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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for either your best or worst Secret Santa presents?

130 replies

tearsbeingwashedaway · 13/12/2022 17:59

Not mine but ones I’ve been involved in

Someone gave a box of free chocolates they’d got at a hotel.

Someone bought a baby book and toy for someone who was maybe 4 or 5 months pregnant, she promptly threw it in the bin because she didn’t want to jinx anything by buying so early. I get it but it didn’t need the dramatics and she could have just donated it.

A sex toy. There was an HR meeting.

OP posts:
Noluthando · 13/12/2022 21:57

Herejustforthisone · 13/12/2022 19:22

It wasn’t me but I had a friend who received knitted white rectangle. Badly knitted. Nowhere near big enough for a scarf. No idea what it was or what it was for. We’ve discussed at length. And it was delivered late as they had forgotten it so on the actual Secret Santa day she’d missed out. She’s dined out on the story since. The young woman who gave it to her was what made the story really interesting…

Could have been a knitted dishcloth ?

Allschoolsareartschools · 13/12/2022 22:21

Reading this makes me SO glad I finally said a polite "no thank you" to taking part this year. I am just fed-up with buying something nice & recieving something really shit or something way under the price limit & pretending it's OK.
Literally couldn't give a shit if the bossy cow office manager thinks I'm a kill joy, in fact I hope she does.

Worst thing was probably a set of horrible crockery that had just been fished out of someone's cupboard. I left it at work in the kitchen cupboard.

Last year got a glass cup from IKEA, (£1.37) filled with a handful of Quality Street (all crap ones)

Best was a bottle of prosecco & bag of mini Cheddars but I'll just buy them for myself from now on.

Herejustforthisone · 13/12/2022 22:28

Noluthando · 13/12/2022 21:57

Could have been a knitted dishcloth ?

Show quote history

I don’t think so, it was quite tightly knitted and with an acrylic sort of yarn. It had loads of threads hanging off on the edges. It looked like a bit of a bigger knitted patchwork. It was not big. Absolutely baffling. The giver was in her 20s.

A dishcloth would have been pretty shit anyway. The budget was a tenner, if I remember rightly.

Lilyjfree · 13/12/2022 22:31

Worst was a £5 voucher for the body shop.
Best was a secret Santa lucky dip, the gift I picked was 2 card games. Still play one of these regularly.

UWhatNow · 13/12/2022 22:44

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MaryLennoxsScowl · 13/12/2022 22:45

Best was a thermal mug that folded up small. Worst was a really disgusting smelling candle - smelled of toilet cleaner and I really doubt it cost a tenner! Candles sound like a safe bet but a lot of them smell dreadful.

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 13/12/2022 22:52

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xyhere · 13/12/2022 23:02

The best I ever managed was for a work Christmas party. I hate the things (social engagements aren't my thing, for obvious reasons if anybody's seen my posts elsewhere), so I thought I'd make it a bit more interesting with an activity.

One person joined the party after the names were drawn, so...I "drew" their name as well and gave both of them a Nerf blaster.

Much fun was had by all, until we got thrown out of the restaurant. Turned out to be a great night :)

Snoopystick · 13/12/2022 23:02

Best - small Ted Baker “Opulent Crush” body spray which I had never tried and now buy all the time as it’s lovely.

Worst - book of ‘inspirational quotes’

katseyes7 · 13/12/2022 23:07

Two years running at work, l got weird Secret Santa presents.
The first year - condoms and chocolate body paint.
The second year - a sex manual.
My marriage wasn't great at the time, I put them in the bottom of my wardrobe intending to get rid after Christmas, and forgot about them.
My husband found them after a while. Went mad, convinced l was having an affair.
They were both from the same woman, someone l car shared with, and who knew we were having problems. I don't know if she thought they'd be 'helpful' but they caused no end of trouble.

Same place, one of the young (she was 21) very pretty girls got red sequinned nipple tassels. She was very embarrassed and no one admitted buying them.
I found out about a year later that one of the men in the office had bought them for her. He was in his fifties. Awful.

