Is Ben a clod for buying his wife a kitchen appliance for Christmas?

[SolaScriptura]

Ok. Among a few other things, I'm getting my wife an ice cream maker for Christmas. I know a bunch of wordlings who say getting anything of this sort for Christmas, birthday, anniversary or Mother's Day is verboten. I say in response, "PFFFFFT!"

So. Am I an unromantic clod for doing so?

 

[Christusregnat]

I'm glad that third choice was there, cuz I was going to say that anyways

 

[AThornquist]

I have no idea what I'm talking about but . . .

It seems like a kitchen appliance is great if your wife likes practical gifts and didn't ask for something else. Not every gift needs to be especially "romantic," though it's of course important to keep up in that area.

 

[JoyFullMom]

Depends...does *she* want it? Or do *you* want it?

 

[DMcFadden]

Hey, it is an ice cream maker. It is not a vacuum cleaner or a blender. Some appliances (exotic coffee makers, etc.) are so unusual and even frivolous that they get a partial exemption from the "no appliance" rule, don't you think?

Of course Ben is a clod, amply demonstrated in almost every post. But, is there no grace? Give a brother some love.

It's not like he is giving her Turretin or Kohler/Baumgartner's HALOT or Lust's lexicon on the LXX or something!

 

[cpomann]

Search on youtube for J.C. Penny - Dog House.

 

[SolaSaint]

Hey, I gave my wife a vacuum for her birthday when we first got married. I thought it was a good practical gift. Oops, years later after she had held it in all that time, she let me have it for buying that vacuum. Now as I look back it was a bad gift. It's like telling her to get to work around the house. Now an ice cream maker is a little different in my opinion, especially if she wants it.

-----Added 12/4/2009 at 12:47:16 EST-----

Search on youtube for J.C. Penny - Dog House.

 

[Herald]

I am thankful for whoever invented gift cards. They are the next best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Theognome]

Anyone who doe not consider an ice cream maker to be romantic obviously does not understand the full implications of ice cream.

Theognome

 

[kvanlaan]

My wife wouldn't think it was unromantic (though she may still think you were a clod, not sure, I try to keep her away from strange men). She'd love to find an ice cream maker under the Hannukah bush.

 

[Montanablue]

Does she want it? Anything she wants is romantic.

My father (an engineer, bless his heart) buys my mother all sorts of practical things, but they are always things she has expressed an interest in. And he also rounds it out with stuff she doesn't need too - the newest novel by her favorite mystery writer etc etc.

Anyway, I think an ice cream machine sounds like fun!

 

[nicnap]

Ok. Among a few other things, I'm getting my wife an ice cream maker for Christmas. I know a bunch of wordlings who say getting anything of this sort for Christmas, birthday, anniversary or Mother's Day is verboten. I say in response, "PFFFFFT!"

So. Am I an unromantic clod for doing so?

Absolutely not. An ice cream make is one of the best gifts ever...I say this b/c I really like homemade ice cream. It is a romantic gift, everyone knows that ice cream is the world's romance food (unless they are lactose intolerant) - it trumped chocolate, wine, and oysters years ago. Oh, and at least it's not a crock pot.

 

[calgal]

Ben as long as you add something nice and personal for her and she said she wants one, the ice cream maker is a nice gift.

 

[Ivan]

I like ice cream.

 

[Webservant]

I think it's a great idea. I am getting my wife a dishwasher for Christmas, assuming I make any money this month.

 

[LawrenceU]

Great idea! Just be sure and have ingredients on hand to fire it up. Here's a simple, yet yummy recipe:

2 litres of Orange Crush (Or someother type)
2 Cans of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

Stir that massive list of ingredients together. Make ice cream according to the directions on your freezer.

Of course this quantity is for a regular old fashioned ice cream freezer. I don't have one of those little new things. Molly wants one for Christmas

 

[Andres]

when giving a gift, the wisest thing you can do is find out what someone wants. This is what it all boils down to. You can buy your wife the most unromantic gift possible, but if it is what she wanted, then she will be happy. The flip side equally applies. for example, my wife is not a big jewelry person, at least not fancy stuff (with the exception of her wedding rings). If I were to spend a couple hundred dollars on a diamond necklace that's on all the commercials and all the other women are swooning over, my wife wouild tell me thank you and say it lovely, but I know she would never be that impressed by it because she just didn't desire that.

With your ice cream maker it all boils down to: did she somehow hint or outright let you know she wants it? Yes? good job. No? it's not too late to take it back.

