The effort to package and ship something is worth far more than some gift one-clicked off amazon with a gift receipt.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I actually do not mind the gift at all and fully intend to use them but seriously... If your close friend (who is a highly paid executive btw, not some poor schmuck), did this, would you just have no reaction at all? Half of you are claiming that if you got someone's hotel soap you would just be like "awesome!" And not wonder wtf she's thinking?

I would probably think, "Oh, Jane must have collected these because she knows her friends like fancy soaps and lotions. How sweet." I mean, some of these hotels have really nice products, and it's nice that she thinks enough of you when she travels to collect these things. Why should she spend money on the same product? It's not like you give her anything at all.

My husband routinely brings me hotel products that he gets while travelling if they're nice and he thinks I'd like them or knows I like the brand.

Anonymous wrote:That is so funny!!

+1000

If she stays at nice hotels all year and collects this stuff, I actually don't think it's that weird. Some of those products are fancy and unusual.

You liked it until your husband told you to be a snob. Stop being ungrateful. She thinks about you and gives you something you like, while you do absolutely nothing.

I love the four seasons mini's - have many stashed in my bathroom (though would not give as present)

You know your friend and what her motivations are. How do you feel about what she means by giving you this gift?

My parents are routinely malicious in their gift-giving practices, and will literally send me rags in mail packages that are falling apart because they're so carelessly wrapped. Wish I were kidding. As a child I used to have to pretend I loved their gifts and thank them profusely. I love being free to just toss the gift in the trash can.

I think some of the negative PPs might be influenced by unpleasant experiences with gifts. Maybe something similar is going on with your friend? Gift giving can be a rather fraught experience, and people react in unusual ways.

Your subject line made me nearly spit out my coffee

Well considering that you never give her anything for Christmas and she doesn't expect you to, then I think it is pretty nice of her to take the time to send you these soaps.

I mean, if you were sending her nice gifts year after year and all she was doing was sending you free complimentary hotel soaps I would say it was a bit tacky, but for this type of situation I would say focus on the nice thought.

I think you did the right thing by thanking her.

I didn't read this thread, just the OP. This is fucking hysterical and I'm laughing out loud.

Anonymous wrote:IDK, the ritz in chicago has l'occitane toiletries (I only know because I used to babysit there while in college). I wouldn't mind some of those sent to my from a friend

Also, my BFF and I both love tiny weird things, so if she sent me tiny, high-end hotel soaps, I would love it and not be at all offended.

Agree. If it's L'Occitane or even Molton Brown I'm happy to get it. I travel a lot and am now pretty picky about what I take home but there are some hotels that have really nice stuff.

Anonymous wrote:You routinely get her nothing yet you're going to bitch about something that she takes an effort to send you every year? If it is hotel soap she probably thinks of you and her other friends every time she is in a hotel- "I can't forget the soap- I think Jane would like this one." I think it's kind of sweet.

I agree. Friend sounds thoughtful and considerate and you sound like an ingrate.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I actually do not mind the gift at all and fully intend to use them but seriously... If your close friend (who is a highly paid executive btw, not some poor schmuck), did this, would you just have no reaction at all? Half of you are claiming that if you got someone's hotel soap you would just be like "awesome!" And not wonder wtf she's thinking?

DCUM is full of contrarian losers who just want to argue and call everyone "privileged." Their standards are way off. Try to imagine if you would want to be friends with any of these crazies in real life given the tone of their posts and then decide which posters to listen to.

OP here. I actually do not mind the gift at all and fully intend to use them but seriously... If your close friend (who is a highly paid executive btw, not some poor schmuck), did this, would you just have no reaction at all? Half of you are claiming that if you got someone's hotel soap you would just be like "awesome!" And not wonder wtf she's thinking?

LOL. This is the tackiest thing I've ever heard of.