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?

To be fair I’d probably wear a wolf onesie, I’ll have to tell her I want one then at least it would be something I’d use 😂

Thats just an excuse for you to go out and howl at the full moon eh! 🤣

The only people I see wearing wolf fleeces are barmy old women who are rotund with straggely grey hair and a lack teeth. Is that how your Mother sees you?

Your post made me howl with laughter! (See what i did there 😉)

Honestly it’s the funniest thing I’ve read in ages.

My mum really loved frogs so as kids me and db started buying her frog themed birthday presents. Her favourites were a frog shaped wicker waste paper basket and a frog ceramic holder for pot-scourers. Absolutely bonkers. I wonder if in the end it was a bit too much but bless her she always smiled and said she loved the gifts.

You're going to have to tell her you've joined an anti-capitalist minimalist movement and now fundamentally oppose clutter and buying new stuff. You're having a clear out and all future birthday celebrations are limited to meals out together which she's welcome to give you as a gift. Anything else will go straight to the foodbank/charity shop

I once said I liked kiwis to my dad the week before I went to uni. Week later her showed up, in Scotland to see how I was doing… with a fucking shit load of kiwis. Industrial quantities of them… he still always gives me them or has them in when I go to his. I’ve never had the heart to tell him I’m not actually that keen on them. I just liked them a bit when I was 17 because I heard they were good for your sleep. I think you either need to tell her or just accept that she’s trying to be nice.

When we were first together (and very young) DH and I drove past some cows. I'd had a few drinks so I mooed out the window at them and told DH I like cows. Then MIL bought me cow stuff for years. Cow picture frames, bin, novelty items for the home. So awkward at Christmas unwrapping all the shit every year in front of everyone with DH secretly smirking at me.

I like owls but in the wild and I’m not a fan of tacky owl related paraphernalia - unfortunately my best friend seems to believe I am.

For years I’ve received owl candle holders, a handbag with a painted owl on (when I have a large handbag collection and wouldn’t ever use something like that) owl key rings with my name on in diamanté, stuffed toys, t shirts and tea towels and one year two enormous framed pictures with owls done using bright multi coloured diamond art.
The owls in the pictures looked possessed like they were preparing for attack and when the light hit the little gems it could have blinded someone.

My decor in my home is completely the opposite and chosen carefully, there was nowhere to put those two giant pictures and have them as an unwanted focal point

My DP suggested staging a robbery (If you ever watched the king of queens you’ll get it) and saying our taste is so boring they must have only wanted the stylish owl pictures but I just told my friend we were deciding on the best place to put them and then stashed them in a cupboard.
She mentioned it a few times but I
would stick to the story and say I still hadn’t decided and faked enthusiasm over the next load of unwanted tat!

A woman started where I work and somehow the rumour reached her about my owl “obsession” and on her second shift she presented me with a very expensive real gold owl necklace.

I have no idea why and tried to refuse it but she cried so I was forced to wear it to work every day and she complimented me on it every day.
I think she was just lonely and trying to do a nice thing to make friends but I was so relieved when I moved on from that job.
She did give me a lovely leaving card with an owl on it and suggested we stay in touch but I sadly “lost” her number 😆.

😂

I remember reading a thread on here once, the OP was asking for gift ideas for a friend. One poster replied "it's easy, you just have to find their "thing" and you'll always know what to buy". So that's how the perpetrators of this think. I replied nooooo!

I voted AIBU because you just need to tell her. You can't just hint, because now she thinks "no more blankets or pictures" when it's actually the wolves you don't want.
If she continues after she knows, then you have a problem.

Bringing back memories of when my dad decided I was obsessed with chocolate fudge and it was his job to keep me in supply! DP’s had brought me some back from a trip and obviously being polite I’d said how nice it was……cue years of him bringing me some from every holiday or day trip! I’m really not a big fan of any fudge and had to tell him in the end, I said if he really wanted to treat me then just chocolate was fine, no fudge. To be fair he did laugh, even he wasn’t sure why he’d run with it like that.

Spirit of the wolf.
You can get matching trousers to go with the fleece if you so wish.

They are hideous and the throws are a sight to behold.
I would just tell her no more wolf stuff.

I did laugh at the pp who mentioned the owl necklace for millennials 🤣 we did all have that one!

I’d get her wolf themed gifts back. If she says anything you could say you’ve noticed how much she likes wolves.

Reminds me of my cousin who is an Elvis fan. She likes his songs. That’s it. But she has been given loads of tasteless Elvis tat and ‘memorabilia’ over the years and she hates all of it.
Remember the frog sketch on Little Britain? Kind of the same thing in reverse 😊
Sorry, OP for all the wolf crap rather than nice gifts that you actually want.

😆Sorry OP it's a hilarous and relatable dilemma! But a Wolf Sanctuary could be the answer!
Ask for a donation to one in your name instead of a present.
Ironic timing of your post OP as I bought some wolf merch for a wolf lover just last night. 😬😳🤔

My aunt once casually mentioned, as a small child, that she quite liked frogs.

Once.

No one knows quite how it started. From then on every time someone went on holiday they would bring her back a small frog themed gift. This turned into a sort of ritual/tradition.

The more she protested that she didn't like frogs that much anymore, the funnier the wider family seemed to find it, and the bigger the frog gifts grew.

She was particularly 'unhappy' about the stone frog fountain her eldest sister had installed in her garden while she was on holiday one year.

(I put unhappy in brackets because her fuming was quite performative, almost pantomine. She seemed to enjoy it as much as the rest of the family, even getting the huff with one relative when they didn't bring her a frog themed gift back, because they thought she had enough. Though she never admitted it openly).

When she died my cousin took all of her frog things and had them in cabinets in a room of her house. She said she loved frogs too as they reminded her of childhood and her mum.

She was very clear that she did not want more than one frog themed room in her house though, so please no more frog gifts. She still enjoys the frog themed birthday and Christmas cards from everyone though.

I know this isn’t the point, but after a horrible week at work this has really cheered me up. The thought of a whole bedroom full of wolves and native Americans 😂

Sell them all. They have huge ironic tongue in cheek value, bad taste parties etc and of course there’s a whole sub culture of people who genuinely love this stuff, make some money , get something you do like and tell your mum you’ve got a new craze now, maybe luxury food hampers or expensive bath products or whatever, change it up before each birthday and Christmas

Tell her you've gone off wolves. Ask whether she'd like her gifts back or should you donate them to a charity shop. Take every wolf item down and pack away. The same with wolf clothing. Show absolutely no interest in anything, but state specifically what you'd like for presents. Good luck!

Sell them on vinted and then post the link so I can buy them off you please I love all that cheesy wolf stuff.
Sorry no real advice. I had an ex whose mum would buy me tacky dog themes gifts but we broke up before it really became a huge problem

Speak out & cut wolf presents on the head. I initially collected the NatWest Bank Pigs, which led to me liking pigs - BUT it ended up me getting more & more every Birthday & Christmas. I told my Mothrr Wasn't collecting them anymore, as I was so over-run with them. But would she listen - NO! 😡

I think they find it easy to buy for & if they don't they can't handle thinking what else to buy their grown-up child!

Nothing like this ever happened to me. But this is what I would do -> find "wolf"-related brands that you actually ask her for something from their range -- eg Jack Wolfskin

Save her feelings and just say that you’re coming out of your wolf era 😂