definitely the gift I have used more than anything else I ever got.
Kelly
My favorite gift was when I get my gorgeous pet cat. Her name is Chubby and she’s awesome :-)
Marina
As a kid, I was fascinated by evolution. I asked my parents for a monkey without a tail. This was back when we lived in Russia and the main holiday was New Year’s. On New Year’s morning, I find a stuffed animal beside me. A yellow furry monkey-like thing with big ears and no tail. I now realize that it must have been Cheburashka: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ZRcgRm4ds
I carried my new friend around everywhere and was the happiest of little girls.
megan
My best gift was the pots and pan set my hubs got me. It was the best Christmas day, cooking all day, with new pots and pans!
lisa clawson
A new baby!
Courtney
Ummm my Nikon SLR film camera was definitely my favorite Christmas gift.
Kristina S
My favorite gift ever was my very own tool set along with my own cordless drill! The only thing that could top that, would be if my boyfriend (of nearly 8 years) decides to pop the question. Here’s to hoping… :)
Martine
What a great idea.
Rachel
a little over a year after our mom passed away, my sister gave me quilt she had made from some of my mom’s old dresses. one of the dresses had deep pockets, which she put on opposite corners so i can put my hands in them and wrap the quilt around me. another dress had a row of buttons, which my sister used as a strip on the quilt. if you unbutton them, you find that she’s stitched in our initials and “i love you.” thinking about it still makes me tear up.
Meghan
That is an amazing gift, and I’ve teared up thinking about it.
camellia
I love to cook and bake, and I love Christmas. Therefore: Best. Regifting. Ever.
My favorite Xmas present that is actually, like, a thing was the year my parents made a dollhouse for me, complete with furniture and wallpaper and pots and pans for the kitchen and little dolls to live there. It was even painted to look like my childhood home. I still have it.
But more than that, my favorite present every year is hanging out with my mom and my brother, baking cookies and making truffles. We make TONS of cookies every year, several kinds, and we make two or three kinds of truffles too (champagne, mocha, raspberry, etc) and the whole process usually takes a couple of days. They are invariably some of the best days of my entire year.
Lauren Y
My favorite holiday gift ever was a wii!
Sweet Life Laur
Last December, I graduated from college. After my flight landed at home, I had a little time to kill, so I stopped at the animal shelter, just to look around. I found a Sheltie, the kind of dog I had been wanting for a loooong time…and I took him home the next day. Best Christmas present ever!!
Shannon
My favorite gift was a kitchenaid. My husband got it for me our first year of being married. LOVE.
Sabrina
I received an Amazon Kindle from my step-mom yesterday, I’m loving it! :-)
Marina
My puppy was the best gift!! I wasn’t expecting him at all!
Jennifer
One year, my parents bought me a sewing machine-a huge gift despite the fact that money was tight. I have always thought it was very thoughtful :)
Yvette
Love this, Joy. The best gift I received was a homemade nativity scene made by my little one.
Lanita
The best gift i have ever gotten is my new stove! I got that this year! It is amazing,stainless steel, convection wondrous!
Re gifting is quite alright as long as you don’t mistakingly
re-gift to the person who gifted it to you! :)
diane
I was 8 years old and received a dark red leather coat with crazy shaped metal buttons, I thought I was the most stylish girl in the world.
Kismet
Growing up, we would right our names in our stocking so Santa could know which stocking belong to who. However, I didn’t get the memo that the name was suppose to be written in small letters on the tag inside the stocking and so I wrote it in big ugly permanent marker across the front. Needless to say I was upset when it didn’t look nice. Yet come Christmas day there was a beautiful new stocking in place of the ugly one on the mantle with the note that Mrs. Claus had made me a new stocking when she heard what happened to my old one, and I still have that stocking now!
Rachel
in high school my sister and i got a car to share for christmas (also a source of many fights) but it was an awesome gift :)
aysha
Hands down best give ever were tickets to see Brandnew at Atlantic city
Lisa
As a child I would have to say it was my Holly Hobbie radio, as an adult anything that my children have given me that they truly thought of themselves!
Amanda Raulerson
When I was 9, a complete stranger knocked on my door and gave me a schwinn 10speed bicycle! I’m guessing my 4th grade teacher was in on it because we had to write down one thing we wanted for christmas in class, and i wished for a bike!…and, um, of course I was such a good lil’ 4th grade student and all.
Rebecca
Probably my KitchenAid… I use that thing to death.
Maggie
The best gift I ever received was a George Washington porcelain lamp from a friend. It’s from the 50’s but it’s still such a conversation piece today!
Katie
Diamond necklace and earrings inside a Build-A-Bear.
Shoshi
When I was ten I was a pretty nerdy kid, and I was praying to get the boxed set of the Anne of Green Gables series for Hannukah. Instead my mom dropped this huge box in front of me, and when I opened it inside was a pair of rollerblades. I threw a terrible hissyfit, devestated that she expected me to actually go outside and be – gasp! – ACTIVE, and ran away from the Hannukah party. One of my mom’s friends found me later, called me on my ridiculousness, and told me that instead of getting me what I said I wanted, my mom went the extra mile and thought of something that I didn’t know I wanted.
So the best gift ever was two-fold: my mom’s friend showed me not to be a spoiled brat and to be gracious because all gifts that are from the heart are perfect, and it turned out that I really loved rollerblading!
Plus, on the last night of Hannukah my mom’s friend gave me the Anne of Green Gables books. So really, it was the perfect holiday.
Anna
The best holiday gift I ever received was when my husband proposed to me on my birthday in time for Christmas. We’ve been together six years and now have two kids :-D
Deb
My best Christmas gift was when I was 6 years old and I got a pink record player from Santa. Unfortunately, my parents forgot to buy me a 45 (vinyl record) to play. I had my new pink record player and no records! My cousin came to the rescue and brought me an old Connie Frances record of Where The Boys Are. I’d never heard the song before, but I was so happy to have something to play. By the end of Christmas day I knew all the words and would belt out the song into my little pink hairbrush “microphone”.
I realized as I was writing this that I was around for 8 track players and vinyl records….Wow, when I did get to be so old? ; )
serena
the best gift?
a stay in London with my friends! is there anything better? ;)
Pam
Best gift ever would have to be Italian language lessons…in anticipation for our trip to Italy. It was great!
Debbie
Santa brought me a great sled when I was 10, I thought it was super cool and I still have, even though I now live in sunny Florida.
Amanda
My best gift would ahve to be a video camera that my mother gave me last year. We have enjoyed hours or filming my 2 boys!
Courtney
The best holiday gift I receive is the gift of family. Having my mom, dad and my sister with me to celebrate, the house is filled with smells of ham in the over, black cake,cheese biscuits, home made sorrel to drink, there is christmas music playing in the background and the piney smell of the christmas tree. The holidays aren’t complete without my family. They are the greatest gift of all.
Alyssa Goodnight
Wow! Great giveaway!
I think the best gift I’ve ever received is this year’s present from my husband. We’re redoing a room to create a library!! Can’t wait till it’s done!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Happy Holidays!
strielka
And, of course, my first muffin pan. How could I forget.
strielka
Beautiful blog.
I think that the best gift was lego duplo bricks set when I was a kid. So much fun for several years.
Laurel
Whenever my older brother remembers to get me a gift, it is the best present :]
Ellen
Every Christmas I tell my boys how the Barbie RV was my best present, I never thought I was going to get it.
Melinda
In 2005 my daughter was born after an 83 hours of labor….she was born the day after Christmas…best gift :)
erin
the best christmas gift i ever received was a doll…
a doll?
but it wasn’t about the doll.
it was my absolute favourite because it came from Mrs.Claus! :) i was so thrilled that she thought of me, that Santa told her about me. I felt so special because no one else i knew got anything from her.
Rachel Weizenecker
1358
Crystal Tripp
oh kitchen gadgets are fun and regifting is great!!
Crystal Tripp
lol and my best gift ever was the in 2006 when my husband came home from a deployment and surprised me with a ring and a renewing of our love for each other
karen
the happiest was when i was 10 years old and got nintendo. i loved it so much i even dreamed about playing it!!
Tammi
The best Christmas gift I ever received was a set of Kermit the Frog/Muppet glasses that I previously had as a child that my sister got me in my late 20’s. I use them for cocktails now!
Jenn
My Kitchenaid mixer from my husband :)
Barb
My son..born Dec 24!
Jai
One of my best gifts was a box of perfumes from my mum and brother, I wasnt expecting anything so nice as that.
monika christian
The best holiday gift I get is every year I see my kids faces when they see “santa” has come.
When Pigs Fly
The best gift was a rice cooker. I loved that thing.
Gosia
first Xmas with my new boyfriend. Can’t wait. Only few days left!!!!
Kristin
Probably my Cabbage Patch Kid. It was the second year of the craze and the last gift I opened (I totally thought I wasn’t getting one that year either)…my parents had written clever little clues I had to follow to find her (Emaline Mary). I remember reading the last line, “for in the tomato patch something has been born”, and then being carried outside in the NY chill by one of my siblings to see the wrapped gift. Needless to say, I freaked out :)
Emma
how delightful!!!
Jeanette in Texas
Can’t remember. Does that mean I haven’t had a best holiday gift? Probably not, the gifts that mean the most to me are the ones that I just recently needed and the person giving it to me heard me say that and listened close enough to go buy it. This will be a test to see if I will get the slippers and throw I liked at Costco the other day.
Leigh
The best gift was definitely a KitchenAid mixer. Or maybe my wok/steamer set.
Adi
Oh wow, I am the 1350 person to leave a comment! Let’s hope this will by my lucky number. Thanks for the giveaway, you have a beautiful blog!
Lily Boey
Cookie moulds and cookbooks from my best friend, she knows I love collecting them :)
thally
Over one thousend comments within a few hours? can you handle it to read them all? nice blog by the way – i like your bolognese receipt, a quite good gift for today ;-)
but the best gift ever was my nikon d300 that i gave myself
the domestic mama
best gift ever was my big wheel when I was a kid! I loved that thing!
emily
the best gift was when my husband (now) bought me diamond earrings – all on his own! very sweet!
Peggy
An Easy Bake Oven
Leanne Lee
A music CD with all my favorite songs and some new ones which I love… As well as a strawberry and rhubarb crumble. Its everything I love… best present ever.
Alexandra Cooper
Last year my husband got me a purple Nikon camera, which I very much wanted :) Oh and when I was 9 I got the Molly American Girl and I almost died! Those 2 gifts were the best!
Marva
A 10 day all expenses paid trip to any southern Island- my choice. I chose Puerto Rico, because the second language is English, I didn’t need a pssport(at that time) and they have a rain forest. It was a fantastic gift and great memory.
Barbie S
Because my birthday is on Christmas I sometimes get one present to cover both. The best birthday/Christmas gift I received was the one I just got this past week – a new MacBook. My husband gave it to me early and I’m so glad he did!
Linds
100,000 frequent flyer miles to get me to South America!
Mimi
A new iMac from my dear husband. It took me a while to get used to it but now I love it.
Renee
Last year my mom gave me a red KitchenAid stand mixer that I’d been wanting for ages. :)
linda powers
the best christmas gift ever was the gift of my daughter!
Theresa
There’s nothing wrong with re-gifting!
The best Christmas gift I ever received was this year, when my parents paid for new tires for my car. Thank goodness I got this gift early, because two days later, we got A TON of snow!
annie
When I was just 14 I received the very exquisite and sophisticated gift of beautiful white French stoneware; two heavy oval terrine bakers, both with lids, one large and one small, a large fluted tart dish and a fish-shaped baker. My aunt and uncle who gave them to me knew that I loved to cook and blessed me not only with a beautiful and practical present that I still love tremendously and use constantly, but also gave weight and support to something that had, to that point, been considered a light hobby to the rest of my family. Their solemn gift helped me to see myself and my obsession with cooking as something a bit more serious and valuable and promising, and today I love nothing more than putting on my chef’s coat, pulling one of the pieces from the baker’s rack in my restaurant kitchen, and making something great.
Kim
guitars, two different ones at two different times. they rocked.
dimpy
A pink pair of high heels, just love them!!
Stephanie
My favourite gift received will be one from the future! My husband and I are giving ourselves a trip to Italy and France.. to eat FOOD! We are under strict orders to only get stocking stuffers and nothing else. My other favourite gift was a dutch oven from my brother and sister-in-law.
