Re-Gifting

We opened one of our packages that came in the mail. We opened it to see if the items for the girls were wrapped or not so we could deal with them if necessary. I had a feeling the items in the package would be wrapped. The package was from one of the worst gift-givers in our family, but one of the best wrappers. I am not into presents. I don't need anything. The rest of the adults, besides the person that packed this box, in my family feel the same way I believe. However, this person thinks that giving stupid unnecessary gifts to the other adults in the family is important. They are usually awful gifts.

The outside of the package was labeled "refrigerate promptly." I groaned. My husband reassured me that she had most likely just re-used the box. Yup. Whew. I'm not a fan of Hickory Farms sausage. Inside the package the fun began. There were about 8 or so very nicely wrapped presents, but none of them were labeled. Ummm... Okay. Perhaps she thought it would be more fun for us that way.

I went ahead and opened one that was round and looked food like. It was hot chocolate. It was a cute gift pack--a 2004 commerative edition. It expired 10/05. Re-gifting is not a sin. I'm fine with it. However, re-gifting expired food items is not cool. (I'm freaky about expired food to begin with.) I opened another wrapped package. It was a book. The subject matter wasn't a bad subject for 3 little girls, but it was appropriate for someone about 70, not 4, 19 months or 4 months. I stopped opening items after that because it was only depressing me.

Last year, from this person, we received a box that was labeled Peppermint Bark. Yum. I love Peppermint Bark. I had been craving it, but they had run out at the place I usually buy it. I was delighted by this. Inside the box of Peppermint Bark was not Peppermint Bark but some homemade fruitcake. That gift was so wrong on so many levels.

I had hopes for her, but now I think that bad gift-giving is her specialty. (Actually, when she shops, she shops really well and gives really cute little girl clothes. With this post, I sound like I care about presents, but I actually don't. It's just that I'd really rather not receive anything than receive something bad. I have enough junk in my own life. I don't need more junk!)