Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 19:57     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
In line with the sponge candy story...

One Christmas my grandmother gave me a silver bracelet. I flew home and had a surprise business trip to Chicago within a day or so. While in Chicago, I had lunch with my cousin and was wearing the bracelet from our grandmother. My cousin immediately spotted it and complimented it and I told her Grandma gave it to me. She said, “yeah, I know since I just sent it to her for Christmas”.
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 17:17     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This doesn't answer your question, but I have a funny story about a give that wasn't wanted. I'm from Buffalo, NY, and one of our family favorites is sponge candy - chocolate on the outside and the inside melts (from Watsons). It is so good.

So one year, I bought all of this Watson's sponge candy to give as give as part of holiday gifts. One of the gifts I gave was to the director of my kids' daycare, which was based in a church. She was new, and we didn't know each other very well. What she also didn't know, was that my sister was an administrator in the church. We are both married and have different last names, so she just didn't know.

I gave my holiday gifts in the morning. Later that afternoon, my sister called me and said, "I just got the best Christmas gift from XXX (the director). Watson's sponge candy." We still laugh about it.

I guess a gift regifted without hours is not "well received."

PS - everyone else seemed to like it and asked me lots of questions about where it came from.


This story is hilarious. My college roommate was from Buffalo and brought my sponge candy as a gift after a holiday break. I had to be honest with her and give it back, I think it might be an acquired taste We still laugh about it 20 years later, luckily Buffalo also breeds people with a good sense of humor!


LOL. You know what? Just knowing that someone else has another hilarious sponge candy story made my day.


An in-law from Buffalo introduced our family to sponge candy and it’s so delicious! Trader Joe’s sells knock offs during the holiday season. On another note, maybe the director loves chocolate but has dietary restrictions?! I am a teacher and for a year while intensively trying to lose weight for health reasons gave away (reluctantly!) every sweet treat given to me. At any rate, “well received” to me refers more to multiple follow up comments on a gift vs. the recipient’s reaction during opening/receipt of a gift. Ex: an item is “well received” if someone raves about the sponge candy for weeks and asks where to purchase more or if you see a kid playing with a toy you bought them on multiple occasions for months after giving (and not just in your presence).
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 17:17     Subject: Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
Any toy that makes a lot of noise for my children that I can't give a battery-ectomy too to shut it up will not be well received. Same for noisy things without batteries, like drums!
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 16:30     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
Mother in law gave my daughter $25 cash and my son underwear. He was very upset. All the lessons in the world about being gracious and thankful weren’t going to kick in at that moment.
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 15:59     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
I have never had someone express displeasure in a gift, but if I referred to a gift being well received, it would be because they really had a very strong, seemingly genuine reaction. I mean, there is, "Oh, thank you so much. I love it." And then there is, "Oh WOW! This is AMAZING! How did you know?! I love this!" and then three days later, ""I have used X every single day since you gave it to me!" And then 3 months later, "Sorry to totally copy you, but X has become my go-to gift now. I love it so much!" If I say a gift was "well received," it would be something like the latter. Not just that they smiled and said thank you and abstained from spitting on it and handing it back to me with a look of disgust. Lol!
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 15:11     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This doesn't answer your question, but I have a funny story about a give that wasn't wanted. I'm from Buffalo, NY, and one of our family favorites is sponge candy - chocolate on the outside and the inside melts (from Watsons). It is so good.

So one year, I bought all of this Watson's sponge candy to give as give as part of holiday gifts. One of the gifts I gave was to the director of my kids' daycare, which was based in a church. She was new, and we didn't know each other very well. What she also didn't know, was that my sister was an administrator in the church. We are both married and have different last names, so she just didn't know.

I gave my holiday gifts in the morning. Later that afternoon, my sister called me and said, "I just got the best Christmas gift from XXX (the director). Watson's sponge candy." We still laugh about it.

I guess a gift regifted without hours is not "well received."

PS - everyone else seemed to like it and asked me lots of questions about where it came from.


This story is hilarious. My college roommate was from Buffalo and brought my sponge candy as a gift after a holiday break. I had to be honest with her and give it back, I think it might be an acquired taste We still laugh about it 20 years later, luckily Buffalo also breeds people with a good sense of humor!


why did you have to give it back. You are so rude.
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 15:05     Subject: Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
I have a cousin who is 20 months older than me, and she has an older sister. Every year before Hanukah, my mother would drag me around for HOURS looking for just the perfect gifts for these two cousins.

