To inflate or not to inflate

[PeppaTheFirst]

O.k. Last year my mum bought me a 4ft inflatable reindeer with Santa hat in the sales. I did not ask for this and have never expressed any liking for garden inflatables! I have lovely soft white lights for the house and garden and have nice decorations for the windows so the house does look Christmassy from the outside. To be honest (apologies in advance for anyone who has ginormous inflatables in their garden) I have always thought inflatables looked a bit tacky. wrestles inner snob back in its place I didn't want to hurt mum's feelings so said thank you and put it away hoping she would forget about it. She has mentioned it twice in the past week - specifically saying she can't wait to see the little one's face when it goes in the FRONT garden. Do I:

1. Explain I am just not keen on these decorations but thank her for the thought.
2. Put it in the back garden where she will go on and on and on about how it would look better in the front garden where everyone can see it.
3. Grin and bear it and put it up in the front garden - dd will love it!
4. stick a pin in it and tell her it must be faulty. Help please!!

INFLATE

Does she have a front garden? Tell her your DC would love to see the gigantic reindeer at Grandma's.

Can you put in the front garden for a day or two while she visits and tell DD its a special grandma present?

Melting - oh I tried that to be told very firmly she bought it as a present for my house for the wee one!!!
Negomi - we live in the same town and grandparents are round regularly during the week.

I am considering buying her a big 7ft something for their front garden as payback!!

Treat it like an elf on the shelf and tell your mum that you move it around frequently so that your DD can have fun finding it. Naturally the front lawn will quickly become too easy a hiding place and you'll have to make it more challenging by hiding it better.

Whowants - absolute genius!!!

inflate in the front garden of course!! or send it to me!!!

INFLATE

In would love one of these but they knicked from front gardens here so put it in the back to be safe.

Swap houses with me. I don't have a front garden, and the outside of my house is very tastefully decorated by the AlpacaTown Christmas Lights Association as we're one of only three private houses on what is otherwise a shopping street.

I do like option 4!

Is your MIL my SIL in disguise? She loves gaudy flashy plastic tat! I've been posting stuff about Palm Oil and plastic and ethical Christmas all over Facebook, I wonder if she'll have paid attention or will it be the usual over-packaged cheap bath smellies?

Put it in the front garden and organise for a friend to 'steal' it for you? Or will it just get replaced?

Back garden for one weekend, then it will mysteriously deflate because a maurauding hedgehog attacked it...

My immediate reaction was no 4 but she might just replace it so yeah, back garden if you have to put it up at all. I'd be worried that going along with putting it out front on display would encourage her. Imagine what she might pick up for you in this years sales !

I like the tackiest of decorations but do those inflatables require constant airflow like bouncy castles? That would make them noisy and power heavy. If so I'd not inflate.

I used to do tasteful xmas until i had my kids and now i think will my kids remember my tasteful white lights or will they remember a big inflatable reindeer?
Inflate! Inflate! Inflate!!

I am going to have to inflate aren't I?
Can't Sleep - keep an eye out for a thread from me in January. I will let you know what monstrosity I am presented with.