Holly Hodges
I always loved getting a new baby doll at Christmas when I was young.
Jacqueline
Long underwear has to be one of the best practical gives I’ve ever gotten. It keeps me so toasty.
Sumaya
the best holiday gift i ever got was when my husband arranged for our home to get a full redecorated makeover while we were on vacation, and surprised me with it when we got home! AMAZING!
Catherine
When my parents got me a DSLR camera for Christmas! :)
megan
some warm winter clothes for my first seattle college winter (i’m a socal girl! peacoats, scarves in every color, and gloves were a must-have!)
Kassy
The best gift I received was a teddy bear from my mom that was made out of clothing from my dad after he passed away!
Laura (Alwaysroom4dessert)
One of the best gifts I have ever recieved was my camera which allows me to document everything I cook, bake and eat!
Sarah Mae
Hmm…My favorite gift? A few years ago my boyfriend decorated my Christmas tree for me when I couldn’t afford it and surprised me. That was definitely the sweetest thing ever!
Tammie
The best gift I ever got and the one that started my love of cooking was an Easy Bake oven.
Olivia
Sounds silly, but a woot shirt. It was gray with the word “Nevermore” spelled in the shape of a raven. I love that shirt. I should also mention I’m an English major.
Jackie
The best gift I ever received was a spa set of lavender vanilla lotions and candles.
Catie
Hi there
The best gift I haave recieved waw from my hubby. I lost all of my Mom’s china in an accident and he found replacements
Cheers
Catie
Rebecca
I received a KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer a few years ago…probably the best gift I’ll ever receive in my life.
Stephanie
Wow… that’s a lot of comments. Anyway, when I was a kid, it would probably be a wooden toboggan. That thing was so much fun. it was like being in a calvin and hobbes strip!
somerset
super warm and soft fuzzy socks and fuzzay pants. touching to know at our first Christmas that my boyfriend knew about my love of fuzzy things and constantly cold feet.
Kaila
You are too kind joy!
I’m excited for more amazing holiday recipes to dazzle the family with, not to mention the boyfriends family!
I think the best holiday gift i ever got was a piano! And a trip to disney land when i was a kid!
Happy holidays!
CC
10 years old and my Dad on the other side of the country sends me 10 of the coolest kid games ever (hello – Connect 4!)! It would have been great to spend time with my Dad but my cousins and I were occupied the entire Christmas day playing game after game, we had a blast.
Boulder
My first SLR camera. Inspired a lifelong passion.
Leah
A trip to Vegas! Yay!
rachel
i received a road bike last christmas and have lost 104 lbs! best. christmas. ever.
Andrea
This year my husband got me a new Kitchenaid mixer. Even though I already had one he knew I had been drooling over the new red one with the glass bowl. He gave it to me early so that I could use it for Holiday baking!
Millie
When my husband and I were friends in high school, he gave me his old, much-read copy of “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.” I’ve read it every year since then at Christmas. =)
Juni O
When we were still dating, my husband wrapped his old coast guard jacket and put in one of the pockets a small box with his grandmother’s ring which became my engagement ring…best christmas gift ever
Cate
A trip to Hawaii! My parents gave that to me last year
staceyk
Wow, that’s a lot of comments! My best gift was a framed picture– the exact same one my husband bought me that year. It was quite a coincidence.
Lindsay
As ridiculous as it sounds, the best Christmas gift I ever got was a gold nose ring from my boyfriend.
Em
A cookbook my grandma compiled of many of her and my favorite family recipes with extra room to add to it!
Amy I.
My Macbook! I don’t know how I functioned before it.
Nerissa
My Gameboy. The original, spinach-green screen, big grey body, wonky little electronic sounds. Thousands of hours of Tetris fun (because I never got any other games). R.I.P, little Gameboy.
Amy
A beautiful green-eyed gray kitty!
Monica
My best Christmas gift…I have no idea. My leather jacket that I got like 5 years ago because it’s something I can tell you exactly when I got it and something that I used again just tonight. :)
Joanna
Best adult gift: MacBook Pro. Apple really is worth it!
Best childhood gift: Easy-Bake Oven! Little did I know I would use my love of baking for my own cookie business!
Cory Fortin
The best gift I ever got was a home made necklace from my daughter that she made at preschool last year. It hangs on my rear view mirror in my car. She has me where it to school on my teaching days and asks me if people have noticed my “beautiful necklace.” She is 5 1/2 and is really into jewlery… Uh oh- that can’t be a good sign! :)
Kistina A.
I dont think ive ever recieved a holiday gift before :P
Maggie
a stuffed bear when i was a kid and still have today.
celia
My husband gave me 8 very sweet gifts during the 8 days of Chanukah one year. They each came with a riddle I had to solve before I could find the gift. Loved it- thoughtful and sweet.
Cyn
Tivo! One year (about 4 yrs ago) my best friend bought me a tivo and a year of service. It was the best gift ever. Up until then I was actually using two vcrs to tape my shows!
Mary
A framed picture of all my grandkids. Best ever. I started to cry!!! And they did it without me suspecting anything. Now I look back and remember them not telling me where they were going all dressed up when I asked, cause I am a bit “nosy”. That was a hard one to pull off without me knowing what was going on.
Emily
A new camera.
Ruth Miles
The best gift ever was my own domain name (and this was before everyone and their brother had one). It was my own name, and came with lifetime hosting. From my sister-in-law and her husband – two of the best people I know.
BookishCook
The bunny I got for Christmas one year as a child. It kept me believing in Santa Claus much longer than I should have.
Maggie
Too many gifts to count. I look around my kitchen and the majority of items are gifts from my dear brother – coffee mill, microplaner, old-fashioned popcorn maker, dutch oven, scale, sensor soap dispensor, cutting boards, the list goes on….He is the best ever!
ErinsFoodFiles
Best Christmas gift I’ve ever received was probably my baby brother! He came 4 days before Christmas, and got to come home on the 23rd. :D That was almost 20 years ago, when I was 6.
Cheryl
The best gift I’ve ever received wasn’t so much a gift as an absence — instead of having to travel 3000 kilometres home and spend a week driving around five cities to see family, my husband went without me and I stayed home alone.
Best Christmas ever.
I love my family, and my husband’s, but having a stress-free holiday where I did nothing but watch old movies, surf the web, and eat fantastically decadent food was amazing.
Jackie
a huge box full of books. its the first christmas i can vividly remember, and i’ve loved reading since.
JUDY
My best Christmas present ever was one I received when I was six years old. I peered over the stair rail from our upstairs hall and caught a glimpse of a new piece of furniture pushed up against the stairs. It had a big red bow on it and I gasped. Could it be for me? It was! It was a child’s size roll top desk with a chair to match. It had cubbies and drawers and places for my art supplies. I was given a 5 cent receipt book and old checks to set up a “business.” I loved painting my nails and playing secretary, lawyer, writer, investigator and the list goes on.
laurie
When I was five, my parents banned me from our finished basement for weeks — with no real explanation. On Christmas, I learned that my dad had been building a dollhouse down there. I was so excited!
Brenda
I’m not sure it was the best, that may still be to come, but the most memorable was the year my sister and I got matching shiny green sweatsuits with white racing stripes down the sides…and hippity-hops. We crack up looking at those Christmas pictures!!
SaraC
The best gift ever was probably when I was in 3rd grade and I got a pile full of stuffed animals. It was enough to practically be buried under. I still have most of them today, in fact they are scattered around my living my room from my daughters playing with them.
carla
hmmm… best christmas present?
When my fiance asked my dad if he could marry me… i know old fashioned but it really meant a lot
S
Heh, I regift too…. :P But they’re not like hand-me-downs, because they’re always still new.
One of my best holiday gifts was a stuffed Zazu toy (think “Lion King”) I got when I was really little. haha
Lisa
A Kitchenaid mixer. I love it so much *swoon*
Wendy
Best gift was really a new year’s resolution. Last year inspired by you and other bloggers, my teenage son and I baked a cake together each week this year. Not so healthy, but a bonding moment.
Amanda
During the holidays a few years ago I was going through some personal issues and having a lot of trouble sleeping as a result. My dear boyfriend bought me the best blanket ever in an effort to comfort me and help me sleep through the night. It’s simple, but it is still my favorite thing in the world, and at the time was just so thoughtful. Now, the only nights I don’t sleep with it are the ones I get to spend with him =)
Janette F.
My favorite gift was a soft blue plush bathrobe.
Bekah
best christmas present ever was a mini tree+lights+ornaments from my best friend in highschool because she knew my family never got a tree! i still put it up every year.
George
I would have to say my most favorite gift was my easy bake oven. It was that gift that made cooking accessible to me. I still use it to this day because I am lazy.
Hannah
I haven’t actually gotten this gift yet…but my mom told me today she got me a red snuggie with the Gryffindor emblem from Harry Potter on it. This will certainly be the best gift I’ve ever received…I’m 21.
Jennifer
I’d have to say my She-Rah costume (complete with sword) that I got for Christmas when I was 8. A pink leotard getup with a neon pink plastic sword and cape. It was the 80s and I thought it was AWESOME.
Suzy
Best Christmas gift ever.. one year my boyfriend got these picture frames and made this collage sort of things of pictures over the last year. My boyfriend is NOT one of those artsy types of guys, so I was extra impressed :) In fact, I just recently found out that he, like yours at one time, does not know the difference between cupcakes and muffins. Oh, the irony!
SO this year we are building ourselves a new house for Christmas! What a great housewarming gift some new kitchen tools would be ;) What a fun idea– thanks!
Suzy
Actually, I should have said our very FIRST house.. not a new one.
karyn
best gift so far – handmade cedar birdhouse made from scrap wood from my boyfriend. this giveaway is too exciting!
RachelAnn
My best gal pal got me the complete marker set from Stampin Up. When I unwrapped her present I screamed and shouted “No Way!” To this day I am still surprised that she didn’t hear me since she lives a state away. Hee Hee!
pikiKate
plane tickets to go home for christmas
jehan
my kitchenaid stand mixer my husband bought for me, its my best friend
Charity Beth
For fun I thought I would share the most random gift I have ever received at Christmas time. When I was about 12 years old my parents surprised my sister and I with cockatiels. The funny thing was… neither one of us ever asked for birds, ever showed interest in bird… where my parents got the idea that this was something we wanted. Turns out… birds are not that fun (sorry to the bird lovers), you really can’t pet them, and they sure do make a mess!
Thanks for reading that! As far as best holiday gift – my mom got me a Kodak digital camera so I could finally document my memories and keep her updated on my life (she is computer challenged)!
I am excited to be apart of this contest!
Loreena
The best gift I ever got was from my boyfriend the first Christmas we had together. He had bought a collage style frame and filled it with his favorite photo’s of us together. A very thoughtful and sweet gift for someone who loves photography and scrapbooking! We are now on our 4th Christmas together
Katie
First of all, I love regifting too! If done correctly it’s an art. Hmmmm…..best gift I’d probaby go sentimental as in the red toboggan I received when I was 6 or the dollhouse at 8. Both stand out in my memory.
Sarah
Snowhoes!
Sarah
LOL! That’s supposed to be snowshoes. : )
Sar
It’s a toss up between the Pretty Pretty Princesses game I got when I was 6 and the Serenity figurine my parents just bought me…my tastes seem to have changed in the last 17 years…
Happy Holidays!
sk8kate
The best present I ever received was my cuisinart food processor last year, makes pie crust so easy!
Elizabeth
A trip to Moab, Utah, which was awesome.
Sara T
best Holiday gift ever was when I brought my boyfriend home for Christmas to meet the family, and he gave me my gift in front of my entire family and made a huge deal about it and it was a pair of underwear. my face went blank and i thought i was going to pass out, and while i was freaking out he gave me my real gift. My entire family was in on it. It was great and terrible all at the same time.
Tammi
Shortly after I was married, my maternal grandmother and I gave each other the exact same thing for Christmas…an unusual looking little tree with gold dangling leaves on it. I will never part with it because it proved how truly alike we were even though my mother was adopted and due to our geographic locations we didn’t really even get to know one another until I was about 13 or 14 years old.
kim
the first that comes to mind is my big black bookshelf from my parents. set up included!
