lexi Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 My hubby and I got a hand painted sign of family rules (the Pinterest-y ones that are actually cute). Except this one is on wood painted Royal purple. There is not a speck of purple in my house. My hubby got his grad degree from a school whose colors are purple and something else. But I'm not hanging a bright purple thing on my walls. Everything else in my house is more earth tones/neutral. Unfortunately my in laws feel that just because he got a degree from that school, everything they must buy for us should be in bright purple. The sign would be adorable in another color or even on unfinished wood. Really most colors would be better than blindingly bright purple. Oh well.... They also got us a few gift cards so that works for me. I'm happy to shop for myself and buy non-purple items. So not terrible, but disapponting because I don't want it on my walls. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valley Girl Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 My hubby and I got a hand painted sign of family rules (the Pinterest-y ones that are actually cute). Except this one is on wood painted Royal purple. There is not a speck of purple in my house. My hubby got his grad degree from a school whose colors are purple and something else. But I'm not hanging a bright purple thing on my walls. Everything else in my house is more earth tones/neutral. Unfortunately my in laws feel that just because he got a degree from that school, everything they must buy for us should be in bright purple. The sign would be adorable in another color or even on unfinished wood. Really most colors would be better than blindingly bright purple. Oh well.... They also got us a few gift cards so that works for me. I'm happy to shop for myself and buy non-purple items. So not terrible, but disapponting because I don't want it on my walls. That's what a garage is for, if you have one. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Mine is coffee. The giver refuses to accept that I have ONE specific, and cheap coffee. Every year, he gets me a few coffees. Same giver gave dd a pair of headphones. She wanted headphones, and he could have gotten great quality ones. Instead of quality, he went for name and made a comment about a "cool, age appropriate gift." Dd is disappointed. To make it worse, this person gets ds exactly what he wants, but tries to force "cool," or "age appropriate" or whatever on dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 My dd 13 got a book titled- All you need to know about fish oil. Lol!!!!! Luckily, her grandma also gave her $50 as she has NO CLUE! Wat? Weird! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 We have not had xmas with the in-laws yet, however, I am dreading it because of the gifts my mil gives. One year I got a used book on the geology of Arizona, another year I recieved 2 really ugly bright red pillows from the used store that smelled horrible, my 15 yr old son got a used girl's shirt, and the list goes on. I hate having all eyes on me when I open the gift because I'm not good at faking it. Are they being passive-aggressive or just clueless? So bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 They have a brain charm on the site. Maybe I need to get him one of those? Better today than yesterday. I still can't believe he thought the charm was appropriate. It's just baffling. He said my hysterectomy was a "milestone". I said no, it's a surgery and is something I want to heal from and forget about, since it's an awful thing to have to go through. Having his kids, buying our first house, a birthday, or being a homeschool mom- those are things deserving of a charm. I think I love that charm. It is beautiful. I had a hysterectomy on November 23rd. I think I need that charm. BUT I also insisted my husband get me a plush uterus - http://museumstore.hmns.org/product.php?PLU=2500093&gdftrk=gdfV210292_a_7c4003_a_7c12748_a_7c2500093- to have next to me on the bed when I woke up in the PACU. So It's totally my thing. It's not yours and that's okay too. I'm sorry your husband didn't understand that. That sucks. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeteranMom Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I think I love that charm. It is beautiful. I had a hysterectomy on November 23rd. I think I need that charm. BUT I also insisted my husband get me a plush uterus - http://museumstore.hmns.org/product.php?PLU=2500093&gdftrk=gdfV210292_a_7c4003_a_7c12748_a_7c2500093- to have next to me on the bed when I woke up in the PACU. So It's totally my thing. It's not yours and that's okay too. I'm sorry your husband didn't understand that. That sucks. Yeah. It wasn't my thing- at all. The seller of the charm seemed nice and it was well crafted. She doesn't normally accept returns, but is accepting mine due to the "touchy" situation. How are you doing since your surgery? Did you want your hysterectomy? I didn't want mine, but I had a large fibroid that was causing me a lot of problems- it was outside the uterus. I had thought about just having the fibroid removed, but I worried about more growing back and don't think I would have had the nerve to go through surgery again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Yeah. It wasn't my thing- at all. The seller of the charm seemed nice and it was well crafted. She doesn't normally accept returns, but is accepting mine due to the "touchy" situation. How are you doing since your surgery? Did you want your hysterectomy? I didn't want mine, but I had a large fibroid that was causing me a lot of problems- it was outside the uterus. I had thought about just having the fibroid removed, but I worried about more growing back and don't think I would have had the nerve to go through surgery again. That's nice of her to accept it back. I'm doing pretty