AIBU to be frustrated by repeated wolf-themed gifts?

[Herecomes]

I am an animal lover, I am especially a dog person meaning I like wolves too if we’re talking wildlife. My mum has taken this to mean I’m obsessed with wolves - I’m really not.

Every year at Christmas she buys me something wolf related … it started off as huge framed pictures (often featuring native Americans too 😂) and in the end I had so many massive pictures piled up the spare room that I made a point of telling her I am no longer buying wall pictures as I don’t like a lot of stuff on the walls and I’ve ran out of space. She got the hint and stopped buying me pictures … instead she started buying me huge blankets, fleece bed covers etc, again featuring wolves howling at the moon, native Americans, wolf eyes staring out of dark trees etc 🤦‍♀️

I ended up with a big pile of fleece blankets that were just sat there collecting dust. In the end I asked her if she wanted any blankets as I’m getting rid of loads as I have far too many and don’t use them. She got the hint.

Now … as my birthday this year was approaching she asked me what size clothing I was. I told her. I joked to DH that I’ll probably end up with a wolf fleece jacket for my birthday … I was wrong … I got 3 wolf fleece jackets for my birthday.

I don’t get it!!! I’m in my 30s, she sees me every week … surely she can see that I don’t wear stuff like this?? It was funny at first but now its getting frustrating. She gets upset and offended easily so I’ve tried to treat lightly but come on …

What would you do?? Or do I just carry on accepting this stuff and lying that I like it to keep the peace?

I had a similar thing with cats. I just said to people, I’m not into cats generally - I specifically love mine. And I don’t like themed things. And the cat crap stopped

This is hilarious. Was it used as a mitigation factor in your split? 🤣🤣

Easy fix:
"Mum, I've really gone off wolves because of things I've read lately - I've been watching Martin Lewis' TV programmes though and I'm now really into cash!!" 😉

I feel your pain too. I have some friends who insist on buying me owl themed presents. I can't actually decide if they're taking the piss or not 🤷. The thing that bothers me the most is that I try and buy them nice presents and it's annoying to get a hideous owl ornament in return.

I had a friend who expressed a fascination with owls and was bombarded with owl statuettes for the next decade. I decided to fake a deep love of scented candles so the people who need gift shortcuts can buy me something I can easily donate, and don’t have to put on display when they visit.

Maybe you could tell your dm you have a new special interest?

🤣🤣🤣 sorry op this is hilarious. I do get how frustrating it must be!

I remember seeing something that said you decide your favourite animal at 5 years old and that's you done for life. Dolphins? Pandas? Sheep? Your family won't ever let you forget it 🤣.

Unluckily for you, it seems to be an adult thing!! Can you resell them? Is there a niche market out there?

From now on, I am going to express my love of £20 notes and my desire to collect them.

A friend of my Mum was bought ONE Liliput Lane cottage for her birthday...

Yeah, you can see where this went.

By the time she moved to a tiny 1 bed bungalow she had a whole fecking town of Liliput Lane.

and my mum was responsible for at least 3

Yes! Say you read this awful story about a wolf, and you’re going to start donating to a house building charity for pigs.

I apparently once mentioned to my MIL that I liked smoked cheese ( I was probably being polite because I think it tastes like Smokey bacon fries mixed with plastic) and ever since then every meal we ever have at her house involves her ceremoniously presenting a smoked cheese to me. My DH once said
but she doesn’t like smoked cheese and my MiL proudly announced “I know your wife better than you do - she loves it”. She even sends me a cheese hamper with it in every year for Xmas. I like cheese just not messed around with cheese.

Those wolf fleece jackets always remind me of old ladies in slacks off to the bingo!

Tell her you used to like wolves, but you've gone off them nowoohooo....🐺🐺🐺🐺

My DH gets chocolate covered gingers every year for Christmas from MIL since I told her (20+ years ago) that he liked them. He doesn't really, but I do. 😋

Honestly, does it really matter? Just accept the gift graciously (and appreciate that she's put the effort into choosing something she thinks you would like, even if she's got it wrong) and then quietly donate it to charity (preferably not in your Mum's home town!). It's the thought that counts.

My sister is like this op 😆 I feel for you!! My house is so specific design wise and she bought me a Chanel quote that said ‘be all you can be’ or something like that and was studded with plastic rhinestones 😂😂 nothing like my interiors. She does the same with shoes and clothes and feels so proud that it’s ‘exactly what you wanted’ while you’re sitting there like 🥴🥴🥴 that’s going straight in the loft. I’m currently trying to work out what to do with some lilac pink and red striped frilly cushions

I don't know how you stop the wolf onslaught but I just wanted to say op how much I have enjoyed this thread and it's given me a much needed laugh.

Can you tell her that you love all the wolf themed things, and that you are now saving up money to travel to Yellowstone to go on a wolf watching tour with an expert guide? Maybe she will contribute to that instead.

I’ve got this thing about Faberge eggs and diamond jewellery.

I have an in-law that occassionally buys me something with Katie on it, except my name is Katia but "it's only one letter different and they didn't have your name" WTF?
I've changed the name but it's similar in that there's a longer name that is probably the origin of both shorter names. I don't want a keyring with my name on it let alone a different one!
She has a name that changing one letter would give her the name of her in-law. I know she'd take it personally, not appreciate the point and think badly of me so I'm not going to do it.
I think if you have someone that will react badly to being told, there's not much you can do than pass things off to the charity shop etc. Other gifts have been terrible too so it's not like I'd get something nicer if I spoke up, it'd be another dog ornament! I can only dream of a dog blanket/blanket with dogs on, either would be ok 😂

No! Don't set her off on a pigs theme! That could be even worse! At least wolves are fluffy.

Also get this. My cat is 3. My grandma has bought me a cat solar light and a cat plant pot. My auntie bought me a cat water bottle.... I dont want a cat themed house. Just my cat

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Had to laugh with the pigs snowballing ... Orwell's pig in Animal Farm is 'Snowball' ... I'd have run from them, too!

This is absolutely hilarious 😆 sorry OP!

You need to replace this fixation with a new one, so you need to convince her you're now obsessed with chocolate or wine.

My MIL did a similar thing but with eggs!
Oh you love eggs dont you - heres a whole variety of eggs ive made for this lunch just for you! . I dont even really like eggs so I have no idea where it started. I can only assume she has me mixed up with some one else. Every time I do tell her that's lovely but I dont really love eggs that much that I need 3 or 4 varieties. Still does it every time.

I don't suppose you live near a certain market in mid-Cornwall? 😀

I’m sorry but I have to laugh! Not because I’m a dick but because I have had the same issue with my mum thinking I’m obsessed with owls 😂 because I had that one millennial owl necklace she decided I loved owls and every gift was owl themed. I don’t remember how I managed to get her to stop think I just had to repeatedly say that I don’t like owls and don’t need owl stuff!