What are your ‘pet hate’ Christmas presents?

[YellowsunriseClara]

Lighthearted thread, as I’m sure everyone is grateful for any gift they receive.

Just with Christmas coming up I’m wondering which gifts you are dreading getting (but know you’ll probably get)

Mine are the Lynx women gifts sets (hate it but seem to get it every year!)
Any Poundland creams as they seem to make my skin itchy and red
Anything Bayliss & Harding (I know there is another thread about that)
Cheap perfume that smells like paint stripper
Obvious second had gifts that the giver didn’t want for themselves (it’s usually something totally unrelated to the things you’re interested in)

One year my friend got me some unwrapped Poundland glitter body spray, not sure why as I’ve never worn the stuff and it was clear that it was in the back of her wardrobe from a while ago

Cheap, strongly smelling candles, cheap wash kits and ‘joke’ books. Last year I asked for one very specific candle that I love, and got three cheap horrible smelling ones instead, as well as two different books containing gin cocktail recipes.

And from people who had asked me for a list and then ignored it completely.

Anything which has perfume/strong smell (can sometimes trigger a migraine).

another one who hates bath sets.. I dont take baths and I have sensitive skin!

Gold jewellery.. I get given little necklaces and things.. I dont wear gold, never worn it, dont like it, I only ever wear silver! These tend to get sold on or re-gifted (Sorry)

Scarves/Hats... the wooly kind. I love floaty scarves with alternative patterns on and I pretty much wear one most days over winter. (I hate flowery ones, yuck)

Candles/perfume/anything scented.. i'm SO picky about scents, a lot give me headaches, so I have to really like them.

I think due to the current mood being one of not wasting etc, many of us are trying to only buy what people want or can use.

I'm more selective about what I buy now and have not bought many new clothes etc for this reason.

Do others on the thread share my thoughts?

So we have a very long list of dull and boring presents. Can anyone suggest presents that they would like to receive. Just wondering as I have some shopping to do.

Reed diffusers and scented candles.

I always get afew things that i dont like, but atleast one person im spending Christmas day with will want it :)

Yes @woodhill I do and try to only buy consumables, mainly food and drink. Though there is a moany thread about food and drink gifts.

• Cheap candles that smell like machine grease... plus have you ever lit a petroleum based candle, run a dehumidifier and seen the soot removed from the air that was generated by said candle? (Even Yankee Candles)
• Novelty glasses that don’t go with any other kitchenware we own.
• Fancy forks for cream cakes (I can’t get gluten free cream cakes and have no time nor inclination to make them myself).

-jewellery boxes. For some reason, I have several of them

• part used “imitation smell” perfume gift sets
• gloves that are too short and leave wrists freezing cold
• chocolate ‘collection’ boxes, when theres maybe one or two in there that I’ll like and the rest are horrid
• PJs that I’d love but are too small to fit me

How often do you get given fancy cake forks???

I wish that i received gifts. I get them from my dc and dh. Nobody else.

I think it would be fun to get a funky gift sometime.

I hate the whole buying of gifts, I'd rather people keep their money and I keep mine and then I can go out and buy something I actually want.

Genuinely shocked by some of these.

I love a really lovely / mug tea cup.
Love a candle .
Love a good bubble bath
Love a scarf
Love a decent pyjama .
Agree on Baylis and Harding it’s crap
My mum got me a “toiletry hamper”last year which was a carrier bag of stuff from Avon that made my skin burn .
I hate clothes cus I’m really fussy
Anything spray on smelly that’s cheap and weird.
Anything the other person thinks is “fun” or quirky because I’m a bit quirky usually I will hate it

Anything from the "stocking filter" section in shops. Or shops like iwoot & Menkind!

Anything from my mother- she absolutely never gets it right. Every year I think 'what can I get her next year that matches this god awful present. Seriously.