Sarah
Best holiday gift ever?
I would have to say mine was a dress up set complete with feathery shoes, dresses and clip on earrings to match. I used to parade around in that stuff for hours, no doubt driving my parents up the wall.
Heather L
The new laptop my husband bought me when we weren’t supposed to buy each other anything. Awesome.
Diana
a super nintendo… when i was about 10. best gift ever!
Kaitlin
When I was 9 I got a kitten for Christmas. She was one of my best friends for the next 19 years. Best present ever!
Andrea
A pile of my very favorite things… cookbooks!
Amy
An industrial size kitchen aid mixer from my in-laws!
Carsen Lagman
Lush bubble bars!
Clare
best holiday gift ever? My American Girl Doll “Samantha” when I was about 10. I had wanted one for years, and FINALLY I got the most beautiful doll in the world!
Cheri
How generous of you! Picking a fav Christmas gift is hard for me to do because I am not too picky of a person. One of my most memorable though is when my sister-in-law bought me a bread maker, gravy boat, and cake decorating kit for all under our $20 limit! Talk about a bargain shopper!
Jessie G
Barbie doll house that was taller than my eight year-old self. Childhood Christmas memories are the best!
Lauren
The best holiday gift I have ever received was my dad taking off a full week of work during christmas vacation. I go to school far away from home and I miss my family very much. So getting a full week of quality family time was AMAZING!!
Jenné
JOY!
The best gift I ever received was a book of recipes written by my Grandmother (a Soulfood cook) when I was 7 years old. That Christmas my mother and I were moving out of “Nana’s” house, and she knew I would miss her cooking most! I’m 22, and its STILL my favorite cookbook!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Gretchen
My mom build a doll house,furnished every room and even made curtains for all the windows. Best ever Christmas for an 8 yr old.
Cristy
An espresso machine! Coffee runs alongside blood in my veins.
Tiffany
The best holiday gift I’ve ever recieved was tickets to see the broadway play Wicked.
Esme
I collect Swarovski crystal-the first Christmas my husband and I started dating he bought me their bird bath which I really wanted. He had no idea what Swarovski crystal was but he found out and bought it for me.
Erin
A weekend getaway to Monterey, CA. The next best gift will be when I win this contest.
Emily g
a mini pool/ping pong table. Didn’t matter that I was and still am awful at both, it was still amazing :)
Aaron
a really awesome green vacuum!
Liliana
My little sister.
Elizabeth
a homemade quilt from my aunt judy for my sixteenth birthday
Abby H
my best gift by far would be the snoopy snow cone maker I got when I was little! I wouldnt mind one of those little snow cones right now! lol
koohiiteasheri
my new bike when i was in elementary school just like phoebe’s on Friends with the basket and streamers on the handles!
sb
the best christmas gift i have ever received would be the quality time i get to spend with my family. is that too cheezy because it’s totally true?
Nikki
The best gift I have received was when my whole family made sacrifices to all be together for the holidays. We hadn’t been together for several years and it was wonderful!
mary
My I-pod!
maryellen
Probably when I was younger and got an American Girl Doll and lots of accessories for her! :)
Catherine G.
Beautiful diamond earrings from my hubby!
Michelle
The best Christmas gift I received will be this year’s..celebrating Christmas with my husband and oue 5 month old daughter in our new home as a family..with our first real Christmas tree..I could go on.. :)
Mary H
regifting is the best holiday idea, i already have most of mine planned!
Mimi
Snow…pure and simple. Nothing beats waking up to a blanket of white on Christmas morning! Oh, and the snow angels that appear a few hours later…
Olivia
a whole bunch of bright felt and patterns from my grandma to sew my own doll clothes, when I was 8 or so :)
Melissa
Best present might just be the year I was pregnant with our third baby. My husband gave me a ring with 5 diamonds and said that it was to symbolize all 5 of us and soon our family would be complete. Nine days later, the baby came and she made our lives complete.
Kris D
Surprise family cruise vacation!
Tammy T.
My best gift ever was in 1977 when I received a green bicycle with a banana seat, best day ever. I would then ride two of my friends at the same time (yes not safe, but hey it was the 70s).
P
This is hard! I would have to say a trip to Italy with my family :)
Kristina C.
My emerald and diamond engagement ring! We’ve been married for 20 years now!
Candace
My first Canon camera, given to me by my younger sister many moons ago. We were in our very early 20’s, just started working at somewhat decent jobs. She knew how much I loved photography but that I couldn’t really afford a good camera at the time, so she got me one. I later learned that she went to four stores before she found a shop that would give her a credit line in order to buy the camera. She knew absolutely nothing about photography but, with help, spent considerable time picking out exactly the right equipment and accessories down to the bag. She was in tears and so proud when she gave me the gifts. It’s a moment and gift I will always treasure.
Kerstin
My engagement ring :)
CJ :)
Well, 19 years ago I had this baby boy. He is most likely the best Christmas present I’ve ever had.
Following him, though, is the KitchenAid Professional stand mixer my husband got me last year. :)
Sarah
My mom completely surprised me with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer about 6 years ago. I am rarely surprised by a Christmas gift – that may have been the nicest part of all.
kim
The best Christmas present I received was a Barbie dream house that had a pink plastic elevator that went up and down by pulling a string. My friends and I got a lot of use out of that dream house.
Stiffler
I just moved into my first house. My parents were generous enough to get me a new washer and dryer as a gift for this Christmas. They should be delivered this Tuesday. (thanks again Mom and Dad).
Happy Holidays!
heidileon
the best Christmas/holiday gift I received ever was two years ago; my boyfriend at that time (now husband)invited my parents to spend holidays with us in South of France with his family.
On Christmas day after diner, with all the family together (his and mine) he proposed me (and yes,he gave me a beautiful ring too!).
Oh, I said oui.
Misolee
I got into college a week before Christmas. Best present ever
Adrianne
best holiday gift ever: arriving home to the airport, and getting one of those pick-up-and-spin hugs. :D
Kim
My American Girl doll when I was 8. I loved her!
Christina
A plane ticket to go visit my love!
Val
My son requested from Santa that he be able to keep his little foster sister forever. Santa granted that wish as we adopted her then on Jan 22 2009. That would be the best gift we all received as a family. This year, we also adopted a 10 yr old girl – when my son saw Santa this year he told him “Last year I asked for my foster sister to be my forever sister and I go two sisters this year – you can stop now.” Santa laughed.
Tricia
The best gift I ever received was seeing the surprise on my husband’s face when I gave him Rose Bowl tickets in 1995 to watch the Oregon Ducks play in California.
Heidimarie
My parents took me to Europe when I was a teenage, and that was an awesome present.
Kelly Delp
The best holiday gift I ever received were the tap shoes my dad got me two years ago…I begged and begged because I wanted to take a tap class, and he got them for me with a really cute note about how he likes my quirks. (I’m 26 and have never taken tap before!) :)
Amy
The best gift I ever got? My son coming home from the hospital on Christmas Eve after a 7 week stay!
H. Angulo
I’m still waiting, it’ll be a kitchenaid!
Heidi
A Disneyland trip! It’s so beautiful there at that time of year!
Yumi
A Holga camera from my boyfriend and a kitchenaid from my parents! :)
Tummywise
I got me Sennheiser headphones which I absolutely adore!
Marti
My best gift was a blue 24″ bicycle. A Sear’s J.C. Higgins girl’s bicycle. Up to then I had been riding my brother’s hand-me-down bicycle with that very uncomfortable bar across it. It was so hard to get on and off his bike without causing painful injuries. I could not ride my new bike outdoors until spring, but I gave it a good run in the living room.
Shannon
My favorite holiday gift was my Mom’s Kitchenaid stand mixer. I lusted after that baby for so long, and was so happy when she finally parted with the sucker.
Megan
Ooooh, would love to be regifted some of your fun kitchen gadgets! My favorite Christmas present is the cordless drill my dad bought me about 8 years ago. He was always really horrible at gift giving, if he ever bothered to do it at all, but that year he got a wild idea and bought my sister and me a drill. He was a maintenance worker most of his adult life and I think he wanted to instill the DIY spirit in his daughters. I cherish it and think of him every time I use it :)
Mallory
Aside from Jesus, who was the BEST gift ever given, I would have to say my plane ticket to London when I was 15 was the ultimate present. My family was invited to visit my old soccer coach in his London home, but we had no money and couldn’t get plane tickets. My older sister and I had always dreamed of going to England and never thought it would be possible. Unbeknownst to us, my parents told friends, relatives, church members, etc. about our opportunity and everyone pooled together to buy a plane ticket for my sister and I to go! We had a fantastic time and memory I’ll treasure forever.
Amy Bryant
My best gift ever was regifted from my mom. My Daddy and I bought her a McCoy mixing bowl at a flea market when I was about 8. I thought the pink and blue bands made it beautiful. I learned to cook using that bowl and it held lots and lots of memories. When I unwrapped a present from Mama and it was that bowl … Wow. I sobbed. Very, very amazing gift.
G
Hey Joy! I cannot believe how many people have begun to read your blog! Not too long ago your giveaways had 200-300 comments. It’s no wonder with your witty lingo and yummyyyy recepies :) My favorite holiday gift was a trip to seattle from my sister!
Best,
G
Puppydogs
OK, I know that I may be weird, and hubby has been great with jewelry, but I must say it was the year he got me my first All Clad pot. I know, it sounds silly, but dang, I love my pots!
Michelle Burns
The Best holiday gift I ever received was my new kitchenaid pro 600. I’d had the 4.5 quart classic for 10 years before that and it was beginning to quite literally fall apart. My husband picked it out and it was a huge surprise.
heidi
I love regifting too! whats wrong with giving something to someone else who will love and appreciate it more? haha. hmmm, my favorite gift would have to be when i got nintendo ds. old i know :]
Sana
The best holiday gift I ever received was a plane ticket to go to Europe! It was the most amazing experience of my life!!
Mallory
hmm… best christmas gift ever…
probably a book of my mom’s recipes :)
Adrianne
The best gift I ever got was a gift I got after Christmas and kinda something I gifted myself. I purchased a plan ticket to Italy and on Dec 31st flew to meet the person I am now married to and I am currently watching our first baby, a girl, make little monkey faces at me :)
Adrianne
**plane hurray typos!
Nicole
I lurk your blog alllll the time! :D
I think the best gift I ever received was a pair of rollerblades — I remember computers and computer games were beginning to become popular so my rollerblades definitely helped keep me off my rump (at least then)!
Linda
The best gift I ever received is my kitty Juliette. My daughters gave her to me! :)
Lindsay Natale
My parents-in-law are coming all the way from Italy to take care of our two toddlers for 9 luscious, glorious days while my husband and I go on a cruise. It has been eons since we have slept…or been on vacation. Now that is what I call a present!
Megan L.
Best holiday gift ever…A 9-inch springform pan, which makes me love baking even more. Of course, you are a great inspiration to me as well! Keep up with the great work!
Holly
My favorite Christmas gift was many many moons ago when I was just getting to that age of not believing anymore. My Dad apparently (although to this day he denies it) went out on our back porch with boots on and made marks leading right to the door. He even made reindeer prints! From then on I have always believed in the spirit of the holidays.
Thanks Joy!
Esther Oh
My Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop
I use it for everything… searching for recipes, completing assignments, and filling out COLLEGE APPLICATION.
Nicole
Best gift ever? … years ago a very dear friend wrote and performed a song for us at our wedding, I had been wishing we had recorded it or had a copy or something.. all we had were memories of little bits and pieces.. last year my husband got ahold of the very first handwritten version of our song.. he framed and wrapped it.. best gift ever..
Laura
Nothing can beat my Lite Brite when I was 6 or 7.
Sophia
I think the best gift I ever got was a coat from my boyfriend at the time (now my husband). I was out shopping with him one time and just admired it as we were passing by. He made a point to go back and get it for me.
Carly
Best gift was a SLR camera from my now husband. We had been dating and has discussed that when we moved in together or got married, we would have to get ourselves an SLR camera, as my crappy little point-and-shoot was dying a slow death after being drenched in sangria one night.
