To think my sister in law won't want her bag back? (Very trivial)

[Cathycomehome]

We went over to my mum's today to see them and my brother and sil and their baby, who is five months older than ours. It was very lovely to see them, particularly as they live a couple of hundred miles away. My sil gave me some baby clothes my nephew has outgrown in a coop bag, not a plastic one, but one of those canvas use again ones.

They left to catch their train, and as we were leaving a bit later, my mum says, "Don't forget to post X's bag back to her".

Then, when I spoke to my mum on the phone later to say were back, she again says, "Oh, you won't forget to post that bag back to x, will you?"

Am I missing something? Will my sil actually want me to post her coop bag back to her, or is my mum being mental??

Your mum is being mental.

No, she won't want it back, we've got about 2 dozen of them!

Are you my sil?

I can't speak for your SIL, but it's the sort of thing I'd want back eventually as a) I'm always using them, getting them dirty and running out before I have a chance to wash them and hence wouldn't want to lose one and b) I collect canvas shopping bags from places I visit. Obviously b doesn't apply if it's a supermarket one, but a might. Having said that, it can probably wait until you see SIL again, assuming it's a matter of months rather than years. It sounds like you and SIL are on good terms, why not drop her an email to ask if it needs returning soon?

I doubt SIL would want it back otherwise she would of mentioned it.
You could always call her and ask though.
Seems a waste of a stamp to mail it to her, may be you could wait till you see her again, if you really want to.

they are quite spenny though

I would send back

your mum is bothered because your not sending the bag back might impact on her relationship with SIL praps

I would ask her, or your brother, if she really wants it back. I wouldn't post it, unless she lives miles away and you're not going to see her for months.

If I were giving someone clothes I wouldn't give them in a bag I wanted back, so I don't think it's unreasonable to think she wouldn't want it back.

I think if she particularly wanted it back she would have mentioned it herself.

It's hardly a designer handbag - just a cheap canvas supermarket bag!

I wouldn't give it another thought to be honest.

To be the perfect receiver of passed on clothes you could put the clothes back in the bag once outgrown and give them back to her so that she can decide what to do with them next.

Job done

Ah, now, Kellymarie, this is what I will do! I'm a bit worried that she will,in fact, think I am mental if I send her just the bag, or email her asking if she wants the bag, but your way is flawless! Thank you

I messed up the flowers, sorry!

If she really wanted it back she wouldn't have given you the items in the bag.

If you sent me a canvas bag in the mail I'd think YOU were mental.

you could ask her.

Yes, but if I ask her, she might think I'm mental

Still like Kellymarie's solution best!

just say that your mum keeps bringing it up and that you wanted to make sure.

Your mum is nuts.

I'm not sure about KellieMarie's solution either though - I'm really looking forward to getting rid of baby stuff and would be secretly dismayed if I got it all back again!

Best solution is to just ask. Or give her it back with a big thank you cake and bottle of wine in?

It is the kind of thing that some people get very odd about though.

Do you think she might have said to your mum that she wants the bag returned? Or does your mum flap about small things and get attached to the idea that everyone should behave as she deems proper (not that I know what that feels like...)

Yup mental. Why don't you give the bag to your mum to post back to your SIL? It's clearly something she feels is important. Sounds like she's desperate to keep on your SIL's good side...

By the time you've bought something to post it in and paid postage SIL might as well just buy a new one. I would think you were mental if you sent a bag back to me in post, SIL and your DB would have a little bemused laugh about it I'm sure.

And I would have been gutted to get old baby stuff back I've given away.

Mind you I do think it's lovely that your mum is really worried about upsetting SIL and wants to keep on good terms with her. As a side note is she sure it's not actually your brother's bag.

Surely she wouldn't have used it if she wanted it back. Don't post it back - she will think you are mental.

Does your mum think your SIL is the sort of person who would make an issue out of a carrier bag?

IS your SIL the sort of person to make an issue out of a carrier bag?

I agree with Badgerina. Hand the bag to your mum. It's something that she's clearly worried about! (which is a bit worrying! It's a carrier bag. Makes me wonder what's the real issue here) So let her deal with it.

Crikey this is more of a minefield than I imagined! I will give the bag to my mum!

I would think my sil was mental if she packed up and posted the carrier bag to me, fwiw!

I would not put donated stuff in a reusable bag unless I was happy for people to keep it.

My MIL is a mental person, when she gives us stuff in a supermarket carrier bag, she makes a point of saying "you can keep the bag!" Like she's bestowing a Fendi baguette. Is that normal?

My mum would do this. And she irons xmas + birthday paper to use again! and she carefully folds her canvas tesco bags after each shop, taking out the cardboard lining she's made for them

I would think you were an utter nutter if you posted me back a canvas supermarket bag. We have loads of the darn things. Chucked in the boot. Cupboard under the stairs. Back of the wardrobe.

It'll cost more to return it than it cost her to buy it!