Xmas gifts I hate receiving

[JammyRed]

As Christmas is approaching the gifts I dread getting that I get every year are : Xmas themed socks , slipper socks , body lotion , body scrub. Christmas ornaments , Christmas mugs and glasses . Really cheap pound shop chocolate . Mulled wine or spicy biscuits. They don’t go to waste as I donate them to charity . What are the gifts you dread getting ?

I dislike clothes being bought for me and both DH and MIL independently select clothes that I would never wear such as very floaty beach style dresses (at least 3 sizes bigger), really big sleeves (DH last year) or running shorts that were so short and too small (DH again). I have donated to charity however would prefer a generic gift such as chocolates or candles over these styles.

DC doesn’t escape either MIL also buys wrongly-sized outfits (usually too small) and again it all goes to charity.

MIL could reach out to DH and ask about sizing but nope. I guess both MIL and DH suffer the same condition of picking terrible outfits.

The dreaded Baylis and Harding gift sets.
Candles or wax melts.
Alcohol I don't drink or like.
Clothes that is not to my taste or size.
Skin care. I like to pick my own.
Slippers again I like to pick my own slippers as I have wide feet and some feel too tight.
Anything household makes me furious unless I have specifically asked for it.
Bath bombs because I never take a bath as I prefer to shower.
Most other things I'm happy with.
I just donate anything I don't like/need the week after Xmas to Salvation Army who are always happy to take it off my hands.

My sister used to give thoughtful presents but after DC she switched to tat like novelty mugs with cheap oily chocolate in them. I don’t like tat- things like useless glasses or bathroom ‘games’. Like the poster above, I buy her kids nice gifts, and her and husband, and last year I got a novelty candle from ‘them’ that broke immediately.

I can only remember one time in the last few years where I’ve received a “wtf” Christmas gift 😂 I usually LOVE everything I receive.

DP and I don’t do gifts at Christmas. Only birthdays and anniversaries. ExH gives me a lovely gift from the kids every Xmas - Usually a Lush gift set, wine and chocs. I exchange gifts with my two close friends who know (and gift) me very well and then do a secret Santa with my 3 siblings and DP.

Some of the secret Santa gifts are novelty but still so thoughtful and usually hilarious! The effort is obvious.

I took part in a secret Santa at work a few years ago and put so much effort into gifting my colleague, even though I barely knew them. The gift I received was useful and appreciated but it felt like they’d ransacked their house the morning of, or maybe regifted something they didn’t like? Who knows. They were gratefully received regardless.

I much prefer giving gifts 🥰

Stop buying her nice gifts. Get B&H for her and selection boxes for her dc.

I don't dread...but stuff I would donate.
Anything with fragrance.
Chocolate or any sweets.
Alcohol

Anything glass or in glass: candles, flowers in vases/plants in ceramic pots.
I have small children.
Broken glass and fire. 😵‍💫

A nice box of chocolates is more than fine.

Candles , alcohol, body lotion sets, hot chocolate or coffee sets . I drink tea and nothing else 😀

The lindor ball truffle things? I thought I was only person that detested them! They taste like cheap vegetable fat, and smell even worse.

I think I had three years on the for where I got a hot water bottle in the work secret Santa 😂 … but apart from that I’m quite lucky! I don’t really have baths but often get some sort of bubble bath - but I’ll just use it as shower gel instead.

All those godawful sets- always cheap- bath products, hampers, poor brands. I’d rather people saved their money. Can’t imagine the charity shops even manage to offload them when they’re inundated post Christmas. It’s all such landfill.

I’d much rather be given a nice bar of soap from White Company or similar than a load of tat from a supermarket or B&M.

I hate anything to do with cooking or baking. I hate cooking and baking. My whole family do it. MIL because she wants me to be the perfect little housewife back in the 1950s. My family do it in a sort of ‘I know you don’t like cooking, BUT I saw this and……’ and I still don’t like cooking. Nothing they buy will change my mind. Unless it is a personal chef.
I do like anything bath related. I actually like receiving moisturiser sets. I also like anything chocolate except for Lindt, it tastes oily. I also like books.

