Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To resent being given two rotating musical biscuit tins?

56 replies

weekendalmostover · 10/12/2013 10:49

I now have two of these tins, from M&S, in the shape of Xmas trees. They play an annoyingly tinny rendition of Jingle Bells when you rotate them. What am I meant to do with the tins when the biscuits have gone? They're too ugly for ornaments, even at Christmas, too awkwardly shaped for storage, and while they might amuse the kids for all of 5 minutes, there's a label on the bottom which says they shouldn't be used as toys.

After Christmas they will go into the recycling bin, along with thousands of others, but I suspect that a lot more energy will have been used to manufacture and recycle them than the equivalent for a cardboard box.

If M&S is serious about its flagship 'Plan A' environment policy then I think it should be collecting the tins in January for re-use in next year's Christmas tat-flog.

OP posts:
zipzap · 10/12/2013 11:51

I suspect this thread might fill up just after the end of term - I reckon lots of people will have bought them at half price for teacher presents Grin

wigglesrock · 10/12/2013 12:08

We got one last year. When I was getting the decorations down this year - it was the first thing my daughters asked for. They love it, it's in one of their bedrooms as their "own" tree.

Topaz25 · 10/12/2013 12:42

I think they're pretty Blush I was expecting them to look much more tacky from your description. I wouldn't buy them for myself but I would appreciate them as a gift and reuse them as Christmas decorations. Please don't chuck them, you could give them to a charity shop, someone will like them.

oscarwilde · 10/12/2013 13:22

A kitch holder for spare Christmas tree light bulbs and other random Christmas detritus?
I like Wigglesrock's suggestion if you have DC. Kids have always got collections of small tat that they deem essential to life itself.

OvO · 10/12/2013 13:24

Oh I love that! Now you've made me all sad as you say they're sold out. Woe.

WestieMamma · 10/12/2013 14:15

I got one for Christmas last year. I think it's really nice and kept the tin which is entertaining DS (8 months) this year.

NoComet · 11/12/2013 00:24

DD2 uses a bus shapped Cadbury's tin as a bus for playmobil people

BananaNotPeelingWell · 11/12/2013 00:32

I think theyre quite nice and would put them on my kitchen windowsill.

FrostedButts · 11/12/2013 04:26

yabu, I want one but missed the special offer a few weeks ago! may well end up forking out for one anyway as no space for a real tree

BarHumbugBeasty · 11/12/2013 05:25

Spot on zipzap I gave ours to nursery last week.

Preschool had theirs as a table centrepiece at their Christmas party, the children loved it. The baby room were dancing to theirs.

paxtecum · 11/12/2013 05:30

Why would anyone put it in the bin, why not give it your local charity shop.

pollywollydoodle · 11/12/2013 05:58

we've got a couple from last year on the window sills

i like them so (blows a raspberry..)

CSIJanner · 11/12/2013 06:10

They sell well on eBay, even empty. Just a thought.

Alternative, make it the Rukeyser gift. Like the shit travel clock that gets refitted to each raffle. Fill with sweets and think, who will get it this year? Xmas Grin

FWIW, I bought 2 - one for the children and one for DM who likes that kind of tat.

Jinty64 · 11/12/2013 06:19

Oh shit zipzap is right, ds has bought one for his teacher. I wondered about but he was insistent, now I'm worried she will think it's a crap gift.

user1494251545 · 04/12/2018 23:01

Just a question but how do you open the tin???

Lilyhatesjaz · 04/12/2018 23:35

They were half price in my local MandS today.

arranbubonicplague · 05/12/2018 04:27

I like it when people give me attractive tins. All too often the biscuits are only fit for making a fridge cake or biscuit crumb base for a cheesecake but we put home-made biscuits/cakes in the tins and give them to other people.

A couple of years ago, I was given 5 musical carousel tins at Christmas. They were so large and deep that they were ideal for gifting pandoro or large round fruitcakes so they had a very quick turn around. NB I think it took >1 yr for the battery to run down so that the tins no longer played a tune every time they were opened.

Mummyoflittledragon · 05/12/2018 05:12

We got one a few years ago at dds insistence. We use it as a decoration. Glam seems to make way for as busy as possible when children are in the picture. My carefully colour co ordinated days of Christmas decorating went out of the window somewhat to adapt to her taste.

It’s really not that bad you know. You could just be grateful for the gift.

LaurieMarlow · 05/12/2018 05:24

It’s really not that bad you know. You could just be grateful for the gift.

This

I like it, I love getting tins. DS would be absolutely delighted with that as a decoration for his room. In fact I might have a peek in M&s tomorrow to see if they have any.

Alfie190 · 05/12/2018 05:51

I think they are quite nice.

Why would you resent a present though? That is ungrateful.

WhiteDust · 05/12/2018 06:33

Tell your friends that you resent being given two identical musical tins. Both of which you dislike.
Ask them to be more thoughtful in their choice of gifts in future.

No?

naicepineapple · 05/12/2018 07:45

I don't think ops worrying about this anymore considering she was given them 5 years ago.

ShadyLady53 · 05/12/2018 08:55

God, I feel awful reading this. I gave them as presents to colleagues a few years back. Didn’t realise they were so hated and I was a poor student at the time ☹️.

RedFallLeaf · 05/12/2018 09:45

:O
I saw them in m&s and instantly loved them. Bargin at £5 (half price).
Didn't realise theyve been around for 5 years. I never saw them before until this year. (Maybe they retired them for a few years?) I'm buying 3 as teacher gifts, hopefully theyre well received!

Rattinghat · 05/12/2018 09:47

Take them back to a branch of M&S for recycling. I often tear packaging off things and give it back to the sales assistant.