I hate jam

I have a similar problem with chutney. I quite like it but only very occasionally and in small amounts. As there's only me, it takes forever to get through one jar let alone the 14 or so I have in the larder. I just accept graciously and re gift when appropriate to a coffee morning or fete! Every so often I have a clear out and, sad to say, throw away the jars that look past it..

Yes ! my lovely son bought me one of those Japanese miniature tree house plants and of course I made a big fuss , he now buys me one for birthdays, Mothers day , Christmas and I haven't got the heart to tell him I really dislike house plants of any kind . I would love something for the garden but Its just too late to say anything.

Am drowning in a vat of body lotion!
Mind you, a friends grandson asked me why I had so many wrinkles !!!!

You are not alone granoffour

A friend with Scottish ancestry makes her own tablet, and sent me some. I thought it was horrible! I of course enthused over it, it would have felt rude not to, so I hope she doesn`t send me any more.

I am very good at winning raffles and have to make sure that I recycle the unwanted prizes into other raffles where they will not be recognised - I live in a small village, so it is a challenge!

There seems to be a class of items whose only function seems to be a raffle prize!

Yes, body lotion!!

Well, one SIL always gives us scented stuff for the bath even though we don't have a bath. I haven't the heart to tell her but my DIL makes good use of our hand-me-downs. And one friend kindly buys us a Christmas cake every year even though we don't eat cake. We said 'how lovely' the first time so it's really our fault.

It's easy - just drop into the conversation that it is a shame but you have been put on a sugar free diet - ergo no jam, tablet or cake. Or mention that although you have lots of lovely house plants you are really short of things for the garden ask for recommendations same re shower gel now that you no longer have a bath.

As a student on teaching practice I was in digs and on the first night was given cheese and biscuits. The problem was that the cheese was a processed cheese and I hated it. Because I was a polite young lady I ate it the first night. The next night there was a bigger serving. I sneaked most of it into my pocket and on the way to school put it into a bin. I was there a month and goodness knows how many pounds of cheese was put into that bin. I am no longer so polite !

There seems to be a class of items whose only function seems to be a raffle prize! Haha, I know just what you mean! They regularly turn up as prizes at our photography club breakfast meetings .

My lovely DS almost always buys me a box of Lush products for Mothers' Day. I haven't the heart to tell him that I have a stack of these things at the top of my wardrobe because it takes me forever to get through them. At least this year he didn't get me a gift set containing bath bombs and suchlike - I never use them, because I can't get out of the bath once I'm in!

I have a theory that the same bottles of wine, chocolates, body lotions etc do a never ending circuit of all the good cause raffles within a fifteen mile radius of wherever you live.

All the several local choirs around here seem to run raffles for their funds.

Being too polite and trusting has been a life-long problem. Only now am I realising that its not working for me and to change. It's not easy but luckily my children have no problem saying if they don't like something I buy them and just give it back! I loved all your posts and so true to our generation I think, brought up in 1950's or post-war.

How about donating unwanted body lotion and such like to a Woman's refuge?

My pet hate is scented candles (open the window for fresh air!) and, on being polite about one such offering was inundated with them as presents. One kind hearted donor bought me a really upmarket one for £50 and I am afraid to say that, since it was from a shop with a generous exchange policy on unopened goods, I changed it for a lovely bag.

I find that research tells us that scented candles are at the top of the 'Ten Most Unwanted Presents' list.

I love scented candles! As I said on another thread, we are all different. But my daughter hates scones which unfortunately her mother in law makes every time she visits and encourages her to eat lots. The first time she went there she politely said how lovely they were and now doesn't like to say anything.

My partners mother was a very generous lady who loved to surprise people. Unfortunately our tastes were very different. When we went shopping together I had to reply very carefully to every question about whether I liked something, or I could find it in my birthday/Christmas presents. I was never sure whether she was suggesting a garment for me or for her and I got very good at saying 'That would look great on you but it's not long enough for me' or 'That colour would suit you to a T but make my skin look yellow'.

I also have large collections of collectable ornaments hidden away in boxes in a cupboard that have been given to me for presents just because I happened to say that something looked cute at some point. It DID look cute but that didn't mean I wanted it and it's hard to stop once it's started without appearing ungrateful or making someone feel bad.

I once suggested to my Mum that I would love things like good paint brushes, rollers, etc that I use a lot of or other things I use in crafts that cost a bit over the year but apparently those wouldn't be 'proper' presents.

i love the body lotion and scented candles - always welcome presents.

Our French neighbours (plural) every autumn give us jars of a sort of jam/chutney with walnuts and figs. This despite the very visible prolific fig and walnut trees in our gardens! And I don't like it! Even OH has got sick of it. But how to know how to say something very politely in French is something of a mountain to climb!

Please send all unwanted jam and preserves my way, in fact send everything my way (with the exception of body lotion, I could stock a small shop I have so much of this.)

Oh dear! I hope I am not that friend of granoffour as I have been known to give home-made jam. Don't think it can be me as none of our friends have 4 grandchildren. I tend to only give it to our sons who I definitely know eat it. We could start a veritable gransnet swap-shop for all those unwanted but well-meant gifts!

Being too polite I feel may have altered my life.

In 1970 I had a severe operation to remove part of a scare that was due to a childhood illness.

The first night, just after having the op and when I was in the intensive care ward, I woke up wanting to go to the loo, but couldn't find a bell to press.
I didn't want to shout out as there were others in the same ward who had also just had operations.
Due to this confusion, I had a seizure, while covered in wires. I dropped to the ground and my head swole up. Despite this the operation did help and I am fine now, but it did take 26 years before I fullly recovered.

Cut flowers. They don't last long and they are a waste of money. I like flowers growing in the garden but every birthday I am inundated with expensive bunches.

My aunt was very pleased with a detailed ceramic model of a cottage. Envisioning a whole village my cousin said she'd get her one each Christmas and birthday. 'What on earth for?' asked my aunt 'I've got one!'
When at university my daughter's friends, seeing her room, asked whether she collected pigs. The weary reply was 'No, but I have a mother who thinks I do!' I have no idea how that happened, one cute piggy present, I guess!

In the days when we did car boot sales, I used to save up all my body lotions and put them into plastic bags, 56 to a bag, and sell them for £2. Now they just sit on my dressing table till I run out of space, then disappear into a drawer.