Soaps and glory gift sets or the likes. I don’t use the hand cream or body lotions - I don’t dislike them, I just never find myself using them. They’ll often have a face scrub or a mask in that I don’t use. I’ll use the shower gel. And they come in a tin or a bag that I feel bad throwing away, but also don’t want to keep.

Sorry @JammyRed, but I can't be bothered going past the first page, as I am one of those really irritating people who believe that Christmas should be about love, gratitude, and being nice.

Of course, some Mumsnetters will think that it should also be about Jesus's birth, which I am certainly not going to argue about, even though at nearly 70 years of age, I probably know all the arguments about why it shouldn't really be considered to represent the day of Jesus's birth.

I also happen to be a neo pagan, where I follow a Traditional Witch Path, but maybe quite an unusual one, as I do have my own very personal belief in, and love for, Jesus. It does sadden my heart when I read about people moaning about their crap presents, and about the people who gave them. IMO Christmas should not be about selfish and/or shallow people, especially those who seem to take pleasure in swapping their nasty stories.

Bath bombs, I never use them
Scarves, I don't wear the few ones I already own, I just don't need more
Conifer scented candles, these seem to be the most popular option but I just dislike the scent. Give me chocolate, ginger or cinnamon scented ones, just not that "Dark forest" nonsense 😂
Cards. I know, I know, it's nice and sweet and so on, but I never look at them twice and just put away only to stumble upon months or years later not knowing what to do with them. Too sweet to throw away, too useless to keep, I guess? Personally, I've switched to sending out Christmas videos a long time ago as some of my friends and family members did, but not all of them.
Coffee shop gift cards wouldn't be a great gift as well since that one local coffee shop I'm actually frequent at doesn't have vouchers or gift cards and all the other ones I just don't visit a lot.

Well, now I feel bad about myself having written all that. I've never considered myself a hard to buy for type of person, but I pretty much could be.

You're not alone! I've never liked them either.

DIY kits. I don't have time OR desire to make soap or candles or whatever.

Candles. Dangerous and dirty. Chocolates as I struggle with weight. Ornaments (I don't like much clutter, and I'm picky about what I do display). Any unwanted gifts I donate, or give to a family member who likes that particular thing.

My family knows they can't go wrong with decent perfume or champagne/prosecco for me. I would be perfectly happy to receive these from everyone!!!

One of our friends insists on giving even though we have asked her not to ... But she is so good at it - one year was a massive tube of pringles (had multiple small tubes inside). Always treats which last Christmas week and occasionally into January but are then gone.

Have asked my parents not to top up the very welcome National Trust membership with their (parents) speciality extras (unfunny signs, ornaments etc). Really happy with NT and if they feel the need to do more, then a gallon of petrol would be nice.

I love homemade jams / chutney / shortbread ... people have spent time on me and I don't have to display them!

Pots of goo, particularly any heavily scented pots of goo sold in a gift pack from a supermarket.

I particularly hate receiving baylis and Harding gift packs, as it shows a spectacular lack of thought.

I dread receiving wearable gifts (clothes/accessories/jewellery) as I am very particular in what I wear and no one has ever got it right. They live in my wardrobe until it's time for a clear out...

I think it is only those who can afford to buy themselves what they prefer who complain. Fine to not want or not like stuff, but as someone whose income has dropped to near zero in the last few weeks (taken retirement) I will be grateful for even the cheapest, nastiest-smelling Bayliss and Harding bath set. Even though I would prefer to use nice scented more expensive things, I am absolutely NOT looking any gift horses in the mouth and all consumables will be used through the year - I can suck up smelling a bit cheap if I've run out of shower gel and the B&H gift set is all that's left.

This thread suggests that many people might benefit from not giving Christmas gifts and just confine themselves to greetings, or possible charity donation gifts if they feel they must spend money. What I don't understand is why so few people are actually willing to have this conversation, or just say: I don't buy Christmas presents as most people have everything they need, but I will be making a donation to X charity instead. Surely most people are mature enough to understand this?

PS I was thrilled to find a brand new Neal's Yard gift box in a charity shop recently, presumably an unwanted gift, which will now be given to my DH to wrap and give me.

But do you not get itching/asthma/itching/thrush/hives from 'cheap' brands?
I thought all MNetters did?