Reply to Requests for gift ideas making me nuts

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Total first world problem here, but it’s driving me crazy so I’m posting in hopes of getting some strategies for coping. : )

A sweet aunt buys gifts for my kids for holidays, birthdays, ect. I have told her this isn’t necessary but she insists. The problem? She engages me in DAYS of back and forth via text asking for suggestions for each occasion. And then, inevitably, she buys something completely random that we hadn’t even talked about. That 100% of the time ends up in the donation pile (lately, some items have gone directly in the trash because they’re too useless to donate). Yes, I sound like a brat typing this out. My main issue isn’t even the “stuff” and getting rid of it or the fact that it’s a total waste (which bothers me). My issue is the amount of time and energy she takes from me engaging on the gift selection. Example text exchange:

Monday: 
Her: DC2’s birthday is coming up! Any gift ideas? 
Me: You’re so sweet to think of her! No need to send anything!
Her: I’m buying her something! So tell me what she’s into, what she needs, what she wants.
Me: She just learned to ride a bike, so a bell or a basket for her bike would be great. Or maybe a small soccer ball to kick around the yard. Thanks!
Her: OK! I’m looking into both of those ideas. What color is her bike? What are her favorite colors? What size soccer ball would be right for her? Would she play with a basketball? If so what size? 
Me: ((responds with details about colors, sizes, and a direct link to a soccer ball that would be great))

Tuesday:
Her: I was looking into gifts for DC2. I’m thinking about going in a different direction. What do you think of roller skates? 
Me: That would be fun but I don’t want you to spend that much money!
Her: I want to! I remember learning to roller skate at that age. I want to get them for her. But I can’t figure out which ones.
Me: (researches, sends a link to a pair that would work plus I figure out size)
Her: This looks great!

A few hours later: 
Her: I was looking at the roller skates and I’m not sure what kind of socks she would wear with them.
Me: She has tons of socks! You don’t need to send socks.
Her: (Sends links to a few pairs of socks)
Me: Seriously, no socks!

A few hours later: 
Her: The roller skates seem to complicated with all the accessories. Any other ideas?
Me: How about a gift card to get ice cream? We have so much “stuff” so a consumable gift is always great
Her: she’s too young for a gift card. I want to get her something fun to open!

RINSE AND REPEAT—no joke, this goes on back and forth for another week. Random pings from her throughout the day requiring me to think about and respond to ideas and questions.

END RESULT: an amazon package arrives with something we hadn’t even discussed that is cr*p that I wouldn’t even donate.

How do I disengage from this without resorting to simply not responding to texts? If the end result is a piece of cr*p delivered to our door, so be it, but I want to get out of these text exchanges. 
As I’m typing this example text exchange, I realize it sounds like she’s elderly or totally losing it – and she’s not!

Help! DC1's birthday is coming up! : ) 
[/quote]

Giftcards[/quote]

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