CoriAmD

I would give the gifts anyway. Tell them, "you should have told me sooner - I already had these done"... LOL And maybe you could put a little something in the white elephant too.
I hate when families do this. At our yearly family reunion in July, we have an auction to pay for the next year's pavilion at the park, etc. Lately, eveyone has been bringing junk and we aren't making the money we need. I have tried making quilts, etc, but no one wants to bid anything for them. I have such a cheap family..... LOL Last year I ended up buying my own quilt just to give a decent amount of money into the fund.

mmonohon

I just don't understand how people want to do the "event" or "the get together" but don't think that they have to ante up the funds to keep it going.

JanTx

Dear friend of my mother just last week wrote her family and friends telling them not to give her gifts and she wouldn't be giving them either. Said she was going to give the money she would spend to a charity. This lady is a great friend to my mother, but ... this is hard. She never has enjoyed Christmas - don't understand why - and is very outspoken about her views. Mother has already purchased a gift for this friend and is going to give it anyway - call it a New Years gift if necessary!

My mother and I are very conservative and pretty frugal - out of necessity - so we are seen as more .... correct? ... than her own family. So strange and so hard. Her family has not replied to her notice and her feelings are hurt.

So we're going to pick her up for Christmas Eve services and she'll spend Christmas day with my mom, my husband and me - our kids and their families will be with us that evening and the next day (that's how it worked out this year). We'll play games and enjoy a nice lunch. I hope the subject does not come up - I don't agree with her late notice or her choice to let these things come between her and her kids and their families.

I just want everyone to play nice and get along!

I'm glad you are finding a way to share your gifts and bring goodwill in spite of preferences, illnesses, etc. Share your lesson of love to all!

SandraJennings

Give. Even a white elephant. Give.
Was once told to never accept no from someone not qualified to give it. I've learned to never accept no.. unless I decide,as Im the only one qualified to tell me "No" in the end.
With that in mind... No-one else is more qualified to determine if your gifts are worth giving... than you.
so.... to give.. or not to give... I know you will make the right and truly qualified answer. :}

Veronica

That is so wrong for them to change the game plain after they heard how hard you worked. All that time and money. I would still give the gifts to the children, because they didn't have anything to do with it.
But the adults would get a used toilet seat for the gift swap and be left off my list in the future.
Don't I have the Christmas spirit?
Bah humbug :(

kateyb

Good idea.

LivelyLady

I agree with you....sell them and with the money buy something special for yourself.

Rainbow

OK....what did you do with the gifts..???

pookie ookie

Yeah! Wanna know. :0)

pioneerlady

You dear lady are a blessing, and will be blessed.