My mom got me a book called “standing for something” because she basically thought I had no character.

A former friend gave me a "He's Just Not that Into You" desk calendar.
I used the backs of the pages for scrap paper. Her husband left her for a man a year later.

Anonymous wrote:When DH and I were dating, his parents gave me an alcohol related gift every Christmas and would comment "we know how much you like to drink." I don't drink because of alcoholism in my family. I would comment that I don't drink but it would be great to have on hand when we host. Many years later and we get along great now.

My mom will ask what I want and then buy it for me in a close variation or color I won't like. This year I suggested a brand of pajamas that had about 20 different colors to choose from. She handed it to me saying "I know you hate lilac, but here you go." WTH? If she knew I hated the color, why not choose one of the 19 other colors?

Lol!

My MIL will give me a variation of something I have but in uglier colors and a much bigger size. Like " I know you like those casual long sleeve tees from lands end for layering under sweaters. [I have one in black I must've mentioned sometime] Here's one in a hideous orange and yellow paisley in XXL." I'm a size 6 or lands end S.

A “ladies face shaver” in my stocking TWICE from MIL. You may think I’m kidding but I’m not! And I’m both fair with not very much facial hair AND completely on it with my tweezers for any stray dark hair.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few Christmases ago at the family gathering, my cousin gave a vibrator to her very single sister and our other very single cousin. They were not at all amused.

Are they uptight? I think it's practical and funny.

Yes, uptight and frigid. I thought it was funny until I saw their hurt reactions.

Maybe it’s cultural. That would not fly in my family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A potted orchid as a threat.

Huh?

My horrible neighbor have me a potted orchid and then hung the most annoying windchime right up next to our property line.

NP


I don’t get the problem with the potted orchid either. Is this a reference to a movie or something else? I gave my neighbor a poinsettia for Christmas. I hope she wasn’t offended.

See, that would be passive aggressive if you knew they had pets. That’s the kind of stuff OP (me) was looking for. (I assume they didn’t have pets.)

I’m sorry I’m dense, but what’s the connection? Are orchids and poinsettias bad for some pets, do they attract some pets and create a mess? I don’t have pets now, but I had a dog when I was younger and my mom had houseplants. My grandmother had a bird and a dog and I think she sometimes had a poinsettia on her table at Christmas. She had also cactii, and I can see how those could be a passive aggressive gift, but I don’t see the connection to pets.

Anonymous wrote:In elementary, when picking out Valentines for the class, I gave the mean girls in my class the cards with pictures of skunks on them. The bullies actually thought they were cute and thanked me for them. I gave up on passive aggressive gifts after that.

I love skunks too and your story

I was an overweight teenager. My grandmother gave me a bathing suit 2 sizes too small at Christmas, saying she hoped I’d fit in it by summer. I think the aftermath was the only thing everyone remembered of that particular holiday LOL.

In elementary, when picking out Valentines for the class, I gave the mean girls in my class the cards with pictures of skunks on them. The bullies actually thought they were cute and thanked me for them. I gave up on passive aggressive gifts after that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A potted orchid as a threat.

Huh?

My horrible neighbor have me a potted orchid and then hung the most annoying windchime right up next to our property line.

NP


I don’t get the problem with the potted orchid either. Is this a reference to a movie or something else? I gave my neighbor a poinsettia for Christmas. I hope she wasn’t offended.

See, that would be passive aggressive if you knew they had pets. That’s the kind of stuff OP (me) was looking for. (I assume they didn’t have pets.)

My mom ONLY gives passive aggressive gifts. She has never given me a gift, that I can remember, that wasn't really just encouragement to do something she wants me to do that I either don't want to do or want to choose on my own. Gift cards to the more conservative clothing stores she shops at but knows I don't, or a gift card to her hair salon (which isn't even where I live). One of those Facebook devices for video chats so that I will video chat with her "more often." Self-help books about dating, dieting, career when she feels I am not doing well enough in these departments.

You can't get upset about any of it because she'll start crying and say she only meant it kindly and only wants to help. You just have to smile and say thank you. I once did get upset, when she gave me a set of self-help books and a dress that literally matched a dress she owns and wears often, for my 40th birthday. Like I opened it and it made me cry, because some part of me actually thought she might give me a gift that wasn't entirely about her for once. She was so mad. But I just couldn't hold it in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A potted orchid as a threat.

Huh?

My horrible neighbor have me a potted orchid and then hung the most annoying windchime right up next to our property line.

NP

I don’t get the problem with the potted orchid either. Is this a reference to a movie or something else? I gave my neighbor a poinsettia for Christmas. I hope she wasn’t offended.

Orchids always seem like the go-to "you moved into a new office" gift. I appreciate them since they last longer than flowers and if you don't like it that much you can throw it in the bathroom and liven up the space

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A potted orchid as a threat.

Huh?

My horrible neighbor have me a potted orchid and then hung the most annoying windchime right up next to our property line.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know if this was passive aggressive or just a last minute dash. A classmate gave a wrapped STEM subscription box for my kid’s birthday. Not a subscription, but a single box that was clearly the birthday guest’s.

I don't see the problem with that.

+1 I'd appreciate the sampling since we don't get those