On the 4th day of Christmas Domestic Sluttery gave to me…decorations and a lovely Christmas tree!
No festive season would be complete without the familiar tussle with Christmas tree lights every year, and the pressure to create the most perfect, enveloping festive glow in your living room. but The Domestic Sluts aren't that lovely, right? There's no way we can give you the one thing that makes Christmas perfect? Of course we can!
The very lovely people at Dobbies Garden Centre who are giving you the chance to win a wonderful real Christmas tree and some new sparkly, shiny decorations to play with. As there's Dobbies stores all over the country, you can either go and pick up your tree yourself (that way you get to choose! that's half the fun!) and then choose to spend your £50 voucher on whatever tinsel-y things you like. Or, if you live out in the sticks, they'll deliver you a tree and you can choose your decorations online. They'll literally bring Christmas to your door.
For your chance to win this festive prize, just tell us what's the best Christmas present you've ever had?
We'll pick a winner at random so make sure you keep your eyes peeled. And if you don't win today, don't fret - we've got loads more competitions coming up in the next few days! As always, you'll get an extra entry for retweeting this post (only once mind - nobody likes a spammer) and we're keeping the competition open until midnight so everyone has a chance to enter. So come on, what are you waiting for? Get commenting!
Good luck everyone!
The small print: This competition ends at midnight on December 4th and is only open to UK based readers. Prize is non-refundable or transferable which might mean you have two trees. That could be fun. Prize includes a real Christmas tree of up to 7ft plus £50 worth of Dobbies Garden Centres shopping spree vouchers to be redeemed in any Dobbies Christmas shop or online by the 24th January. Christmas tree can be collected in any one of Dobbies’ 25 stores across the UK or can be delivered upon request (terms and conditions apply to delivery). We can't enter our own competitions, so we're pretty sure our tree won't look as good as yours, but if you were interested, we got a Scalextrix for Christmas once. That was pretty wonderful.
The best Christmas present I've ever had was finding out I was pregnant in 2006! I later found out it was twins and they are now running me ragged - but they are making Christmas all the more special for me now.
ReplyDeleteI bought a new netbook just before Christmas last year. My boyfriend filled a 4gb SD card full with a mixtape that took him 2 days to come up with. Still haven't finished listening to it...
ReplyDeleteRT @yoyomarules
One Christmas I really wanted a new stereo for my car and I'd been dropping subtle hints since September. Christmas rolled around and I was showered with gifts by my boyfriend - all lovely things, but I was a little sad that none of them were a car stereo. Later that day we went off to visit the family and I opened my car to find my shiny beautiful stereo already installed with my favourite shade of green bow sat on top :) I was one happy girly!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about five years old I went to bed one night only to wake up and find santa hadn't been. My dad found me sobbing in my room and had to inform me I'd only been sleeping for half an hour. When I woke up, there was a miniature rose bush (a tiny one) on my window ledge. No idea where he found it in winter, but I'd wished on a star for one in front of him not long before. My parents also used to stack my presents inside a wicker hamper and pretend santa had dropped his sleigh down the chimney. Is it any wonder I love the season?
ReplyDeleteIt has to be the pink GHDs my boyfriend brought me about 4 years ago! Of course he is now my husband! Well I had to marry him after that! Lol x x
ReplyDeletethe best present I ever had was my first ever kitten.
ReplyDeleteMy best Christmas present was, and still is, my Kitchen Aid Mixer. I used to drag my husband into kitchen shops just to stroke and hug them!(Weird I know!) It was a fab suprise when he bought me one, and I absolutely love it.
ReplyDeleteMy best ever Christmas present...being with my family year after year!
ReplyDeleteCecilia
When I was very young my dad built me a handmade dolls house in the style of our own home.
ReplyDeleteUnwrapping this on Christmas day was exciting in itself.
But, imagine my joy when I realised you can redecorate every room exactly how you want, when you want, and fill it lots of gorgeous tiny domestic treats!
That little house has been renovated so many times over the years by my sisters, my neices and me that - if you peeled back the minature wallpaper - I'm sure you'd see a fine cross-section of interior design fashions from 1989 onwards.