well. The internal stitches aren't dissolved yet, but things are healing to it's a bit painful and itchy in there. I feel pretty great, though. I never really thought about a hysterectomy, but then I coughed so hard when I had bronchitis in October that my uterus prolapsed very severely so it had to come out. I've been perfectly fine with the hysterectomy from the start. I was long done having kids. My husband had a vasectomy 6 years ago. I had to have significant anterior and and minor posterior repairs. I love the result of not peeing accidentally all the time. Since you didn't want the hysterectomy in the first place, I can see how painful that charm would be. There are so many emotions related to hysterectomy. (((hugs))) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Not so much "disappointing" as "forgotten", but DH bought me a chocolate fountain for Christmas. I know this because DH is horrible at hiding gifts and his it in one of his (very deep) dresser drawers... when I'm the one who ends up putting his clothes away because he never gets around to it, lol. It wasn't for anyone else, we plan out all our gifts for family members and friends together. He even dropped a hint about it a few days ago when I was making chocolate truffles and was at the tricky final stage where you enrobe them, about how one of my gifts might make this a lot easier. He forgot to give it to me. I put away laundry again this morning and it's still there in his drawer. We're having a Christmas party with extended family is just a few hours and it would be REALLY nice to have it around for the party... but I'm not sure how to go about reminding him to give me a Christmas gift when I'm not supposed to know about it, lol. Still waiting for an update on the chocolate fountain... :D 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sk8ermaiden Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I don't have any pictures around of our specific dresser, but it's similar in style to this. DH has a lot of thick, heavy work clothes, so we made sure to get a dresser with super-deep drawers that can hold those sorts of clothes without a problem. That being said, it's still a relatively small chocolate fountain. (link if you're interested; the reviews on it are saying it's too loud, hmm... I guess we'll find out!) I got the fountain, btw. I found some more laundry to put away, waited until the baby started crying, and then passed the pile to DH with a "Could you please put these away before the party? I need to feed the baby." About 10 minutes later he emerged from the bedroom with a hastily-wrapped box and a sheepish expression on his face. :lol: . 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 . THANK YOU!!! I can't believe I missed that! :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I think I love that charm. It is beautiful. I had a hysterectomy on November 23rd. I think I need that charm. BUT I also insisted my husband get me a plush uterus - http://museumstore.hmns.org/product.php?PLU=2500093&gdftrk=gdfV210292_a_7c4003_a_7c12748_a_7c2500093- to have next to me on the bed when I woke up in the PACU. So It's totally my thing. It's not yours and that's okay too. I'm sorry your husband didn't understand that. That sucks. I got a plush gallbladder, which I love, but which ds11 has appropriated since he loves plush toys. He calls it his "gallfriend." :zombie: 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Not disappointed exactly. It'll be great if I can eat it. I was given a large box of chocolates, assorted. They look delicious. There was no ingredient list in the box. I am allergic eggs. I emailed the company for ingredient list. Death by Chocolate could have a whole new meaning here. It's egg free! 35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 (edited) I was a bit disappointed when I got the old Well Educated Mind and not the updated version, but I forced myself out of that attitude. That's a totally 1st World issue right there. (Plus, dh sent the wrong link to his sister, so there is no way she could have known.) My gifts were fine and dh's were fine. Dd's gifts from MIL and SIL are always odd, though. Every time dd opens gifts, I just think "that will be purged in a few months". This year included 2 holiday activity paper tablecloths (Thanksgiving and Valentines Day), some weird, used stuffed animals, 50 super cheap bracelets, and a used Dora the Explorer doll house with used, unmatched furniture with not a Dora insight. DD was very vocal about not having a Dora. I tried to weave a story about why there was no Dora, but that's hard to explain to a 3 year old. They always have some gems in the gifts - this year was a really nice Usborne train book and some really nice fairytale books. But, the rest of the junk that's given bothers me. I understand that they don't have a ton of money and that they want to spoil her, but I'd rather they just get one or two nice gifts instead of the junk they get. I just have to remember that this is how this family functions - all of them. Oh, the worst gift dd got was from dh's cousin. She crocheted a poncho for dd. It was yellow, black, and green with bullseyes. It reeked of cigarettes and something else I couldn't identify. The cousin kept saying "I hope it fits. If it doesn't, let me know and I'll make her another one." I just kept telling her, "I'm sure it will be fine." It's already in the donate pile. Dh can't stand that cousin and refuses to keep gifts from her - long, bad history. Edited December 27, 2015 by Southern Ivy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 THANK YOU!!! I can't believe I missed that! :blush: Me too, I missed it too! VERY smooth with the fondue pot, lol! