The shit Christmas presents of 22 thread.

[ChristmasPresentsof22]

Another year, another round of presents from family that I cannot use. I have a serious food allergy and another health condition that means that I can't eat or use some foods/cosmetics. These are not new health issues, had them since childhood, yet there is not a single gift out of the few that I received that I can make use of. I decided to be blunt this year (after years of unsuaitable gifts) and tell the givers that I can't use their gifts due allergy etc but thanks anyway. Now I'm an ungracious brat. Am I? "It's not their fault I'm fussy." I'm really not, I just don't want to get sick. I would prefer not to do the gift thing as I'm not overly bothered about that part of Christmas, but I would be ruining it for everyone else, everyone else who gets decent thoughtful presents based on knowing what they like, it's shit when those thoughts are not reciprocated.

Anyone else want to join the naff presents club.

A diary for 2021..

Yet again I was given a necklace by DH, I've never worn a necklace since I met him 11 years ago. I mean, they're all very lovely, but a total waste on me.

I told him this year - finally. Fortunately he got this year's from a lovely local jeweller, so am going to see if I can swap it for something else.

Pj bottoms that I'd specifically said don't get those, when DH had pointed to them, in Xl thanks I'm size 10.

A Deodorant
A vague promise of weekend away (that won't happen)
Some hair bands
A mitt for fake tan (that I don't use)
Gin (that I don't drink)

That 20 years of marriage for you, not sure we will
Make 21, I think my limit today has been reached.

Yet again I'm upset that I bother and make effort.

This year if was receiving bath bombs from 2 different people... Who know that I don't have a bath. 😂 The plus side is we are actually looking at getting a bath put in early next year so they won't go to waste!

I'm extremely pregnant, for context here. SIL said to us that they're totally broke this year and didn't get my husband or me any presents at all, but if there was anything we need for the baby, she'll get it in the new year (as long as it's not too expensive). I'm almost due so we have absolutely everything we need, for one. But also when we video called them earlier, we found she'd gotten her 3 kids a new iPhone each, designer clothes, record player and other pricey stuff. She also got MIL and FIL a luxury weekend away voucher. Not going to lie, it has stung a bit!

This year I have four presents and all of them are brilliant. This is rare and new and lovely.

Not me but my poor 91 yo gran. She was literally given days to live in October but is a tough old bird and pulled through. She even cooked our turkey as she has for 70+ years (her insistance!). Anyway, my uncle and aunt got her rubbish presents - cheap soap that she will probably be allergic to and some naf coasters. Don’t come and see her much neither. She deserves something thoughtful, doesn’t have to be expensive. Yet they spent hundreds on each other. It’s sad. Fortunately she got some lovely things from my mum and me, and spent a lovely day with our dog who she dotes on. Was just a bonus to have her there for me.

I've had a few (genuine) laugh out louds reading this thread - so thank you all for sharing! I really hope everyone got one or two decent gifts, from decent souls, to compensate for the pish gifts!!!

I had a nice box of chocolates from DH which I enjoyed, until he said “well, I was getting them for some friends and family and I needed five, but they had a deal on if you bought six, so I thought, why not” 🙄

Cosmetics I can't use bc of ingredients (giver knows this), and wine (pregnant).

Properly scratchy, bright red socks. Two pairs exactly the same. Horribly uncomfortable, they don’t look nice, they’re just not me at all. And why two pairs?

Typical of the rubbish I get from my husband.

Every year my DM sends us a box of random stuff she’s found in charity shops. Most of it I unpack and pack straight back up again to take back to the charity shop. She means well, but I just would like it if one year she got the DCs a present they actually wanted, especially as she asks us what they would like.

All my presents were actually really lovely this year, I've been lucky. Parents got me and DP an absolutely HUGE hamper full of lovely things that they put together themselves. It was really thoughtful.

