It was my birthday yesterday, MIL bought me Christmas themed stuff

I can totally understand why you’d certainly feel that way, Birthdays are about celebrating the fact that it’s finally your day, not the fact that Christmas is a month early. To be honest, its starting to seem like she’s double down, perhaps because it’s a quirky tradition
and then perhaps, even if it keeps bothering you, drop a hint to something more 'you' next year. your are not being unreasonable at all

To be honest I wouldn't have a problem receiving a Boots beauty advent calendar for my birthday. I think it's a lovely gift. My twins birthdays are on 31 October and they received Lego advent calendars when they were younger and as they got a bit older they received Body Shop advent calendars and they loved them . All sounds a bit petty to me

Sorry - I didn't mean it should be rubbish. Ideally yes - spend a set limit on something you think the person will enjoy. But if they have form for ignoring your wishes and doing their own thing, you won't feel bad that a huge amount has been spent on something that you are going to give to charity....

This is sort of a what I said yesterday. I told my family not to buy me presents for Xmas, birthdays, Mothers day. I've never regretted it. I have grandchildren who I want to have a liveable world for the future, not stuff a load of tat in landfill and ruin the environment. Each to their own but I give usable things (spices I know they'll use, soap I know they'll use etc), some money or vouchers

@Teenagehorrorbag why £10 for a "token" present?
Why not £10 on something the gift receiver actually will want and enjoy?

I turned 40 this year and didn't get a single present from anyone so it's hard for me to feel sorry for you. Christmas themed plates & glasses sounds wonderful

Save up all the Christmas presents and gift them back to her in a few years time so she’s probably forgotten she bought them for you!

Why don't you just agree between all of you not to give presents to adults any more? That's what loads of people do - makes sense, saves waste and stuff in landfill, helps COL etc. Presents are for kids...... (and between partners, if you want, but no wider).

Or maybe have a £10 limit so just a token gesture?

Then you won't care if it is thoughtless crap.....😀

Give them back to her for Christmas 😈

I think pretending you love them would annoy her more than you saying anything bad. She sounds like a narcissist who wants you to be annoyed. Use the gifts and make out how amazing they are

Rewrap them and give them to her for her birthday in March.

I'd love that & wouldn't think it an odd birthday gift! Plates, mugs etc, maybe. I think you should just keep accepting her gifts, whatever they are and gift them to charity if you don't like them, especially if she's 'difficult'. Enjoy whatever other people buy you instead.

My birthday is end of March. I can always tell when DB leaves it to SIL to sort my present because I get left over Christmas things. Festive mug & fluffy socks one year, boxed set of scarf and bath foam from a high St store including a voucher for 10% off when used by the end of January - not much use 2 months out of date!
I'd be buying the Molten Brown and favourite sweets that you usually buy her now so that they're in festive packaging and save them till her birthday!

Probably why you’d started hating it! 🤣

I didn't feel weird about a present my child got u til I saw your thread! They received a Christmas advent calendar dar for their birthday in September!!!

It is odd, and next time you should just give for example Easter hotel Chocolat chocolates. They are nice enough not to complain about, and weird enough to get her thinking :)

Very odd, it's like me getting Christmas stuff from my birthday the day after boxing day. I would get OH to mention a book or gift card would suit better than a gift..

This is way bigger than the birthday problem.

But I would definitely buy her sale priced Hallowe'en items for Christmas this year and a Christmas jumper for her birthday.

Do you give away the Christmas tat? I would cart it all to a charity shop and donate it.

The good bit here is that your H has your back. How much rocking the boat is he up for?

I'd resign myself to the fact that I'm not going to have a present off her that I like/want and so I've decided to drop everything I don't like/want at the charity shop

I think it’s an in-laws thing! Many years ago I liked Eternity perfume. MIL found out and got me bottle for birthday, which was greatly received. But following year, got it again, and again, and again. By this time, I had moved onto a new favourite. In fact, at this point hated Eternity! In general conversation, ie she asked what perfume I had on. Great, I thought but guess what? next birthday got another bottle of Eternity. All I all, think I got it about 7 years running! DC’s school got bottles for prizes in various fairs. One year I went into a large well-known chemist and asked if they would exchange it for my favourite perfume, and, as it was more expensive, to my surprise, they did. But, horror of horrors, when DH finally told MIL I’d exchanged it, she told him that it wasn’t even the real stuff, it was that rip-off stuff!!

I would rewrap it all and gift it back to her for Christmas !

Every year my MIL and SIL buy me xmas themed crap for xmas

Great gifts! I get to wait 12 months before i can use them 🤣

Wrap them all up and give them back as Christmas presents to them. Gives them a not so subtle hint and saves you money at Christmas

My ex sister in law , got me an old brick for Xmas once!! Possibly for a door stop
ex for a reason!!
be grateful and regift or donate,
laugh and let it wash over you

Why not get her ONLY Easter tat for her birthday, and say “ I figured you would appreciate this since you always get me Christmas gifts two months before the actual holiday”

🤣🤣🤣

That would show her that she annoyed you though...she can buy you what she wants.

what about? Put it in the bin and forget about it? Way less dramatic.And...don’t buy her something at all for her. It is way less passive aggressive and straight to the point. It isn’t like she can ask you where her gifts are?

Just end her show, do NOT enter her loop. No way you can control that. Stay away.

Good luck 🌺