More "useless" gifts

trinadesrosiers · September 2010

My "useless" gift story, since it is on topic today:

My MIL, though sweet, has awful taste IMO. She called us last week and after DH told her my dad had visited that weekend and took us crib shopping so we got our crib ( yeah! Plus bonus,I got to pick it so it matches the other white items I registerd for/am hoping for or will buy).

She got quite upset, b/c we weren't aware, but she had already asked a local ( they live 10 hours away though, and don't have a truck, so not sure what her plan was on getting it to us) woodworker to create a personalized crib for us. Well, although I know I am supposed to appreciate the thought regardless, I am soo freaking glad that we dodged the bullet and DH got her to cancel it. I am sure it would have been that awful orange wood color, and likley had odd things engraved in it, and quite possibly not even safe since it was made by an old man. Also, when DH gave her some ideas ( like the travel system stroller) that we would love, she looked at it and said, "what is with all these gadgets on it and stuff? This is quite the weird model." She is not exactly new age on baby stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I would love something personalized from them, but hopefully, something that is not a staple in the Nursery. She made a nice little quilt for his cousin, DH and I were talking and I was like, if she is looking for personalized, she could give us one of those and I would love it!

Anyway, in the end it all turned out, but wooh, I had a small "OMG please no! moment" I don't know what we would have done,I think we would have been stuck with it, I don't think it's really donate-able, and It would be obvious if we didn't use it.

What have you ladies received that is usable, yet useless Or totally useful, just plain horrendous!

haha

Mrs.Johns · September 2010

Wow! I'd have had a cow over that! Glad you didn't end up with it!

My MIL got LO a Harley Davidson outfit. Ummm???? Kinda weird. We haven't seen it yet-- just heard all about it.

neferhathor · September 2010

Well my nursery theme is "forest creatures" and we picked out the Carters Tree Tops crib set and have based everything off of it. Somehow, my grandmother things "forest creatures" = Noah's Ark so she's gotten a safari mobile, a big noah's ark wall hanging and nightlight. And the mobile looks like if LO tugs on it, it will fall apart. She also got the baby a REALLY annoying steering wheel with lights and buttons that is really sensitive and extremely annoying. I'm either taking the batteries out or getting rid of it all together.

FancyFeet10 · September 2010

My aunt got LO a crib medal...I had no idea what it was. It's a metal guardian angel thing to pin inside the bassinet (or crib) to "protect" the baby. There is no way I'm putting it in there. It's a nice thought, but 1) DH and I no longer attend Catholic mass, and 2) it's metal and has sharp edges.

trinadesrosiers · September 2010

Haha, harley davidson hey? haha might be cute, if it's not some crazy leather thing or something, wow that could be awful as well.

neferhator -

Haha, nice! My theme is Noah's ark, and we have gotten a couple things that would qualify as forest creatures more so than noahs ark at all, haha wanna trade? and I am sure you are not alone in the no batteries for this toy! I haven't gotten any of those yet, but have a feeling I will. "Oh great, toy for the LO and headaches for mom, haha"

OliveBaby · September 2010

Not useless per se, but my dad & step mom came to visit and passed down the backpack diaper bag they used for my younger brothers. It's ugly, dirty, and ripped in places. And there were crusty, 9 year old granola bars in one of the pockets. Ummm. Thanks?

Mama_SAS · September 2010

Wow, I'm so glad you avoided that crib. It is a nice gesture but I would seriously worry about the safety if I didn't have any input into ordering it. I also enjoyed decorating the nursery so I would have been upset to have to use something that didn't go.

With DS my SIL bought us about 3 years worth (no exaggeration) of Dreft and a Moses Basket. I had no plan to use either, but of course we used the free laundry detergent. Now Dreft = baby smell to me and I want it for this next LO.

I thought the Moses Basket was a huge waste of money until DS arrived. It was awesome and I can't wait to use it again. I'm buying the rocker base for it this time. Last time we just put it in the PnP.

