too right I am, inlaw xmas present horror!

[chibi]

Grrrrrr....Every year I dread Christmas with the inlaws because of the crazy amount of crap the give us. I have had to put half their presents in a closet as there is no room for them anywhere else.

The presents are excessive, ill-conceived and for the most part, unwanted. Amongst other things, one of the presents for my 6 month old was a hot water bottle .

What the HELL am I meant to do with stuff like that? Or where do we put the 15 pairs of underwear/socks that my dh recieves twice a year (birthdays too natch). What on Earth do they think he does to socks + underwear to get through them so quickly?

I am now looking at a pile of gifts that go halfway up the tree, with a pile in the closet besides. It just looks obscene.

I end up giving most of it away and then I feel guilty. Yes, they love to give, yes they mean well, yes I am a big fricking grinch but I don't care. These presents don't feel given so much as inflicted.

Il's have missed all dd's bdays but send crap usually unwrapped and stuffed in an envelope. They didn't even get a pressie for when she was born.. boy they're making up for it in the christmas bonanza ..!

Oh and 1 year when MIL was emptying out the cellar (several years after her 2 sons moved out she got loads of thier old teenage crap and wrapped it up for them for Christmas - and not as a joke either, they actuall formed part of thier Christmas present!!

Aww thanks ChiBi!

My father forgets my birthday every year, I couldn't care less rather that than something wasteful.

I hate waste

I know I shouldn't laugh but some of these stories are very funny.

I have been getting pretty much the same present for several years running. A rather bashed box of Clarin's make-up remover, or wrinkle-cream or something like that - it is pretty obvious it's one of those that you get free when you have spent x number of ££. I don't wear make-up and haven't done for years.

Some years MIL buys us clothes. Dh will for example get a cashmere mix jumper. I get a t-shirt which doesn't fit and in my least favourite colour (either grey or a really bright colour). My MIL means well but she's always trying to 'feminise' me.

At least your MIL buys for your DH and DCs. Mine has never bought DH a present in the 5 years we've been together and buys one small thing for DD on her xmas and birthday (she is 2.9) Never bought a gift for DD when she was born and expecting number 2 anyday and she won't buy him anything either. I sometimes wish she would pick up some bit of tat from a market or charity shop for DD just to show that she has been thinking of her iykwim? She also has no qualms about asking for things that she wants and if we buy anything new will automatically ask if she can have the old one (toaster, kitchen bin, duvet whatever) I don't begrudge her anything and don't expect her to spend a lot of money on DD but I was brought up with grandparents that spoilt me with time and treats and I don't feel she does either for DD. My mum makes up for it though

I've asked for loft insulation for Christmas. I think I'll probably have to lay it, but it will be a start...

PK616
I wouldnt bother wrapping them, it costs money, just call her up and tell her you cant afford the wrapping paper and you already have gifts for everybody. I would rather receive a well thought out home made item than the crap she has sooooo 'generously' decided to make you a charity case out of.

Perhaps we could have a Christmas present swap thread next week.

Perhaps not the tat though.

Myrrhcy, thats a really good idea.

We all know that we will have about 30% of the pressies as not worth the wrapping paper TO US but someone else would love it. Could we have a post Christmas Swap Shop?

"1 or 2 x pair of pajamas (I don't wear pj's)
1 x cheap makeup set (I NEVER wear makeup)
1 x box roses (I only like the caramels)
1 x cheap bath products set (always nasty smelling and I have sensitive skin)

What is she saying? That I smell and always look tired!".

Could be worse she could of bought you anti-wrinkle cream - my MIL has done that to me & I aint got any and shes got more lines than a railway track.

how to avoid those awful gifts - buy the present you know dc want give them to the gp and they then give you the money. The gp then buy another toy for each of them usually reasonable but always lost by the summer holidays My IL tend to buy us awful gifts when they go on foreign holiday every year cheap watches, handbags, wallets and nasty foreign toys!!

It is successful strategy most years!!!

This has made me laugh rather a lot. Why do they do it? Why?

Last year, MIL bought DD1 (10 months and an eczema sufferer) an acrylic hotwater bottle in the shape of a duck. Well, a duck that had been run over. It is waiting to go to the charity shop.

DH got a cat crumb cleaner for hoovering bits off the table.