He first gave me the camera case. I looked at it, confused, and said “Oh, now I’ll have lots of room for film and other stuff when we go out.” When I opened the camera, I was shocked. Completely shocked. He has yet to top that one. (Although he has since bought me, for Christmas, a digital point-and-shoot camera and then a digital SLR camera.)
Kris
The best gift I’ve ever received is a Barbie kitchen carousel when I was 7. It was fabulous. Fast forward 25 year, both my daughter and I received vintage kitchen carousels for Christmas. I couldn’t have been more appropriate.
Cara
The best holiday gift I ever received was a marriage proposal and engagement ring 6 years ago on Christmas Eve!
Kaja
“Everyday Italian” from my brother, proving how well he knows me.
Jodi
The best gift I’ve ever received is having my family with me for the holidays. I know that might sound really cheesy, but having those who love me in our house means more than any gift ever could.
Ann
Oooh. One of the best Christmas presents I ever received was when one year, my mom bought all the books on my Amazon wishlist. She just kept bringing them out of the closet!
Jeanette
Hmm….best gift I’ve ever received? My KitchenAid, but I didn’t know it at the time. :o)
Annalisa DeMarta
Best ever = Nintendo 64
2nd Best Ever “adult” present = diamond earrings
Sarah
The best gift I ever recieved was a ticket to fly home to be with my family for the holiday season! But I also got some quite lovely boots last year…if we’re talking about material things here :)
Happy Holidays to all!
amy
the first christmas we celebrated as husband & wife in our new house-which we had torn apart to renovate…we were living in the quasi-finished basement, with drywall dust everywhere, had barely any ornaments to decorate our scraggly tree and bought each other things we didn’t need. we’ve come so far over the last 12 yrs, but I still love the memory of that christmas. that was my favorite gift.
Kelly Z
My mom bought me the most comfy, soft, and warm pair of boots one year. I love them!
Carla
I got my best present this past Christmas. My parents got me my first DSLR camera. Being a young baker and a budding photographer, I couldn’t have been happier!
ruthie
When I was 6 my parents got me a desk and filled each drawer with a different little office supply thing with a bow on it. They’ve never outdone that gift.
I also have a passion for office supplies, now…There’s nothing like a brand new pack of Pentel fine point pens!!
Ruthie
Amy B.- Portland, OR
This year will have the best gift- time together with my hubba hubba husband and dogs. Happy Holidays Miss Joy!
Nicole
That is a hard choice because Christmas was always good in our house. One that stands out in my mind is the year I got a boom box. It was before ipods or even the diskman. I took it everywhere with me.
Ellie
Joy! The best gift I have ever received was a trip to Turkey!
Caroline
my parents would often take us on family vacations as our christmas gifts – hawaii and new york were my favs :)
bdaiss
Best holiday present? I’ve had some great ones. But I think I like this years the best (yes, I know what I’m getting already): 2 rings, each one engraved with one of my kids names and birthday. Hubby told me because he couldn’t figure out what size to get.
Angie
Finally getting my own computer is probably the best gift since it sucks to share it with the rest of my family. lol
Stacy
The best Christmas gift I can think of was an early one I got this year – as a 20 year old with my first apartment, I inherited my mother’s 25 year old kitchen-aid stand mixer. Finally! And I can’t even tell you how much I love it =)
Apria
Last year my son gave me a beautiful horn comb for my curly hair, that is much like the one I would borrow from my grandmother when I was a child. Every morning, when I comb my hair, I think of my son and grandmother, and start each day with a smile on my lips, love in my heart and a spring in my step.
Christine
A portrait of me that my now-boyfriend painted last Christmas. :)
gentle reader
Hey there! The best holiday gift I ever received was a Barbie camper when I was maybe 8. Awesome! But since then, when I want to get it right, I buy it for myself!
Louisa
Many years ago my husband gave me a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. It seemed extravagant at the time, we were young and didn’t have a lot of extra money. But it has been a work horse! It is still in perfect condition after almost 20 years and we both use it often.
Ting
Being with my family is the best gift of all. I know it sounds cheesy, but my family lives outside of the USA. Christmas time is the only time of year I have enough free time to go visit.
Barathi
the best gift i’ve ever gotten was a college survival kit from my best friends from high school. there were picture frames and journals and practical things like febreez and a shower caddy. it was so thoughtfully put together and I’ve used everything in it!
Sarah
I love my IPod Touch that I got last Christmas – that’s probably the present I’ve gotten the most use out of. :)
Ashlee
For me it has always been the Christmas of 1991. I was eleven and I asked my parents for a mint green bath robe. My father, not usually being the lookeverywherefortheperfectgift guy–usually going to Walgreens at 9pm on Dec 24th–didn’t find it for me. Instead he got me a lovely, fluffy white one. I never did wear the robe all that much, but I always loved the way my mom told me the story about how persistent dad was in getting it for me.
Cori R.
The best gift I’ve ever received wasn’t a thing or a service or even a gift card. It was the stamp of approval in my husband’s passport that granted him permission to move to the US. Everything else pales in comparison.
Katie
Regifting sounds great to me! My very favorite Christmas present of all time was a Cobalt Blue Kitchen Aid mixer I got many years ago from my dad. Thanks dad!
Debkb
A toy puddle I named Fifi. What do you want, I was 6!
{lauryl}
My most memorable xmas was four years ago when instead of buying gifts for each other, my hubs and I put our money towards our new year’s eve wedding. So I guess our marriage was my best gift ever? Totally cheesy, but totally true. ;-)
Amanda
The best Christmas present for all of us to receive is the birth of Christ. It is such a blessing every year to celebrate the holiday season with family, this is the best gift.
Alex
best gift? How about my engagement ring that was hidden amongst the Christmas tree branches? It was days before I knew it was there… and more before it was finally opened… torture! :-)
Thanks Joy!
Yolanda
Probably one of the best gifts I received was an ice cream maker :)
Chao
At the moment, I can’t seem to remember what presents I have received o_o.
But last year, I received a NDS, does that count? :D.
Lisa Teague
I was lucky as the only granddaughter to be gifted with my grandmothers jewerly dish. It sat on her vanity and I always admired it as a child.
Ellie
The best gift I ever recieved was bringing my oldest son home from the hospital. He was born 23 December and my husband and I brought him home on Christmas evening. It was the best Christmas ever!
Nags
A cookbook that I had been searching everywhere! Finally my husband found it in a second hand book store in a tiny place in India. That’s the most special gift, definitely!
Jessica
My 2nd (out of 3) son was born on Dec. 21st as a surprise early Christmas gift. My due date was Jan. 1st and I was planning on a New Year’s Baby. Thanks Santa! ;-)
Shauna
One of the best gifts I’ve ever received is the birthstone ring my husband gave me after our third child was born four years ago. I’ve worn it on my right ring finger every day since, because I love looking down at it and thinking about how each stone perfectly represents each of my amazingly different children. *sigh*
One of the best gifts I’ve ever given (with my parents’ help) was the time when my mom, stepdad and I surprised my grandparents by flying out from AZ to NC on Christmas Eve and showing up on their snowy doorstep. I can still remember the look on my granddaddy’s face 20 years later! :)
Cassie Allan
I would like to share a gift I gave instead. I made my auntie in Scotland (I live in Australia) a hand made calander with recent pictures of her mother, all her brothers, sister, cousins, neices and nephews. This ment a lot to her and to me because at the time she was going through kemo for Breast Cancer by herself. She didnt want any of us to come and visit but i wanted to show her that we all cared and even though we were on the other side of the world we are here for her and thinking of her.
Tyne
The best Christmas gift ever…I would have to say the Kitchenaid Aid 600 series mixer I just bought myself. It came early and I have been cranking out cookies ever since.
Dava
My husband and I gave ourselves two kitties, brother and sister, from the shelter. Even in the heat of the summer we find ourselves commenting, “best Christmas present, ever.”
Maggie
my now-husband made me a beautiful jewelry box.
Therese
My daughter was born just before Christmas one year-that was the best :)
The Dish
My first boyfriend picked me up from work one day in early December, had me unlock the door to my place, and in my apartment (for the first time ever), was a fully decorated Christmas tree with presents underneath, stockings at the fireplace, plus lights & garland on all the windows… he’s long gone, but it remains one of the best, most thoughtful holiday surprises I’ve ever received.
nikki
Our dog, Ruby! She came as a wedding/holiday present a few months after we were married.
Emily
I think it’s impossible to choose a single best gift, but many of the best ones in recent years have been homemade. Those are always the most memorable. My friend gave me the gift of picking out a dress pattern and a fabric of my choice and then making a dress for me. Other faves include drawings and a recorded cover version of Oasis “Wonderwall”. And I’m still a sucker for mixtapes. Yes, actual cassette tapes.
This is an awesome giveaway!
Kim
I’ve gotten a lot of good gifts over the years! I just realized that as I struggled to come up with a “best gift.” If I absolutely had to pick one though, I would say cross country skis and boots and poles!
Julie
While receiving gifts is always fun at the holidays, I much prefer finding the perfect gifts to give my friends and family! I think my favorite was last year, when I gave my sister a replica of the music box the grandmother gives to Anastasia in the cartoon movie Anastasia (we were raised on that movie and are completely in love with it). We love winding it up and listening to “Once Upon a December” together and acting out the whole movie between the two of us!
peachkins
the best holiday gift I’ve received is my very first bicycle!
lora
My Kitchen Aid Mixer!
liz
decorated christmas tree from my boyfriend last year.
Jocelyne
For Christmas of my 9th year my parents gave me a telescope! It was the year of Halley’s comet and we had the most fun going out in the dark to look through that telescope. We never saw the comet, though!!!!! Oh well, the real gift is of those memories because who knows where that telescope is today! :)
Alexandra W.
My best christmas gift is so much about the item but the memories and experiences with an item. It was the full series of the HBO show SIx Feet Under.
My mother gave it to me. My mother and I, though we were already extremely close, but we really loved that show and would watch it together and talk about it in public. We’d even get a bit sadistic at times liek when we were waiting at a restaurant and our waiter was taking too long. We’d make up fake deaths for that waiter in the back to explain what was taking them so long. If you’ve seen the show, the deaths range from normal to gruesome to kinda funny. We also loved the funny ones.
When I got it, me and my mother watched most of the episodes. Crying and laughing, me calling her a “Ruth” and she calling me a “Claire,” though…. However, it was harder for her to watch it because she had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer a few months before so she was coming to terms with dying. But nonetheless, we watched it and used the time to bond to each other in light of her coming death.
She passed away more than a year after she gave it to me. I brought it with me when I moved and never let anyone borrow it. I can’t even bring myself sometimes to watch them, but when I do, I feel like my mother is there watching with me.
Becks
When I was ten Mum and Dad gave me half a sailing dinghy. :D Yes, I got the other half, by working for it. :P Ooooh a bundle of kitchen goodies sounds awesome! :)
kmarie
here’s a cool gift we recieved this year: we ordered a cord of wood from a local family. they delivered it earlier than we had agreed on, so we weren’t ready with payment. in between the time they delivered wood and our scheduled payment date, the family attended a funeral where the daughter of the deceased encouraged everyone to be as generous as her father had been and to “pay forward” a good deed to someone and encourage them to continue to pay forward. so, the cord-wood-family kindly “paid it forward” to my family and gave us the wood for free. that’s $185 for those of you who don’t know about cord-wood! that made us extra-happy because we were then able to continue to “pay it forward” by taking a big chunk of that money to participate in our kids’ school christmas donation program where you anonymously pick a family (no names are given) who need help buying christmas gifts for their kids and buy some of the things on their list. my kids are really excited to shop for the family we chose.
itsworthalook
My mom gave me a wooden clothes rack dryer 23 years ago when my boys were babies. I still have it and use it today! My response was “this is the best” at that time, and it is totally functional today!
Amy
The best gift I received for Christmas was about the time I turned 10, and I got hot pink rollerskates that had navy blue stripes. I loved loved loved them, until I grew out of them and we moved house to one that had a crazy steep driveway and scared myself far too much.
Jordan
The best Christmas gift I ever received? Hmm… One year for Christmas my husband (then boyfriend) had just gotten a fabulous new job and took me on a splurge vacation to- Disneyland! Seriously, it was so fun. We were young, and it was really exciting to stay in a nice hotel and goof off together in the happiest place on earth :)
Sherry
My first digital camera. It doesn’t sound that interesting but I was crying my eyes out and was shaking all over the place because I was so happy. My parents didn’t even know what kind to get, but I was so happy they got it!