LeanneCM · September 2010

We've gotten about a thousand 0-3 sz short sleve onsies. This is a winter baby people! I'm sure we'll use a few, but we didn't get squat for warm long sleves or pants!

uluvfranke · September 2010

our nursery is all in lady bugs and flowers. A lady I worked with went out and bought a whole crib bedding set ,we already have one, and spare blankets when she is even old enough to use them.. but the one that was bought for us was more for a boy and had like squirrels and stuff on it. CUTE but not for a girl and the colors wouldnt even have matched. Luckily Target took it back no prob and I had the $69 to buy things that were needed. I dont know what I will say if she asks about it... haha

jedrumwright · September 2010

It's NBR but last year we got a picture frame for our wedding that is supposed to hold a wedding pic on one side and an invitation on the other. Not one size fits all for the invitations so we couldn't use it.

The best part was that it was left at our reception with no card or any way to know who it was from. Even if I hate it return it you still get a thank you card. There was a gift receipt taped to the box with a registry number (I had not registered at this store). I took it in to see if they could possibly get a name from the credit card used so I would at least know who it was from. They couldn't do that but they did give me the couple's name who the registry belonged to. I started asking around if people knew the couple and eventually found out who had given us the gift. Sent the thank you note, and returned the gift.

I know we all love when people shop from our registries, it can be frustrating when people do not shop from our registries, but I really don't understand buying me something off a random strangers registry.

ChibiMommy · September 2010

I got FIVE pairs of newborn tennis shoes at my shower. The ones with laces and rubber soles, not elastic. Several of them are name brand shoes which are expensive.

WTH am I going to do with those? Tiny babies do not need tennis shoes and they certainly don't need 5 pairs. I would be afraid to even try to put them on him. My cousin bent her baby's toe backward trying to put some little shoes on her. I can't gaurantee I would be so clumsy but you can never tell. To top it off they had no reciepts or tags on them so I can't return them for something I can actually use.

sroszc · September 2010

Mrs.Johns:

My MIL got LO a Harley Davidson outfit. Ummm???? Kinda weird. We haven't seen it yet-- just heard all about it.

I hope it's a little fringed leather jacket with chaps. THAT would be awesome.

trinadesrosiers · September 2010

jedrumwright:

It's NBR but last year we got a picture frame for our wedding that is supposed to hold a wedding pic on one side and an invitation on the other. Not one size fits all for the invitations so we couldn't use it.

The best part was that it was left at our reception with no card or any way to know who it was from. Even if I hate it return it you still get a thank you card. There was a gift receipt taped to the box with a registry number (I had not registered at this store). I took it in to see if they could possibly get a name from the credit card used so I would at least know who it was from. They couldn't do that but they did give me the couple's name who the registry belonged to. I started asking around if people knew the couple and eventually found out who had given us the gift. Sent the thank you note, and returned the gift.

ok that is odd, haha, perhaps they forgot who's wedding they were going to?? haha, I'm betting the other couple got something off your registry.

So we have only just begun our gift receiving process, sounds like there are a ton of great gifters out there haha. I am betting I will recieve a few gifts that I am saying "thanks, it's so cute" as I look for a gift receipt.

8yearslater · September 2010

I received a creepy pre-made gift basket full of off-brand baby care products (lotions, baby wash, etc), poorly made and bizarre T-shirts featuring what look like knock-offs of Looney Toons characters (like the type you'd see sold on a cart in Mexico or in the subways), and some socks. Adding to the WTF was that the basket's contents were placed on a base of floral foam (the stuff that's meant to get wet), covered by shredded pink tissue paper. The little bits of foam got everywhere, and the tissue stuff stuck to everything.

I don't mean to be ungrateful-- FIL's cousin, who is a well-meaning person but not well off, works in a super-discount retail store and probably thought it was nice. Since it's something weird that came w/o a receipt, I can't return any of the stuff and I don't trust or like it. I'm thinking of maybe donating it if I can find a relief organization that's helping the people who are in the flooded midwest. A crappy T-shirt is better than no t-shirt if you've lost everything.

