Can we start a CF Christmas thread?

[AllRoadsLeadBackToRadley]

Because:

I need some light relief

I'll start. DS (nc now) once texted me on Christmas Eve to tell me (not ask) that her and DN were coming for Christmas...and staying for three weeks!

There was a list of instructions with the text, including:

I'll be sleeping in your room, and you, DH and DN can all share with DD, because I've had him all year alone and need a break. (She actually told me she was giving me a chance to prove that I was a better aunty than a sister!)

There'll be none of that (insert horrible racist word beginnig with P) shit that you normally cook. I'm allergic to hot food.

DN wakes up at 5.30. He needs breakfast within a half hour of waking, or else he won't be able to poo later in the day.

I need picking up at 6.00 at the latest, so you can give him tea.

Then she had the nerve to text DH and tell him I'd agreed to it, and she was ready to be collected! DH left work, and it wasn't until I'd been waiting in the rain for him to pick me up as arranged, and called him, that I dound out he was halfway to where she lived! (30 miles from us).

I'd just ignored the text.

He came straight back, I sent a "lol, dream on!" text, cue months- MONTHS- of PA fbk statuses about family not being everything, etc, etc...

Anyone else?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with re-gifting. in fact if I've bought a present for someone whose likes and tastes I'm unsure of I usually think 'ah well, they can always give it to someone else'.
People have been doing that for generations, and people taking umbrage (unless it's from someone significant in your life or is broken/out of date) are being ridiculous.
Still can't get over the poster who sent back the gift label with a passive aggressive note. That would be the last present they ever got from me.

User, as I said, there's nothing wrong with regifting as long as you don't take the piss I.e. give one of your rejected gifts (like a hideous scarf) to someone who usually makes the effort to buy you a thoughtful and personal gift.

As to the poster who returned the gift bag, I suspect there was a lot more to the story. Perhaps they were happily accepting much nicer presents whilst sending unwanted cast-offs to others?

@MinervaSaidThar he agreed readily as he said it was so hard trying to get presents for women! He thought the half burnt candle was a cracking present as his mum had liked it so he thought his secret santa recipient would too.

Well Minerva that wasn't stated in the post. Just that her uncle and aunt always sent her and DH slightly 'odd' presents. We all know people who do that. Just buy them small presents. Know need for nastiness or rudeness.

On regifting and 'odd' gifts.

I think there's a world of difference between someone hard on their luck, someone who 'regifts' mistakenly believing it's something the recipient would love, or that relative seemingly everyone has who gives gifts that are just plain 'odd' but still from the heart, and CFs who are just cheap and/or thoughtless.

So if thrifty but odd Aunt Martha gives me a hot pink sequined jumper from a charity shop I will still appreciate the gift because it was given from the heart. But if someone who is able to shop and spend a reasonable amount gives me a bath set that obviously came as a freebie with the expensive perfume they bought themselves whilst expecting a carefully thought out and ££ gift from me, then I reserve the right to call them a CF.

@TheEgregiousPeach* phew he sounds quite clueless, bless him!

@AcrossthePond55 I agree completely, that was what I was trying to say, rather less eloquently.

Mikeysister right there with you

MIL every year, asks us for really expensive gifts always £250+. We never, ever get her these expensive gifts, as we can't afford them.

Last year, she asked us for a designer hand manager, in the region of £600. We obviously didn't get this bag for her, but got a very similar bag from a high street brand, which still cost us £70.

When she opened the present, she loudly exclaimed 'oh for god sake this didn't the right one this is awful' then proceeded to rant about how we are tight, and if she had our wealth she would buy us all whatever we wanted.

Not that it matters, we aren't even rich, I am a part time teacher, my husband is an architect, only just qualified however and very much on a starter salary.

Oops designer handbag

@Turnocks34 I would have took it back off her and told her to go without then

Nothing wrong with 're...but make sure that you dont give it back to the person who gave it to you.

Or if it's the re gifted Birthday card (I am an Xmas baby) from your Grandma, - the one you gave her the February before (written in your best, 8 year old handwriting , but in pencil) with the writing hurriedly and messil erased and a new message written . Even at 8 I recognised the CF in her!

Why do you keep giving her presents, Tunnock? I'd have taken that back from her, returned it, and got her nothing.

I am amazed at these DMs and MILs who ask for expensive presents. It's the reverse here, I tell my sons not to spend their money on us. They still usually come up with generous and very much appreciated presents regardless, but I would not mind if they did not.

Not me but I witnessed somebody I worked with being given a pregnancy test as a secret Santa present. Two colleagues thought she had put on weight and were debating if she was pregnant or not. Our manager was not happy.

That is truly spiteful, knowsmore. You don't need to spend lots of money on pressies to be meaningful. I bought a glass tankard from a junk shop (£3) and had it engraved with a personal message from my lovely brother-in-law. I then bought a basket from the same and added beers, pick 'n mix (he loves it) and some second hand books. I even found a golf bottle opener - he loves golf too. It all took time but didn't cost much. People who demand expensive presents are awful. We always taught my daughter to appreciate everything she was given and she used to love every present - it was a joy to watch her. It's a good lesson to learn. When people have too much, they lose the idea of giving, spending time and thought on presents.

Amen to all of that, Punkatheart.

AcrossthePond, your remark on freebies that come with perfume sets made me stop in my tracks. I had a sudden recollection of exH giving the DDs various sample sized bottles of Sunflowers perfume the year I found out he had given his (now ex) GF/beard a whopping bottle of it. ExH used to give me a bottle of the same perfume his mother wore all her life (probably still does) every three years or so...

Oh dear - that is VERY Freudian, mathanxiety!

Freudian is exactly the word, Punkatheart. I used to shudder at it all and it would knock me back if I thought about it, but it's been a good few years now and life moves on.

Punkatheart it was. She was pregnant but not ready to tell everyone yet. To be honest everyone else was horrified.

Last year in a secret Santa, I got affirmation cards.

Affirmation cards for a Mum.

I’m not a mother.

Imagine if I was child-free - not by choice! I was annoyed enough as it was. I can’t believe someone is genuinely that thoughtless.

We bought MIL a really posh molten brown gift set one year, and FIL a bottle of his favourite aftershave. Their present to me was a small plastic toy bath filled with polystyrene stuff and a duck stuffed animal, and a nasty polyester v neck that looked like it cost about £3. It was a size 22 - I was a 12 at the time.

Looking back I definitely was a Christmas CF when I was a teenager. I had a stupid falling out with my oldest brother so I bought him and now SIL a joint present of M&S tinned biscuits (knowing he didn't like them) for about 4years in a row and would have continued had my DM not put her foot down. I can't remember what the argument was about but I remember saying to DM 'No, its the principle of it!' every year when she said I should buy something else

Would you actually let people know that the gifts you handed over were regifted?

I once gave someone close to me all of my PCBH DVDs. She knew they were mine first. They were my pride and joy, so it made it even more special iyswim?