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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Family member has bought refrigerated gifts

408 replies

ScottyandWestie · 18/12/2025 20:15

AIBU - Family member arriving on Saturday to stay for the whole of Christmas has just advised me they are bringing gifts which need to be refrigerated. It’s not alcohol but they will not explain what the items are for fear of “spoiling the surprise” and will need “possibly two shelves of the fridge”. I have a large fridge but due to catering to a huge amount of people over the Christmas period it’s full and will be at capacity tomorrow. I explained this but they are adamant. AIBU to suggest they store their gifts in a cool box in our shed?

OP posts:
Aluna · 20/12/2025 10:21

Well I hope at least it tastes nice.

I would eat the surprise up before Christmas to get it out of the way.

burnoutbabe · 20/12/2025 10:25

6 minutes to go! I am invested. Profiteroles tower is my guess.

GargoylesofBeelzebub · 20/12/2025 10:46

I’m placing my bets on one of those pavlovas with several layers in the shape of a Xmas tree.

FollowSpot · 20/12/2025 10:50

Please please please let it be a hibernating tortoise in quite a big box.

redbottleblue · 20/12/2025 10:51

You've already told them there's no room in the fridge. At this point I'd honestly let them turn up with it and let them face their own self inflicted problems. Don't try and solve it for them

FollowSpot · 20/12/2025 10:52

A big be-ribboned kilner jar of sourdough starter for each family member? With associated baking gubbins wrapped for under the tree - dough baskets, etc.

BauhausOfEliott · 20/12/2025 10:54

WeightLossGoal2024 · 20/12/2025 01:01

I’m also concerned it will be out a fridge for 3+ hours while they travel

A car boot will be fine for chilled food for a three hours at this time of year.

FollowSpot · 20/12/2025 10:54

Live lobsters?

Mollywasasinger · 20/12/2025 10:59

@ScottyandWestie i have family members who are like this - totally unreasonable insane demands, won’t listen to explanations about why their demand won’t work, everybody ends up accommodating them as it feels easier in the moment but the resentment builds and builds. You have spent hours of your life constructing an outdoor fridge to try and placate whoever this is.

For your New Year’s resolution, may I suggest that you resolve to just say no to whatever they come up with next?

pusspuss9 · 20/12/2025 11:22

FollowSpot · 20/12/2025 10:54

Live lobsters?

Yes, my boss once bought me a live lobster back from Maine. it was in a carton like thingy and evidently a service offered at the time in Maine (this was many years ago) . Just want to say it was not something I had requested.

CarefullyCuratedFurniture · 20/12/2025 11:32

Im voting for a whole Stilton and a haunch of venison, as the epitome of extravagant and unhelpful presents!

fatphalange · 20/12/2025 11:34

Have them a place at the table set up for their arrival as they will have to help you eat it all so it doesn’t go to waste, as like you said there is no room in the fridge for whatever it is.

rainbowstardrops · 20/12/2025 11:38

How ridiculous to expect two fridge shelves in someone else’s house!
Is it your dad @ScottyandWestie?

B1anche · 20/12/2025 11:42

burnoutbabe · 20/12/2025 10:25

6 minutes to go! I am invested. Profiteroles tower is my guess.

What if we never find out? I'm keeping everything crossed for un update later.

SharonEllis · 20/12/2025 11:43

B1anche · 20/12/2025 11:42

What if we never find out? I'm keeping everything crossed for un update later.

Show quote history

I am genuinely on tenterhooks, in fact quite distracted ftom my own Christmas preparations...

Aluna · 20/12/2025 11:56

burnoutbabe · 20/12/2025 10:25

6 minutes to go! I am invested. Profiteroles tower is my guess.