The other "useless" gift was my fault. I registered for two crib sets before we had the lectures from the hospital classes, pediatricians, and others about the dangers of crib bumpers. By the time I realized they were just SIDS-in-a-bag, they'd already been purchased. I kept one and use the bumper as a wall decoration and have stowed the quilt for later on. The other one I returned, along with a cheap-o wipes warmer I didn't want and didn't register for (I heard they were fire hazards), and with the $200, bought a ton of stuff I did need.

GavsMomAlready+Newbie · September 2010

I got pee-pee-teepees at the baby shower for my DS years ago. I had never heard of them until then, and was SO EFFING EXCITED to put one on him and watch him blast it off.... It didn't work, and I threw them out.

On a side note, pee-pee-teepees = non-edible bugle chips

pepomntpat · September 2010

My mother gave me a giant silver plated piggy bank. It is the size of a pumpkin. I really need so much stuff, but she and my grandma went all impractical and it is a bit annoying.

Kitiara5512 · September 2010

We registered for a few big things, including a crib. A friend got us a bassinet but we already have one that we already had set up for a couple of months already. Not only was it not on our registry list, it wasn't from any of the three stores we registered at, there was no receipt or gift receipt included, and she cut out the part on the box where it gave the store name and barcode. After trying to find out where it was purchased, we finally asked her where and she told us the brand store and purchase price. It was one of those stores that sells discontinued items at discounts so they only get one shipment of things and then never again, and since it had been purchased two months before, we went to three locations before finding one that had at one point carried it, and got back a store credit for 70% of what she said she paid for it. Sad part is, other people got us items that we didnt register for and did give us receipts, and this wound up being the only item we needed to return out of everything.

cafelatte01 · September 2010

My gift wasn't useless, but really wasn't anything I wanted.

I told my 70 year old aunt that I was in the market to buy a rocking chair. She proceeds to tell me that she has a rocking chair for sale for $60 bucks. My husband and I go over there to look at it and it wasn't even close to what we wanted. We told her this. For the next couple of weeks she asks if we wanted to buy it. Every time we say no that we are looking for something else. SO a couple more weeks pass and I have my suprise baby shower, what do I get as a gift??? That damn ugly rocking chair!!

The kicker is that my dad told my 93 year old grandma that I was looking for a rocking chair so what does the aunt do? Sells the rocking chair to my grandmother so she could give me as a really thoughtful gift I really needed.

How do you not use the gift you're 93 year old grandmother gives you??

daenikoffre · September 2010

I don't understand why people want to be so impractical.. and these people are moms, too for heaven's sake!

Someone gave me a bunch of ugly hats. [Like, for a little jester, a sailor, a fireman, etc.] I just donated them already.. haha! Why would I want such ridiculous things?! So ugly..

My sister wants to get me some designer high chair. First of all, baby isn't even here yet. Secondly, I could get a tasteful wood high chair for 25% of that price. Third, I'm sorry, but I think Svan designs are just hideous. So, I've successfully talked her out of that purchase.

A cousin sent me a hand me down "I LOVE BOOBIES" onesie.. She is excited to send me all her hand me down items from her LO.

I told her to just donate them because I have so many people around here that are already giving me hand me downs, and they don't have to mail them. [Lie. She just has terrible taste and I hate everything she puts her kid in.]

daenikoffre · September 2010

cafelatte01:
My gift wasn't useless, but really wasn't anything I wanted.
I told my 70 year old aunt that I was in the market to buy a rocking chair. She proceeds to tell me that she has a rocking chair for sale for $60 bucks. My husband and I go over there to look at it and it wasn't even close to what we wanted. We told her this. For the next couple of weeks she asks if we wanted to buy it. Every time we say no that we are looking for something else. SO a couple more weeks pass and I have my suprise baby shower, what do I get as a gift??? That damn ugly rocking chair!!
The kicker is that my dad told my 93 year old grandma that I was looking for a rocking chair so what does the aunt do? Sells the rocking chair to my grandmother so she could give me as a really thoughtful gift I really needed.
How do you not use the gift you're 93 year old grandmother gives you??

HAHAHAHA Oh, my.. That is a terrible situation!!