Lauren
Definitely my Calphalon pots and pans. I use every single day and sometimes more than once!
Dani
The first year I lived with my now-husband, I was sad that we wouldn’t have a Christmas tree because my father had thrown mine away. My DH, who is *not* into holiday decorating, arranged the surprise of all surprises, getting me a fake tree, lights, garland, ornaments and a topper. He contacted all my friends and family and urged them to buy me ornaments for my new tree. I went out to a Christmas party with friends and came home to the tree up and decorated in our living room!
candybeans
My best holiday gifts have been the homemade ones. One was a hand-drawn card from my boyfriend with both of us drawn as monsters (we really like monsters), and another was a piece of artwork made by my best friend. Both decorate my house and make me so happy every time i see them.
Melani
The most practical—a cuisinart food processr.
Kat
My husband bought me Frye boots – two pairs to be exact so I could choose. Needless to say it was a tough decision, but they are well loved!
Küchenpsychologin
My very best holiday gift was a dog, too. Our old and sick and very loved dog Pickle had been run over some months ago on our own property by a co-worker (by accident, of course), and life without a dog just isn’t life… and thus, on December 26th last year, the little Schnauzer lady Nanu came into our life. Now I’m always glad to come home from uni for the weekends, as there’s always someone so happy to see me that she starts squeaking!
Jessica K
That’s a toughie! There are so many I can’t even choose. Time with family is always a great gift.
Betty
Hands down my Kitchen Aid Mixer. Best one ever!!
greenbean
a gps so i could drive 13 hours home!
Lisa PC
Joy- I agree. Wholeheartedly- that re-gifting is the best. Not because I’m cheap, but because I love the Earth, and re-gifting is the best way to combine two things that are great- recycling and gifting. On that note…
The best gift I’ve ever received would have to be when I was in high school. I played flute, and I used a rental from a local music store. However, my dad saw potential in playing, and he bought me a professional flute. It was the best gift ever. I’ve had that instrument for 13 years now, and it’s still in perfect condition. Even though I don’t play it much anymore, it’s something I know will always be able to be used again one day, and it reminds me of a great time in my life when I was immersed in performing music.
Caroll J D
Wow, that’s a hard one. I guess my cat. He’s the coolest cat ever.
Megan
It is sooo hard to choose. Honestly, I love stocking stuffers the most! I can’t get enough of the fun, random and even practical items.
Meghan
Right before my first Christmas, my grandpa got very sick. Close to death sick and had to have emergency surgery. My mom took me to the hospital because he wanted to see me (he told my mom later that he didn’t think he was going to make it and he wanted to see his first granddaughter one last time). He had my grandma bring the present he was going to give me. I sat very still with him, and hugged the Teddy Bear my mom unwrapped for me.
He ended up making a full recovery and is still here, 30 years later. That bear, who I named Ted, is also still here. He has gone all over with me, kept me safe at night, and given me something to hug when I was sad. His head has fallen off and had to be sewn on, he’s got a few holes and wear, and his eyes are sort of scratched up, but he’s my Ted, and I love him.
Joy
wow…these are a lot of good presents people have gotten for the holidays… lol I think my favourite one would have to be last Christmas when my brother gave me a flat iron… it changed my life.
Drisana
Each book from my collection. They let me escape to a new world. So exciting each new one!
suzanne s.
My best Christmas gift was from my husband. A tiny black kitten that was our first (and best cat) together. We’ve had others since, but none was as good as he was.
rachel
When I was a kid one year I received a huge silky polka-dotted bow from my aunt and uncle. You’d better believe I rocked it, complete with side ponytail. oh yeah.
Shari
The best gift I ever received was a Tiffany and Co. ring from my boyfriend. He knew I had wanted a piece for a long time and told me that he couldn’t afford it and totally shocked me by getting one anyways!
Nicole
when i was a kid he best present i could remember is a cabbage patch doll that i got from my godmother. now that i got older( ahem ^_^) the best present so far are baking books!
Elizabeth
I have been given so many thoughtful gifts but the one I remember most was my handmade cabbage patch doll. My grandma made it for me.
Sarah M
My favorite Christmas present would have to be the gorgeous Twig & Berry quilt that my mom and two aunts made for me last year.
Kelly
I was just given an early Christmas present of a red Kitchenaid stand mixer, and right now that’s seeming like the greatest thing ever. My entire weekend plans consist of mixing things into other things…
Stephanie
best gift: the one that really stands out is the purple scooter santa brought me when i was 5!! it was so fun, so purple-y and so *very* appropriate in 1988.
Melissa
I’m not gonna lie. Probably the best Christmas gift I ever received was my KitchenAid stand mixer. I can’t imagaine life without it!
Kaitlin
One of my most memorable gifts was the American Girl doll I got in the 2nd grade. I just wanted it so badly, and when I opened it, it was just as perfect as I had imagined.
Rachel
I teach first grade in a very rough part of town, one year one of my little boys was homeless. Yet he showed up at my desk with a can of my favorite soda. I can’t even imagine what he had to go through to get that soda when he had nothing he could call his own.
Oh yeah, my husbands purposal the next year was also fun. ;)
Stephanie Lang
I still haven’t received it yet, but if I don’t receive it soon, I may just give myself the gift of…a standing Kitchen Aid mixer.
Best Gift Ever. (well, soon to be the best gift ever!!)
Julie
While not exactly on Christmas but in time for Christmas 30 Years ago, my son was born! The best gift anyone could ask for.
My best material Christmas gift…my kitchen aid.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Sophie Berg
My best gifts ever were ‘breyer’ horses and the movie ‘chocolat’ on vhs (before dvds were the norm).
Sarah
One Christmas I received a handmade doll cradle from my Dad. It was a miniature of my grandmother’s that I have loved since a child.
Rachel
When I was in gradeschool my grandmother gave me a bright purple sweater with giant embroidered flowers on the front – it was hideous! However, I ended up wearing it so much in high school that it started wearing out from use. Funny how some clothes just look better on and especially when it gives you a connection to the person that gave it to you. It really was a beautiful sweater.
Krista Lyn
A sewing machine from Santa!
Muriel
The best holiday gift I ever received was my first session at summer camp – two and a half weeks at Skyland Camp for Girls the summer before my sixth grade year. I was eleven years old. I’d found the camp’s thumbnail ad in a magazine. I nagged my mom all through the fall to please, please let me go. When my parents agreed to send me for a session as a Christmas present, I spent the entire time between Christmas and July in a state of frenzied excitement. I told all my friends about camp – what I would do, how long I would stay – until they could recite my spiel by heart. When July finally came, I was bouncing off the walls. I practically danced through Wal-Mart when we went to buy supplies. The night before camp, I packed my bag twice. Once, all by myself. The second time, with my mother’s advice – six pairs of socks for two and a half weeks? Definitely not. Thanks, Mom. I didn’t sleep at all that night, and I literally shook during the entire 5 AM ride to the airport. When it was finally time to leave, my mom saw me off at the gate. I couldn’t stop smiling, but for the first time, I was nervous. My stomach was dancing the polka. After all my nagging and pleading and dancing, I had no idea what to expect. I made it through two flights, two Unaccompanied Minor dungeons, and one instance where I was almost left on the plane. I finally made it to Clyde, North Carolina. The two weeks I spen on Skyland Hill were the high point of the summer of my life. When camp ended, I was absolutely certain of three things: 1) I wanted to take every single horse on the Hill home with me. 2) I would be coming back to Skyland Camp every summer for the rest of my life. 3) Two and a half weeks was not nearly long enough. I’m sixteen now, and while I’ve never managed to bring even a single horse home, I’ve graduated from being a camper to being a counselor. I’ve been spending five weeks on the Hill every summer since that first one. Every single summer has been the summer of my life.
Bartholomew Henry
I’m a cook on communes and I’m short on tools, I love having a chance. Very generous of you, thank you for chance and a nice, sleek blog by the way.
Hannah
The best gift I ever received was my easy bake oven from my parents when I was six!
Tina
A set of my Mom’s dentures (a gag gift), I laughed until I cried!!!
Candy
A few years ago my husband surpised me with a gift certificate for a hot air balloon ride. It was several months before we were able to take the ride, but when we did it was unforgettable.
aimee
the best holiday gift i ever received was given to me by my parents in 1987 when i was 7 years old. my brother, sister and i woke up on christmas morning and ran to see what santa had brought. but when we got to the tree, there were no presents to be found. we ripped our stockings down and emptied them onto the floor to find…ROCKS!! we were devastated. my parents came in and said, “well, it looks like santa got our note that you were all pretty bad this year. better luck next time.” at which point, i burst into tears. hot, salty, disappointed christmas tears!
it took a few beats, but my older sister was the first to notice that they weren’t rocks at all, but rock candy. by the time she’d stopped me from crying, my parents were dragging in the real presents, which were magnificent– i can remember my gifts distinctly– the full catalog of amelia bedelia books, a hello kitty dollhouse, and the best- a mini playschool kitchen of my very own (with non-working sink!).
that was the biggest emotional roller coaster of a christmas. and my all-time favorite. merry christmas!
Melanie
Probably a trip to Charleston, SC, to spend the holidays at a beach house with 17 of my crazy, wonderful family members!
Rebecca
When I was four, I received a dollhouse which my grandparents had handmade. The walls were covered with little framed family photos and the floors had little knitted rugs. I was a staple through my whole childhood of make-believe.
Dani
That’s easy. Every year my daughter gives me framed photographs of my grandchildren. The only thing better is hugs from said grandchildren. I had to stop regifting unless shipping out of state because I regifted to the original gifter after it had gone through at least two other people. Bad form! Thanks for a chance at the giveaway!
DeeDee
I am an unashamed re-gifter. If I won’t use it and you’ll love it, it would be WRONG not to share! :)
Best holiday gift was probaly my Kitchenaid Stand mixer. I use all the time.
Kristy
Barbie Dreamhouse when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Santa was even so kind as to set up the whole thing in the living room, including putting all the little decals on the fake food in the refrigerator. :)
Lynda
My fave gift was a baby doll with a bathinette when I was a little girl 49 years ago ( I was 6!)
Kim
It’s between my Kitchen Aid mixer and an Easy Bake oven. Not too hard to see a theme here.
Karen
My very favorite wool coat.
Edwin
The best holiday gift I’ve received was a pressure cooker. When I first got it I was very underwhelmed, but use it all the time now.
Miranda
The best gift I’ve ever received was a knitting set I got when I was 12. Now I’m an avid knitter!
Anna
My sunbeam mixer that my dad got for me a couple years ago, because it was the vintage model that my grandma used as well.
Lily J.
You can scoff if you’d like, at the cheesy sentimentality that is to follow, but this was honestly the very first thing that I thought of when prompted with “best Christmas gift” ever…
My best Christmas gift is my sister-in-law. My brother, Parke, had been dating Kelly for (I think) close to 8 years and we all adored her. Parke is the glue that holds my immediate family together; he hosts weekly football parties and BBQs, he fills the awkward “we-haven’t-seen-each-other-in-two-years-silences” at Thanksgiving dinner when we’re re-united with extended family members, and he’s always ready to help ANYONE in the family.
Kelly was the perfect match for Parke. She didn’t mind our loud, take-over-your-house Sunday rituals and adores Parke as much as we do. And we adore her. The day Parke and Kelly were to close on their brand new house, my brother unexpectedly lost his job. Needless to say, they backed out of the deal and didn’t buy the house.
A few months later, Parke still unemployed, they decided to go ahead on their dream house (a total fixer-upper). We were thrilled, but our big concern was that Kelly might be getting impatient with my brother’s “I’m still not marrying ’til I’m 30” mentality.
Christmas Eve is a HUGE deal for my family (and the whole neighborhood, for that matter), and the year they closed on their house, Parke asked Kelly’s family to join us. So we all thought: THIS IS IT! Mom and I called Dad frantically on Christmas Eve day and asked him to add one more thing to his last minute list – CHAMPAGNE! The party came and went, but no kneeling! Lame…
The next morning, Parke and Kelly and the rest of our immediate family came over early for quiche and presents and even before coats were removed, my mom’s laser-beam eyes landed on Kelly’s ring finger. My mom held Kelly’s hand in the air like a prize fighter and made the joyous pronouncement before the happy couple even knew what was happening! The champagne came in handy, and not just for mimosas!