I’m definitely hoping for profiteroles that all get eaten today.

shuffleofftobuffalo · 20/12/2025 12:12
  1. your relative sounds like a nightmare
  2. my guess is cheese, lots and lots of cheese, too much for any family to eat over Xmas regardless of the number of people, and they will then be offended because the cheese isn’t finished
  3. are hibernating tortoises really kept in the fridge?
Original poster
ScottyandWestie · 20/12/2025 13:18

Right - some of it’s definitely alcohol - Son messaged there are about 8-9 glass bottles clinking in plastic bags - not quite wine bottle size. Another heavy bag of “lumps of stuff”- I’m betting cheese. I don’t want to be too outing as I’m sure my sister in law is on here. It’s one of my parents twin sibling - they did everything growing up together but one had a family (my parent)the other never found their person and has no kids etc. Person was always despite being same age as parent like a sort of half grandparent, old before their time. They come to everything, always have done, birthdays, graduation, anniversary etc (turned up at a family party this year with a stray dog, arrived at a christening once, witj someone they met on a bus that was so interesting we all had to meet them) are very kind, they are though always a bit demanding. Started when grandparent they cared for passed away suddenly, prior to that they were a bit needy attention wise, but meant well. My parent struggles with guilt of them living alone and never making their own family, so for the most part we go along with all of it.

OP posts:
Original poster
ScottyandWestie · 20/12/2025 13:22

Oh there is also a bag of fresh cut holly from their garden that my son got caught on putting in the car. Nobody even them wouldn’t put holly in a fridge though. So can’t be that.

OP posts:
SleafordSods · 20/12/2025 13:27

At least the bottles can go in the Outside Fridge I suppose.

Blondeshavemorefun · 20/12/2025 13:45

Maybe they have made some kind of pudding that’s been glass dishes.

I can’t imagine why it has to be kept that cold in the fridge. It is bottles.

I hope the HOLLY has Babies

Blondeshavemorefun · 20/12/2025 13:45

Berries

BauhausOfEliott · 20/12/2025 15:14

ScottyandWestie · 20/12/2025 13:18

Right - some of it’s definitely alcohol - Son messaged there are about 8-9 glass bottles clinking in plastic bags - not quite wine bottle size. Another heavy bag of “lumps of stuff”- I’m betting cheese. I don’t want to be too outing as I’m sure my sister in law is on here. It’s one of my parents twin sibling - they did everything growing up together but one had a family (my parent)the other never found their person and has no kids etc. Person was always despite being same age as parent like a sort of half grandparent, old before their time. They come to everything, always have done, birthdays, graduation, anniversary etc (turned up at a family party this year with a stray dog, arrived at a christening once, witj someone they met on a bus that was so interesting we all had to meet them) are very kind, they are though always a bit demanding. Started when grandparent they cared for passed away suddenly, prior to that they were a bit needy attention wise, but meant well. My parent struggles with guilt of them living alone and never making their own family, so for the most part we go along with all of it.

If it’s cheese and alcohol, why would they think it MUST go in a fridge rather than a cool-box, though? Both those things are fine in a cool-box.

They don’t sound as ‘kind’ as you’re suggesting to be honest. They sound pushy and overbearing.

BauhausOfEliott · 20/12/2025 15:14

ScottyandWestie · 20/12/2025 13:18

Right - some of it’s definitely alcohol - Son messaged there are about 8-9 glass bottles clinking in plastic bags - not quite wine bottle size. Another heavy bag of “lumps of stuff”- I’m betting cheese. I don’t want to be too outing as I’m sure my sister in law is on here. It’s one of my parents twin sibling - they did everything growing up together but one had a family (my parent)the other never found their person and has no kids etc. Person was always despite being same age as parent like a sort of half grandparent, old before their time. They come to everything, always have done, birthdays, graduation, anniversary etc (turned up at a family party this year with a stray dog, arrived at a christening once, witj someone they met on a bus that was so interesting we all had to meet them) are very kind, they are though always a bit demanding. Started when grandparent they cared for passed away suddenly, prior to that they were a bit needy attention wise, but meant well. My parent struggles with guilt of them living alone and never making their own family, so for the most part we go along with all of it.

If it’s cheese and alcohol, why would they think it MUST go in a fridge rather than a cool-box, though? Both those things are fine in a cool-box.

They don’t sound as ‘kind’ as you’re suggesting to be honest. They sound pushy and overbearing.

BauhausOfEliott · 20/12/2025 15:17

shuffleofftobuffalo · 20/12/2025 12:12

  1. your relative sounds like a nightmare
  2. my guess is cheese, lots and lots of cheese, too much for any family to eat over Xmas regardless of the number of people, and they will then be offended because the cheese isn’t finished
  3. are hibernating tortoises really kept in the fridge?

You can put hibernating tortoises in a fridge, yes. It’s a temperature-stable, cool environment.

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