Can you sand and paint it to pretty it up a bit?

ritzgrrl · September 2010

GavsMomAlready+Newbie:
I got pee-pee-teepees at the baby shower for my DS years ago. I had never heard of them until then, and was SO EFFING EXCITED to put one on him and watch him blast it off.... It didn't work, and I threw them out.
On a side note, pee-pee-teepees = non-edible bugle chips

Haha, I LOLed at this.

Temp984666312503071 · September 2010

My recent useless gift was for my daughter from my MIL.

I LOVE Halloween. Not in the goth weird way, but I just think kids are so cute in their costumes and I love the pumkins and cider and all the fall festivities. So needless to say I am excited to pick out my DD's costume this year because she can actually walk and will be more interactive than she was last year at 3 months old.

So imagine my surprise when I got this https://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=537122 in the mail out of the blue from MIL.

First of all, I want to pick my DD's costume.

Second of all, she is a 20 pound kid. I'm sorry, but 2Ts worth of polyesther is NOT going to fit her. It is HUGE. And don't get me started on the wig! She won't even keep a sun hat on for more than 10 minutes... you think I am going to wrestle her into a WIG? She is 14 months old!

I know the gesture was meant to be nice but it really annoyed me. Certain little things should be left to the parents to pick out (cribs, coming home outfits for baby, christmas outfits, halloween costumes when they are little, etc). I had to call her, thank her, and tell her that there was no way she was going to fit into it this year. I think this costume is going in the dress-up clothes bin for use in a year or two.

tiffanyp · September 2010

cafelatte01:

My gift wasn't useless, but really wasn't anything I wanted.

I told my 70 year old aunt that I was in the market to buy a rocking chair. She proceeds to tell me that she has a rocking chair for sale for $60 bucks. My husband and I go over there to look at it and it wasn't even close to what we wanted. We told her this. For the next couple of weeks she asks if we wanted to buy it. Every time we say no that we are looking for something else. SO a couple more weeks pass and I have my suprise baby shower, what do I get as a gift??? That damn ugly rocking chair!!

The kicker is that my dad told my 93 year old grandma that I was looking for a rocking chair so what does the aunt do? Sells the rocking chair to my grandmother so she could give me as a really thoughtful gift I really needed.

How do you not use the gift you're 93 year old grandmother gives you??

Wow, your aunt is a piece of work.

see2211 · September 2010

One of my DH's relatives gave us a gift basket with a bunch of items. Most of them we can use, but there were a few that we just tossed. I don't know where she got them, but they looked like dollar store items. It was some baby grooming items in cheap pink plastic- I couldn't imagine using a brush that scratchy and hard. And then there were the bottles. They weren't in any kind of package and there was no kind of brand name on them, so I have no clue what they are. They were bright pink cheap plastic with decorated hearts on them. I still don't know if they are bottles meant for human babies (they kind of looked like doll bottles, but they were the right size for real babies). I also have no idea if they were BPA free (but my hunches told me no!). I am not comfortable using them at all... and they didn't look like they cost more than a dollar a piece... so we tossed them. I honestly have no idea what she was thinking when she bought them.

sassyracing79 · September 2010

daenikoffre:

I don't understand why people want to be so impractical.. and these people are moms, too for heaven's sake!

Someone gave me a bunch of ugly hats. [Like, for a little jester, a sailor, a fireman, etc.] I just donated them already.. haha! Why would I want such ridiculous things?! So ugly..

My sister wants to get me some designer high chair. First of all, baby isn't even here yet. Secondly, I could get a tasteful wood high chair for 25% of that price. Third, I'm sorry, but I think Svan designs are just hideous. So, I've successfully talked her out of that purchase.

A cousin sent me a hand me down "I LOVE BOOBIES" onesie.. She is excited to send me all her hand me down items from her LO. I told her to just donate them because I have so many people around here that are already giving me hand me downs, and they don't have to mail them. [Lie. She just has terrible taste and I hate everything she puts her kid in.]