(for the record, we have an ice cream maker we've used once in 6 months and a sorbet maker, we have never used)

 

[Edward]

I wouldn't consider an ice cream maker in the same class as an electric frying pan, but I agree with the 'it depends' folks. Would you use it to make ice cream for her, or would she use it to make ice cream for you? And is it something she's been wanting?

That being said, my wife would probably not be happy if that is what she found under the tree.

 

[MLCOPE2]

I would say it's a great gift but beware of this!
[video=youtube;4wTg6YB2PRA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wTg6YB2PRA[/video]

 

[SolaScriptura]

To all who have asked if she wants an ice cream maker...

I am a benevolent dictator, so of course I get my family things for which they have asked. The catch is that while my wife has on many occasions said "I would LOVE that," she hasn't said "I would love that... for Christmas."

-----Added 12/4/2009 at 07:56:54 EST-----

I would say it's a great gift but beware of this!
YouTube - Im In The Doghouse ! Help !

Now THAT was funny!

 

[BJClark]

SolaScriptura;

Ok. Among a few other things, I'm getting my wife an ice cream maker for Christmas. I know a bunch of wordlings who say getting anything of this sort for Christmas, birthday, anniversary or Mother's Day is verboten. I say in response, "PFFFFFT!"

So. Am I an unromantic clod for doing so?

Personally, I would see that more as a "Family gift" because it's something ALL the family will use and get to enjoy and receive the benefits from not just her..

If she doesn't want to make 'ice cream' but you want homemade ice cream, are you going to ask her if you can use HER ice cream maker to do so??? Or will you just go in, take it out and use it??

unromantic, not necessarily, just depends on how it's presented..


Michael,

I love the video!!

 

[SolaScriptura]

If she doesn't want to make 'ice cream' but you want homemade ice cream, are you going to ask her if you can use HER ice cream maker to do so??? Or will you just go in, take it out and use it??

None of the above. I'll just tell her I want her to get up and make me some ice cream. I'm confused... why would her desire to not make ice cream for the man who gives her a lavish lifestyle equate to me having to make it?

 

[ubermadchen]

Like everyone said, it depends on if she expressed interest in it. If cooking/making goodies, is a love of hers then an ice cream maker would make a wonderful gift. I've received cooking supplies for Christmas for several years now and they are some of my favorite gifts. Of course, cooking for others is a great love/hobby of mine so it's a bit different. I don't think cleaning supplies are that bad of gifts as some may think. It depends on the product. Regular vacuum-- bad; really cool vacuum (like a dyson ball or a roomba/scooba) -- not so bad.

 

[Mushroom]

I personally can't think of anything MORE romantic than an ice cream maker. In fact, I like the idea so much, I'm considering doing the same. Thanks Ben.

Of course, my own clodness level may influence my thinking on the subject.

 

[Skyler]

It's like the gift that keeps on giving. Rather than buying her ice cream, you buy her an ice cream maker so she can make some whenever she wants it!

And I can't speak to the unromantic clod issue since I myself am an unromantic clod, so...

 

[Reformed Thomist]

'Tis a fine gift. Unromantic would be attaching a note to the kitchen appliance saying something like "Know your role."

 

[Curt]

OK, in the spirit of sharing, I'll tell you that my and I are buying each other new toilets for Christmas.

 

[Scottish Lass]

Being of Scottish descent, I lean toward the practical side. I think this falls in the middle, which is what I often seek in a gift---it's something she has said she wants, it's useful (as opposed to a knick-knack that merely needs dusting, which equals work), and it may be somewhat of a splurge. By this I mean it's unlikely she'll buy it at Walmart next week; it's not a necessity to keep the house running. Therefore, it's different than replacing her iron, for example.

 

[Osage Bluestem]

I chose I think it's a fine gift because I don't know your wife, and for all I know she might be into that sort of thing, ice cream, and ways to create it and such. It is fun making your own ice cream.

Ice cream generally doesn't top the menu in December though.....

 

[a mere housewife]

Being of Scottish descent, I lean toward the practical side. I think this falls in the middle, which is what I often seek in a gift---it's something she has said she wants, it's useful (as opposed to a knick-knack that merely needs dusting, which equals work), and it may be somewhat of a splurge. By this I mean it's unlikely she'll buy it at Walmart next week; it's not a necessity to keep the house running. Therefore, it's different than replacing her iron, for example.

This seems very sensible; not all people are naturally as sensible as Anna, but I think most mothers generally have come to be pretty practical . My mother would have been delighted with something she could use, rather than something 'useless', or something she had to dust.

And home-made ice cream is a very nice Christmas tradition (as is snow ice-cream).