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!

MIL got me a National Trust diary, like she does every year.

I haven't used a paper diary for years, just the calendar in my phone and a paper calendar in the kitchen for ease of scribbling stuff down quickly.

For the last few years, I've made a point of frequently getting my phone out while at hers to check a date or add something, and saying how handy it is to have it all on my phone and how it saves having to carry around a paper diary...

Other well meaning gifts include loads of chocolate that I don't like (fuck knows what's happened to UK produced chocolate, apart from Hotel Chocolat it mostly tastes like shite these days) and bath foam/shower gels that I won't be able to use as they contain sulphates.

I'm waiting to see what joyous gift I get from SIL3. Last year, she gave me a bottle of Sainsburys own brand Portugese red wine. Red wine gives me migraine. She knows this, she doesn't drink red for the very same reason, and I suspect it was a "regift". She also knows that I like the same sort of wines as she does, ie dry whites, and I'd bought her a very nice bottle of Chablis!

I think you can buy something to 'paint' the posts and settings to reduce this happening? Or would clear nail varnish work?

My 10yo was desperate for a white fox hoody which we bought and she was so excited. Got the smallest size they do xxs and it’s MASSIVE. It’s massive on me and I’m a size 12 she’s so disappointed as she’s desperate to wear it but it just looks silly

🤣 I have a great image in my head of you putting all the biros around your neck while tucking into the Bombay mix!

My DH would bite your hand off for that. I like Bombay Mix in small portions, but he develops hollow legs at the sight of it.

A man I had been dating for a few months mentioned to me about a photo I had of me with my DS (that my ex h had taken of us on holiday) and that I should have it blown up as a portrait. I said no as much as it’s a lovely photo I’m really not keen on having a huge version on my wall. He mentioned it again later and I gave the same response.

Come Christmas morning he turned up at my house with this massive blown up canvas of the photo and when I say massive it’s half the size of my living room wall. He said ‘I know you said no but I’d already ordered it’ - I think my horrified face said it all. And then he called me ungrateful

That was about 8 years ago and it’s still stuck in a cupboard never seen light of day - the man long gone.

My father died 2 days ago….i haven’t been able to do anything as he’s in a different country and I spent almost all of December away.

I was so blessed though as my young kids totally understand why they barely got anything and it makes me want to cry

we normally don’t buy each other a material gift each. We normally buy esch other ‘memories’ this year I was going to buy me and my youngest a hack out in a horse and for my eldest she wanted to ride in a hot air balloon.

i managed to get them some really small silly material gifts but I didn’t have time to organise anything and in guttted.

im so glad my DH understands why he got nothing and the kids did too!

He may have just bought them cheaply in Argos?!

@Bearsinmotion but surely an almost impossible puzzle is the point? I never look at the lid either...
My sister lives abroad and amazingly sent the presents in time.
My son got a pocket knife in fake scrimshaw (this is a repeat gift she got him years ago and he loved it then and did need a replacement) plus £80 cash. He's delighted. I got four pairs of earrings on a very similar theme (blue/brown micro beads), very nice if rather interchangeable. My DD got a.... cheap glass trinket tray with a unicorn on it (she's 19). Must have cost less than £10. I'm wondering did she mislabel the earring which were in two separate boxes? Even so, the disparity between what he got and what she got is a bit much and rather puzzling.

I struggle when there's no thought put into it though.

I got the most hideous wall clock I have ever seen. Firstly, I have three downstairs already and a distinct theme going on in my house, I don’t need another, and secondly, the design is so awful that it feels like a joke present (it’s not) 😂

I hope no one asks if I like it. I’m genuinely the worst liar! I’m going to pretend like it never happened.

I've got that flavour, it's delicious! They sell the moonshine online and I've also seen it in my local garden centre - buy him another flavour and keep the hazelnut for yourself!

Was it a tin of Baxter's??

Mine wasn't this year or even recently. My MiL was very insistent about getting me something for Christmas and I couldn't think what, but said Waterstones vouchers are always handy - I'm a huge reader. My voucher, when it came, was a Woolworth's one (when we still had Woolies' obviously) as she thought it would be more useful. I really struggled to spend it. . . She meant well of course and for her that meant assuming I was happy with the same things that pleased her.

Hope your day gets better.

I still do stockings for my adult DC in their 20s, or a box in one case as I have to post it, but the big tamale is always the Xmas money bank transfer so they can get themselves something they actually want or need, e.g. clothes in the right styles in the right sizes or theatre tickets for the right show in the right seats on the right date.

But I think the stocking / box / actually wrapped present is really nice to have, as well. Those I do put some thought into, even though they don't cost a lot.

Oh @roobyred 💐 for you!

Not just gifts that don't hit the mark. It is disappointing. Christmas has been hijacked by gluttony, consumerism and selfishness. Where I come from, Christmas and Christians have a long history of persecution. I am bewildered of no posters asking 'what presents did you give Him' this year? Even more amazed of somebody complaining their childhood Christmases are a bad memory because they had to go to church with their parents. Genuinely surprised that for somebody else's birthday people expect to be receiving gifts like it is the main point. I am almost fully sucked into this madness (gluttony, selfishness, consumerism) as well, because of dh part of the family, and I hope that I don't lose this sense of something wrong happening on this day.

My dp (we don't live together but together 2.5 years) bought a bottle opener. Even though he knows I've stopped drinking! It's for his benefit not mine. He drinks a lot and tbf mine did recently break but can't help but feel disappointed in all his gifts. It's like he doesn't know me at all.
Last year was amazing. Don't know what's gone wrong this year.

I'm not grabby or a princess

I'd take them to a jeweller and ask them to change the back bits to gold.

I asked for some mugs with nice or funny patterns on. After much nagging dh and dc finally went shopping for me on Christmas Eve. I even told them which (very local) shop they could go to to buy some nice mugs.

they bought me a glass vase that we don’t have room for and some plain white mugs with the price tags still on - from Poundland.

I suspect the vase was quite expensive but we cannot use it for anything so it will gather dust until someone breaks it. Now I’m going to feel like a bit h if I buy the nice mugs for myself too. Maybe a strategic breakage of them is on the cards …

Well I havent had a single gift from anyone. My eldest works and he didn't bother nor my mum sister brother etc. Not even a reply.to my merry Xmas text
My one son who's 13 opened his gifts... then I said to put them in your room he said no he doesn't want any of it and it's too early to fake trying to be pleased over crap.
Daughter wanted a switch which I couldn't afford so she been crying that she been good and santa didn't get her what's on her list etc.
I'm not just cooking the chicken which kids are moaning isn't turkey despite saying get chicken.
As soon as kids in bed I'm going to sit and cry myself to sleep

My DC got me gifts from an event they do at school where kids can choose presents for a couple of pounds. Both DC got me skincare face masks. I've never used a face mask and my skin is so sensitive I'm sure it would come out in a rash if I did! I feel bad but probably going straight to charity shop.

Sorry Frowning, that made me LOL - so you can still do all the cooking, cleaning up, looking after everyone etc - but in silence! 😆Ermmm - thanks??

Perfect "garden" clock...shame it's not as waterproof as it could be