Had to share some of my worst presents ever though:

• work secret Santa one year I got a single bar of soap. Not even fancy soap. The soap you'd wash your hands with. A completely bare bar of soap just wrapped in Christmas paper
• ex BF once got me a cheap plastic hairbrush and 2 packets of makeup remover wipes
• a single drinking glass from a friend. Nothing special about it, literally just a glass tumbler, and clearly not new

Jesus Christ

@Whywhywhywhy3 what sort of things did you get in your hamper? I've always wanted to do something like this, especially for DGM but never have an idea of the kind of items to look out for.

My son has all the bath bombs that are given to anyone in my house - I don’t see how having something scented in the water is suitable for women and girls at all and still they’re marketed as a present for women. They give me a really itchy vulva for days afterwards, and I don’t think this is unusual

Oh dear god...😬

I saw on a tv show once a woman’s MIL gave her a long white T-shirt that had a big red HO on the front.
The MIL thought it was very “Christmas-y.”

Ditto, haven't done the present stuff for years now. Nor the big roast dinner for 13 people lol. Them days long gone.

🤣

This twitter thread made me laugh the other day

"Our granny gave a fruit bowl to my wee brother one year. I got the belt from a ladies coat"

twitter.com/memorialdevice/status/1606419689529384961

SIL has outdone herself this year.

For DH: the same t shirt she bought him for his birthday in the summer. A pair of XL pyjamas (he’s 5’10 and 10 stone). A box of chocolates. He doesn’t eat chocolate

For me: a fake candle. A fake plastic plant. A chick lit book by an author I’ve never heard of. A Disney jumper.

For my youngest: some opened Lego mini figures from the supermarket freebie offer. A too-young duvet set.

For the two big kids? Nothing. They are over 18 and so don’t get presents this year. What the fuck. That was never discussed; and they were actually quite hurt by it because despite the shit presents every year there is an emotional tie with gifts. I’ll take your generic bath bomb over a big fat nothing any time. Especially as none of us had any idea until the day and a breezy ‘oh you’re adults now, you don’t get gifts’.

Im so fucked off with the whole thing. I don’t want your plastic ill fitting tat. But fgs give the 19 and 20 yo a tube of smarties or something you utter psychopath.

She then weirdly goes £££ for (strange) birthday presents which is equally/oppositely enraging.

I have been married for 33 years and learned early that “surprises” from DH were not necessarily the best idea. I usually point him in the direction I what I would like or, in the case of the metronome, I bought it myself, got him to pay for it and give it to me. However, my vigilance seems to have worn off in the last couple of years or he has decided that my suggestions could not be found in the last two or three shopping days before Christmas or my birthday, which is 2 1/2 weeks before Christmas. In 2020 we saw a lovely handbag on sale, which he gave me for Christmas. In 2021, we stopped at the Clark’s outlet in Street on the way home from our holiday. There is a Radley shop there and l suggested that he might choose something for Christmas or my birthday. He bought a lovely red purse, which he gave me for my birthday, which matched the red handbag he gave me for Christmas. I was delighted and use them for best. Now we come to 2022 and for my birthday I was given a small Atmosphere handbag with a pretty necklace (he seemed amazed that I knew the bag came from Primark). I suggested a pretty ring l had seen in M and S and which was on offer. I actually received a very large handbag, no particular make, with a silver chain in it it. Apparently this was better quality than the one on the necklace I was given 2 1/2 weeks ago and could be a substitute for it. A nice enough present but somehow underwhelming and disappointing as it was almost identical to the present he had so recently given me. Still, at least he did not make the mistake my grandfather made one year, when he gave my grandmother a chip pan for Christmas. He was lucky to make it to Boxing Day!

Is the napkin gifter German by any chance? I ask because we used to do exchange visits to Germany with our town's twinned town, and a small gift for the host was always given. When we hosted we were gifted paper napkins a couple of times. I thought it was a bit odd too!

Just re gift them back to her every year 😁

DH had a hair mask. He’s bald 😄