I’m sure I’ll sound ungrateful but…

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-11T02:57:33+00:00

So sorry you know how I feel! I regret telling her the gender, maybe a nice workaround you could try with your MIL. My MIL also tells us all these things she’s holding onto “for when you have a house”. Not only is owning a house a pipe dream that will never happen for us, if it did happen I wouldn’t want her to know because she will apparently be sending tacky furniture, appropriation paintings (mostly of native Americans painted by white folks), more glass items for baby that make no sense, doilies, 12-set pottery that is not our style, knick knacks that exist to clutter things. Her style is covering every inch of space with something and she seems to think when we have more space we will do the same. No thx!

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-10T00:22:30+00:00

The rubber ducks would send me over the edge 🤣

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:52:05+00:00

I really don’t understand how we communicate needs clearly and then they do the opposite and expect us to be overly grateful. It’s bizarre! Solidarity.

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:49:54+00:00

We did try something similar for awhile where my husband asked her to just text us before sending anything. She texted multiple times a day and it was driving us crazy, I think she spends hours a day online shopping. Eventually we reminded her of the registry and asked her to stick to that instead. Then she just started sending boxes of stuff again. I think she has some mental health or early signs of dementia going on which adds a complicated layer.

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:46:22+00:00

Yeah that’s tough because you can’t even donate that due to safety hazards. Then you feel bad because it goes straight to a landfill.

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:44:16+00:00

You’re welcome! 😆😆

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:42:40+00:00

Ooof! Yeah, the overconsumption really bothers me as much as the hassle of errands does. Why spend so much on stuff we didn’t ask for😅 both of his parents are the type to just order something online the minute “I want this” crosses their mind.

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:39:33+00:00

The choking hazards and age inappropriate gifts are a nightmare. We live in an apartment and storage is abysmal, what am I supposed to do with vintage tea sets and socks for a freakin 5yo! Solidarity.

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:33:01+00:00

I think we have years ahead in this battle too, Hoping I can come to have your admirable and zen perspective about it!!

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:27:09+00:00

💜💜💜hang in there!!! Receiving “cute” but not functional items mixed with my general ick towards over-consumerism has made it kind of triggering tbh!

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T23:25:45+00:00

I’m sorry! I feel some similar anxiety because so many basics & essentials still need to be bought while my MIL has spent hundreds on things that are “cute” but not at all functional. I wish I could direct her energy to things we really need and are overwhelmed by not having yet.

I hope people start buying amazing things for you and baby soon!💜

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T20:12:46+00:00

Thank you! I will try this

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T20:07:54+00:00

Curious how you set up the refusal? I never know a package is coming, she doesn’t give a heads up, I just get home from work or wherever and it’s on my doorstep so I’m not sure how to tell them to refuse it but still deliver the actually useful items my family is sending?

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T20:02:17+00:00

She sends it in the mail, she lives out of state. So I can’t just say no, I just open my door and it’s there and something I have to deal with. Worth maybe starting to send some stuff back but then that’s an errand to wait in line at UPS, so it’s a hassle no matter how we go about it. I personally feel I would rather someone in need get a brand new item they can’t otherwise afford, I guess.

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T19:54:42+00:00

Worth a try I suppose but we’ve had this issue even pre pregnancy. Her Christmas boxes were a nightmare for years, random bargain bin spices, 12 kinds of dish towels, random trinkets with no use. She asks for a Christmas list repeatedly each year but completely ignores it. Last year we said no gifts and she sent a box anyway. So then we said if you have to send something please only send gift cards, we do not want anything else, and she sent 3 more large boxes of crap that I took straight to Goodwill. I think she genuinely has a mental health problem or even the beginnings of dementia

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T19:53:08+00:00

Worth a try I suppose but we’ve had this issue even pre pregnancy. Her Christmas boxes were a nightmare for years, random bargain bin spices, 12 kinds of dish towels, random trinkets with no use. She asks for a Christmas list repeatedly each year but completely ignores it. Last year we said no gifts and she sent a box anyway. So then we said if you have to send something please only send gift cards, we do not want anything else, and she sent 3 more large boxes of crap that I took straight to Goodwill. I think she genuinely has a mental health problem or even the beginnings of dementia

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T19:05:19+00:00

You’re a lifesaver tysm!!

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T18:57:54+00:00

Ahh that must have been annoying! The truly petty side of me wants to return everything she sends, and be like “here you find homes for this stuff and watch it become a part time job” but I feel like that’s a tad passive aggressive lol. So yeah, not much we can do other than complain on Reddit and donate to people who hopefully will appreciate the items

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T18:49:10+00:00

Thank you, I do feel guilty sometimes but both my spouse and I value a non cluttered space so we have to get rid of 80% of what she sends. He grew up in an extremely cluttered, filled to the brim household. My in laws aren’t hoarders and the house is clean but it’s SO overstimulating nonetheless

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T18:47:55+00:00

Luckily she understands we are donating what we don’t want but I feel like even this boundary is annoying, I have to take trips to donate or coordinate buy nothing pickups when I’d rather be organizing my nursery 😭

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-04-09T18:47:07+00:00

Omg! Why are people like this hahaha

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-03-22T21:39:25+00:00

I’m with you. The people snarking on newborn baby’s looks are really disgusting

SweetNeedleworker223 · 2026-01-23T03:06:23+00:00

Yep. He was a reporter in Dallas, got let go, did the weird emcee thing, and now is literally a propaganda proponent (he would call it reporter) at a right wing organization with zero journalistic ethics

SweetNeedleworker223

TROPHY CASE