Baylis and Harding anything
Any boots pre packaged gift box
More cheap gloves and scarf sets from a supermarket
Dressing gowns that aren’t cotton / towel
Perishable food like meat from the ALDI Deluxe gift range
Same as above for their potted pate and terrines
Socks
Pants
Underwear of any sort
Pyjamas
Any clothes really
fake plant or fake flowers
Charity gift
Virgin experience voucher
Anything that clutters up the house so no inanimate objects
High street jewellery - allergies
Anything bought from an MLM
Cheap candles or terribly fragranced ones like Yankee or lily flame
Anything with an unnecessary amount of packaging

Oscarsdaddy For years my mother gave me a Steradent tube with £1 coins in it. l wasn't ungrateful for the money, but l'd rather have had a cheap box of sweets wrapped up. There was no thought given whatsoever.
What made it worse was that she was very keen to show me things she'd bought for my cousin "because l know she likes them".
lf l was going to give someone money (even if it was just a fiver) l'd get a nice new crisp note from the bank and put it inside a nice card.

Anything that screams 'your place is in the kitchen' (tea towels, cookery bits, recipe books, pots or pans)
Ditto anything 'useful' for around the house (scarred by the occasional when XH bought me a dustbuster hoover 'to help you clean the stairs')
I also don't wear make up, only wear one type of perfume, don't need clothes, never wear jewellery, so I'm a bit of a nightmare to buy for all round!

I agree @JemSynergy.

Too expensive and not thought out gifts.

My boyfriend when we first got together was terrible for this. He kept buying me things like expensive designer clothing sets or an Apple Watch. I’ve never wanted an Apple Watch, never mentioned it as I just didn’t see the point in them. I was grateful of course but it did feel like he just spent a lot of money with no thought into the actual gift. I guess just because heh spent a lot of money they assume the receiver will be happy. I also never earned as much as him and I always made it clear that I can’t compete with what he buys me and I’d like to keep things sweet and simple. I’ve never been brought up on brand names to be fair.

He’s a lot better now. I got some gorgeous gin glasses to match my recently acquired gin obsession, a long with other little ‘stocking fillers’.

God there's so much
Anything from an Xmas present section, as someone noted above
Bath bombs
Gross candles
PJs - I wear leggings and jumpers, anyone who knows me well enough to buy me an Xmas present should know this
Just any crap

I would so much rather just get nothing, I really don't mind!

In answer to this @jeanne16 what I get frustrated by is that I am someone with several hobbies and interests, and cultural things that I like and I talk about them. I also collect a certain thing.

But somebody would spend good money on something generic that I don't like rather than put a bit of thought into eg

Buying me a cheap mug with some Prosecco slogan, no thanks

Buy me a mug around the same price with an in joke from a favourite sitcom or series. Nice one, cheers!

That's why it's the THOUGHT that counts
People misuse that saying, gifts with no thought put in are just awkwardly burdening people with shit they don't want

*IDon'tWantToCook' - better than my last boyfriend who bought cheap copies of expensive things I didn't want!

I asked for an electric blanket - wanted one with the separate foot part because my feet are often cold when the rest of me isn't. Got a much cheaper electric blanket with no separate controls (was still grateful cos, well, electric blanket).

I asked for a dressing gown. He said 'you don't need one of those' (I did) and bought me a cheap fleece with a HUGE picture of owls on the front. I like owls, but...well...not on my chest. And I still need a dressing gown.

Anything where the giver has put no thought into the gift.

Specifically bath foam or shower gel (allergies), hand or body lotion (goes to the charity shop, I have so much), 3 for 2 sets (charity shop). Books on subjects I have no interest in (cats anyone?), ornaments, trinkets, chunky costume jewellery.

What I would be most grateful for - a more upmarket version of something I'd use every day, such as good olive oil, cashew nuts, small leather coin purse (from TK Maxx), plain calico cloth tote bag (gradually replacing my bags for life with more environmentally friendly alternatives).

Otherwise cash, to get a posh lipstick or shampoo.