I know I'm not, despite what anyone else says

[SaltireOShanter]

Last Christmas (2006) SIl who was 19 at the time moved into a flat which she had bought with her boyfriend. At the time DH said he wnated to buy them a present. I said Ok, we'll get them some towels, or sheets. I'll be honest, i didn't want to spend a lot becasue the cynic in me decided it wouldn't last. So we told Step MIl and PIL that's what we would get them. When we visited at New Year, step MIl said Oh could you buy them an Iron and Ironing Board instead as X has decided she doesn't want towels. SO DH said "Oh yes, no problem", i was furious. So anyway, she had actually picked a £50 iron out the Argos book. I put my foot down and said no, and insited we got her one from Asda which we did. Anyway they split up and sold everything on ebay and split the money . However, SIL has now moved into a bigger flat with 2 other girls, and step MIL has been on the phone to DH - at his work - he thought something was wrong - asking if we would get X another Iron and Ironing board and said "It would be nice if you could get her what she wants this time"
I have told him to text her back and say no. DH is 40 in a couple of months, his mum and dad are both 60 (another story, they are both having their 60th's on the same weekend, out of spite), his dad and step MIL are celebrating their silver wedding, SIL is 21, and we also have 2 weddings this year

Tell dh to telephone his mother and let his sister know he has decided to split up with you and could she get him an oron and ironing board - there is a really nice one here
board

Oh and seeing as she didn't get a wedding present it would be a nice idea if she could chip in for a nice car or something.

Then telephone a week or so after this arrives and say you got back together - great scams think alike

Lol Ivykate!

Dh and I chatted about this last night, and I showed him the email with the suggestions for PIL's 60th.

this is on the list

as is this

Anyway we have decided to just send her a card, I've explained to DH how I feel about this, and how we are always made to feel guilty about everything with regards to his dad and step mum. There will be some comment made though and then DH will end up feeling bad, thats the effect that his dad has on him I think we may need to have a discussion about the birthday though, as step MIL is putting pressure on us to get one of those BFA figurines. When my mum was 60 last year, she dind't want a big fuss made,a dn we gave her flowers, about £30 worth, which i think is enough to spend.

So saltire is SIL's granny going to buy her another leather sofa? And all the other stuff she sold for a fraction of it's cost new?
I love the was SMIL says 'get her what she wants this time'! Wouldn't it be great if we all got want we want just by asking other people to fork out for it.

Fahking hell! Are they for real????
It was my ils 60th birthdays last year, we spent about £25 each on them, got my Mil a watch, pendant and bracelet set - she was so delighted with it she kept showing it to all and sundry FIL got a really posh bottle of Whisky.
And your sil is a spoilt brat and the best gift you could give her is a swift kick up the arse and tell her not to be such a sponge.

oh dear Saltire. Not sure whether to be more at the items or the prices.

They sound hideous (and I don't mean the figurines now ). You need to put your (so to speak) collective foot down.

WTF!! at those hideous ornaments for ridiculous money

Get them a beatrix potter otter and be done with it

Can you ask other members of the family to club togeter to get one of those things? I reckon £20 is about all I would spend.

You can get ornaments like those for much much less!! (if that's the kids of stuff he is into!!)

When it was my FIL's 60th all he wanted was all of us together to go out for a meal!!

The day before his b'day I felt guilty we hadn't got him anything else so I made our kids go up into the garden & play about... I plaited dd's hair & made her wear a dress (unheard of!) & I put ds is cute little boy shorts & blue t-shirt.

They messed about & I clicked away with the camera. I then took the memory card into snappy snaps, got them to enlarge one of them & put it in black & white! I bought a silver (plated!!) frame from them for £8.99! It looked gorgeous!!

But when I came home I realised it wasn't that special... so I called an engraver, explained my situation & he was fab.. said he was a grandad himself & he told me to come on ahead into his shop & he would do it up for me!! He engraved "Happy 60th Birthday Granda, With lots of love from XXXX & XXXX"

He was over the moon with it!!! Cost me about £15 all in

this?

It's still sheep

This? (also still sheep )

Very nice sheep too. It has to be those sheep though becasue PIL used to be a herd, as did his dad and he grew up in a herd's cottage on a farm. That was the breed of sheep he herded

saltire are these the same people who couldn't be bothered to get your children christmas presents in time or send you cheques until the last minute.

If not sorry.

As for demanding gifts of a certain value i would tell them to going for a long walk of a high cliff, and see if they can find some manners. Alternativly perhaps your DH can suggest some equally expensive gift for his birthday.

How very rude, to ring up and ask for gifts and then dictate what that gift should be Send them all a dictionary and UNDERLINE the word gift!!!!

how bizarre wanting aniron

cloythes iron themselves from body heat i find

SOS, I would rather like some GHDs shall i email you my address so you can post them to me?

lizziemum - yes that's them. the cheque finally arrived on the 8th January
Have changed back to my usual name now in case anyone wonders!

I love this logic- I've moved house dozens of times since I left home and I don't think I ever get anything other than a card. Rather than being delighted by this I should have set up a gift list at argos or summat.

I'd be rolling in it by now if I'd demanded something everytime I moved...actually I'd be crushed under the weight of it all...

And 50 quid for an iron??? I'd expect it to iron the clothes for my at that price!

In that case tell to get stuffed, or if you want to be more polite tell them the cheque's in the post .

I'm sorry but if it was me i would be telling them if it not important for them to get christmas presents to children on time then they can get lost when it comes to making demand for expensive gifts for adults. But then i don't suffer fools gladly as the saying goes .

quattrocento I knitted a tcozy for my friend at chrimbo and it took piggin ages
Just as well she was happy with it

omg - have just read this thread (and a bit of the christmas one) and your DHs family are sooooo cheeky. Could you just say to them firmly once and for all that when it comes to present buying (be it christmas/birthday/housewarming??) you'd like to take the opportunity to choose something nice that suits your own budget and that if you are stuck and need suggestions you'll ask for them.

I hate getting unsolicited 'suggestions' for presents - its different if you call up and ask for ideas because you're stuck.

The whole idea of them just sending you money to go and buy your children's presents is pretty awful too. Its a bit different if they send money (in plenty of time) so that you can get them something they need but it sounds like they're just being lazy. Next time I'd tell them you're going to stick the money in the bank for them and if they're worried about the kids not having any presents under the tree from them then they can buy, wrap and post them.

Sorry - bit ranty.

Goodness, unbelievable, all of them. Sil is so cheeky, selling the iron and then demanding a new one!

As for fil, get him this, in a nice frame