My best Christmas present was a DRUM KIT! Sadly it's now residing in my parents' attic, but it inspired me to learn the drums and this year I've played my first ever gigs with my band, Witness To The Beard
ReplyDeleteMy best present was a bike. Seeing it standing there all shiny under the tree is still my most magical Christmas memory. Blub.
ReplyDeleteThe best christmas present I ever had was a pair of marc by marc jacobs boots! Gorgeous :D
ReplyDeleteIve also RT'd @Englishian :)
I worked in a Pet Shop when i was 14 and fell in love with a little bear like hamster. I begged and begged my Mum but i got the usual no you wont look after it blah blah blah. One day i came to work and it was gone, i was devastated. Then come Christmas day there she was happily running around her wheel in a lovely big cage with a bow on top. Was so surprised my Ma never normally changes her mind once its made up! Was a good Christmas!
ReplyDeleteOh just picture this...
ReplyDeleteI woke up in the middle of the night to see at the end of my bed a Santa sack absolutely brimming with presents for me!! 'He' had actually been!! I was so excited but I shared a bedroom at that time with my younger brother and would have got in mega (huge from the 80's) trouble if I had woken him up. I sneaked, so, so quietly out of bed and plucked the most accessible present from the top of the bag.
I returned to my bed and hid under the covers... I started to peel the wrapping to discover that I had selected a very yummy (but dull) chocolate Santa figure. I did eat a little bit before deciding that the risk of waking my brother was too great so I would go back to sleep and wait until the allowed 'present/waking up mum and dad' time of 6:30 arrived.
Unfortunately though, my git bag of a brother woke everyone up at 6:30 and I found them strangely all in our room rather than my parents...
Apparently, it was hilarious that I had a melted Santa all over my face, hair and pillow.
So, was naughty, got covered in chocolate and then got loads of presents!! Even though I was only 4 or 5, I would totally LOVE a Christmas like that now!!!!
My best present was a new bike from my Dad! I used to sit on it with it leaning up against the wall pedalling backwards "exercising", when I couldn't go out and ride it!
ReplyDeleteOver ten years ago, I was very lucky to get a huge Barbie dolls house with a real elevator. I remember seeing it on Fenwicks on a day trip to see Santa there and see the Christmas window. It cost an arm and a leg and I remember picturing some daddy's little rich girl sitting her Barbie dolls on the sofa that came with it or having Ken cook something up in the oven that had a real light. Every Christmas, mum used to hide a big gift in our cloak room and she'd send me on a "treasure hunt" to find it. I nearly fainted when I saw the Barbie house there.
ReplyDeleteAbout four years ago, we sold the dolls house to a father who bought it for his daughter for Christmas. I think I cried when he took it away in his car- not because it held so many childhood memories but because I knew some little girl was going to have hours and hours of fun and delight and happiness with it.
The best present I've ever had was last year, when I woke up to a wonderful man shaped present - my new husband!
ReplyDeleteWe got married at Christmas as it's just such a wonderful and romantic time of year, and every year from then on, decorating the tree and spending Christmas together will be extra special as a reminder of that day.
Merry Christmas!
A Donkey Kong Jr Table top game - back in the 80s when small handheld games were popular my parents got me this huge table top version - might have been way too big to fit in my pocket and fairly heavy but it was the most popular present of all amongst my cousins that year.
ReplyDeleteIt has to be the Le Mans 24 hour Scalextrix I got when I was 12 - the whole family joined in to play it all day!!
ReplyDeleteMy first gift as a mom. My son gave me the most stunning gift, a set of my favorites from Crabtree and Evelyn (He has a clever Daddy, what can I say!) But the best part was the message in the gift tag . . . Dear Mommy Merry Christmas Love Jack. Nothing could ever top that, it still makes me teary when I think of it :-).
ReplyDeleteMy best ever present was a pair of red pixie boots when I was about six. I wore them every day for months until they wore out and then I cried and cried and cried.
ReplyDeleteMy best Christmas present was when I was 5. It was my first ever bike and it was red and shiny with a bell! I loved it so much I cycled around the living room and almost crashed in to the tree.
