to boycott the utterly crap christmas 'gift sets' which are on every shelf of every shop

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Is there a person alive who would want to recieve the following:

A gift box of bubble bath and bath salts

A comedy inflatable sofa with a bottle of budweiser in

A Jack Daniels coaster. ONE. With JD miniature.

Christmas socks

A lone champagne glass with a mini bottle of cava with 3 champagne truffles.

Fuck it. What a waste of time, effort and money.

I am very pleased actually as my family and friends have all agreed not to bother with presents for adults this year, so people will not feel the need to spend a fiver/tenner they can ill afford on crud like this.

[AKMD]

YABU, I love these sets! It saves me buying body lotion (I use it every day too), shower gel and bath bubbles for most of the year. YANBU about bath salts though - who actually uses them?

I do get quite embarrassed when people buy me very expensive sets though - one year a colleague bought me a £60 Soap & Glory set and last year my MIL made her own set for me full of Avon products. I never spend over £10 so I felt a bit of a cheapskate. Luckily, my side of the family have a unique gift-giving tradition that doesn't involve spending more than £10 for everyone :)

[milkmilklemonade]

Well don't worry, presumably all the Christmas presents have been looted!
Seriously I agree, my in laws shower me with glitter bath salt packs etc

[Continuum]

YABU about Christmas socks!!!

But as for the rest... I thought they were more geared towards teenagers really.

[Becaroooo]

I get given this stuff too...cant use them as I have sensitive skin and I am a bit picky about scents so I dont really like stuff that makes me smell like a turkish brothel

We are also not doing presents for adults this year OP and I am thrilled..been trying to convince family about this for years and I too love xmas - I just dont like people spending their hard earned cash on smelly rubbish.

And what is it with those set of beer glasses with socks in?????

[Vulgar]

I like Colditz's idea about giving unwanted toileteries to old people's homes but it has made me feel too

[MadameLupino]

I like it when people do this. But it is worrying to note how much time I waste on MN when I can always find myself on these threads.

Loveisthebug, were you working your way back through AIBU?

[TrillianAstra]

I think you posted on the wrong thread there love.

No idea how...

I was all geared up to say "It's August - shut up about Christmas!"

[Loveisthebug]

I used to buy Lush products until I found out how ethical they really are.
How can they call themselves ethical when they support oppressive regiems of Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka by having a presence in these countries.
All I can say is FLUSH LUSH!!!

[LizzieMint73]

I am a woman who has never used body lotion. I have perfectly smooth skin and a non crepy decollotage.

Wrapping a deoderant and cheap shower gel in far too much plastic does not make it into a suitable gift for anyone - I thought we had laws about overpackaging.

I also hate the whole 3 for 2 shite - does anyone seriously fall for this anymore?

Am dreading christmas because family always buy this type of crap and I struggle to use it up

[Laquitar]

The thing is because so many people hate them and keep them in the cupboard if you receive one you assume that it came from the 'unwanted gifts cupboard'

I hate the idea of recycling unwanted presents. A thoughtful and genuine present or no present at all.

Teachers, childminders and cleaners seem to get lots of these 'generous' presents. Yack i rather give them nothing. (they are ok presents for young nieces and Goddaughters thu)

[expatinscotland]

Oh, yy. Radley or those Kipling handbags. Naffo. Flog those on Ebay.

[Guitargirl]

I had a cupboard of the stuff which I have just donated to the work Christmas charity box. I usually keep anything someone gives me which is not really 'me' and regift to someone who I think would like it. Have been known to give away lovely jewellery and Radley stuff in the past because it's not what I like for myself. But I really cannot bring myself to give anyone I like this stuff. I would be too embarrassed at the absolute lack of thought. Unless I knew someone who actually liked this stuff of course. Which I don't. So - charity box it is!

[expatinscotland]

I hate those fucking things! I end up giving them to Oxfam because just about everything gives me a rash.

[PickleFish]

I really like it when I get presents or cards from pupils. It isn't about what it is at all, or whether it's just a card, but the thought behind it - the fact that they want to say thank you. I also teach children with difficulties, who aren't always enthusiastic about coming, but who often deep down do appreciate the help. So presents or card also make for a nice last lesson before the holidays - they often like giving it, the lesson gets off to a happy start, I usually try to end it with some fun thing with a chocolate prize, etc. I think it's also quite good as a social skills things for them - some of them are very good at offering a present nicely, whilst others have no clue how to do it, what to say, etc.

So I'm always pleased to get something. I don't expect it, and I don't think anything negative of the ones who don't - by no means all of my pupils bring something - but I am always genuinely pleased to be acknowledge and appreciated, whether it's a card, a homemade something, or a present.

So gift sets like this have their uses. However, it doesn't mean that there aren't some presents that I prefer more than others. Often I don't actually use the smellies gift sets, because I don't like the fragrance or I react to them. But there are people I can give them to, and I still appreciate getting it. In terms of presents I actually want, sometimes people just get lucky and have similar taste to me, or have spent time noticing what I wear/eat/drink/read etc, and try to choose something that they think I want, and I always like it when they've taken a risk and chosen something out of the ordinary, not mugs/smellies/candles/calendars. But it's always a chancy thing, and if they get it wrong and I don't happen to use the item, it never means I'm ungrateful at all for the fact that they have given it to me. I always appreciate that aspect very much.

[Saltire]

I used to wrok for a high street retailer known for their 3 for 2 gift sets known for selling chemist things. It does often (but not always)work out cheaper to buy the items indivdually.

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Oh yes, socks are very good. They don't even have to be cashmere ones from Brora, either.

[MrsPennyLane]

I love smellie gift sets from boots, especially the soap and glory ones. Also like socks...

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

favoutire

It's my new word. I like it.

If anyone feels the need to buy me a gift set this year, any one of these will do.

Lush is a bit of a Marmite thing though, isn't it.

[wendihouse22]

Yes! Boycott those shelves. My hubby and I are only doing gift for our kids. That's it. We'll eat well. We'll drink accordingly as befits our "thank God we have a week off" status and that's it.

The really shitty bit is that, the day after Christmas, the shops will be flogging all this boxed nonsense for a third of the price!

Just say no!!!

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

YANBU to boycott them - all the more stupidly discounted stuff for me to pick up from Boots after Christmas.

I stock up on garish eye shadows and sparkly stuff every January, me. It's fab. My favoutire this year was a rather lovely Monsoon palette from Boots for about £3.

I never get given gift sets anymore. Or pants. I used to rely on those to see me through the year.

[notso]

everythingiseverthing after a couple of grumbly years a serenity fell upon me with the realisation BIL is not giving me a crappy free gift again, he is giving me the gift of re-gifting!

[Fernie3]

Luckily i only get a few of these and the people that matter (I.e my husband) know not to buy me smells or perfume as i woukd find them boring ( same with flowers on my birthday). BUT i always buy a smells set for my step mother and step sister this is because the first few years i knew them i spent ages picking out a gift for example one year my dad said they needed cutlery so i bought what to me ( who uses pound shop cutlery!) was a really nice boxed set which i went halves with sister on as i cost well over £100. Never saw it again they clearly didn't care for it lol. Same next year with a different present. Now they get the first thing i see when i go in boots.

[notso]

I don't mind getting them actually because they stop me having to fork out when school asks for raffle/tombola donations a million times a year.
I do use body lotion but only the one which matches my perfume.