Amber
A litter of kittens from My mama Kitty, Shnookums.
=^..^= purrrrrrrrrrr
Tessa
Handmade scrap books that my then boyfriend (now husband) put together with our pictures describing our past, present, and future.
Lori Mullican
Best gift? Not sure I remember any one specific fantastic gift. Being totally and seriously honest here..no joke and not trying to win the most humble and down to earth person award… the very best Christmas I ever spent was without gifts and involved a very small Charlie Brown’esque Christmas tree. Our family had just moved to a new home out of state 1 week before Christmas, and while I don’t want to list specifics, we moved away from a very negative and unfortunate situation. I honestly had such a warm and wonderful time knowing I was with my family and that my life would soon turn around. And despite the fact that I’ve had many merry Christmases since then, that is the one that always stays with me, and one I’ll never forget it.
kelly
my electric blanket, I’m thankful for it every night!
Morgan
Tickets to the San Francisco Ballet! Thanks!
JREP
My adorable Golden Retriever puppy, Daphne! My husband got her for me as his wedding gift to me. She brings so much joy and love to my life! He does too!
jodi
Now that’s the best type of regifting!
Best Christmas gift I ever received was a cozy blue down throw bedecked with ice skating penguins from my husband back in our dirt-poor grad student days. We kept the thermostat at 60 degrees! I still cozy up in it.
Peggy
I still love the Cuisinart Food Processor that I got a couple of years ago.
Gabby
adult sized footie pajamas! they kept my toes so toasty…
Laura
Last Christmas I got a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer…I named her Ella. :)
Betty
Monogrammed pinkie ring back in high school. I’d wanted one forever.
rocio
When I was about 9 or so my aunt gave me a big wooden art easel with a set of markers and a giant paper pad. It was and still is the very best gift anyone has ever given me :)
Aileen
best holiday gift was when I was in 4th grade and it snowed in December in TX. First time I ever saw the stuff!
Maria
8 new books!
Shoshana
Probably a 5 lb. box of handpicked See’s Candies. I refused to share!!! They were ALL my favorites…
Alex Nierlich
The absolute best gift I’ve ever recieved was a love sac from my aunt. She got me the super sac! size, so you can cram on six people, or just get lost in it and curl up by yourself. It’s gotten the most use out of any of the presents I’ve ever gotten… I think we know why ;)
(My friends and I joke about how many boys have been added to my “love sac collection” hahaha)
&& Definitelly no shame in regifting!!! One person’s 26 cookbook is another person’s golden treasure :D
P.S. I’m an avid stalker of your site. In the least creepy way possible. Your ideas are just so fabulous!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Make it a Holiday to remember!
kathy steadman
Homemade gifts from my little ones. :) Thanks for the drawing (I regift too!)
Liang
The most memorable Christmas “gift” I remember from my childhood was a Christmas morning scavenger hunt that my mother put together for my sister and me. It was awesome–riddles and clues that had us running around the house for the next clue, and finally ending back to the tree for our presents. I remember that more clearly than any presents I’ve gotten over the years.
Michele B
The first year the cabbage patch dolls came out I wanted one so bad but they were impossible to find but somehow my mom found one at some random five and dime type store and got it for me. It was the best childhood gift I received. I still have the in storage but I know where she is at :)………….
Shawn
I know Christmas of this year hasn’t officially happened yet, but I already know that it brings the best present ever. My boyfriend and I met 9 months ago through a mutual friend. We spent the night shyly talking and danced a little but I was sure that would be the end of it because he was just in L.A. visiting our mutual friend and left to go home to Philadelphia the next morning. We knew it seemed silly but we couldn’t help it and we spent the next 3 months talking until I went to Philly to see him and he told me he loved me. This Christmas he’s coming to Dallas with me to spend time with my extended family (bless his heart, someone needs to pray for him) and then we will be roadtripping from Philly to L.A. together because he’s moving here to be with me. Having the guy I love live in the same city as me will be the best present ever! Hope everyone’s holiday is filled with delicious baked goods and lots of love!
Diane
An easy bake oven…and I became a baker!!
marlee
best gift? i love my itouch, or no wait, my puppy,Annie, yeah definatle her.
Natalie
The best gift I ever recieved was an ornament on Christmas day from my best friend in the whole world. It was a classic santa and he told me to open it up. I said really???? So I open it up and sure enough he gets on one knee and asks me to marry him! We have been married now 13 years and I can say he is still my best friend in the whole world after all these years! What a great gift and every year we put it up on our tree and our little girls love hearing about the story each year and opening up the santa ornament!
Lorraine
I love the white gold necklace my husband gave me on our first Christmas together.
chloe
I’m a big sucker for homemade things. It is going to be bad when I have kids and insist on framing EVERY piece of doodle art they bring home. So I love getting handmade/handcrafted gifts for xmas that someone put a lot of thought into :).
Kate
I got money. It sounds kind of lame, but I like to save and buy big stuff later on.
Mai
The best Christmas present I have ever received is my very first camera. I got at the ripe old age of 7, and it was a clunky, film camera. I loved using it, though. Maybe I still have it somewhere around here…
Leona
My Tiffany-style hanging light shade from my parents last year. Made my Christmas! :)
Lindsey S.
A 10-speed bike when I was a kid. At that time, bike = FREEDOM!! :)
Rina
Tough question!
I’d have to say…oh man. Um…I guess the digital camera I got from the in laws last year – yay for ‘proper’ pictures! Now I’m hoping for a Nikon…
Anna
A Dress n’ Dazzle wedding dress when I was 4!!
KellyA
My son. He was born on Christmas Eve.
Catherine
The best gift that I ever got was to go to Hawaii with my family! And also an adorable little mini chocolate and cheese grater!
Sam
last year i received a le creuset cookware set. probably the most useful present i’ve ever gotten!
Alicia
I’m totally addicted to your blog since I first found it.
My best holiday gift has not arrived yet. I’m in a long distance relationship, we see each other maybe twice a year but never had a christmas together. This year will be our first and that will be the very best christmas gift ever!!
Bing
A Kitchen Aid stand mixer from my sisters!
Jacky
The best present I ever got was a Cuisinart ice cream maker. I love ice cream and I love cooking, so two of my best friends thought it made sense to combine my interests! And how right they were! The ice cream maker inspired my boyfriend and me get a little creative with ice cream: We started making extracts, combining them to make flavors like peanut butter ginger, then we decided we only wanted to use the freshest, most local/closest to the source, most artisan ingredients out there. This meant raw milk, growing herbs ourselves for extracts, and not following many recipes. It’s been pretty darn fun! Not to mention tasty and fattening…
kayceebeebee
My husband ands two sons bought me custom made necklace and earrings to match shaped as hummingbirds last year for Christmas.
Kay
My sewing machine that my husband bought me about 19 years ago. It still runs like a champ! Thanks for the give a way.
Amy
My husband gave me a weekend in Chicago! It was awesome, shopping, eating, saw a hockey game, museums….I love Chicago!
Dani
My boyfriend got me a blowtorch when we first started dating. A man after my own heart.
Michelle
a laptop!
Amy
There are two that stand out.. one is my engagement ring.. about 38 years ago… and I still wear it and love it’s sparkle! The second was giving birth to our daughter Megan.. on the 29th.. a precious red headed gift!
elizabeth
The best gift I NEVER got was a KitchenAid mixer – I’ve been angling for that one for years to no avail!
The best gift I have received though was a down comforter from my boyfriend. Very practical, but every night when I snuggle into bed I think of him!
Anji
My friend downloaded old posters from Ohio Parks and Rec projects and then mounted them on recycled pieces of wood. Mine said, “Spare our Trees.” I love it.
Christine
I will never forget getting my best Christmas gift ever as a kid – a Pogo stick. I bounced on that thing forever….
Christine
Super Nintendo! What a console, they don’t make ’em like that anymore.
Kate
Does it count if it came two weeks after Christmas? If so… my engagement ring! If not… then I’d have to go with my play kitchen when I was about five.
Emily H
My favorite ever?!? Gosh, that’s hard. I think I’d have to say my long-awaited and precious son, born just before Christmas. Yep, that’d be my favorite Christmas gift ever, given to my by my dear husband.
Carolyn
pick me! i love regifting… it’s like sharing, right?
my favorite gift was homemade by a friend: a photo collage of our awesome trip to greece.
Erin
The best gift I’ve ever received will probably be the iMac I’m getting in a few weeks!
Sarah
A kitchenaid mixer. My mom, who’s a kohls fiend, got me one this Christmas and just couldn’t keep it to herself. now all i have to do is wait until my finals are done and then it’s gonna be baking central up in my crib.
Bonnie Lewis
Once when I was little my mom and dad bought me an art easel. It was the BEST! I wish I still had that!
Heidi
I loved my stereo from when I was a teenager.
jessica
my husband. we got married the 20th of december, so i guess it was an early present.
Bethannw
A few years ago my son (with some help from his father) picked out a pair of earrings that were just what I wanted, plus I can (and do) wear them every day. They’re the perfect mix of pretty and practical, plus the look of pride on my sweet boy’s face was truly priceless.
Kirsten
A necklace from my high school boyfriend–the first piece of jewelry I’d ever received from a boy.
katie
My kitchen aid mixer for Christmas years ago!
Jana
A train set when I was six years old! I still have it to this day! :) Merry Christmas & Happy Baking!
Jessica
My favorite gifts were in my stocking last year. My husband was in charge of my stocking of the first time ever, and it was so fun to see the lip gloss, bracelets, candy, trinkets, etc… that he picked out for me.
JachiCue
My husband, who was then my boyfriend gathered all the books he loved and thought I should read and music he thought I should have and gave me that as a gift. Just so personal and I loved him for it. I still do.
bextoronto
Best Christmas gift ever? Plane tickets to Whistler, BC so I could visit a friend who was working there at the time and spend the week skiing (50% off lift tickets and free accommodation! how much more could you ask for!?!)
Thanks for having the contest!
Rebecca
Audra
A KitchenAid mixer.
Karen
A charm bracelet from my then boyfriend (now husband) when I was 16. He had picked out a charm to represent all of my interests and important events in my life at the time.
Lisa
Last year’s gift- my husband’s blessing to attend Blogher in Chicago.
Kim
I’m a kitchen nerd. My best gift was my KitchenAid mixer.
Megan
This may sound sappy but my engagement ring was the best gift I’ve gotten so far; kind of hard to top that one.
Rachael
At the beginning of October my grandpa was admitted to the hospital back home in Hawaii (I live in California now). His lungs were in bad shape and he couldn’t breath on his own. My grandpa is the strongest guy I know; he could still arm wrestle at 86 and beat anyone. So to see him in his state was devastating. I flew out there immediately as well as my family members who had relocated outside of Hawaii. As soon as I got there my relatives were crying, basically telling me that we were “waiting”. Waiting for the worst to happen. I was there for a few weeks and news was neither good nor bad, but static; which to me meant that he was still fighting.
More than two months later, my grandpa was still in ICU. I had to come back home to finish my semester at school but all I wanted to do was to be there with him. Yesterday, Thursday, they admitted him to rehab because he was able to breath without assistance for more than one day. In rehab they will teach him to eat again, drink again, use the bathroom again, and walk again. It’s a miracle. But it’s the only thing I wanted this Christmas and I got it. As soon as school is over, I’ll be on the next flight to Hawaii to see him.
Petit Filoux
a bread maker last year…! does that make me sad??!
Sally G
Last year I got a Flat screen tv & blueray player. That was great!
harpreet
the best one i got was a special edition barbie when i was little :) and i still have it!
Jill
Best gift? I think I have to go with a case of space ice cream. I had mentioned to the fellow I was dating (for just a month at that point) that I really loved that dehydrated, delicious space treat, and he went and ordered 20 packets of it for me. It was a completely unexpected and completely awesome gift. Also, Space Ice Cream Boy is now my husband. Another awesome gift!
Emily
An espresso machine!