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 It's egg free! :party: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonkers247 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 My narcissistic mother gave her four granddaughters, my sister, and me necklaces. She made sure we were all well informed of how expensive they were. I tried to exchange mine today for something I actually liked and found out she spent $30 on mine. She also gave my husband a book that was on my wish list and informed him that it was on his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 I was a bit disappointed when I got the old Well Educated Mind and not the updated version, but I forced myself out of that attitude. That's a totally 1st World issue right there. (Plus, dh sent the wrong link to his sister, so there is no way she could have known.) My gifts were fine and dh's were fine. Dd's gifts from MIL and SIL are always odd, though. Every time dd opens gifts, I just think "that will be purged in a few months". This year included 2 holiday activity paper tablecloths (Thanksgiving and Valentines Day), some weird, used stuffed animals, 50 super cheap bracelets, and a used Dora the Explorer doll house with used, unmatched furniture with not a Dora insight. DD was very vocal about not having a Dora. I tried to weave a story about why there was no Dora, but that's hard to explain to a 3 year old. They always have some gems in the gifts - this year was a really nice Usborne train book and some really nice fairytale books. But, the rest of the junk that's given bothers me. I understand that they don't have a ton of money and that they want to spoil her, but I'd rather they just get one or two nice gifts instead of the junk they get. I just have to remember that this is how this family functions - all of them. Oh, the worst gift dd got was from dh's cousin. She crocheted a poncho for dd. It was yellow, black, and green with bullseyes. It reeked of cigarettes and something else I couldn't identify. The cousin kept saying "I hope it fits. If it doesn't, let me know and I'll make her another one." I just kept telling her, "I'm sure it will be fine." It's already in the donate pile. Dh can't stand that cousin and refuses to keep gifts from her - long, bad history. I always went through the gifts first, opening them and discarding and then rewrapping the few gems. My kids didn't know the difference and it made it so smoother than the other way around. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48820592 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Are they being passive-aggressive or just clueless? So bad! Clueless, she puts no thought or effort into gift giving. My kids give her lists of things she can afford, but off she goes to the used store to buy junk and a lot of it. We keep hoping she'll take the hint when she sees the same stuff back at the used store. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48820592 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 My gifts were fine and dh's were fine. Dd's gifts from MIL and SIL are always odd, though. Every time dd opens gifts, I just think "that will be purged in a few months". This year included 2 holiday activity paper tablecloths (Thanksgiving and Valentines Day), some weird, used stuffed animals, 50 super cheap bracelets, and a used Dora the Explorer doll house with used, unmatched furniture with not a Dora insight. DD was very vocal about not having a Dora. I understand that they don't have a ton of money and that they want to spoil her, but I'd rather they just get one or two nice gifts instead of the junk they get. I just have to remember that this is how this family functions - all of them. Oh, the worst gift dd got was from dh's cousin. She crocheted a poncho for dd. It was yellow, black, and green with bullseyes. It reeked of cigarettes and something else I couldn't identify. The cousin kept saying "I hope it fits. If it doesn't, let me know and I'll make her another one." I just kept telling her, "I'm sure it will be fine." It's already in the donate pile. Dh can't stand that cousin and refuses to keep gifts from her - long, bad history. Maybe we have the same MIL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 I got a coupon for a local restaurant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 DH's sister is the worst gift giver, of course, she drew my name this year, I got homemade earrings (4 Pair) none are really colors that I would even wear. Other than that, I did well with the rest of the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 I was a bit disappointed when I got the old Well Educated Mind and not the updated version, but I forced myself out of that attitude. That's a totally 1st World issue right there. (Plus, dh sent the wrong link to his sister, so there is no way she could have known.) I wonder what the in-store return policy is at Barnes and Noble? Maybe you can go in and tell them it's a gift but you don't have the receipt and you want to know if you can exchange it for the most recent edition. Maybe at least they'll give you store credit for the book and that can go towards the new edition. I don't know if they'll insist on having a gift receipt or not though. It's worth calling and asking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 I understand that they don't have a ton of money and that they want to spoil her, but I'd rather they just get one or two nice gifts instead of the junk they get. I just have to remember that this is how this family functions - all of them. This is how it is at my in-laws and it drives me nuts. Why buy $20 pieces of crap from the Dollar Store, when you can get one or two really fun/nice things from the wish list (*ahem* the wish list they requested --multiple times!!-- but did not utilize). :glare: The kicker is: we saved some of DD's most wanted presents for this side of the family to get. They were very affordable, easy to obtain locally. We wanted the in-laws to have the chance to give her something she really wanted (since, again, they asked for the list). