When people say...don't bring anything...

victory

for xmas, for when we stay there, OH are debating what that actually means?

We are not doing presents this year, simples:D they have said, we have said, so that is perfectly clear but then you go into the mindfield of 'oh don't bring anything' I am taking a box of chocs that says Thank you on the boxing, was going to take champagne for the day but have been told no, then OH says 'is that all your taking?' so I added quality street tin and chocs to munch on but others have said 'why are you taking those, it's not as if they asked you to and they will probably have some there'

Can't win, now OH says have some presents wrapped up 'just in case' as he doesn't want to be embarrased, jeez might as well just bring it all:eek:

So, when people say for a xmas stay ' oh don't worry, don't bring anything, do they actually mean absolutely nothing or just a bit of something?':rotfl::D

lostinrates

I take a bottle of wine if they are not teetotal. I say ' I know you have everything covered but this can go down for some time in the new year for you two to enjoy together '.

Excited13

It is a mind field but normally if I go somewhere where they say don't bring anything I always take a bottle of wine or something similar as a thank you.

I'd go for the chocolates and champagne as they can enjoy them when they get some peace after Christmas.

victory

They said no to the champers, got some, don't need anymore apparently, but settled for the thank you on the box chocs, that is a nice gesture:D

victory

http://www.gifthampers.co.uk/thank-you-chocolates-by-cadbury-187g-box-of-8#

balletshoes

If you have all agreed to no pressies and they wont accept the champagne then a box of chocs is perfectly acceptable. No need at all to cause yourself stress by looking for something additional to take ~ its no pressies, remember?

Person_one

victory wrote: »

They said no to the champers, got some, don't need anymore apparently, but settled for the thank you on the box chocs, that is a nice gesture:D

You're not really supposed to ask, just show up with a bottle. It'll never go to waste, if they don't want it themselves they can take it to somebody else's house who they visit next year.

kazwookie

When I am told, 'just turn up' I always take something along the lines of wine, choccies, flowers.

Those cover just about everything.!!

Enjoy yourself.

PasturesNew

Take stuff that makes your Xmas that they won't have in. There's nothing worse than a visitor moaning about the fact that the host hasn't got XYZ for them to eat ..... e.g. people wanting/expecting ham for tea in the house of a vegetarian. Your favourite drinks, sweets, nibbles.

That way, when they offer you those nasty German shiny nibbles from Lidl/Aldi you can at least say "no thanks" and whip out your own Walkers crisps

Because you say "staying" and not visiting for a few hours - it's a long time to go without your preferred seasonal treats.

NAR

I think there is a difference between presents (which neither of you want) and what I would class as token contributions to the day eg champagne/wine/chocolates. If they don't get consumed on the day there will always be Boxing Day and New Years Eve for their use.

aileth

I'm a gigantic pessimist, and whenever someone says, "Don't bring anything", I always think they mean, "We expect you to bring something, but we want to seem modest and polite by telling you not to bother." Then when you turn up with nothing, they are very annoyed.

This happened once and we thought, we can't just bring nothing, so we took a bottle of white wine. Good job we did, as the couple involved hadn't bought any white wine and were pretty much expecting us to bring it (despite saying not to bring anything) and had bought no white, people were waiting for us to arrive with it!!!!!