Well meant gifts that didn't hit the mark

[imnotthatkindofmum]

Here's a thread to post your disappointing gifts that you can't be disappointed with in real life! Let off a little steam without upsetting anyone!!

My lovely daughter bought me some novelty earrings. I never wear novelty earrings but she's so proud of them i have to wear them. She was so secured about me opening them but now I have to work out how little I can get away with wearing them so she doesn't realise I hate them!

Also DH only bought what was on my list. It was a cheap and simple list. I would have liked him to choose something he thought I would like. After 22 years not sure why I expect that though!

I've received three calendars and three diaries. They are all absolutely lovely but I've already bought one of each for myself and begun to use them. I can't manage more than one calendar or diary because that would create confusion.
I think I reluctantly will have to take them to charity shop.

Of course you should make a fuss - I bet you choose thoughtful gifts for them? Don't accept this shit!

All of you who have been disappointed and let down, getting crap gifts or nothing, don't let it happen again - stand up for yourself and make your expectations clear. It's not difficult for anyone to buy decent presents and you absolutely deserve them.

DH and I don't exchange presents any more but adult DC step up with lovely gifts for us both, and we (I, let's face it!) get lovely gifts for them too. I don't exchange gifts with anyone else, and both sets of parents are long dead.

My mum was a wonderful present giver, but there was one year she and dad gave me a pair of earrings (and they weren't cheap!) but I hated them on sight! I couldn't possibly have given them any indication of my disappointment, but I never wore them. I probably still have them somewhere if I could just find them. I might wear them now; they actually weren't as bad as I thought at the time! So I do get it. MIL always gave shite presents too. She once went away for months on a holiday of a lifetime, and I got a fucking tea towel, and a bottle of cheap wine from Tesco!!!!

And hugs to all.

Dare you to regift the red right back to her next year 😂

Quite sure it's all well-meant, but DH's family do like to buy DS2 clothing (I think it's easier for them most years as he can be hard to buy for and he doesn't go about naked). And it's as if they've never met him! He's petite for his age, is easily 4 sizes smaller than his chronological age and skinny as a rake, so most things just fall off him. This year, (as well as a lovely toy from his wish list, to be fair) he has a top that his 16 yr old brother would probably fit, and a pair of PJs that actually I could get into were I not a perimenopausal lardarse with a large tummy. The top fits me (40" it says!!), the legs are the right length for me (DS2 must be about 4 or 5 inches smaller than me). He is tiny, autistic and lives on air and crisps (food issues). I think he might fit into these clothes in another 3-4 years with luck.

He also got a set of really oddly-scented bath bombs. Not kids' ones, just some in a box that says 'therapeutic bathing' or something. He does have a lot of therapies at school but none than involve synthetic 'essential oils' or give him eczema! DH often gets beer or sometimes whisky-flavoured things from his family (that aren't actual beer or whisky) because he likes both those drinks...

But my BEST odd present this year was a light-up Jesus USB nightlight! (Cheating somewhat, I think I had a box of random stuff from Amazon as part of a 'brushing' scam.)

Try googling 'bartenders' garters' - they're very trendy.

DH is lovely and tries hard to find things I'd like.
About a week ago he mentioned he needed one more present for me. So I pointed him in the direction of a lovely but inexpensive necklace from the V&A.

Today I opened:
2 x small sofa cushions
A 1000 piece jigsaw (I regularly mention how these do my head in and if i was going to buy a puzzle I'd only buy smaller ones).
Said necklace from the V&A.

I'm actually pleased that pre Christmas I bought myself some stuff in the black Friday sales!

X

That makes it all the more enraging. Instead of being embarrassed and feeling sorry that he’s given you rubbish presents, he’s just defensive and sulky. Urgh what a manchild.

Annoyingly I can’t dye it without ruining the design. I would have bought the earrings myself (and still will) but it just seemed like ideal timing if he was struggling for ideas! Definitely putting the money towards doing something else next year, the children are made up with theirs though ☺️

Ohhh I would LOVE money for Christmas- it's all I ever wanted as a child but always got gifts instead. Money is the most universal voucher

@roobyred Don't feel more lonely, enjoy the quiet and peace, re boot for when your children are back, use the afternoon tea as a treat for you. Christmas does intensify feeling. But I hear you disappointment is real

@imnotthatkindofmum @Runningribbit I'd put the earrings on the tree as decorations, that way you can 'enjoy' them every year 😉

Also what is the deal with leaving price tags on everything?

I thought this was an absolute faux pas but everything I’ve received from the in-laws has price tickets (all bought ban outlet apparently).

@SparklyBrickViper I think leaving price tags is a faux pas too however I think it’s an older person thing as my lovely nan (who was super polite and kind) used to do it and now my DM (who taught us to remove price tags) has started to do it too! Or the item has more than one tag and they remove one and think it’s finished? Maybe they don’t see them or find them tricky to remove or mean to do it but forget?

However some people are just rude and can’t be accounted for!

@AnnaDelvorkina possibly, although it’s my sister in law whose late 40’s.

Different strokes I guess.

@SparklyBrickViper Sorry, I misread PILs and presumed older.

As somebody who’s eyes have started deteriorating in the past couple of years, I think the price sticker issue is just not being able to see it so clearly 😂

I didn't think I had anything to add to this but I just sat down to have a cuppa with some chocolate orange only to discover it's a new Terrys milk chocolate?? In the shape of an orange so my Nan got confused.

I LOVE my annual chocolate orange off my Nan, my mouth was all geared up for the chocolate orangey goodness

There is also a green mint one..

Thank god no man has ever bought me sexy underwear, I've been lucky as I don't have the figure for them. Couldn't think of anything worse.

Nothing me and dp don't exchange gifts because we would rather buy something we need/would like instead in the year it's also dp birthday in January and thats expensive enough

We played evil Santa, and the minimum amount was £10.

What did two members of the family do?

Put it a gift they got from a £1 raffle (a tumbler that says 'best daddy) and of course I ended up with it!

A really hideous Christmas mug with the price tag still on!

Can you give it to a school or donate it to an arts project for the community? it doesn't have to sit wasted and I'm sure others would love it as art stuff isn't always cheap.

We do at least use our imaginations - DH bought me an Italian Classics Made Easy air fryer cook book! I'll probably look through it, but keep having visions of crispy airfried spaghetti with bolognaise dripping through the frying rack. I got him a pack of six Crazy Bastard hot sauces, with Christmas hats on the bottles.

DM is enjoying giving extra unexpected gifts. Most are well received. However, despite me saying not to buy clothes a couple of years ago, she bought me a jumper. I saw a lovely one when I was with her a while ago in another shop but she's got a similar one from another shop which isn't the right style for me but she thinks it looks great. I was hoping it wouldn't fit at all.
She's lost the receipt. I wore it yesterday and today. It's not a cheaper version either, would have cost about the same.