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 The kicker is: we saved some of DD's most wanted presents for this side of the family to get. They were very affordable, easy to obtain locally. We wanted the in-laws to have the chance to give her something she really wanted (since, again, they asked for the list). Things are hit and miss with in-laws and gifts here too. We make much shorter lists for them, and when we get closer to the holidays, we outright ask if they the important items before we finalize our own gift-giving. It's improved over the years, but it's always frustrating to have to come up with lists and wonder if they will use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Lisbeth, I'm sorry. Next year, could you pick out gifts that you want, and tell your husband or kids to wrap them. They won't be surprised, but you will have something. Honestly, I'd frame this to DH as teaching your kids to give and not just take. It's a life lesson they need. I get myself stuff and wrap it myself. That way at least someone is surprised! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Things are hit and miss with in-laws and gifts here too. We make much shorter lists for them, and when we get closer to the holidays, we outright ask if they the important items before we finalize our own gift-giving. It's improved over the years, but it's always frustrating to have to come up with lists and wonder if they will use them. This is one reason I love using the amazon wish list. I can keep tabs on if their most wanted things were purchased. It came in handy this year for something DD3 really wanted that we didn't get in our initial run. When time got close (to ship in time) we checked on it so we could splurge for it if neither grandparent had. It's nice to be able to split up the stuff they really want between us all so it's not one person getting them everything they really want and the other giving them "leftover" ideas, but yet still make sure they get their few top things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopskipjump Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Only disappointment was that the keyboard I picked out for ds doesn't have a plug-in for earphones! :tongue_smilie: I'd thought that was an automatic - but no! It's not! lol He loves the keyboard, though, and thankfully, has been very considerate with the volume control. :p (it is still set up in the front room - we're in the midst of renovating his bedroom, so no room in there right now!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) We hadn't been disappointed, but now are. My son and I got smartphones for Christmas. (It was a surprise for him, not for me.) We started to set them up, and discovered that multi-media texting does not work. Now that we are investigating it, it seems like an ongoing problem with this phone - something that never came up in reviews! Hoping we can get it resolved today. Edited December 29, 2015 by marbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 We hadn't been disappointed, but now are. My son and I got smartphones for Christmas. (It was a surprise for him, not for me.) We started to set them up, and discovered that multi-media texting does not work. Now that we are investigating it, it seems like an ongoing problem with this phone - something that never came up in reviews! Hoping we can get it resolved today. I can't "like" this, but I hope you get it figured out today too. How frustrating! I seem to remember this being an issue with a phone I've had before, but it must have been a simple fix--finding out how to do it was the hard part though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 We hadn't been disappointed, but now are. My son and I got smartphones for Christmas. (It was a surprise for him, not for me.) We started to set them up, and discovered that multi-media texting does not work. Now that we are investigating it, it seems like an ongoing problem with this phone - something that never came up in reviews! Hoping we can get it resolved today. May I ask what kind of phone it is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) May I ask what kind of phone it is? Nexus 5X We're waiting now to hear from our service provider; maybe we or they missed a step in the setup. We had old phones that we swapped out. My husband is very technical and generally knows how to deal with this stuff, so if he's stumped it's either something super-simple, or everything's totally messed up. :-) ETA: seems to be fixed! I think it was something super-simple that we should have done, but did not know to do and did not have any reason to expect to do it. If that made sense at all. Edited December 29, 2015 by marbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Wow, 30 year old Tonka Trucks! Those are great! I had the same thought. In fact, my kids (and nieces/nephews) have toys that my dad and his siblings and then my sisters and I played with. They include an amazing fire truck, cement mixer, train, etc...Those are some of the sturdiest things. They have Cabbage Patch Kids and Pound Puppies and other assorted things from when I was a kid. I can't imagine thinking 30 yo Tonka Trucks are a dud! Send them our way! As for duds here, I can't think of any. But the tiny 3 inch or so stuffed gingerbread girl doll that was in DD's stocking has been a huge, unexpected hit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I had the same thought. In fact, my kids (and nieces/nephews) have toys that my dad and his siblings and then my sisters and I played with. They include an amazing fire truck, cement mixer, train, etc...Those are some of the sturdiest things. They have Cabbage Patch Kids and Pound Puppies and other assorted things from when I was a kid. I can't imagine thinking 30 yo