Another year, another....

[1LuckyMom]

Every year I get a bag full(10+) of kitchen dishtowels from my MIL. This has been going on since we were first married (19 years ago). We have always had and used a dishwasher, so I'm not sure why I would ever need so many towels. Anyone else get a puzzling present every year?

 

[DMRick]

I got peanut brittle from my husbands grandmother for 12 years, until she passed. I don't remember saying I liked it, but apparently she saw me eat a piece of it at some point. I hate the stuff now.
My husbands mom gave us sheets each Christmas the first 10 years..twin size.

 

[Mom21]

My dad gives me jewelry I will never wear. I'll trade you for the dish towels. I only use the dishwasher for dishes but I'm always wiping up a mess.

 

[emma'smom]

....another stack of presents that I really don't need or want....and not the ones I really wanted (and asked for).

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

EVERY YEAR everyone gets socks and underwear.

Geez, I don't know why we get it. It's a running joke.

 

[powellrj]

There use to be a useless gift exchange after christmas where you would send your unwanted gift to another Diser. Don't laugh, I got some good stuff in exchange for the Bath and Body works scents my DMIL use to send me every year!

 

[wdwtweets]

There use to be a useless gift exchange after christmas where you would send your unwanted gift to another Diser. Don't laugh, I got some good stuff in exchange for the Bath and Body works scents my DMIL use to send me every year!

I would love that! I generally don't get any strange gifts but there are things, from time to time, that I don't have a use for. Sounds like fun.

 

[1LuckyMom]

There use to be a useless gift exchange after christmas where you would send your unwanted gift to another Diser. Don't laugh, I got some good stuff in exchange for the Bath and Body works scents my DMIL use to send me every year!

That would be great! I always feel bad when putting the new ones in the drawer and seeing all the ones that haven't ever gotten used! They are nice ones too...I'm sure someone would love them!

 

[Imzadi]

From reading various organizing/cleaning websites, dishtowels can actually be used for a variety of things from dusting, putting on as replacements for Swiffers, to dropping on the floor, stepping on a couple of them to wash/wax the floor, mop up spills, etc. Who da thunk? Maybe MIL knows more uses for dishtowels than can be imagined.

Are they, at least, decorator dishtowels that you can just hang up and not use?

 

[1LuckyMom]

They are very nice towels and I usually have 1 or 2 hanging on the dishwasher handle to use to wipe up and for drying my hands. When those are dirty they go straight in the wash and 2 more come out....the clean ones then get put back in the drawer and now you see the problem the other 25-30 towels in there never get used! And that doesn't even count the 10-15 Chirstmas themed ones that I store with the decorations.
You are right though maybe I need to think of more ways to use them!

 

[bumbershoot]

We don't use those popup cleanup wipes; we use kitchen towels for cleaning counters. So have a ton and use them often!

But if you really don't need more, invite her over for a casual visit when you are conveniently washing and drying ALL of them at the same time. Schedule her to arrive just as you're folding them all. Invite her to stand and chat with you while you finish up! Maybe she'll see the problem.

 

[AKL_Megs]

But if you really don't need more, invite her over for a casual visit when you are conveniently washing and drying ALL of them at the same time. Schedule her to arrive just as you're folding them all. Invite her to stand and chat with you while you finish up! Maybe she'll see the problem.

 

[Imzadi]

You are right though maybe I need to think of more ways to use them!

One woman on a forum said she has so many she uses them in place of old cleaning rags. We all went: "<gasp!> But, they are new dishtowels! How can you use them in place of dirty old rags?"

She said, "No. Right now they are just clutter. Use them up."

 

[1LuckyMom]

One woman on a forum said she has so many she uses them in place of old cleaning rags. We all went: "<gasp!> But, they are new dishtowels! How can you use them in place of dirty old rags?"

She said, "No. Right now they are just clutter. Use them up."

I feel her pain! I must confess that DH sometimes uses them for rags when painting! But only the ones that we have used a little.

 

[minijeanie]

I say laugh it off with each and every silly gift you get every year.. Give it to someone who might want it.

I have learned you cannot change a person...

so just accept and move on

 

[chell]

Donate them to the local women's shelter or animal shelter, they would love to have them.

My father-in-law got me perfume again. Bless his heart. He just doesn't get it. I can't wear perfume because of my allergies.

He got us a box of chocolates after we went through this long process with them that they didn't need to bring anything to dinner. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease a few months ago and it is easier for us to make all the food than trying to educate them in a short period of time when they don't understand the disease no matter how hard we try to educate them. The bold writing under the ingredients states that it was made on equipment shared with wheat products. They don't get it.

 

[DisnyMama]

My Grandmother was a very, very good customer of HSN...if you know what I mean. She passed on a few years ago but I have found that the constant HSN jewelry gifts that used to sometimes drive me nuts I now miss because they came from her. Some of them were actually very nice and I still wear to this day .

 

[wdwfan16]

We use them to clean the counters. At laundry time there are 10-20 in the wash. Many of the towels never dried a dish.

 

[mumto3girls]

Our mil's must be related! I almost always get dishtowels also--this is our 14th married Christmas. It has gotten to the point that I cannot look at my husband when opening my gift from her because we will both just crack up. Sometimes I am biting the inside of my cheek really hard to stop the laughter. Now my sisters are in on the dishtowel joke too and so I can't look at them if they happen to be there too. Mine are usually holiday towels although last year they were everyday type and didn't match my kitchen in the least--a kitchen that she has been in many times over the 8 years we have lived in this house.

I have donated many of them and given many others away to one of my sisters/friends/neighbors. I just found last years in a cabinet the other day. I have a friend in mind who's kitchen I think they may match, but I keep forgetting to offer them to her.

This is only part of my present from her. My husband and I usually get a big joint gift from her of a giftcard or several smaller giftcards and then she tries to buy my husband and I each something to actually open. She's trying hard I think, but its so funny to me that she has either forgotten that she buys these for me every year or that she actually thinks I could use another set of holiday dish towels.

 

[wdwtweets]

Dish towels are supposed to match your kitchen? Martha Stewart I am not.