I bought LO a onesie that says "Boob it's what's for dinner"

Kelli&Jed · September 2010

At my shower I recieved from MIL handmade bonnets to wear home to from the hospital that can be turned into hankerchiefs for my future daughter-in-laws "something old" on thier wedding day. I know she meant well but all I kept thinking is 1. My boys will not be wearing these home when they are born in Nov or Dec and 2. I will not be forcing "something old" on my future daughter-in-laws. It was a sweet thought but seriously? I'm just going to have to tell future daughter-in-laws to lie to grandma and tell them they used it!

MnM7608 · September 2010

My aunt made a latch hook pink and blue puppy pillow for DS...I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I appreciate the thought, but I'm afraid she's going to make another one for this baby, and our house is really too small for big pillows!

trinadesrosiers · September 2010

GavsMomAlready+Newbie:

I got pee-pee-teepees at the baby shower for my DS years ago. I had never heard of them until then, and was SO EFFING EXCITED to put one on him and watch him blast it off.... It didn't work, and I threw them out.

On a side note, pee-pee-teepees = non-edible bugle chips

hahaha have seen these in ads, I wasn't sure if I wanted them or not, they seem like a fun novelty, but I can see me using them once or twice and never again. haha I wonder if I will get any

nrlewis · September 2010

Something we didn't need was marked as Wal-Mart so we took it back with several other things that were purchased there (even tho we weren't registered there). The girl at the service desk told me it couldn't be returned because they hadn't carried that brand in THREE YEARS! Ha! Ha! Ha! Talk about tacky REGIFT!!!

mom2hay · September 2010

sweetheart18:
My recent useless gift was for my daughter from my MIL.

I LOVE Halloween. Not in the goth weird way, but I just think kids are so cute in their costumes and I love the pumkins and cider and all the fall festivities. So needless to say I am excited to pick out my DD's costume this year because she can actually walk and will be more interactive than she was last year at 3 months old.

So imagine my surprise when I got this https://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=537122 in the mail out of the blue from MIL.

First of all, I want to pick my DD's costume.

Second of all, she is a 20 pound kid. I'm sorry, but 2Ts worth of polyesther is NOT going to fit her. It is HUGE. And don't get me started on the wig! She won't even keep a sun hat on for more than 10 minutes... you think I am going to wrestle her into a WIG? She is 14 months old!

I know the gesture was meant to be nice but it really annoyed me. Certain little things should be left to the parents to pick out (cribs, coming home outfits for baby, christmas outfits, halloween costumes when they are little, etc). I had to call her, thank her, and tell her that there was no way she was going to fit into it this year. I think this costume is going in the dress-up clothes bin for use in a year or two.

OMG that is horrible! I would never let my daughter wear that.

mom2hay · September 2010

My cousin gave me her jumperoo and I was excited until I saw it. We were at a family BBQ and she had put it in my trunk for me so when we got home and I opened the trunk, there was this funky smell. It was the jumperoo. It was so nasty and dirty, I couldn't even make out certain colors on it. Food was stuck to it EVERYWHERE. I couldn't imagine giving someone something like that. I ended up throwing it away. I wouldn't even have donated that to Goodwill.

Lina1030 · September 2010

My MIL told us a while back about some cute plates, cup and sippy cup set she bought. I told her back then to make sure it is BPA free and if not to return it because I will not use it. Well fast forward 4 months to my shower...she gave it to us! I thanked her and told her that it is not BPA free and I am not comfortable using it...she supposedly did not remember where she bought it and said "its not cheapy, they were $5/each" I said to myself...Uh MIL, I know you...you would never spend that on each item, are you kidding me! LOL I told her the reasons I will not use non BPA free items.,,,could cause cancer, etc. And she said you all are fine...I said yeah, we are now, but look at how many cancer cases occur today! I don't want to "test" it and see if we are one of the unlucky ones. She proceeds to say "just use it anyway...I loved it, it was so cute!" They are nothing special...blue/green with water filled sparkly glitter cups/plates (non spill proof by the way) that he will use in like 2 years! HA HA HA Um...they will be in the cabinet collecting dust!