Framed pictures of your kids. I’m not Granny, I’m just an aunt, your kids are OK, but I am not hanging pictures of them in my house, I don’t have room and if you give me framed (cheaply framed) photos every year, they go right in the trash.
Jewelry. Ever notice I don’t wear jewelry any more? I don’t work, I don’t dress up. I wear nice studs in my ears to keep them open, but that’s it. (Wish I could get my SO to notice this)
Re-gifts. Seriously?? Who the fuck gives someone a full bottle of Peppermint Schnapps?? Ever see me drink schnapps?? Or a little bookbag thing with the name of some company I never heard of on it??
Call me Scrooge, but if you want to give me an Xmas present, please pay attention to who I am? I have liked 1 present in the past 3 years, which was a card letting me know someone had made a donation in my name to one of my charities.
Clothing of any kind. I’m tactile challenged. I only wear things that feel good to me. I’m sorry if what feels good to me is not what feels good to you. My sisters, who have known me my whole life can’t be bothered to notice this. But hey, go ahead and put that gift reciept in there. That gift will be cash the week after Christmas(:))
Gift cards to the local bookstore. Yes, I love books; but honestly, I have more books than shelves. The gift cards to the bookstore do nothing more than pile up.
An Ikea gift card would be much more useful, as it would let me purchase additional bookshelves.
Clothes, mostly. My wife and stepdaughter both try to dress me like a 20-something metrosexual. I’m in my fifties and wear jeans and flannel shirts, dammit! I don’t want your slim-cut shirts that I can barely get buttoned, or the skin tight sweater to wear over it. You might as well donate it directly to Goodwill or Salvation Army, 'cuz you’re never going to see me wearing it.
I currently have no restrictions. My standing order when I was little: no dolls, not even those things called “action figures”. I have seven sisters and would borrow theirs on the rare occasion when I felt like playing with a doll.
My answer also. I’ve tried my darndest to get my sibs to quit with gifting. We’re all in our 50s and 60s - well beyond needing anything, and since we mostly see each other maybe 4 times a year, we don’t really know each other that well any more. Spoil your kids and your grandkids and spare me. Thanks ever so…
It took me years of getting coffee mugs and useless knickknacks to finally convince my kids not to send any more of that crap. I gave a large cardboard box full of mugs and ceramic sea captains (don’t ask) to Goodwill about ten years ago.
Clothes: You will never get the right size, let alone the right style.
Gift cards to stores that are not in my area, and this goes double for AMC Cinema cards because the theater chain in my part of the country is Regal.
Puzzles, 2D and 3D.
My mother loves to buy me stuff that I don’t like. I try to hide my dislike, but I think she senses my disappointment because she’ll launch into a sales pitch to convince me it’s a good gift.
“These ill-fitting elastic waisted jeans adorned with sequins and rhinestones that I picked up at Walmart in the old ladies’ section go with EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING like this faux-leather, cougar-print vest that I picked up at Steinmart. And I also got you these zebra-print patent-leather boots from Big Lots to make the outfit complete. YOU ARE GOING TO BE SHARP, GIRL.”
I know she knows these gifts don’t bowl me over with excitement. But every year it is the same.
Stocking filler books entitled ‘100 things to do instead of staring at your iphone’ or ‘the world’s best political cartoons’.
Anything from the ‘gift’ section of any store.
Any clothing connected to slouching around at home - cutesy socks with dogs on them, slippers, robes, pyjamas, onesies, hoodies, ‘athwear’. I don’t do any of that shit.
DVDs/CDs - seriously, have you not got Spotify/Netflix yet?
Endorsing the OPs request for nil family photos. I have a (large, naked) photo of my baby god daughter that I have to remember to retrieve out of the drawer every time my friend comes over. Said child is now 8, when do I get to stop?
I was going to say “presents”, but I like this better.
My MIL feels the need to give us all gifts each year, at Thanksgiving (tree ornaments, every year) and for Christmas. The Xmas presents are always what she thinks we will all like, so it gives a good window on what she thinks about all of us. My son has not liked toy cars, and my daughter has not liked horses, and I have not gone fishing in years, yet cards and gifts still reflect these things. It shows that she has not stayed in touch with us enough to know what’s going on in our lives. What else can you do by smile and say ‘thanks’ and then afterward look for a way to get rid of this stuff.
Actually, serious question, with time still on the clock, how can I tell her NOT to provide me gifts this year? I don’t think I can deny her getting her grandkids gifts, but what are the right words to say “Please do not get me anything this year” without overly offending?
I agree with this. You don’t want to start an argument and giving to charity at Xmas is very appropriate!
I was tricky to buy for when I was young.
I was in my own little world of chess, books (mainly sci-fi and detective stories.)
One elderly relative bought me a book on ‘how to learn chess’. I know she meant well, but I was playing in the British Chess Championship at the time. :smack: