That annoying guest - what is their christmas crime?

[MrsWhites]

So everyone has a guest or someone in the family if you don’t host who will do something seemingly innocent that will piss everyone off? Who is yours and why? I’ll go first -

My sister because she uses all the gravy and doesn’t get off her arse to go and make more! No matter how much gravy we put out she will always use most of it! It’s got to the point now where we put the gravy boars furthest away from her so everyone else gets a go first!

DMum who gets annoyed I go to visit my DDad before going to her and then starts with the waterworks and asking why she bothers!
Then stepdad thinks that gives him free reign to be a miserable arse, usually not too bad as we can just ignore him but this year decided to tell me how shit a time he's had and how they won't be doing it again, out of earshot of everyone else whilst sneering at me.
Think he was shocked when I called him out on it and proceeded to hide upstairs the following day.
And he didn't even say thanks for the gift we got him.
Honestly, he is like a petulant child at times and rude to boot!

My mother - telling me what's wrong with the presents I've bought, usually as soon as she opens them.

Chocolates - "Oh I won't eat all of those, with just me here."
Toiletries - "Ditto."
Books from an author she likes - "I've read those."
Scarf - "I've got lots of scarves."
DVD of exercises, after she saw me doing some and wanted something similar - "Oh, I'll never do those."

Once or twice, the complaints have come much later.
Flowers for mother's day - 3 months later, "Those flowers you sent, half of them were dead when they arrived." So why didn't she tell me at the time, then I could have complained to the company?
Biscuits I brought back from holiday - "Those biscuits were really hard, I couldn't eat them."

Even things we chose together, she later didn't like - "I think that cushion is the wrong colour."

I stopped bothering putting any thought into presents, as thoughtful or not, they nearly always got a poor response. In my book that's just rude.

For Christmas dinner we had DS1 and his XGF (we love her and they get on, all very civilised) their DS8; DS2 and DSG plus DGS’s girlfriend and DGD, and his adult DS and his fiancée, and various other family members over the Christmas period.
AND
No one irritated, everyone was helpful, food mainly cooked by DH was complimented and devoured, presents truly appreciated.

Totally un-Mumsnetty Christmas!

Thanks for all your nominations for Classics - we're moving this over now.

Thats just kids enjoy have you learned the difference between manipulation and attention seeking

She may not be able to see our Christmas cards, but she spent the week complaining about the cold and arguing (with everyone including DF) that we live in a much colder part of the country to them - despite ours apparently being the 'sunniest' county. DP live in the North and we live in the South and are usually a few degrees warmer than them throughout the year. We had the heating on constantly (dreading the bill) and had an open fire going in one room all day - it was literally like walking into a sauna. She sat in there in a massive fleece with a scarf around her neck. I know she feels the cold because of her age and it must be awful to constantly be cold - if you're cold you're cold - but don't make things up or get snitty with your loved ones trying to help you as much as possible (sorry we couldn't magic up a warmer season for you!).

Apparently she's also frequently tells DF how bad the weather is in one of the Channel Islands - again much worse than their home county - because it rained for three days when they stayed there for a week once.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. I think DM had a word because he actually waited for everyone to sit down this year! First time since they have been coming to us for Christmas in 20+ years

Could yiu share your recipe! My gravy is either bisto or a lovely Jamie Oliver one either way rosemary snd cherry tomatoes (great with steak). Woukd like more options though

@sueelleker next year you need to get a whole tin of the ones you like and see their face when they realise they can’t eat all your favorites…

I do one the traditional way using the residue of the meat tray with flour and stock made from the vegetable water and a jelly stock cube and some wine or this one is quite good for veggies:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/veggie-gravy

Nah, that's gotta be AI... doesn't sound human at all...

🤣

Aunt-in-law loves to offer to help with Xmas dinner RIGHT AS IM ABOUT TO SERVE. She then decides to do the gravy… but she likes it thin and everyone else likes thick.

So after doing all of the prep and cooking for hours my meal is ruined by her thin fucking gravy.

Cook onions. Stir flour into the meat juices + onions, whisk with stock until desired thinness. Heat with a bouquet garni.

The relative who brings cheap wine but drinks my expensive wine (and then takes the cheapo back home with her!).
Same relative bails you up and asks incredibly personal questions, to the point where others have to send someone in to save you!
Same relative helps herself to leftovers because she ‘doesn’t have any nice food at home’…because she didn’t host and therefore plan and pay for all of the nice food she’s just eaten and then packed away for herself.

I'd imagine if they ever did host @Flutterbees the same relative would take your decent wine and you'd have to suffer some barely drinkable ghastly plonk

OMG
Do we have the same MIL?????
The JCB dining etiquette.
Makes for nauseous spectating. GRIM.