I couldn't find any offal to put in my drawers or victorian bloomers for the MIL to find but have put in immigration papers...

[ballsofsteel]

...she is coming here at 2pm, I have put a rubber snake in the other drawer.

Would it be wise to place a defribrillator by the kitchen sink as a precaution?

For background:
I do not have a good relationship with PIL and only tolerate what I have to for my dh, the last time she was here and I had to help dh to help FIL she went through my personal belongings (in my bedroom) I had a feeling she would snoop for put in printed off rude drawings and some sex toys.

She found them (as the drawer was not arranged properly as I had left it) and she was acting even more freakishly than usual.

I am at that point of almost chickening out- I know it is childish but I have had my fill of taking the moral highground for almost 10 years. Shall I leave?

Where can I buy a cheap rosary?

Get a locksmith to put a lock on your bedroom door. Put the key on a chain around your neck when she comes to visit.

...put the bedroom key on a chain around your neck and casually twirl it around for her to see when she comes to visit.

Pretend you don't notice her noticing the key to your (now) secret domain.

I would pop round to hers and have a look threw her bedroom drawers, do it when she is in the room and if she says anything tell her its all right, its what families do, it is isnt it?

TwoPersephone -

My grandmother snoops. Before I got married, she was specifically told she wasn't allowed to go in the sewing room (mum made my dress). Not trusting her, a lock was put on the door anyway.
So of course, she went upstairs "to go to the bathroom" (there was one downstairs), and we all fell silent to listen to what she was going to do. Right enough, the toilet flushed, footsteps walked across the hall, and there was an exclamation of "bugger!" She came downstairs and brazened it out - "what did you lock the door for?". "To stop you going in, mother" was my dad's deadpan reply.

I would put a spring loaded trap in there and cover it in pepper, can't see can't snoop

I'd be putting fresh chili peppers in them spring loaded traps there, hoping some of it might get into her eyes, the nosey bastard.
I hate this kind of intrusion - it's so fucking RUDE.
Thn paint documents in glow in the dark paint too.

But you should really be telling your DH.

How about hidind a marmite smeared gimp suit in there next time?

I think my MIL does this when she's babysitting. I'm sure she looks at everything in my room, on the desk and bedside table etc, not sure if she's got to opening drawers to snoop though. Why do they do this??
I was thinking of covering the bureaux with clingfilm and sticking a big sign on it saying FUCK OFF or words to that effect, then closing the lid over the lot carefully. After all, if she's not looking through my stuff, she won't see it and be offended will she?

very good cheerfulvicky.

i find it unbelievable that people snoop. i don't even look through my dh's things, let alone anyone elses. not even look in a friend's bathroom cabinet. gross invasion of privacy. when we were growing up no-one looked in anyone's stuff, esp. diaries. extraordinary.