GridRock · 13/12/2022 23:16

@NutsaremyNemesis you are vile

WiggyClawsThe2nd · 13/12/2022 23:18

A book called "be a better you" written by some evangelical American preacher. In a job that I was being bullied out of. Was livid.

YesThisIsMe · 13/12/2022 23:19

Worst, because most awkward, was when someone bought me something thoughtful related to something I'm really into but got it slightly wrong. So e.g. if I'm well known for being a huge fan of Brian Cox the astrophysicist and they got me a signed copy of Brian Cox the actor's autobiography. I just didn't know what to say.

Best was a specially printed mug with a picture unique to me. I've still got it but have never dared use it.

Nowifi · 13/12/2022 23:29

I bought someone a triangle once, no idea why! I was about 18 and it was with college friends! She didn't mind it to be fair 😂

Suprima · 13/12/2022 23:43

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A bullshit bell is for YOU to call out bullshit
Thats the purpose of them. It wasn’t a dig at you.
it was probably given to you because you are so concise and ‘to the point’

it’s a shame no one rang the bell to stop your bullshit.

iminvestednow · 13/12/2022 23:48

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I know this comment really doesn’t apply to this thread but I saw this and I just got curious. I know ASD is a massive spectrum but my son’s only diagnosis is autism, he is utterly unable to live an independent life and it is very hard, he is 15 and I still have to dress him. There is no real understanding of ‘the real world’. I read your well put together post with a clear and considered understanding of what is socially acceptable. Is your autism self diagnosed or should I just be more conscious of the spectrum?

jezlifecoach · 13/12/2022 23:55

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I also thought the same. I think the OP completely got the wrong end of the stick.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/12/2022 00:09

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You are really admitting (and gloating) that a Secret Santa gift that you totally misunderstood contributed towards someone losing their job?!

How terrible for him and embarrassing for you. Being Autistic does not excuse being a …. Well I won’t fill in that blank. Used your imagination

MrNorrell · 14/12/2022 00:11

I had awful luck when we did them in our tutor group at school. The first two years the people who had me forgot, the next year someone gave me part of their packed lunch, the next year the person told me that "I wasn't sure what you'd like so I just didn't bother".
When I was in Year 11, my tutor very kindly bought me a box of fudge, in anticipation of me not getting anything again (I didn't).

When I had my first full time job, someone got me a bullet vibrator and some nice chocolate. I was 18 and the next youngest person there was about 30...
Honestly, had we not had to open them in front of each other, I wouldn't really have minded.

LeeHarper5 · 14/12/2022 00:17

Worst - Anti wrinkle cream (from my bitchy boss)

Best - The gift I bought for myself when I pulled my own name out of the hat but didn’t let on! All my favourite treats for a relaxing night in. I went over the budget too 😂

I hate secret Santa. All sat around opening gifts then pretending we’re happy with what we received.

ratmatazz · 14/12/2022 00:27

Some diabetic toffee. I'm not diabetic. It had a sale sticker on it

Trees6 · 14/12/2022 00:44

A plastic phone case that didn’t fit my phone.

The best was Rouge Noir nail polish.

Men giving young women sex gifts is absolutely disgusting. You just know what was going through their seedy middle-aged minds. Compare them to the lovely man upthread who gave a nice scarf to a 20yo colleague.

Mamaneedsgin · 14/12/2022 00:44

A book on penis puppetry, complete with a section on ‘warming up’ before attempting shapes like a yacht and a windmill. I do not own a penis (and was single at the time!).

SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 14/12/2022 00:47

Mine was the other day. £10 present. The one I put in was probs over £10. The one I received was a box of After Eight mints. It is relevant that this is the Slimming Club secret santa Xmas Hmm

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 14/12/2022 01:10

I remember a male manager giving a female member of staff a pack of thongs with reindeers on them.

Why do men always seem to do this?!