Amanda
A trip to Hawaii! I love the sun:)
Kate
definitely a stand mixer! my mom got it for me this year, but gave it to me in Nov to help with christmas baking :)
Erica Callahan
My dog, who we adopted from the animal shelter last Christmas
beezwax
The best christmas gift I got was my american girl doll when I was little. I was SOOO excited!!
Zahra Duffy
The best gift I’ve ever received is a DVD of the movie Once. Good stuff maaaaan. :)
Mary
The best gift yet is the bright red 6-quart Kitchenaid mixer. With the silicone beater blade, too. Is it wrong to redesign my kitchen around that thing?
Chaitali
The day before I left home for college my two best friends whom I’ve known for over 15 years (I’m 21) gave me a beautiful framed photo of the three of us. It was the best gift ever.
Jenn Eastman
One Christmas me and my two younger sisters got to do a scavenger hunt throughout the house to find our best gift ever. It was a trampolene, we had so much fun with that gift, even if a few people ending up falling off of it (no bad injuries of course). Good memories.
Dolli-Mama
Dude, I love recycling! You can recycle thing to me any day of the week!
My favorite Christmas gift of all time was a Pretty Ballerina Doll I got when I was 6. Man, I loved that doll. My second favorite is my knife block I got from my dad for my birthday four years ago. They rock!
maggie
one year i got a giant hat box full of godiva chocolates. it was a regift from my friend, cos her whole family was on a diet.
BEST GIFT EVER.
Jennifer
When I was little I got my ninja turtle van! I actually wish I still had it. ;)
Christina
A samsung flat screen tv!
julo
If I wanted to be corny, I’d say my nephew, who was just gifted to me this year, just in time for the holiday season. *barf!* But I think I’ll just stick with my Le Creuset Dutch Oven, which my husband bought for me months ago, but was so pricey we’re calling it my Christmas present. ;p I LOVE IT!!!
Kasumi
I think it would have to be the year I was able to go home and surprise the fam! That was the best.
Grace
totally my kitchenaid mixer from my grandpere. thanks!
Caitlin
The best gift I have received was the trip my parents organized last Christmas to go see my sister who lives in England with her husband. Not only was it great to be in such a beautiful place for Christmas, but it was also really special to spend the time with my and my brother-in-law’s wonderful families.
Angela
It’s a tie: My Kitchen Aid stand mixer and my lap top.
Ok, ok, so maybe my Kitchen Aid wins!
Kellie
When I was 6 I got a nintendo for my birthday and I thought that was the coolest gift ever! Actually, all these years later nothing really compares to the joy I felt when I opened it up!
Laura
The best present I have ever recieved is seeing the look on my boyfriend’s face when I suprised him by turning up unexpectedly at Christmas…No mean feat when you live 6,000 miles apart! He thought he wasn’t going to see me for another 3 months. It took lots of sneaky planning and roping in various of his family members to kee the secret etc, but it was so worth it!
Hannah
My LeCruset dutch oven- its the gift I use most often and my stomach is always thankful for it!
Amy
A candy dish in the shape of a skull: hey, I do brain cancer research, so it’s all cool.
Gasparzinha
My dog. Absolutely!!
noa
Honestly, I can’t remember. We don’t do much gifts in our family, which is fine – way less stress. But regifting is a cool idea!
Emily
This year’s present came early – my husband’s new job!
Ellen
The last Christmas with my mom. She had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given just a short time. She was not expected to make it to Thanksgiving of that same year…..she made it through Thanksgiving, Christmas and saw the New year and passed soon after. It was the greatest gift, being able to share one last Christmas with her. That was 15 years ago and it still seems like yesterday.
Crissie McDowell
Hmmm…It’s a toss up but I know what I have to say. 3 years ago my boyfriend and I were opening stockings. In the bottom of mine was an beautiful engagement ring. Love that husband!
But once when I was like 6 I got white, leather boots with tassles. It was the 80’s and they were amazing. I danced.
Tammy
My most favoritest gift ever? Ooooo that’s a tough one. Hubby is a really terrific gift giver – there’s been beautiful diamonds and pearls, cameras and kitchen aids…
But I must admit (don’t tell hubby) my most favorite was from my youngest son. He was 11 at the time. He struggles with learning disabilities, but that sweet little angel made me the best card in the whole world. If only I could attach a photo here so that you could enjoy his artwork, too!
It reads:
“Dear, Mom
I love you a lote (lot) this is why I love you a lote. I love your hare (hair), eyes, and your smart. <3
I love your vose (voice), smiol (smile), and I realy love your singing. <3
I like that your cind (kind) to others, help other pepol (people), makes me food, and helps me get beter when Im sike (sick). <3
Thats why I love you alot.
<3 Alex"
Love that kid! :)
Liesl
A couple of years ago, my grandma (on my husbands side), whom I am VERY close to, gave me a cookbook filled with ALL her recipes. All the recipes were hand written and on the front she wrote, “to a very special granddaughter”. I lost it! I will treasure it forever!
Liesl
I didn’t mean I “lost” the book…emotionally I lost it! haha
Lisa Fuellemann
Hmmm..tough one, but I think it was the trip my family took to Disneyworld when I was 10! Great memories–thanks, Mom & Dad.
Kristen
I really don’t know what my best gift EVER was. I love spending the holidays with my family but we’ve never been big spenders and tend towards “practical midwestern gifts”. It’s just a special time of year for family.
Julie
it’s a toss-up between my Kitchenaid Stand mixer and my Cuisinart Food Processor. LOVE them both. Can’t imagine life without them!
Anamaria
it was a white gold necklace with a 2 hearts pendant, from hubbie.
Dogmom
The best Christmas gift I ever received was a trip to my sister’s condo in Kauai and first-class airfare! It was unbelievably wonderful! And the company of her and her husband, even though we spent hours cleaning and scrubbing and fixing, was the best vacation I’ve ever had too!
Michelle
My kitchenaid mixer. I can’t imagine life without it. Thanks Mom!!!
Bess
The best gift ever? My ipod!!
Star
My fav gift to give was when me and my sisters got together and made a scrapbook for our mom
Aubrey
seeing my mother who lives across the country
aimee c.
i personalized photo book. personalized anything gets me everytime! thanks!
LisaP
I got a fancy new camera last year
Pat
My engagement ring that I got Christmas of ’85, we got married in Spring of ’87 – (and we’re still married!)
Nancy
One of my most favorite gifts was one I received last year…a Wustof chefs knife. It cuts like buttah…I love it!
Kirsten
Well, two years ago, my beautiful daughter was born on December 18th. I would consider that the best (early) Christmas gift!
K
The best gift I ever received was a Panasonic walkman for my 10th birthday. I had never wanted anything so much as I wanted that walkman.
Lisa
my 2-sided indoor grill…it’s so fabulous.
Evelynn
The best gifts i’ve ever received are my Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novels. My life hasn’t been the same since the show ended and with the season 9 graphic novels, i’ve been able to pretend like the show has continued. Here’s hoping that Joss Whedon will give me my next best gift ever and finally make another Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie!!!
Emily
Two years ago, I recieved the best gift ever: s small antique ceramic pitcher. I had fallen in love with it when I found it at an antique store when shopping with my aunt a few months before holiday, but didn’t buy it because I thought it was too expensive. But, of course, I immediately regretted it. Well, apparently, my aunt went back the next day and bought it. When I opened my gift from her and saw this long lost treasure, I immediately burst into tear of joy because I honestly thought I would never see it again. Every time I see it in my kitchen, I think of my aunt and smile.
Angela
This is going to be really corny, but a trip to see my boyfriend for the holidays. :)
Natalie Johns
The best Christmas gift I ever received is my KitchenAid stand mixer! My mom gave me one last Christmas and I probably use it more than any other gift I’ve ever gotten!
Kiera
i’ll risk repetition and say my kitchenaid (from my parents) was the best christmas gift. I was a student at the time and it was a total surprise.
joy i think you’re awesome!
Heidi
A trip to Disneyland! So much fun, and it’s beautiful there at Christmas!
Dreamlyn
It’s a toss up. I received a pair of diamond earrings from my Dad the year before he died. I cherish those. If I have to be completely honest though, it was the Kitchenaid mixer I received from my Mama. I’d been asking for one for YEARS.
Mamasue123
Hi the best gift I remember getting was a gold transister radio!! The same year I also got an alpaca sweater in the same colour. Wow does that ever date me! I was able to go into my bedroom and listen to tunes, the ones I wanted to hear! Heehee, wow that was a long time ago….
nicole kouris
My little girl :) she was born on Christmas day
Annika
A trip to Jamaica!
Renee
Best gift I’ve ever received was when I was around 8 years old my parents bought me not one, not two, but all three Charlie’s Angels barbie dolls! What a lucky little girl I was!!!!!
raych
A few years ago my husband talked the people in the library into selling them their Where the Wild Things Are ‘Reading is Fun’ poster so that I could put it over my reading chair.
Carolinehttps://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/12/gifting-and-regifting-the-giveaway/
njtuyguyyuih
Catherine
About 15 years ago, my husband gave me a delicate gold locket for Christmas. I had always loved lockets and I don’t even remember telling him that I wanted one. I immediately put pictures of the two of us on one side and our two sons on the the other. And I still wear it proudly. We are going on 29 years of marriage in 2010!
BTW, made the Mocha Hazelnut Marble cake for Thanksgiving. It tasted as good as your pictures made it look!
Christine
Last year my husband surprised me with a new mixer! I’d been complaining about the speeds on mince for a while and it was a fabulous gift–I was definitely not expecting it!
Kathryn
Sadly, I can’t think of a specific gift I have gotten that was my favorite. This is going to sound corny, but I am pregnant and emotional right now so deal with it – I think the best gift around Christmas time is getting to spend time with my family, playing games in our pajamas and not having anything else to worry about.
Pam
Best gift was a throw in the colors of my college that my aunt hand made. It’s gorgeous!
Stacy
The best Christmas present I’ve ever received was a trip to San Francisco/LA. Being an east coast girl, going west seemed like such an awesome adventure!
Amanda
When I was five, my parents surprised me with a trip to Disney!
izzy
definitely my kitchenaid mixer!
HoneyB
When I was a little girl the Baby Alive first came out. I got one that year and to me that was the best gift I ever received as a child.
As an adult, the best gift to me was to see my own children’s excitement at Christmas!
sarahkc
when i was 5 i got a snoopy and woodstock fishing pole. i thought it was lost over the years- i am 31 now- and i mentioned to my dad last christmas that that was the best present ever. unknown to me, he had kept it over the years and sent it to me 25 years later. it is now going up in the baby’s nursery that we are getting ready for. the baby is due may 5th- the same birthday as my dad!
Aimee
A tie between a charm bracelet from Tiffany & Co and one X-mas I received lots of Starbucks cards– which helped get me through the long Indiana winter…
Laurie
Last year was the first Christmas my Stepson got to spend with us. Hands down the best Christmas gift I ever received.
Emily
Well, I haven’t received it yet, but I know I’m getting a Kitchen Aid stand mixer this Christmas!
Lauryn
Hi Joy! My favorite holiday gift was a copy of E.T. of video tape that I received from my parents I think back in 1986. I was obsessed with it and watched it over and over. I still live for that movie!!
Kate
Definitely my daughter Emma, who was born 17 years ago on December 17, just in time for me to dress her in a tiny Christmas outfit! She’s the gift that keeps on giving….
Pappi
My belated honeymoon cruise last year :)
Rox
A poem written by my family. It was more thoughtful than any gift anyone could buy.
Emilie
My husband proposed to me on Christmas eve 6 years ago, so THAT was the best Christmas present I have ever gotten.
Crystal
Family cookbook from my mother-in-law.
Sophia
Getting to go to Greece with my high school.
Along these lines — I’m a Christmas Eve baby, so I’m a holiday gift, too! (:
Madeleine
The best Christmas gift I have ever received… that’s a tough one. People have been pretty amazing to me over the years. Still, I’ve got to say that the single silver serving spoon my husband gave me on our first Christmas takes the cake. It has a big “M” engraved on it for my new (at the time) initials. It sort of symbolizes out committed togetherness, and that’s really special to me.
Thanks for your blog, Joy – you’re always a pleasure to read, and your recipes are a pleasure to make!
jenny
reading everyone’s comments has made it even harder for me to decide what my *best* christmas gift was, but I think it may have been the downhill ski lessons that my sister and I got the year our family moved from miami to minneapolis right before christmas. at a time when I felt totally out-of-place, it gave me something fun to do all winter break, and it helped me see that there are good things about every new place you live–you just have to be open to them. (cheesy perhaps, but true!)
