Does everyone force their "junk" on you?

[HeyIt'sMe]

My MIL loves to go to garage sales and she's constantly buying things that she thinks I'd need or want and brings them to my house. Makes me crazy! Most of the time we just turn around and sell the thing at our own garage sale or just throw it away.

 

[branv]

And this is how I ended up with about 2 dozen ancient pillowcases that DH's grandmother embroidered with...gulp...clowns. Add to that that she's not a very good embroiderer, and they look like psychotic, deformed clowns.

To paraphrase Indiana Jones, "Why'd it have to be clowns?"

Even more pleasant is that half of them are badly water stained. Probably the tears of many a frightened grandchild.

Thirty years after the clown stitchings she's moved on to scary possessed-looking doll collecting. Please lord, don't send us those.

 

[sookie]

just say thank you - and ebay, craigslist, or donate what you don't want.
keep track of your charitables, you can take it off your taxes!!! they are giving you a nice little tax write off! hhahahahahhahaha!!

 

[sookie]

And this is how I ended up with about 2 dozen ancient pillowcases that DH's grandmother embroidered with...gulp...clowns. Add to that that she's not a very good embroiderer, and they look like psychotic, deformed clowns.

To paraphrase Indiana Jones, "Why'd it have to be clowns?"

Even more pleasant is that half of them are badly water stained. Probably the tears of many a frightened grandchild.

Thirty years after the clown stitchings she's moved on to scary possessed-looking doll collecting. Please lord, don't send us those.

oh gawd. this post made me laugh out loud! thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

[badblackpug]

My mother does this, and gets offended hen you say no. Especially with clothes. The funny thing is my mother is 6 inches shorter and 100lb heavier than me. The clothes NEVER fit, and are at least 10-15 years out of style! She gets angry and offended even if I put them on in front of her and show her how they don't even come close to fitting! Her reply is always..."Well, that was an expensive XXX!" Then she gets in a huff.

 

[01spirit750]

This is like online therapy.

My inlaws do this. They are very caring/giving people but.

1. My MIL has a addiction to the dollar store and buys my daughter large qty's of stuff. We have started throwing it out.

2. My FIL's neighbor moved out and left a pile of junk in the front yard and FIL went thru it thinking I needed the stuff. I don't, we don't have room.

3. I have a garage full of automotive tools and do not need anymore. My inlaws think they have to buy me some tool for every occasion. I mean come on, a $100 tool for fathers day? It was the latest gadget from Sears and it had a bunch of bad review. I want to return it. The best gift they could give would be to fund/secure their retirement.


I appreciate their intent. We still have a lot of their furniture that they passed on to us.

 

[Trixiezzz]

......Even more pleasant is that half of them are badly water stained. Probably the tears of many a frightened grandchild......

This is the funniest thing I've read all day!

 

[Poohbug]

And this is how I ended up with about 2 dozen ancient pillowcases that DH's grandmother embroidered with...gulp...clowns. Add to that that she's not a very good embroiderer, and they look like psychotic, deformed clowns.

To paraphrase Indiana Jones, "Why'd it have to be clowns?"

Even more pleasant is that half of them are badly water stained. Probably the tears of many a frightened grandchild.

Thirty years after the clown stitchings she's moved on to scary possessed-looking doll collecting. Please lord, don't send us those.

I'm sorry-those would not have even gone to goodwill. They would have seen my fire pit tho. Clowns freak me out. Scary.

 

[melancholywings]

It's funny because some of the things listed here (such as the clowns and diaper baby toys) would be treasured by others. You shouldn't feel bad for passing them on.

My friend and I have an agreement. We each let the other have first dibs on what ever we're selling or donating. But neither of us have hurt feelings if the other turns it down. Several pieces of my furniture came from her family home. As they were upgrades from some other hand me down furniture. I think as a culture we have an addiction to stuff.

 

[chickapinhill]

This is the funniest darn thread I have seen in a long time! I love it and can totally relate to the stories! I just about scream when my MIL does this stuff and my hubby doesn't seem to have much sympathy for my need to vent about it. Ah....I've found my release in reading stories of others! Many of her treasures are 1970's "That's from the Phillipines" classics. Ugh.

 

[teacherlisa1978]

My Grandma does this.

Minor example: I asked for an Uno deck for Christmas one year (I know they're about $3 at the store but I thought it was a sure fire gift and something I knew I'd use). Instead of getting a new deck from Grandma I get her old deck, of bent cards, in a dilapidated box that won't even hold all the cards in. Thanks. That's actually why I wanted a new deck-to replace mine that were in that condition!

Major example: I was 22 and just about to start my first year of teaching first grade and my first time living on my own besides my time in a college dorm. I knew I'd be working very long days and spending lots of time on my feet and was really excited to be doing so. My birthday happened to be the first day of school and so, for my birthday, I asked for one of those fun bubbly footbaths. I thought that would be a nice treat to come home to and relax with sometimes at the end of the day. Birthday comes, I go to my parent's house for dinner and my grandparents walk in with their old, 70's grade, well used footbath in a plastic shopping bag. (They had a regular present for me too, this was a ....bonus I suppose.) Grandma said "There was no reason to buy you a new one when we had this one, we got a lot of use out of it!" Oh wow...at 22 you just don't want to share a footbath with grandma and grandpa, you know? (I told my best friend this story and she ended up buying me a new one-that's what friends are for!)

It's a family joke now. Be very careful about casually mentioning that you might like or want something because an old, used, and somewhat broken one will show up in your future asap.

I just try to remember that their hearts are in the right place.