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AIBU?

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Original poster

The shit Christmas presents of 22 thread.

721 replies

ChristmasPresentsof22 · 25/12/2022 17:10

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.

OP posts:
mumonthehill · 26/12/2022 06:46

Ds22 bought me molton brown shower gel which was lovely until I got in the shower and poured it over myself to find out it was actually very posh hand sanitiser. He had not checked and this is a theme with him.

Simonjt · 26/12/2022 06:54

My husbands parents bought him a stay at bible conversion camp for the third year running.

lemoncheesecakemaker · 26/12/2022 07:05

Given my present by DH at 6pm last night. Not wrapped - unless you count the shop tissue paper - two rather horrid Christmas decorations bought from a shop I 'love' apparently. I love the notebooks they sold. Nothing more.
it came with the same old promise of 'I was going to get..' but didn't and never will as history tells us. It took 7 years to get something for my 40th and that was only when I pointed out I never received anything at all.
I wouldn't mind but for the amount of times he has been into town over last few months and he ends up rushing in on Xmas eve to get these.
Just disappointing.

poefaced · 26/12/2022 07:13

Shellshocked80 · 25/12/2022 17:27

I got a dvd from my boyfriend. I’ve already watched it with him before, I don’t have a DVD player which he knows and the subject of the dvd is incredibly insulting and tactless after the year I’ve had and he knows this. It’s so bad that he’s getting dumped as soon as the festivities are over, I wasn’t 100% sure about the relationship but this has just gave me the ick and I’ll never come back from it.

Let us know when you’ve dumped him!

Jannie62 · 26/12/2022 07:36

AngelinaFibres · 25/12/2022 19:04

Bath bombs make my fanny flaps curl up like roller blinds, followed by an immediate dose of thrush.

Show quote history

Thank you @AngelinaFibres , you made me 😂!

needtonamechange1000 · 26/12/2022 07:39

Thank you. That's incredibly helpful

mummybear2104 · 26/12/2022 07:45

A pair of cheapo slippers animal slippers clearly bought from the charity shop complete with yellow tinge in the white soles and that charity shop smell. They'll be heading straight back

teenagersandatoddler · 26/12/2022 07:51

My DP gave me plastic watering bulbs, a magnum of fizz (using my 20% discount card and then told me it is for display purposes), and a plant that has had the flowers knocked off it

Backstreets · 26/12/2022 07:53

Mostly got lovely thoughtful things but the always-shit present from my grandfather this year was a hand towel that said Worlds Best Brother

Beautiful3 · 26/12/2022 08:20

You should make a "swap christmas gifts post". Then everyone could swap their gifts, for ones they like!

ShandaLear · 26/12/2022 08:21

purplethings · 25/12/2022 17:53

I've had my eye on buying myself a cast iron kettle to last a lifetime. I've been looking for ages for one that could go from the induction cooker to the burner and I was in love with a le creuset one. I was going to wait till the after Xmas sales. For xmas Dh got me an aluminium kettle which holds about 10 litres, with paper thin metal and a handle that looks like it's paper clipped together and is going to break any minute and pour scalding water over whoever's unlucky enough to be using. Now if I buy myself the kettle I want I'll look ungrateful.

Your DH bought you a kettle for Christmas. That’s not a gift for you. That’s a gift for the house. Buy your kettle.

Twiglets1 · 26/12/2022 08:22

beastlyslumber · 25/12/2022 23:42

brother and his gf got me a nail voucher for a gel polish… I’ve bitten my nails for my whole life and can’t use it.

Thoughtless pressie, but could you use it to get some gel nail extensions? Otherwise I guess it might make a nice present for someone else!

I just wanted to say re this gift - if you want to have nice nails, a nail shop can give them to you via fake nails with gel polish on. I say this not to be condescending but as someone who bites their nails themselves. They put false tips over your own nails which I had done for a few months and your nails suddenly look great- plus you can’t bite them while the false tips are on so when they take them off your own nails have grown.
I was surprised how good my own nails could actually look after biting them for about 40 years! However, I only had it done for a few months because in the end I did get bored of the maintenance plus it can be expensive. I just wanted to point out you could use the gift token if you wanted to try having gel nails.

HowVeryBizarre · 26/12/2022 08:22

MIL had form for cheap crappy presents but she surpassed herself the year she gave her other DIL an empty slightly bashed brown cardboard box, all wrapped up in Christmas paper. Everyone assumed she had forgotten to put the actual gift in but no, apparently “nobody can have too many cardboard boxes” 😂

It took many years, and more than one teary Christmas Day, before DH finally realised that last minute/careless gifts just made him look Iike a dick. Stupid things like buying gold jewellery when I only wear silver, “sexy” lingerie that went straight in the bin. I got my revenge one year when I bought him a very expensive ice cream maker he knew I wanted and it was so expensive that was “his” only gift. He is much better now.