Linda J-H
A set of Global kitchen knives. I didn’t know what knives were before then.
Erika
My mom once made me a handmade doll. It was the year that Cabbage Patch Kids first came out and that’s all any girl my age wanted, but my parents did not have the ability or resources to get us one of the rare Cabbage Patch Kids. So, my mom made beautiful dolls for my sister and I — I knew right away what a special gift that was!
Erin D
My husband (but boyfriend at the time) made me a cherry blanket chest. It still sits at the foot of our bed.
jacquie
a simple basic book to read.
Gail Fredericks
A Kitchen Aid Professional stand mixer form my Mom!
Rachel
Oh my gosh, the best Christmas gift I ever got was a pink KitchenAid mixer because I unknowingly bought it for myself… I went to college in Delaware where there is no state sales tax, so my mother asked me to buy the mixer there and bring it home to give to my sister in order to save some cash. I did, and picked out the pink one that I liked best, and brought it home to my mom. Imagine how surprised I was when I opened it up on Christmas? I thought my mom had made a name-tag mistake, but nope! It was for me. Her sneaky trick to get me to pick out the color I liked best.
sam
i received horse-back riding lessons when i was eight. that was the best!
Deanna
Last year my dad passed away on Dec. 22 and before he passed my mom and him picked out gifts together to give to us kids. Its not the gift itself but the gift of knowing they did this together before he died. But the best gift of all, is to have been able to call him dad.
Cali
My le creuset pot or a camel hair coat (I was living in Maine!)
Griere
My best present was a collection of baking trays which I have brought half way across the world and still use! They are well worn now but well loved :)
Gretchen
When I was 8 yrs old I wanted a doll house. My mother made one for me. She had it all furnished and even made curtains for the windows. Best Christmas ever.
Leslie
Last year my boyfriend bought me a bright and shiny red Kitchenaid stand mixer after watching me do all my holiday baking by hand. It is the best thing ever (after my boyfriend, of course)!
Dawson
a Tiffany’s necklace!
Alicia
Wellll….if all goes as planned I’ll be getting a kitchenaid mixer this year (hopefully) and if so then that will be the best. present. everrrr.
Kimber
The best gift I ever received is my son. It may sound a bit cliche but it’s true! See, I was told by two doctors that I would never have children of my own and I did (with no drugs btw) so it was truly the best gift ever!
Joy, your blog rocks!
Betsy
One year my dad, who usually leaves gift planning to my mom for my three sisters and I, said he wanted to pay for me to take an art class. I was in graduate school at the time, so it would have been tough to pay for myself since finances were tight. He wanted to encourage me in drawing and painting, after I’d given him a piece of artwork for a present that year. What a thoughtful gift, and from someone who usually sits out that process, it meant a lot.
SusieShack
A quilt that belonged to my mother, I cherish it
beth
My dad used to always get me a music box for Christmas each year. Every Christmas as I pull out the decorations, I find great joy in reminiscing as I unwrap each of them.
Alesea
My boyfriend got me a bearded dragon last year and he’s my baby…i love him :)
Amanda
The best Christmas gift I’ve ever received was not really for just me, it was a family gift of a KitchenAid mixer. Loved it. But that same year I also got, just me, a set of measuring spoons and cups, and a bakeware set. Good year :)
Sara
When I was about 11 I wanted am electronic keyboard (they were all the rage). My parents couldn’t afford one so my mom tried to think of something I would equally be excited about. Christmas morning I opened up a small box with a pair of simple gold stud earrings. I was getting my ears pierced! I was supposed to wait until I was 13 but Santa hooked me up!
Christine
The best gift I ever received a beautiful painting from my daughter. Anything homemade really means alot to me.
Can’t wait to make the Lemon Spice cake!
Polly
I would say that the best Christmas present that I have ever had was when my husband bought me a new wedding ring, after mine had been stolen. I still wish that I had the original one.
Angie
I have very thick, curly hair and I go through tons (and I mean lots and lots) of shampoo and conditioner…so because of this I always buy cheap shampoo and conditioner BUT one year my sister bought me the big liters of Aveda shampoo and conditioner, it was such a treat!
WhitneyD
The best gift I ever received was one of my mom’s old cookbooks that as a kid I must have read from cover to cover. Seeing the cover that our dog had eaten part of just made my day, and I use it all the time!
Arien
I’ve gotten a lot of good presents, but one that stands out is the present my first girlfriend got me: a thoughtful and eclectic collection, including a vintage postcard, lip balm, a peacock feather, and a drawing she had done. It seems really small, but it was a lovely gift–and it was wrapped up with the SF Chronicle pink pages.
michelle rodriguez
Have two fav Christmas gifts…my blonde blue eyed cabbage patch doll that my dad drove two hours to get (yrs later I learned this!) when I was six yrs old! And…my red KitchenAid mixer that my husband got me two yrs ago.
K
One of the two years I got pets for Christmas as a child. I know that’s supposedly a big nono but I love my critters and neither year expected it in the least so it was a wonderful surprise and a long-appreciated gift. :)
-K
Elizabeth
hello joythebaker! My favorite gift of all time I got about two Christmas’s ago and it is my baby, my amazing digital camera. I would die without it and I am extremeley protective of it, just ask my dad. I think your give away is great! Happy holidays!
Sarah McGalliard
about four years ago I got a red kitchen aid artisan stand mixer… best gift I’ve ever gotten!!!!
Kelly
My best gift received was a quilt made by my mom along with a quilt rack made by my dad. It was the last item he made by hand before he died…. Merry Christmas!
Jen
Kitchenaid, bay-bee!
Jennifer
A Magic Bullet!
Chris
My best Christmas gift was a Madame Alexander Doll I named “Amy”. I was four years old. I’m now 30 something…and I still have Amy packed away safe. I’m saving her for my daughter when she gets older.
Kayla
This is about to get corny, but my favorite “gift” I’ve ever received were airplane tickets last year and this year so that I can spend Christmas with the best parents in the world. It took going to college to finally fully appreciate them and all that they do for me, and I love seeing them especially at Christmas.
Rachel
When I was about 7 I was dying for this toy called Creepy Crawlers, which allowed you to make your own gummy candy. Well, I got it, and I was so excited, and ate every piece of that gummy candy even though it was gross. Merry Christmas!
Tabitha W
The best gift i ever got was…. an adopted penguin. His name is Hugo and i receive updates on him through out the year. I have had him for going on three years. I love this gift. And I love my penguin. go here http://www.seabirds.org/adopt.htm to adopt your own penguin. and no, i dont work for them I just LOVE my hugo.
Courtney
My awesome mother in law bought me a green apple Kitchen Aid mixer two years ago. It’s definitely the best present I’ve ever gotten.
Neg
That thing in the middle is a head scratcher isn’t it? I’ve bought those measuring spoons for my daughter but the fork in a tube is interesting.
The best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten is my Nikon D60. I’ve taken many a wonderful picture with it.
Amy C.
The best holiday gift I ever got was a purple geared bike for Christmas. I think I was 12… it was the Huffy Street Machine. Rad!
Grammy TJ
A totally unexpected gift of a KitchenAid Mixer! Have wanted one for more than 20 years but just never really had the opportunity to get one.
Kristin G
I am going to be getting the best gift ever this year — a daughter and I can’t wait for her to arrive. It will be wonderful to share the holidays with our new addition and our family!
Amy
Best ever gift is the ring that my husband gave me 6 years ago.
He couldn’t afford an engagement ring when we got married and I told him not to worry about it. He surprised me with a ring a year later. He was so excited that he couldn’t wait for Christmas. He gave it to me a few weeks early.
Tamra
I would have to say waking up to snow on Christmas Day. It was the first time I had seen/been in snow :)
Stefanie
dear joy, this is such a joy… ooh i know, terrible and you’ve heard it a thousand times, but its the first thing i think of whenever i start commenting! i can’t resist! it brings me such joy!! ;)
so, my most favorite christmas gift, thats a tricky question! books always make me super happy, but there isn’t just one i could pick out from the bunch. Well, something that totally rocks my cooking world is my pressure cooker, which my brilliant mom gave me for christmas about 5 years ago now. The first 3 years we spent together I used it only once, and that was to catch a black cricket that was sitting on my bed, so that I could carry it outside (clearly I needed the biggest pot ever for that transaction!).
Happy Holidays!!
Memoria
Oh, this will be easy to answer. The best I’ve ever received is the one I got for this Christmas (yes, I opened the present early). My mom bought me a new Canon Rebel XSi with a 50mm f/1.8 lens!!! I love my new camera. I still have a lot to learn, though.
Thanks for the (regifting) giveaway. I don’t mind it at all.
Suzanne
Ohhh Fun!
Best holiday gift ever – wooden spoons! I had lost my entire collection of wooden spoons in a move and was beside myself. They’re a staple that I use all of the time. My friends and parents stepped up and that year I got wooden spoons in all sizes, shapes, and colors. I literally filled two jars with spoons. So wonderful!
Nancy
A clean house and dinner as a gift from my husband and 2 daughters.
jeri
I got a pair of diamond earrings last year for Xmas, and I think they’ve been out of my ears 3 times in the last almost 365 days. :)
Johanna
Hmm … the best gift? I can’t really recall! What I do remember though is that I just always love, LOVE to be with my family on Christmas.
Lynda Prioleau
An Easy Bake Oven that I got many years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was so excited and baked all my little goodies right away and made all my family eat them. They were horrible but way fun. I’ve been cooking ever since.
Liska
Hi Joy,
The book by Richard Brautigan.
It was a gift from my first boss, who had employed me because I loved “The sombrero fallout”. It was my first job, I was so excited to get it. I had been dreaming about the original version of the book for years. I still have it and it has a special place in my heart.
Amanda C.
This is my first time to enter a giveaway. Love your site. Just made the red velvet cupcakes for christmas party.
Nina
Best holiday gift ever was my very first xmas gift that I could remember: A VHS of E.T. Extraterrestrial. It was the first movie that scared the crap out of me (granted i was only a wee little girl) but it was the only movie i watched over and over and over until the VHS machine broke =(
Kakuke
The best gift was one of the cookbooks I got several years back, it led to my love of food and cooking :)
Nicole
The best gift I ever received? Ooh, that’s tough…but this year I gifted myself with LASIK eye surgery. Truly life changing…this is the definitely the best gift I’ve ever given myself!
Love your blog, Joy…it’s such a bright spot in my day when the email comes through on Feedblitz! Holiday hugs from Honolulu!
Hannah
because of this gift I believed in Santa one extra year. I really wanted a nutcracker, a super old school one, that I thought was really expensive and way more than my parents could afford. Lo and behold, there it was in my stocking come Christmas day, and any fledgling doubts I had about St. Nick went right out the door….. at least until the next July or so… :)
Krista
The best Christmas I ever had will be this year. I am newly married and expecting the first of the year!!!!
Anna
The first year I was married, my Dad gave me an empire red KitchenAid stand mixer for my birthday.
Best. Gift. Ever.
(We’ll ignore the fact that he was probably trying to mold me into his idea of the perfect 1950s housewife).
Cara
I remember totally loving a Barbie Jeep with a radio in its trunk when I was about five!
Amy S.
When I was still in high school my best friend gave me a goldfish for Christmas and I carried it around to all of my classes that day, much to the amusement of my peers. Not only did math class mysteriously seem to go by faster, but walking in the hallways became a serious challenge – one which I relished!
Erin
My most awesome Christmas gift was definitely a brand new snowboard! It’s obviously not brand new anymore, but it’s still gorgeous, cool, and has survived my many busts and falls on the slopes!
Emily
My husband (boyfriend at the time) made me a recipe holder that looks like a zebra. He painted it and everything! So sweet!
Andrea
The best gift I remember was getting was my Brooke Shields(Barbie)doll. I was so excited about that, I was probably in 4th grade at the time. Now I just get excited about watching my 3 kids open their presents.
Carly
I pair of leather boots that I would have never picked out for myself, but absolutely love!
Jean
Cabbage Patch kid doll!!
I was 8! :-)