Every year without fail, I would be given whatever my mom had picked out for them the prior year. I finally yelled at my mother to stop spending so much time on their gifts - they obviously didn't give a crap about what they got from her, since it just wound up with me, and I could show my mom what I liked in 10 minutes.
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 14:50     Subject: Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
We always make a big fuss. I don't do party favors as most are junk and get trashed. Most gifts we get are great, some duplicates and some not. We still make a big fuss with a thank you note.
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 12:49     Subject: Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
The sponge candy story is hilarious. The nicest explanation was that the daycare director forgot to buy a gift for your sister and was probably excited that she could pass on the gift from you because it was likely suitable and nicely wrapped. So you could say it was well-received because it made her life easier in a small way!
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 11:02     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This doesn't answer your question, but I have a funny story about a give that wasn't wanted. I'm from Buffalo, NY, and one of our family favorites is sponge candy - chocolate on the outside and the inside melts (from Watsons). It is so good.

So one year, I bought all of this Watson's sponge candy to give as give as part of holiday gifts. One of the gifts I gave was to the director of my kids' daycare, which was based in a church. She was new, and we didn't know each other very well. What she also didn't know, was that my sister was an administrator in the church. We are both married and have different last names, so she just didn't know.

I gave my holiday gifts in the morning. Later that afternoon, my sister called me and said, "I just got the best Christmas gift from XXX (the director). Watson's sponge candy." We still laugh about it.

I guess a gift regifted without hours is not "well received."

PS - everyone else seemed to like it and asked me lots of questions about where it came from.


This story is hilarious. My college roommate was from Buffalo and brought my sponge candy as a gift after a holiday break. I had to be honest with her and give it back, I think it might be an acquired taste We still laugh about it 20 years later, luckily Buffalo also breeds people with a good sense of humor!


LOL. You know what? Just knowing that someone else has another hilarious sponge candy story made my day.
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 10:59     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
Anonymous wrote:This doesn't answer your question, but I have a funny story about a give that wasn't wanted. I'm from Buffalo, NY, and one of our family favorites is sponge candy - chocolate on the outside and the inside melts (from Watsons). It is so good.

So one year, I bought all of this Watson's sponge candy to give as give as part of holiday gifts. One of the gifts I gave was to the director of my kids' daycare, which was based in a church. She was new, and we didn't know each other very well. What she also didn't know, was that my sister was an administrator in the church. We are both married and have different last names, so she just didn't know.

I gave my holiday gifts in the morning. Later that afternoon, my sister called me and said, "I just got the best Christmas gift from XXX (the director). Watson's sponge candy." We still laugh about it.

I guess a gift regifted without hours is not "well received."

PS - everyone else seemed to like it and asked me lots of questions about where it came from.


This story is hilarious. My college roommate was from Buffalo and brought my sponge candy as a gift after a holiday break. I had to be honest with her and give it back, I think it might be an acquired taste We still laugh about it 20 years later, luckily Buffalo also breeds people with a good sense of humor!
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 10:56     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
well it's easier to tell with kids, they aren't such good actors. With my kid's friends, they are polite and always give a "thank you" when receiving a party favor. But sometimes you see them looking at it with a big grin and "oh wow!" and they're ripping it open on the spot. Or you see them actually using it later (example, backpack keychains).
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 10:55     Subject: Re:Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
This doesn't answer your question, but I have a funny story about a give that wasn't wanted. I'm from Buffalo, NY, and one of our family favorites is sponge candy - chocolate on the outside and the inside melts (from Watsons). It is so good.

So one year, I bought all of this Watson's sponge candy to give as give as part of holiday gifts. One of the gifts I gave was to the director of my kids' daycare, which was based in a church. She was new, and we didn't know each other very well. What she also didn't know, was that my sister was an administrator in the church. We are both married and have different last names, so she just didn't know.

I gave my holiday gifts in the morning. Later that afternoon, my sister called me and said, "I just got the best Christmas gift from XXX (the director). Watson's sponge candy." We still laugh about it.

I guess a gift regifted without hours is not "well received."

PS - everyone else seemed to like it and asked me lots of questions about where it came from.
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 10:50     Subject: Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
Ha, head on over to the family relationship board. My favorite was the MIL who gave the DIL a bathroom scale.
Anonymous
Post 10/11/2019 10:48     Subject: Gifts that aren’t “well-received”?
I see so many comments about how a particular party favor or a gift to a teacher was “well received.” I think most people are just to polite to tell you they hate the gift or favor you gave them to your face (instead they post on anonymous forums like this one). Has there been a time when a party favor or gift wasn’t “well received”? What was it and what did the person say?