ReplyDeleteRt'ed @missfionasmith
My best Christmas present was also a 21st birthday from my Grandma. She gave me her grandma's diamond and ruby ring and had it reset to look less Victorian and more Tiffany's! Spoilt brat i know but I just sat there grinning like a Cheshire Cat for the rest of the day!! After all, Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend!!
ReplyDeleteThe best Christmas present I ever received was a handmade tree ornament made by my mum for my first Christmas after buying a house. Our family has always had a tradition of always putting on the family tree the ornaments that my sister and I made as children. My mum gave me this present and said that it was for me to always display on my tree now that I had my own home.
ReplyDeleteThe best Christmas present I ever had is the one I am hoping to get this year, which will be a good, permanent job. I had to quit my last job because my boss was bullying me, and it took me months to find my current one - which is a temp job that ends on 23rd December! :(
ReplyDeleteA pair of Christian Louboutin's stilettos. Need I say more?
ReplyDeleteThe best present I have ever had was my daughter being allowed out of hospital for christmas day last year.
ReplyDeleteThe best Christmas present ever was a victorian dolls house my dad made for me. My favourite book growing up was 'A child of their own' about a family of dolls....my dolls house matched the one in the book and had miniture porcelin dolls that were the characters from the book 'Mr & Mrs Darling' and all their family who were inside waiting for teaparties...... :)
ReplyDeleteMy best present ever was my lovely, beautiful, ancient, clapped out Mini Cooper! I love her more than life itself! :)
ReplyDeleteRetweeted @TheTweedCat
that would be a book about horse riding. I think my grandme thought I was massively into horse riding... in fact she also thought that all three of my brothers were too and gave them the same book. Which is a bit odd, especially as she is pretty down to earth. Once she gave us a Scalectirx (or however you spell it) which was awesome!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite Christmas present in recent years was a homemade calendar with photos of all my gorgeous family on. In years gone by, I seem to recall a dolls head (!) that I could do her hair and make-up! Hours of fun.
ReplyDeleteMy best ever Christmas present has to be waking up to find it had been snowing when I was little... so much more exciting than the presents!
ReplyDeleteMy best present was my son who was born in time for christmas, on the 22nd, in unplanned home birth ! but that meant I was just about comfortable to enjoy Christmas day with with my 2 sons and husband. Wonderful and they atill are!
ReplyDeleteBest gift was a board game from my dad. Not because the Board game was anything special in itself but i was 12 years old and up until this point my dad had been one of those dads who 'leaves the shopping to mum', but this year he had not only remembered I had said I wanted it but had apparently gone out himself and bought this board game, wrapped it and put it under the tree. It meant such a lot to me, I don't think he knows how much, might go and tell him now...
ReplyDeleteA Sindy pony - I had been coveting it for ages and my parents actually bought it for me! This was the first time I got what I wanted for Christmas...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAfter I got engaged in February 1999, my fiance and I decided to meet in Mexico during the Christmas holidays to bring in the new Millenium. I was broke and could only afford to fly on Christmas Day, whereas he couldn't get a flight to meet me until Boxing Day. I wasn't really looking forward to spending Christmas alone in a strange Mexican town but when I finally got through immigration and customs, there he was, waiting for me! He'd changed his flight to Christmas Eve and taken about 2 other flights and a bus to meet me on the day. To this day remains the best surprise and Christmas present EVER.
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for a kitchenaid mixer. It's so fab that it makes me look like a domestic goddess (well if I was into the habit of sloping downstairs to stuff my face in the middle of the night and licking my fingers a lot), even though I just chuck everything in and it works it's magic.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I asked for this present. The previous year I left it up to my husband to surprise me and I received a figurine of 'Sawyer from LOST' for christmas. Seriously.
My best ever Christmas present was - believe it or not - a toy badger. I was about seven years old and before Christmas we'd been to the school Christmas fair. There was a stall with handmade toys and for some reason I fell completely in love with this soft toy badger. My mum said 'Maybe if it's still there later, I'll buy it for you as an early Christmas present' - but by the time we went back to look, it was gone. I was so disappointed, but on Christmas morning when I unwrapped my gifts, there it was! My dad had secretly bought it while my mum and I were looking round the rest of the fair. It was the first time something like that had happened to me and, to a seven-year-old, it seemed like an actual Christmas miracle!
