Thoughtless Gift?

[DearDaisyinDurham]

My MIL the second christmas that I was married to my husband knew that I liked candles. At the time I was selling partylite ( so I really didnt need anyone buying me candles) proceeded to give me this ugly wax teddy bear candle, the kinds that are painted, but they kinda miss where they meant to paint it. She left the price tag on as well.. 1.99

My husband actually told her to stop buying us anything, just give the money to charity.

WTG to your DH!!!!!!!

this could be the passive-aggressive gift giving thread - and mil's seem to be leading!!

drum set....now that was a gift for a 5 year old!

 

[mom2munchkins]

I found this really funny. Dh asked me what was funny, so I told him. DH is a huge Steelers fan also. He told me there is nothing funny about this. It is a disgrace!

I still think its funny.

Men have no sense of humor. I thought it was funny too. Since my whole family are browns fan. I rather enjoyed the sweatshirt.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I thought I had posted previously, but it must have been another thread. At my very first job, I worked in a law firm that consisted of 2 partners, a few associates, 2 accountants, and a few secretaries. Anyway, we did a grab bag for Christmas and one of the partners picked my name. There was, I believe a $10-15 limit. When the time came to open presents, I was stumped. It was later explained to me that he had bought be an ear cuff -- a little piece of colored tin that I was supposed to wear around the top part of my ear! The office manager was so horrified that the other secretaries chipped in and they bought me the Lord of Rings book set, which they highly recommended. It was so sweet of them to try to make it up to me! As it turned out, the first book had been cut incorrectly and the top (or bottom, I can't remember) of every page was cut off!

 

[mybestieismickey]

My grandma was famous for lame gifts, but the one I remember most, was year my grandparents decided to buy a power wheels type thing that all the grandkids could share. It would just stay at their house for whenever we came over to visit. Not such a bad idea until you consider the fact that I being somewhere in the middle of the grandkids was too big for it and my uncle's family lived with them. Don't worry, his three boys were all the right size for it. Any guesses on who the favorite grandkids were? I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if 1) more than half the grandchildren would have been able to enjoy it, and 2) the boys would have actually shared the stupid toy with everyone else. You know the only time they ever used it was when someone else wanted too

Oh. And last year my DH and I attended our first Christmas party with his new job. Gotta love a White Elephant exchange. I came home with a large bag of peanut butter M&Ms. DH came home with a screaming rubber chicken (it screams as it lets the air back in after you squeeze it). Apparently there are a couple of things that get passed around year after year. Can't wait to get rid of it at this year's party. Yes, DH made me keep it for a whole year.

 

[LisaMommy]

It was later explained to me that he had bought be an ear cuff -- a little piece of colored tin that I was supposed to wear around the top part of my ear!

I saw someone wearing one of those a little while ago and was quite confused.

 

[indigodisney]

I had to join in here because my MIL has given me some amazingly awful gifts. We don't really see her anymore - that is not why...but really she is just thoughtless.

She always forgets what day my birthday is - so she would be embarrased when they would visit a few days after and she didn't remember so one time we were in the car together and she threw (seriously - threw) 2 twenty dollar bills in my lap. It was so embarrassing for me to sit there and pick them up. Gee, thanks - that was so thoughful of you.

After we had our daughter she came to see the baby and she gave me a half empty bottle of shampoo and conditioner for my birthday. Nice.

After that, she cut us off birthday and Christmas gifts. Thankfully.

Have enjoyed reading this thread - some people are really clueless about gift giving.

 

[mama2twins]

My uncle is the winner in our family - he's always known for being cheap, but his wedding gift to my brother took the cake.

My brother got married in March but it was small and last minute, so my uncle didn't attend (though he was invited). That June, my mom, grandmother and I went to my cousin's (this uncle's daughter) wedding. While we were there, he gave the gift to pass along to my brother. My mom was nosy and peaked inside -- it was a calendar for that year (remember, it was already June). And not a regular calendar with nice pictures - it was one of those with one picture on the top and you rip off the page for each month. If it wasn't free, they probably didn't pay more that $1.99. Needless to say, since we had traveled to another state, staying overnight in a hotel, plus gave my cousin a nice gift, my mom was so mad!

This same uncle also wrote in his yearly holiday letter that he was given a picnic basket as a retirement gift and then gave it to someone as a wedding gift a month later. Now I understand some people regift and it's not always a bad thing -- but to brag about it in your holiday letter??

I'm quoting myself because this same uncle visited yesterday with my mom and came up with another winner -- a plastic bag from a Piggly Wiggly store. I guess because we don't have one here in NY and a free plastic bag with the name on it is so special??

 

[Canadian Girl 77]

This isn't a thoughtless gift - more of a WHAT?