Tonka Trucks are a dud! Send them our way! As for duds here, I can't think of any. But the tiny 3 inch or so stuffed gingerbread girl doll that was in DD's stocking has been a huge, unexpected hit. Oh, my kids have plenty of toys that dh played with as a child. I'm thinking my MIL saved everything that was ever touched by him or his brothers. We are given tubs full of the stuff, all.the.time. Clothes, sports equipment, toys, etc. These were not particularly treasured items from dh's childhood. I don't have any kids in the Tonka truck playing stage. My oldest is beyond that, my middle is a girly girl who has no interest in trucks and the baby is too little to operate these trucks- they are huge and heavy. I also found it irritating that they made all the kids participate in unwrapping them and then kept shooing away the youngest because the crane has strings they didn't want him to pull off and the fire truck has ladders that they didn't want him to break. Did I mention that they are huge? We do not have the space for these things. I realize that there is a ton of factors that influence my feelings on this and I'm fine with the idea that other people think this would be a great gift. I don't. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Oh, my kids have plenty of toys that dh played with as a child. I'm thinking my MIL saved everything that was ever touched by him or his brothers. We are given tubs full of the stuff, all.the.time. Clothes, sports equipment, toys, etc. These were not particularly treasured items from dh's childhood. I don't have any kids in the Tonka truck playing stage. My oldest is beyond that, my middle is a girly girl who has no interest in trucks and the baby is too little to operate these trucks- they are huge and heavy. I also found it irritating that they made all the kids participate in unwrapping them and then kept shooing away the youngest because the crane has strings they didn't want him to pull off and the fire truck has ladders that they didn't want him to break. Did I mention that they are huge? We do not have the space for these things. I realize that there is a ton of factors that influence my feelings on this and I'm fine with the idea that other people think this would be a great gift. I don't. I get you on this. We have some of my husband's old toys that were never appropriate for our kids. Unfortunately he has kept them around for some reason I can't fathom. But that said - our son was the right age for the metal Tonkas but my husband would not let him play with them! I was never sure why not. He put them away and my son saw them when we were moving, and was all "We had those? How come I never got to play with those?" So weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 My dh got dd a drone. She wanted LLBean boots. He also got pots and pans for ds and dil, and for me. While they need them, the set is not one I'd pick in a million years. Unfortunately, I had already promised ds that we'd either give them $$ or an actual piece of furniture they need. I told dh, but he thought I hadn't "promised," and he didn't want to tell me about the pots because he'd bought me the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leav97 Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I can't complain too much. I like everything I received. I asked DH for a specific $20 T-Shirt. DH bought a NFL jersey and added it to the pile of things for me to wrap. He was watching when I grabbed it off the pile. "Go ahead and just wear it, it doesn't really need to be wrapped now that you know what it is." He must have realized I wasn't happy. He also purchased a bigger monitor for my computer. Still don't have the shirt I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I always went through the gifts first, opening them and discarding and then rewrapping the few gems. My kids didn't know the difference and it made it so smoother than the other way around. I so wish this were an option, but we visit his mom and sister. I just have to discard as we get home. There's so much crap she won't notice. I just always pray they don't notice when they visit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 This is how it is at my in-laws and it drives me nuts. Why buy $20 pieces of crap from the Dollar Store, when you can get one or two really fun/nice things from the wish list (*ahem* the wish list they requested --multiple times!!-- but did not utilize). :glare: The kicker is: we saved some of DD's most wanted presents for this side of the family to get. They were very affordable, easy to obtain locally. We wanted the in-laws to have the chance to give her something she really wanted (since, again, they asked for the list). I wish they would ask. They never do. They just buy based on what they find at consignment sales and what they think she'd like. The hits are usually the ones they spent the money on. The fails are always the ones they got cheap. DD today got mad at a cheap "Barbie" - "This doll doesn't even sit!", then she chunked it over her shoulder. :lol: That one's going in the trash soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Oh, my kids have plenty of toys that dh played with as a child. I'm thinking my MIL saved everything that was ever touched by him or his brothers. We are given tubs full of the stuff, all.the.time. Clothes, sports equipment, toys, etc. These were not particularly treasured items from dh's childhood. I don't have any kids in the Tonka truck playing stage. My oldest is beyond that, my middle is a girly girl who has no interest in trucks and the baby is too little to operate these trucks- they are huge and heavy. I also found it irritating that they made all the kids participate in unwrapping them and then kept shooing away the youngest because the crane has strings they didn't want him to pull off and the fire truck has