ReplyDeleteLast year I spent christmas in India while I was volunteering at a local charity. I was in the middle of the desert, had curry for christmas, misssed my family and spent ages trying to explain what we do for christmas here in the UK. When I woke up on Christmas day I found one of my new indian friends had made me a stocking and stuffed it with many indian goodies! She had loved the story of the stockings and sewed one up all herself and had fun decorating it. I have never had such a thoughtful present in my life!
ReplyDeleteMy best present ever was a racing bike when I was about 13, it had curved handlebars and a razor thin saddle and I thought I looked so cool and grown up on it untill I was showing off to the neighbours on it and fell off spectacularly!! I still loved that bike though.
ReplyDeleteI'm not allowed to enter, but...
ReplyDelete...my brother got me a toolkit from B&Q last year. Does that win?!
I'm not allowed to enter either (boo! hiss! who makes up these rules?)
ReplyDeleteBut I remember one year getting a Care Bear. I was so excited that I actually didn't open the rest of my presents for another hour, I was too busy playing with Carebear!
My best Christmas present ever has to be the day I did absolutely nothing. Hubby did the dinner and sorted the squabbling and I sat in the bedroom watching TV and sipping champagne... nibbling on various cheeses, nuts and yumminess.... oh wait, no, that was my dream Christmas..hasn't happened yet ;)
ReplyDeleteA sylvanian family house...it was the best thing ever. Except my dad thought that all the stuff in the pictures on the box came with it, which of course it didn't. I ended up with an empty house on Christmas day but loved it so much I sat and spent the morning making lego furniture!
ReplyDeleteThe best Christmas present I ever received was from my stepfather. Knowing I was a fan he'd told me about a biography of the poet Shelley he'd seen at an auction, with a letter written by him pasted inside the cover.
ReplyDeleteCome Christmas that year, after all other presents had been opened, he handed me a parcel, and you've guessed it, inside was the book. It is my most treasured possession
my dad won some money on the football pools.. I was 16. He spent all the money for me to go on Safari in Tanzania. I had the greatest time ever...
ReplyDeleteThanks Dad
30 years later!!!!
For me it was when I was 5 and I got a typewriter. I LOVED that typewriter and thought I was a proper secretary sat at the coffee table with my special christmas glass with coke in it (only allowed at christmas time then!!)
ReplyDeleteMy favourite present was a brand new bright red 2 wheeled bike when I was 8 years old,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe that it didn't have a third wheel or stabilisers!
kinda fell out with my four wheeled bogie when I got the bike it went into the shed never to be seen again
When I was about 6 I received a large wooden decorated box wih lots of compartments and even better - a key! Sharing a room with my sister meant I could keep stuff safe and private.
ReplyDeleteLast year my fiance made a photograph/collage of himself and my children and put in a gorgeous frame. It didn't cost much but never had such a gorgeous present, so thoughtful and made me smile :)
ReplyDeleteCelebrating Christmas for the first time after I became a mum. It was awesome. I have 5 kids now and Christmas time is still very special.
ReplyDeleteOne year, when I was little, my mum gave my sister and I a plastic caddy thing, filled with loads of crafty stuff. Coloured paper, glitter, glue sticks, pens and things like that. It was the BEST present, and set me on a course for a life long love of stationery. I'm going to do the same thing for my little girl this Christmas...
ReplyDeletei don't think i have ever thought of one present being the best,anything horsey. i have always enjoyed and appreciated all presents. i always wanted a pony, but had to buy that myself at 22 :0).
ReplyDeleteI think my first bike was probably the most exciting present I have ever had! When you still believe and Christmas is all about the mystery of Santa and his reindeer and when sitting under the tree is like being touched with magic - a very special time and its a real shame that we all have to grow up.
ReplyDeleteBut now I have small children, I am rediscovering the magic all over again! Bring it on Santa Baby!