Twiglets1 · 26/12/2022 08:24

I think the main message from this thread is we should all buy ourselves one really nice gift at Christmas and consider it a gift from your best friend!

JennyWren87 · 26/12/2022 08:36

CoffeeAndCosyReads · 25/12/2022 18:11

From DM I got a basket full of body shop stuff... I know this would be a brilliant present for some and they can be pretty pricey, I am grateful, but I have had eczema all my life. I've tried body shop stuff in the past, which DM knew caused me a really bad flare up 😬

Similar to the above... a friend got me bath salts & body lotion sets which I again am grateful for the thought but can't use any of it.

SIL got me 3 books that I already bought myself. She knew this as I was with her when I bought them 🙈

Oh that's so annoying! Have you tried Balmonds? It's amazing for eczema and they have ncie products.

Quincythequince · 26/12/2022 08:40

I don’t think some of these sounds that bad at all.

Hand cream and wine from a secret
Santa?! I mean, it’s a secret Santa FGS. You could have been given aug with a picture of a pig on it (like some poor lady was and which was a vile thing to do).

I mean, the clothing etc that is several sizes too small or used, from close family members is obvious terrible, but I think some people need to take a long hard look at themselves in terms of some of the things they’re complaining about.

Quincythequince · 26/12/2022 08:42

mummybear2104 · 26/12/2022 07:45

A pair of cheapo slippers animal slippers clearly bought from the charity shop complete with yellow tinge in the white soles and that charity shop smell. They'll be heading straight back

Jesus Christ. Who were these from?

TheKeatingFive · 26/12/2022 08:46

but I think some people need to take a long hard look at themselves in terms of some of the things they’re complaining about

I agree with this.

Fleurdaisy · 26/12/2022 08:51

needtonamechange1000 · 25/12/2022 19:08

I think I might have given crap gifts.

I bought my four year old niece a unicorn dressing gown (she loves unicorns). I'm told no children that age would wear a dressing gown (it was towelling) and told off for not checking first. Should I have done?? I thought my choosing it was part of the thing as they have loads of money. Also soft toy which parents don't want her to have for unspecified reasons. I will now have to buy alternative gifts and have been thoroughly told off. Genuinely aibu to be miffed? Should I have checked first?

Can’t see what would be wrong with a dressing gown, my DDs and grandchildren all had them from being tiny. . Did the child like it? Because that’s what matters. And cuddly toys, as long as they’re safe, ok too. Parents just being controlling, or nasty, or both.

LostFrog · 26/12/2022 08:53

I think I need to gently tell dh not to buy me anything unless I have specifically asked for that exact one. He seems to think I should wear the same type of clothes/scarves/bags that his DM did. I don’t have the heart to complain because we sadly lost her 9 years ago, but I am stuck with a hideous purple flowery dress that I will never wear and a scarf that looks like something you would wear to church (we don’t go to church), and a horrible, horrible bag that I may need to accidentally leave somewhere. I love him to bits and don’t want to hurt his feelings. I have suggested we just take each other shopping next year.

beastlyslumber · 26/12/2022 08:57

Twiglets1 · 26/12/2022 08:22

I just wanted to say re this gift - if you want to have nice nails, a nail shop can give them to you via fake nails with gel polish on. I say this not to be condescending but as someone who bites their nails themselves. They put false tips over your own nails which I had done for a few months and your nails suddenly look great- plus you can’t bite them while the false tips are on so when they take them off your own nails have grown.
I was surprised how good my own nails could actually look after biting them for about 40 years! However, I only had it done for a few months because in the end I did get bored of the maintenance plus it can be expensive. I just wanted to point out you could use the gift token if you wanted to try having gel nails.

Show quote history

Sorry I was confusing. The first part of my post should have been in bold, I was quoting a pp.

LostFrog · 26/12/2022 08:57

Just remembering one year on here when someone’s husband bought her tickets to the rugby (she didn’t like rugby - he did). I would love to know whether she did as people suggested and went with a friend.

Bleachmycloths · 26/12/2022 09:02

Tiredo · 25/12/2022 17:15

Second hand trainers shitty trainers and Rylans autobiography, I’m sure he’s lovely (Rylan) but not my cuppa..

Second hand?? That’s gross.

whyhere · 26/12/2022 09:04

Read half the thread and then stopped, because it's so upsetting..... It's one thing to have received something low-cost (or nothing at all) because of the genuine hardship a lot of people are experiencing at the moment, but to read of so many people giving gifts in a way that seems designed to be thoughtless, or passive aggressive, and to read of so many husbands/partners just not bothering, makes me truly so sad.

So, to those of you who've been on the receiving end of such carelessness, remember that you are a special, wonderful, fantastic person, fully deserving of love and appreciation. May your New Year be better 😘

mrsimpostersyndrome · 26/12/2022 09:04

I was given a yankee candle set despite having a very vocal and strong stance on not liking candles 😂