Did you get many unwanted presents?

I give my unopened smellies as raffle prizes as my skin is too sensitive for perfumed stuff. We have boxes of spirits which people have given us over the years which is a bit of a surprise because they know I am teetotal and my husband rarely drinks anything other than lager. Unfortunately, selling them on is illegal!

Bring a gardener with a large allotment I get tons of hand cream gifted.
I could open a market stall with it all.
Luckily I've got granddaughters and daughters in law and can pass them on as stocking fillers, keeping the heavy duty gardeners ones for myself .b

The only things I didn’t like were chutney and body wash - do you think the latter was a hint?!

MawtheMerrier

People will keep buying me gin!
I would not say it's unwanted (as if!) but what does it say about me? D 2 bought me Rhubarb gin for my birthday back in March, D3 a "variety" pack of three small bottles for Mothers Day and D1 bought me a huge bottle plus dried orange slices and tonic for Christmas.
Do I really have that reputation?

You and me both MawtheMerrier, Cheers!!

HowVeryDareYou

Mollygo It's one with about 15 cats on it - I adore cats, and our lovely old boy died 2 months ago, we've decided not to have another - and I haven't done a jigsaw since I was a child.

DH does like a jigsaw to do after Christmas.
However, I didn't buy him one this year because the only one I saw had 2,000 pieces - too small for his eyes now.
However, don't send yours, he doesn't like cats (but they seem to love him!) 😁🐱

Mollygo It's one with about 15 cats on it - I adore cats, and our lovely old boy died 2 months ago, we've decided not to have another - and I haven't done a jigsaw since I was a child.

HowVeryDareYou, tell me your jigsaw isn’t one of those like the liquorice all sorts jigsaw. I got one last year and it’s still in cellophane. I kept mentioning how much I prefer doing jigsaws on my iPad, so no jigsaw this year.

I had a 500 piece jigsaw that I'll never look at, and The Supervet book I had last year. A lovely pair of silky Marks and Spencers pyjamas that I'll never wear - the top is a buttoned jacket (I find t-shirt tops more comfortable) and the trousers are at least 8 inches too long.

A big tin of biscuits will be heading for the food bank.
Which might be a good place to take anyone’s unwanted toiletry presents, too.

Having grown up with a relative who was known for buying (deliberately?) awful gifts, but would become infuriated and incensed if you did not look pleased with such awful gifts. It's such a release to no longer have to go through such a charade. If you asked for a specific color to be avoided, they would choose that exact color and have caused HUGE disappointment to kids who wanted a specific toy and were given the opposite.

My husband and younger son are pretty good gift givers and I'm never disappointed because they know me well.

Lyng17 my unwanted presents will be heading to charity shops in the New Year. I'd rather do that than say anything to hurt them, I accept my gifts with a smile on my face and hope someone else gets joy out of them.

Very few thank goodness. Used to get loads of scenty stuff I can't use/slippers/scarves/jewellery and it all ended up in charity shops. Grateful as I am to be remembered it always made me feel bad that people were spending their hard earned money on things I had no use for. Since we started no-presents-for adults-at Christmas it's been so much easier for everyone and taken so much of the stress away. Plus my birthday is in January and I used to end up with everyone else's unwanted gifts then, thankfully that doesn't happen any more.

We do very token presents only, charity shop books and the like so nothing unwanted. I had a couple of lovely things from the adult DC and their partners, small but thoughtful and connected to a favourite hobby.

I got several gifts from work clients which are always appreciated even if they are not appropriate. I especially like plants and bulbs, but the biscuits with an ingredient with the potential to kill me (severe allergy) will go to the food bank.

Greyduster

DD gave me a nightshirt with a pattern I would run a mile from on it, but rather than hurt her feelings I will say nothing. No-one is going to see it but me in it anyway. The only other strange thing I had was a packet of sour cream and chive crisps from DS, but they were balanced out by the good book and the bottle of my favourite malt whisky. My 15 year old Grandson gave his mother a pan scrubber, but justified it by telling her it was “very scientific”. At least it made her laugh!

That made me laugh about the pan scrubber too

ParlorGames

Not recently, no. But I do recall some years ago asking for some pyjamas, just plain cotton PJ'S, nothing fancy............OH presented me with a pair of polyester satin PJ'S, two sizes too big that created dreadful static when I wore them! They created so much static I could have been plugged into the national grid!

Oh, ParlorGames, that made me laugh!
😂😂😂

Didn’t get anything unwanted! But got loads of boxes of chocolates, but will put those in the food bank

I don't get these sorts of shower gel type presents from anyone. I just get decent pressies from my 3 DDs combined who all know what I like. This year I had a beautiful scarf/shawl in just the colours I love, a ticket for the Lion King live show in Manchester (which I am going to with them and their families), and a heated throw to keep my fuel bills down.

That's it - rest of family neither give nor get presents - gosh it makes life a bit easier.

All perfect!! - Hooray!

@Lyng17, I think most of us appreciate the thought behind gifts and are pleased to be remembered in this way. However, we all have different ideas and tastes so some presents hit the spot more than others. I have several allergies so toiletries and scented candles would set them off but I will always thank the person who gave them to me and regift to someone else who l think would appreciate them more. I really think that, in most cases, the old saying about it being the thought that counts is still very apt.

DD gave me a nightshirt with a pattern I would run a mile from on it, but rather than hurt her feelings I will say nothing. No-one is going to see it but me in it anyway. The only other strange thing I had was a packet of sour cream and chive crisps from DS, but they were balanced out by the good book and the bottle of my favourite malt whisky. My 15 year old Grandson gave his mother a pan scrubber, but justified it by telling her it was “very scientific”. At least it made her laugh!

Lyng17

How ungrateful. The majority of things mentioned could be given to charity shops, school raffles etc.

I'm never ungrateful for a kind thought, I treasure all gifts with good intent.

The random, better-give-her-something candle and scarf are in the charity bag already.

OnwardandUpward

Ailidh

A former friend that I've been trying to let drift but she doesn't seem to have noticed yet, we live in the same apartment complex, you'd think she'd have noticed my oozing away but part of me drifting is exactly because of her not Really being awfully interested in me except when she wants help.....
(and breathe)
..... gave me
a scented candle, despite the fact that naked flames are not allowed in the apartments we both live in;
a not unpleasant headscarf, despite the fact that in the nearly 40 years we've known each other, I have never worn a headscarf.

It's not the gifts per se, it's the lack of thought: one of my brothers gave me a pair of candles that are meant to aid sleep, and those I love, though I still can't light them - he doesn't know the house rule but he does know that I don't always sleep well, so it was full of thought.

So sorry about the candles from your brother. I have an idea how you could still enjoy the scent. If you carefully put the candles in a tin foil dish that you can wedge on top of your radiator, they will heat up and fill the room with a lovely smell just like a wax melt might.

What a great idea, thank you!!

Will sleep well tonight!! 🌼

No unwanted gifts here because we don’t buy for adults.

Any unwanted smellies, candles , chocolates, cat food etc can be donated to food banks.

I didn't receive anything I didn't like or need this year. DH bought me a selection box of cocktails and a soup maker, I've wanted the latter for 3 or 4 years so I'm well pleased.
Box of biscuits and meal voucher from DS and from DD a huge box of chocolates and a meal out in the spring.

Sorry to hear that.

Presents are really important to some people. I read a book about the Love Languages. Mine isn't gifts, it's time, but some people really need gifts.

grandtanteJE65

I have not received any presents . wanted or unwanted!

So childish as it may seem, even unwrapping something I either did not want, or could not use, would have been a treat.

Same here