Ros Marshall x
My best christmas present was my son coming home for christmas after doing a 6 month tour of the Falklands with the army
ReplyDeleteMy Best christmas present is my new laptop which I won online christmas 2007,Its nice to be able to use it wirelessly all over my flat and enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteLooking out of my bedroom window and seeing that thankfully nature was still there in all its' Christmas glory.
ReplyDeleteMy best Christmas present was a gorgeous brown Mulberry bag from my boyfriend. Either that or the A La Cart Kitchen I got when I was four. Cooking was so easy back then. :)
ReplyDeleteA Cabbage Patch Kid for Christmas sometime in the mid 80's. Always wanted one and Father Christmas got me one - I was so happy. Her name was Rose Cassie :)
ReplyDeleteThe best christmas present I got was a She-Ra Crystal Castle playset, I played with that thing steadily for the entire christmas holidays and even set up my own She-Ra world behind our sofa! x
ReplyDeleteI've loved reading all these comments, I feel so Christmassy now!
ReplyDeleteMy best present was last year, after years of not feeling festive cos of terrible retail jobs, I left work on the day before Christmas Eve knowing I didn't have to go back until January!
My boyfriend had the same time off so we had a brilliant christmas with our families and plenty of snuggles! I can't wait to see him every day for 2 weeks again this year!
My best gift was when my cat had kittens on my left over christmas wrap paper under my bed, she gave me 4 little babies and it was just wonderful of her to share this wee gift with me on christmas day.
ReplyDeleteMy best ever present was sneaking down the stairs to see Father Christmas putting gifts under the tree,yes! the real Father Christmas all dressed in red with beard and glasses, in the morning the mince pie we left out was eaten, and the carrots for the donkey were gone.
ReplyDeleteOf course years later I found out it was my dad dressed as Santa, making lots of noise to wake me up, knowing I would come down to see, and the carrots had been put back in the fridge to go with the Turkey! But at the time, being a child, it was the most magical tingly feeling to see Santa deliver our gifts
When I was little every Christmas I was pleased with my present but what I really really wanted was a dog. My parents use to say that it wasn't a suitable present for Christmas and would say "A dog is for life not just for Christmas" at me all the time. One Christmas Eve - mum told me off for watching the telly and said I had to help unpack the Christmas shopping. When I opened the bag out jumped the cutest dog ever! I was so happy. My little dog lived 16 years - and we have a wonderful time together. What present could be better than that!? He really was for life - not just for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMy baby girl xx
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend got me a Burlesque Training Day in Glasgow - I learned to tassle twirl and everything! not sure who the present was for though - lol
ReplyDeleteShowing my age here but my best one (that I can remember) was a Girl's World - you know the one where you could pull her hair out to make it longer and it even had "pens" to colour her hair. I thought that was sooooo cool!
ReplyDeletemy boyfriend caught a fish, prepeared it, dipped it in rice flour and fried it in the wok, he then brought it to me on a tray for breakfast.
ReplyDeletejoyellenivill from twitter
by the way i'm joy not jack my google address is [email protected]
ReplyDeletei wrote the last comment
Mine would have to be the day my boyfriend took me to the beach on xmas day, we were short on money and hadn't given each other presents. When we got back to the house, his mother had laid out the dinner table and relatives and friends had turned up that i wasn't expecting. When i asked him what was going on he got down on bended knee and proposed with the most beautiful ring that he had spent all year saving up for. It really was a magical day.
ReplyDeleteMy best Christmas gift ever was a home made mix cd I was given at Christmas in my last year of Upper 6th. My best friend had taken all the songs that meant loads to us ranging from the Beatles to Bright Eyes to that doo dooo dooo song by Milky from across the seven years we'd been in school together and hand illustrated the artwork and insert as a last gift to me before she moved to Australia. I was really lovely and I still have it.
ReplyDeleteI received my best ever Christmas present from my boyfriend a few years ago. It was a mere CD! Yes......a CD (U2, as it happens but that's by the by)! And before you sneer, no, I'm not easily pleased. Because the best bit was yet to come. My boyfriend had tucked 2 top price tickets for their sold-out London concert inside the case. So my best present was also my most romantic too!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm still waiting for it! My dream Christmas would be just like the Wham "last Christmas" video, Perfic!
ReplyDelete