ladders that they didn't want him to break. Did I mention that they are huge? We do not have the space for these things. I realize that there is a ton of factors that influence my feelings on this and I'm fine with the idea that other people think this would be a great gift. I don't. My kids are teens. We've saved toys of that nature to sell on Ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 My dh got dd a drone. She wanted LLBean boots. He also got pots and pans for ds and dil, and for me. While they need them, the set is not one I'd pick in a million years. Unfortunately, I had already promised ds that we'd either give them $$ or an actual piece of furniture they need. I told dh, but he thought I hadn't "promised," and he didn't want to tell me about the pots because he'd bought me the same thing. Oh man, that stinks. :sad: Can you return the pots and pans? IMO the person who does the cooking always gets to choose the cookware. It would bug me every. single. day. to have to use pots and pans I didn't like. If you know what store he got them from, maybe your DS & DIL can at least exchange it for something else? Or just tell your DH that yes you did actually "promise" them cash, and get him to return them. I feel bad for all four of you (including your DD with the drone instead of boots)! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 My dh got dd a drone. She wanted LLBean boots. He also got pots and pans for ds and dil, and for me. While they need them, the set is not one I'd pick in a million years. Unfortunately, I had already promised ds that we'd either give them $$ or an actual piece of furniture they need. I told dh, but he thought I hadn't "promised," and he didn't want to tell me about the pots because he'd bought me the same thing. Did he know she wanted boots? Was the drone really for her, or was it cover because he really wanted one? If that is his MO for gift giving, I would have no problem returning the drone and the pots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Santa got a little too literal on the wear and need parts of our regular gifts. Need was a box with a towel set and nice water bottle in their assigned household color. Wear for each of them was wool hiking socks. Underwhelming but offset by Star Wars and some other gifts. They both loved their read and want gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48820592 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Today was Christmas with the in-laws. MIL got 15 year old son a bright gold beach towel engraved with a school mascot because "the color is the local school color"---um, surely she knows he doesn't go to school. 13 year old son got a used model plane with a note on it, "Some boy didn't like putting things together but I think you do. I hope all the pieces are here." Thirteen yr old dd got a stuffed doll--she was not thrilled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 We got ds the processor he wanted for his gaming computer and it isn't working. He updated everything he's supposed to update and says it should work, but it doesn't. We got him the exact one he wanted and he says not to feel bad since he's the one who chose it, but I feel bad anyway. I wanted it to work and for him to be excited. Quoting myself to give an update. After doing some research, dh found out his motherboard is incompatible with the processor. :( He didn't think to check that before making his request, and we thought he knew what he was asking for. I returned it today because there's a time limit on returning computer parts. I assured ds he won't get cheated out of a gift (not that he seemed worried), and told him to do some more research and let us know if he finds a processor that will do what he wants and is compatible. If not, he can choose a different item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggie96 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) My middle daughter asked for science kits. Santa brought her several kits she requested. I went rogue and also bought her a frog/grasshopper/worm dissecting kit from Home Science Tools. I also bought each kid the jumbo owl pellet dissecting kit. Now, I was SUPER excited because we had looked at these kits together last MARCH. I showed great restraint waiting all the way to Christmas to buy. I was TOUGH! :drool5: The moment comes to open the box. She lifts the lid, then starts playing hot-potato with the box trying not to drop it but not wanting to touch it! She thought it was a joke! She just sits there tossing the box and asking if we are pranking her! OMG! It was hysterical! Once she realizes the specimens are in their own pack, the moment calms and she asks us so sincerely why we would get her a dead frog for Christmas. :) A bit later my oldest daughter opens the box that had the 3 owl pellet kits in it. It's not obvious what it is so she asks. I tell her, very excited of course, that they are owl pellet kits. She wrinkles her nose and asks, "Did you get us poop for Christmas?!" Then all three kids drop the bags and scatter to the corners! They thought their parents had lost their minds this Christmas! I keep assuring them how cool these gifts really are, but they seem a "wee bit" disappointed! I have never laughed so hard on Christmas morning in my life! Middle girl still won't touch anything but the edge of the "dead frog" box very reluctantly when her family asks to see it. :laugh: Edited December 30, 2015 by aggie96 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Lesson learned this year: I need to learn how to segregate my wishlist further so that I have an actual gifty wishlist, and separate ones for my everyday "save for later to look at further" lists. :p I have a public wishlist and a private wishlist... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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