For my DD's 4th birthday - last week - by Mom gave her an advent calendar. It's a really nice, beautiful wooden advent calendar where each day has a decoration for a christmas tree. It's sort of like this - http://www.target.com/House-Advent-Calendar/dp/B001AS6XSE/sr=1-14/qid=1225508702/ref=sr_1_14/183-8162407-6668541?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Aadvent&page=1 but with a Christmas tree. She also added a quarter in each day's box.

And of course, when DD wanted to look in the different compartments, Mom wouldn't let her. So, Happy Birthday 4-year-old! Here's something you can't use for 6 weeks! She also gave her a couple of books - we're big book people so really, DD gets at least one new book a week.

It would have made more sense to have given it to me for my birthday - turning 31 next week!

But it is sort of my fault, I wasn't paying 100% attention to her. I thought it was going to be a "just because she's my granddaughter" gift. In the past that is what it would have been. Dad was a little shocked that that was his present to his only grandchild!

Kid had already been super spoiled at her birthday party so she didn't really get it. Just thank goodness my inlaws weren't there! They got her a winter coat set (complete with all accessories) and the special My Little Pony Rollercoaster toy she is pining for. MIL checks with me first to make sure stuff is appropriate. Guess I pay more attention to her!

 

[fakereadhed]

Christmas before last, I recieved a broom and a copy of the book Wicked from my MIL. And some dessert scented bubble bath. She said she thought I could bathe in it instead of eating it.

Wait a minute...I guess it wasn't thoughtless after all! She put quite a bit of thought into it apparently.

 

[mama2twins]

Yesterday my MIL gives my boys little Halloween treats and in the bag is a disposable camera each for them. They of course want to open it, but she says to save it for a "special occasion," winking at us, meaning when we go to Disney -- in 5 weeks. First of all, they don't know we're even going to Disney yet; second of all, they have no patience to wait to open a gift for 5 weeks! Why didn't she just give it to us a few days before we left? Not to mention that I'd rather let them use my old digital camera to take pics if they want, because then I can delete the pics of nothing. I hate paying to develop pics and have 10 of the ceiling or something.

I ended up opening the cameras this morning because they were still begging for them, I'll buy them another one in a few weeks if she gets upset that we didn't save them.

 

[mom2munchkins]

Christmas before last, I recieved a broom and a copy of the book Wicked from my MIL. And some dessert scented bubble bath. She said she thought I could bathe in it instead of eating it.

Wait a minute...I guess it wasn't thoughtless after all! She put quite a bit of thought into it apparently.

Wow!

 

[famofsix]

I'm quoting myself because this same uncle visited yesterday with my mom and came up with another winner -- a plastic bag from a Piggly Wiggly store. I guess because we don't have one here in NY and a free plastic bag with the name on it is so special??

that so funny! My mom gave me a bag from a german gift store and told me to give it to my inlaws since they are German. Uh no Mom but thanks for the thought She inisisted I take it so I put it somewhere special

 

[mom of princess]

Yesterday my DH GParents gave my niece & DD goldfish crackers, pretzels, kitkat bars, etc. when they went trick or treating. Sound okay so far?? My niece has celiac's and can't eat anything containing gluten... so she can't have goldfish crackers, pretzels, kitkat bars.
I chalked it up to the fact that they are in their 80s and probably bought all the family kids the same stuff. He's ticked because they know that she can't eat anything like that and if it was the "favorite grandson" there would be gluten-free stuff in the bag. He's a little bitter when it comes to this stuff because they don't realize how great it is that they have lived long enough to see the value of 3 great-granddaughters. The "favorite" falls between the 2 older GGDs and his mom acts like he always got the short-straw. In reality, she's not that nice of a person and pushed her son down everyones throat so we don't like him.
BTW...she is also the person who buys me cat related stuff for christmas and birthdays. Yes, apparently I look like the type of person who NEEDS a cat tissue cover....and a cat wooden shelf...and a large cat lapel pin...need I go on?? I just wish DH would let me opt out of the christmas grab bag at his GPs house.
Just so you all know...when we went to my sister and parents houses, they opened fresh bags of "safe" candy for my niece since she couldn't have what was being given to everyone else. AND my dad gave her a gold dollar coin to make up for the lack of candy since they bought DD other snacks too. So you see.... it isn't that hard to do the right thing for those kids with allergies. (Not just offer to call 911 or give Benadryl!!)

 

[RobinFabulous]

The year I was prego with Hannah then DH wanted a really expensive jacket. It was a football thing or something, well he knew his mother & sister couldn't pay for all of it, but he asked if they would contribute. Of course they agreed and th jacket was $300. Each said she would pay $100. So a few weeks before Christmas he's saved up (I was prego, we were young & broke) and he gives the sister $100 towards the jacket. He really reallly wanted to open a box with this jacket, instead of them just giving him money.

Sooo.... On Christmas we go over there and he gets....




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NOTHING!!!! Not only had they NOT gotten him this jacket but they KEPT his $100!!!!



I swear sometimes I know why he turned out the way he did