Worst. Gift. Ever. (or was it?)

I don't remember if it was Mother's Day, or my birthday or some other holiday...I do remember opening the medium sized, not very heavy, uh...creatively wrapped box with great anticipation. 
As the paper ripped, I looked at the side of the box, a bit perplexed.  I could feel my lips starting to purse and stopped them in time to get out a lame, "Wow...okay".  I looked again at the fairly large, twin-sided, hotel-style cereal dispenser.  What on earth was I supposed to do with this?

You see, my husband is not one to ask me what I want and then run to the store to get it.  He knows me pretty well and usually strikes out on his own for gift finding.  While his picks are misses as often as hits, I always appreciate the thought.  I think it is special that even as busy as we are, he puts in an effort to search for something he believes will improve my life or make me happy. 

He could immediately tell it was a miss.  I was trying to hide it (at least a little) because as I said, the thought is always appreciated.  But, I couldn't understand what he was thinking with this one.  I know I'm into organizing, but this just seemed like one more thing to junk up my counter and another thing for the kids to make a mess with.  Worst. Gift. Ever!

We've always had a policy that you don't have to love a gift, and it is okay to return it.  This is necessary if you are going to buy into not getting 'pre-approval' for gift ideas.  Otherwise, there will be a lot of wasted money and hurt feelings.  

For some reason though, I didn't get rid of it.  I stuffed it in a rarely accessed cabinet and other than a few laughs with my friends over the gift choice, forgot about it...until June of last year.

It had been about 3 years since it I had put it in there.  I pulled it out, set the never opened box on the counter and had a little giggle remembering the day I received it.  Suddenly, something hit me.  The kids had kept their morning schedules from school and were waking us up every day at 7am (in the summer).  What if I actually USE this thing and they can get themselves cereal in the morning?  30 extra minutes of sleep?  Every day?

We used it all summer, packed it away for the school year, and pulled it back out this summer (so as not to ruin the novelty for the fickle kids).  It makes them feel like big kids, and gives us some much needed extra snooze minutes.  As I pack it back away now that school is back in session, all I can think to say is...Best. Gift. Ever!!!