Does my DH not know me at all? - odd birthday pressie

[CremeDeCassis]

It's my 34th birthday today. My husband presented me with a bright red pair of converse canvas boots for my birthday.

I am on mat leave at the moment and leave the house wearing sturdy leather ankle boots and a smartish winter wool coat given that it is the winter. The only footwear I had mentioned that I needed was a pair of slippers.

To make life easier for my me, my sisters and mum write Christmas lists - I had pretty standard stuff on it - not requesting a Cartier watch or a new car, but def def def not requesting the same kind of shoes I had when I was 13. He read this list but still decided I needed new summer shoes.

I imagine this is just standard male present buying, but I am still p-d off!!

Very odd. What did you say to him?

OP you will undoubtedly get a million posts telling you to count your blessings, be grateful you have a husband who even knows its your birthday let alone buys you a present and berating you for your selfish and entitled attitude in thinking a pair of Converse isn't good enough yadda yadda....
So may I just say I think you are totally entitled to be pissed off. I would be too (actually I wouldn't be because I love Converse and mine have worn out). And I would actually be inclined to tactfully let him know that he got it wrong - because what's the point of letting him think you love them and letting yourself in for a lifetime of inappropriate footwear-related gifts.
The holier-than-thou brigade will probably flame me for that though.
Anyway, Happy Birthday.

I feel your pain, my OH bought me an 'experience' for Christmas last year which consisted of doing loop the loops in a light aircraft. There was no way I could hide the WTF? face on that one. To make it worse, he'd bought me something else so I had "something to open" - a set of non stick pans and four plain white egg cups. That was IT. I'm not looking forward to this year!

I bought my own birthday gift (my birthday was 26 Nov) and gave it to DH to wrap and present. I thought he'd give me a little something else but no...

Ask to return them and get something more appropriate!

I'd love to do loop the loops...

Aw, he might have had a good reason for thinking you'd like them though - maybe he's read something saying Converse are an absolute classic and you can't go wrong with them, and was trying to be a bit creative in his present-giving? Will you ask him for his reasons rather than just being peed off?

(I may only be saying this because I'd love a new pair of Converse :) If you'd said he'd bought you a new set of pans I'd be all )

In themselves they aren't odd,but would have been better in white imo. However...they don't sound like your kind of thing, at least not in winter,given your description of what you're wearing at the moment.

Maybe he was trying to buy you something he thought you would like,without thinking about it logically?

I understand why you're disappointed. My DP once bought me a clothes rail for a previous birthday,because I "needed" one.

If you're not going to wear them,I'd ask for the receipt so you can take them back and buy something you would use. If you don't want to say you don't like them,tell him they're uncomfortable. Lots of people have trouble with them because of the shape

Happy Birthday btw

I have taken delivery of a parcel today thats clearly a xmas present from DH, the contents were displayed on the label of the parcel so I know I have red knitted jumper with a penguin on it this year (we don't usually buy presents until january so its obviously supposed to be a surprise). He is notoriously bad at buying presents I've had everything from a hoover to a bag of coffee to kitchen tongs over the years. I just laugh now.

Get him to take you out and spoil you a bit later since you can't wear your lovely shoes until the summer.

Happy Birthday

A clothes rail.
Dear God Almighty.
Has he seen the error of his ways?

Loop the loops? I got off lightly. Yes I am lucky he (a) knew it was my birthday and (b) was thoughtful enough to get me something to open this morning.

I've already forced an enthusiastic thank you. Husband seems a bit prickly these days due to being tired on account of small baby. Didn't want to offend him.

I don't mean to sound entitled. Converse are great, just not bright red, not the winter. He spent more than he should have - I checked the price. (incidentally, I'm the breadwinner so essentially it is my £, though I know that in saying this I am setting myself up for a roasting).

YANBU, what was he thinking? This sort of thing does actually make me quite cross. Somehow to me it reflects no bloody thought whatsoever about the actual person it's been bought for.

My DP bought me a stupid fluffy dog with a heart stuffed in it's mouth which looked like a huge strawberry birth mark and a boaky card for valentines.

He won't be doing that again, that's for sure.

Happy Birthday

What a shame your feet have swollen since the baby and converse are so very narrow!

I'd love a pair of red converse!

I do feel your pain though- DH has a history of making bad clothes purchases for me. Such as a particularly hideous jacket one year that was both glittery and furry

I would thank him for the gesture but get the receipt and buy something you like.

helpful re ankle support !!

I think that's a good gift! Maybe he asked someone's advice and said you wear practical footwear, and he was advised to get them cos they're undeniably in at the moment and fit the practicality bill?

At least it wasn't kitchen related/stuff for the house...grr.. my DH knows not to give me any of that shiz if he values his life!!

Purplemonster you did use the non-stick pan to hit him a wallop I presume?

themum he has,I didn't say anything,he said the deathly silence was quite frightening at the time . He now understands that practical things like clothes rails are not suitable for birthday/Christmas presents.

To be fair,he had bought me a Trublood boxset as well. I was just at the clothes rail.

First off, Happy Birthday!

I am also the recipient of presents where I say in my head 'do you even know me'? but smile and tell the giver 'Its just what I wanted' then go off to the bathroom and cry about how wrong the present was

Being practical , could you ask him to return them (just say they don't fit) and then go out together and buy a gift that is to your taste?

I think when you've just had a baby it is more important than ever for your partner to demonstrate that they understand what makes you tick and see you as an individual. I'm not sure pumps fulfil that brief!

I once caught dp with a pasta cooker thing in his amazon basket, oh yes indeed.

I told him exactly where he could shove that idea

I had a set of bathroom scales oneyear from DH! He did wonder why I couldn't speak to him for the rest of my birthday! I know I had mentioned we needed new one, but I didn't want them for my birthday! I now buy my own presses to prevent further errors!

No pumps don't quite fit the bill! I did say that gray would be really nice but he told me that he thought that red was more of a statement shoe. ??statement shoe - WTF??

Yes, I agree that the postpartum state is not the ideal time to recieve a slightly poor choice of birthday pressie. He did have quite a few pointers of other things I'd have appreciated, I guess that's the thing that's annoying. (I am actually quite a practical person and would have been delighted with the fridge magnets and apple corer I had mentioned I wanted, or indeed the luxury of a bottle nice shower gel I had pointed out +++). I know I sound too high maintenance at the moment. better to get it out here.

A now ex bf once bought me pointy high heels in fake crocodile skin embellished with chains and diamantés.

pointy high heels in fake crocodile skin embellished with chains and diamantés.....LOL

Quite. I don't know what he thought I'd do with them.

I know I sound too high maintenance at the moment

With shower gel, an apple corer and fridge magnets on your wish list, you defo aren't high maintenance chuck!! But I agree, it's annoying if you give a list and then get something totally unrelated and not as useful (for you).