Family member has bought refrigerated gifts

[ScottyandWestie]

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?

'And what do you suggest I do with all the food that needs refrigerating over the Christmas period?'

Last Christmas I had to empty my fridge of all the jars of chutney, jam, sauces etc that was taking up a whole shelf. I put them in a cool box and changed the ice blocks every day, they were fine. Bottles of wine and beer were stored outside on the back door step which is out of the sun and we just kept a couple in the fridge for immediate consumption.

Whatever it is will be fine in the boot of the car surely, it's cold at night and boots stay cold.

I would also send them a picture of your full fridge post shop and say, no room, make other arrangements please. Let them buy a large cool box and a load of ice packs (which you could top up in your freezer maybe).

What a stupid Xmas gift. Are the recipients meant to eat whatever it is straight after Christmas when nobody wants more food or how are they meant to get it home?

I agree, I was thinking a massive lobster. It’s way too much palaver for a few blocks of cheese

Oh that sucks OP, turning up with a ton of stuff that has to go in your already stacked fridge was pretty much exactly what I posted on the ' things people do at Chrismas that seem helpful but aren't' MN thread that was running a month or so ago. No advice, just solidarity!

Just me picturing some sort of Jeffrey Dahmer fridge set-up, then?

I think you’d better buy a padlock for your fridge, @ScottyandWestie.

Good point. Either it’s a short and repeatable (on Chrstmas morning) distance, or they've a cooling container they can employ chez OP.

Look forward to the update!

it's utterly ridiculous. So batshit!!

I was going to say, just tell them the gifts will have to be given early (ie as soon as they arrive) but given your situation with the neighbour's house I'd just do that (if I was your neighbour I wouldn't mind in the slightest, if there was room)

utterly batshit gifts at anytime, but especially Christmas.

Can DS refuse to have it in his car if it's that big? In case it 'spills over' and wrecks the upholstery? Whatever it is...
And then it won't even leave their house?

Also placemarking as I want to know what happens...
We are in Brisbane, will be approx 30deg on Xmas day. No room in my fridge at Xmas or any other day! We only have two shelves for four people, two of them teen-agers so it is usually full. Everything has to go in the fridge (chocolate, ketchup) as it would melt, go off, or get eaten by ants all year round.

Good luck OP!

Tell them the most you can fit in is the coolpacks for their coolbox.
Cheeky of them.

My DM buys perishables like porkpies, sausage rolls and even croissants ridiculously early in December and big's herself up for being ' organised', but basically they go past their best before date, so you end up with stale croissants on Christmas orning, and slimy grey porkpie on Boxing Day. She also has a habit of not putting cheese in the fridge, which makes it inedible in my opinion.

🤣😂

I might need some Mounjaro after Christmas dinner

Leave in the car boot, it’s getting colder !

Cheese is my bet, or fancy wine. Either can go in the garage.

Is it a man demanding this of you?

You're not being unreasonable. I'd tell them that if you can squeeze anything into your fridge you will, but other than that they'll have to have a cool box or they'll have to buy a mini fridge if that's not good enough.

I would be wary of refrigerating something edible like fish or meat that has been sat in a car for at least 3 hours

Unrelated but a friend once left a mountain of cheese in the boot of our car overnight in France. We'd stopped over to stay in a hotel on the way back and the muppet didn't think to bring it up to his room and chill it.
OMG the stench when we opened the car in the morning and had to have the windows open 6 hours home.

To be honest, I'd bite my lip and ask the neighbours. Don't give her the headspace to ruin your Christmas and hide the keys so there's no chance of letting herself in. Next year, however successful whatever it is, is. Tell her the neighbours are not going away and under no circumstances to repeat it unless the is also buying you a "party fridge" for the shed.

I’m assuming it’s a mother-in-law (not a joke).

I'm guessing a fresh lobster from Maine

Ice box in the garden or garage. What a thoughtless person!

If it's live seafood perhaps the OP can keep it in the bath? <joke>.

I'd not be accommodating their demand for fridge space because it just perpetuates the expectation that people will put themselves out to deal with their nonsense.

I'd just be fervently hoping it is cheese and not something that not only needs huge amounts of fridge space but also huge amounts of prep and cooking time/oven room!!

Are they notorious for being tight arses ?

Maybe they got a job lot of perishable food on the cheap from somewhere.

Are they expecting you to eat it all over Christmas ? 2 shelves of smoked salmon could be hard work.