What do you do with the awful gifts

ToastieSimons · January 2012

that you receive?

MIL is a terrible gifter and always gives something for the home. The problem is when they come visit she goes looking for it and asks me where it is if she doesn't see it.

I usually just try to make an excuse but I think it's starting to seem fishy after 5 years.

gisa886 · January 2012

Return, donate or trash if necessary. This year for Christmas MIL got us 6 month past date cocoa mix and a box of cookie mix. Cocoa when in the trash and I might make the cookies.

MarSamWhitney · January 2012

Maybe can you throw it in a drawer until she comes to visit so she can see it once? Then donate it?

OhSewCrafty · January 2012

Oh, you mean like the custom painted toy box MIL got for DS for his 1st birthday? The one with bright pastel, big eyed cartoon farm animals on it? To match his rocket ship bedroom? ::facepalm::

We put it in the front hall as a bench/shoe storage. I didn't know what else to do with it.

If its not a huge item like a toy box, we donate it if its completely unnecessary or just plain ol' weird.

JillAly · January 2012

I usually try to take a picture of my kid playing with the toy they got (that I hate or the kids hate). I send out monthly pictures of the kids so the person who got the gift will see my child "playing" with the toy. That way the person who got them the gift feels good about it and my kid never has to see that gift again.

If the person came to the house and asked where it is - I'd tell them "good luck- go in the playroom and try to find anything in there". It's one good thing about not cleaning up!

Wufroggy79 · January 2012

If I think I can sell it, Craigslist (this happened to a particularly tacky set of 12 Christmas ornaments). Otherwise, I ask other people if they would like it, donate it, or if none of the above would work, it is garbage. I have a dilemma kind like this now though because SIL got C a bear lamp that I don't need because her room already has a lamp and it also doesn't even kind match in either color or theme to the rest of her room. I might just have to ask her if we could exchange it or return it for something else? I will terrible, but that lamp is just going to sit around in a closet elsewise.

nosoup4u · January 2012

I just donate stuff anymore, my MIL gives my kids soooo many clothes. It's really rude of your MIL to ask where her gifts are!

chmana · January 2012

I figure out where the person bought it and return it to that store. I will also give it to charity, throw out, or give to someone I know who likes it.

sgroff26 · January 2012

I usually keep them for a while. I just sold a lot of MIL's old gifts to me at a yard sale. They all had been sitting up in the attic for at least a year. However she never looked for them. You could say it was broken by accident.

Fulbri05 · January 2012

OhSewCrafty:
Oh, you mean like the custom painted toy box MIL got for DS for his 1st birthday? The one with bright pastel, big eyed cartoon farm animals on it? To match his rocket ship bedroom? ::facepalm::
We put it in the front hall as a bench/shoe storage. I didn't know what else to do with it.
If its not a huge item like a toy box, we donate it if its completely unnecessary or just plain ol' weird.

I think some sharpies might have to be accidentally left out at your house...

Honestly I usually toss it or donate it to Goodwill. But I'm lucky in the fact that family hardly ever makes their way to our home so no one is the wiser.

Yules · January 2012

OhSewCrafty:
Oh, you mean like the custom painted toy box MIL got for DS for his 1st birthday? The one with bright pastel, big eyed cartoon farm animals on it? To match his rocket ship bedroom? ::facepalm::
We put it in the front hall as a bench/shoe storage. I didn't know what else to do with it.
If its not a huge item like a toy box, we donate it if its completely unnecessary or just plain ol' weird.

Re-gift it to me?

I would rather get a hand painted toy box then a food tray with picture frames inside of it. Nothing like seeing loved ones under a hot plate of food!

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What do you do with the awful gifts

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