Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

CF ILS - anyone else want to vent?

285 replies

CheshGirl · 31/12/2023 11:44

Cooked and hosted Christmas dinner for in-laws as well as my family including my 2 small children (also currently 12 weeks pregnant).

In-laws asked what they could "bring" earlier in Dec, I said nothing really as I had it ordered from Ocado.

By this MIL assumed it was all prepared as her response was "how lovely, Christmas in a box", throughout the day she continued to question what I had made and what had come "done".

We agreed they would bring "drinks"...

Considering there were 7 adults and 2 children, any guesses what they turned up with...?!

OP posts:
Auntieobem · 31/12/2023 11:46

2 bottle of wine and a bottle of coke?

SausageRollsWithMustard · 31/12/2023 11:46

Gin?

shellyleppard · 31/12/2023 11:47

Bugger all??

Sparkletastic · 31/12/2023 11:47

One bottle of Prosecco?

Daisybuttercup12345 · 31/12/2023 11:48

1 bottle of coke and 1 babycham?

willingtolearn · 31/12/2023 11:49

1 Bottle of black tower, 1 bottle Pernod and some chocolate milk?

Outlookmainlyfair · 31/12/2023 11:49

A bottle of wine?

Yalta · 31/12/2023 11:50

Tea bags and a jar of instant coffee

Sparkletastic · 31/12/2023 11:50

Before my ILs moved a blessedly long way away we'd have them over for lunch once a month. Sometimes I would do a Mexican style meal of fajitas, chilli con carne, guacamole, salsa etc. MIL would without fail comment that it was 'so easy - your signature dish' Hmm

BettyBakesCakes · 31/12/2023 11:51

I'm guessing nothing because you told them not to?

Mywhoopdeedoo · 31/12/2023 11:52

You told them not to bring anything????

RatatouillePie · 31/12/2023 11:53

Some Capri Sun pouches for the kids, then individual bottles of wine for each grown up and a straw to save on washing up?

BeeCucumber · 31/12/2023 11:58

Watney’s Party 7?

Yalta · 31/12/2023 11:59

Why would your mil think that ordering from Ocado meant getting everything prepared
Did you not explain that Ocado was just a supermarket delivery system

Also wondering why they are CFs whatever they turned up with as you already said everything was covered

Or is this one of those times when you say one thing but mean another and you expect people to know you are lying

Snowflakecookie1989 · 31/12/2023 12:01

If she had brought wine,I would have asked if she had crushed the grapes herself? But then I'm petty 😁

Citrusandginger · 31/12/2023 12:04

I don't think you can say nothing I've ordered everything from Ocado and expect them to turn up with anything though?

Why not say something like, I've ordered the dinner, but perhaps you could bring some nibbles & extra drinks?

wombats78 · 31/12/2023 12:05

Ignore the nitpicking.

You agreed they'd bring drinks. I reckon a bottle of wine...

My DM can be like this, always assumes people don't prepare stuff from scratch. It's some sort of weird snobbery. My Mil looks down on me because I do cook from scratch, thinks it's weird...people are weird...

MiIIieee · 31/12/2023 12:05

I'm guessing nothing as you told them not to bring anything....but now you're annoyed at that?

SavBlancTonight · 31/12/2023 12:06

I am trying NOT to vent but.... dh's siblings and their children were staying at one house (near us). SIL brought dessert - brilliant. No one else asked or brought anything. They all turned up an hour late. Bil left the table without a word before anyone had finished eating, barely engaged with anyone and then went home. He did, as it turns out, send dh a thank you message the next day so that's something I guess.

Did they bring 1 bottle white and one red?

MiIIieee · 31/12/2023 12:06

Oh sorry just seen you agreed they'd bring drinks! Did they turn up with a bottle of wine?

Flossflower · 31/12/2023 12:07

I am guessing 6 bottles of wine ( 2 champagne, 2 red and 2 white) as this is what we took on Christmas Day for 6 people. We also took a selection of soft drinks.

DelphiniumBlue · 31/12/2023 12:10

Yeah my inlaws... 6 adults, plus there are 6 of us, also adults. InLaws came with a bottle of Cava between the 6 of them! When they left, there were 6 empty bottles of fizz and another 5 of red, plus about 10 beer bottles ( I know because I've just sorted the recycling.)
I don't get it, if DH and I go anywhere, we normally take beers and wine/fizz, always more than we would drink, as do my friends. I think the younger members of the family (25-30) still think they are children and it's for the grown-ups to provide, although they drink like fish!

Haydenn · 31/12/2023 12:12

2 bottles of Buckie?

Brefugee · 31/12/2023 12:13

you have learned the first rule of hosting: either you are happy to organise everything and pay for it or you tell people exactly what to bring, including brands and quantities.

ZekeZeke · 31/12/2023 12:15

Brefugee · 31/12/2023 12:13

you have learned the first rule of hosting: either you are happy to organise everything and pay for it or you tell people exactly what to bring, including brands and quantities.

This. You need to be crystal clear.
drinks can mean anything.