We do get good stuff as well, but the tat is still a bit overwhelming. Bets are being placed as to how many times we hear the phrase "It was so cheap, it was stupid not to buy it"

discoverlife - It's too late now It's all been wrapped and distributed! I think most of the recipricants know that the stuff is really MIL's idea so I don't feel too guilty but we are definately skint! I have decided that I am really really going to put my foot down next year. If that woman even so much as hints at giving me pressies to give out to others I will be telling her to give them to them herself and Dp and I will actually be able to choose what we put our name to!
The money we've felt forced to spend is one thing but the real issue is the humilliation. I can't even accuse the woman of being sly or nasty in any way, she is a saint with a heart of gold and not a single brain cell in her head. BUT EVERYONE knows that she has either told us what to buy or bought it for us and poor uncle brian with his y fronts must be beside himself, I mean what would you give in return to that! It's embarrassing!

LittleGoldfish - Looking on the bright side, you're right! I am fairly sure my anti wrinkle cream days will be here in the near future!

Myrrhcy - I doubt anyone's going to really want my nasty, wouldn't wear them if my life depended on it, PJ's from MIL!

My MIL always gets me the most awful things which I think reflect her true feelings about me - the worst was probably a 'basket of fruit' which consisted of an old cardboard box filled with some rotting fruit with a bit of cling film balanced on the top. I had to throw it all out and when I got to the bottom of the box it was damp and covered in green mould. When she went to New York { she is very well off and travels entensively }, although she doesn't usually bother with gifts from her trips for my ds, her only gc, this time she decided to push the boat out and sent him a bag of the free crackers she had been given on the plane !

i'd like to think that people appreciate what they recieve as someone wether got it right or not has put thought and money into getting that gift

id be so hurt to think somone thought my present was crap and carted it off to charity shop id be more appreciative if somone lied and said clothes didnt fit could we have reciept then exchange for waht they could wear

i do get things i think arent great but will make use of them as someone has spent time and money on them but maybe thats just me lol

my ds gets lots of toys that maybe need to be put away but i always vary his toys anyway so he doesnt get bored and dont want to many that he will grow out of at same time

havent had time to read all of thread but i do like the homeless or refuge for unwanted gifts as i give my ds old toys and clothes to social servics who give to needy families all thigs are welcome as many people worse off with nothing who will appreciate the gift

The last time I suggested some ideas to dh's Mother she replied 'I don't need your ideas, I know MY son, thank you'...I've never suggested ideas ever since. He's only ever received gift vouchers since then .

Just had to say i now feel really , we have no money and I made up photo albums for all the GP thinking I was beingincredibly thoughtful, ILs haven't seen Dc this year. Apparently It is actually crap. Too late now already been sent.

whispywhisp, by the look of this thread MILs don't know their sons at all.

is it only the mothers of our menfolk that are crap at gift giving? my mum is great at getting gifts, and thats because she asks us what we would like, we then tell mum 2 or 3 things we would like and mum listens and then goes and buys one of them, its so simple.

My Mum is brilliant at buying presents - because she listens and makes mental notes of comments we may make during the year.

DH's parents have never got used to the idea that I married their son - the day before we got married his Mother rung to let me know 'remember, he is MY son'.

We've been married for 15 yrs and have two lovely dd's. We cut our ties with his parents 3yrs ago - the best move we ever made - we had to - they were such a nuisance and I'm sure given time they would've split me and DH up and got what they wanted - their son back home.

Cherryred - It's only a crap pressie if the GP's wouldn't appreciate pictures of their GC! Most GP's WOULD appreciate pictures of their GC so therefore, you have nothing to be embarrassed about and your thoughtful yet cost effective gift will be greatfully recieved.
Unless it was them who told you it was crap (sorry my command of english grammer has flown out of the window)

PK, not them someone in this thread said they had done this as a crap pressie to get back at ILs for previos crap pressie, personally I love all pressies and am grateful that someone gave me anything (within reason).

Cherryred - Ah I see. I think I know which post you were on about and it was my interpretation that the pictures were put in so as to rub it in to GP's that had neglected their GC and therefore used as a weapon as opposed to actually being a 'crap' gift

Ah Ok, I shall leave as I am feeling grumpy and this is actually a fun thread. On the crap pressie story though I bought my MIL some smellies when I first met DH, she gave them back to me about 3 years later. I shan't make that mistake again

It's not the crapness so much as the sheer volume. There are at least 30 presents under my tree and 15 more in a closet, all from ILs. This is for 2 adults + one baby. All I can think of is where the heck am I going to put it all? Something's got to give, it's not like I live in the fricking TARDIS.