[foxxy]

I need your advice ladies. My MIL has been very generous with buying all the baby furniture/bedding. However, she is spending a fortune on clothes and other items I registered for at a speciality shop that she loves. Here's an idea of what she has spent....The owner of the store gave her a $45 receiving blanket for FREE! That ought to tell you how much she is spending.
The reason I'm mad today is she told us last night she took her 2 friends (mother/daughter) she invited to the shower to the same speciality shop!!!! UGH!!! I have registered at BRU and Target. Now I will be getting more items from my other guests that aren't on my registry? DH has told her on a number of occasions to stop buying from this speciality shop and to buy from the registry b/c those are the items we need. Her told her again last night and she got sooooo PO'd at him. It was ridiculous. He felt bad b/c she was upset and mad and he was the one apologizing! I couldn't believe it. She thinks there is nothing wrong with it.

I hate to sound ungrateful, but honestely, what are we going to do with a ton of receiving blankets and clothes for our 2 newborns when we have other necessary items on our registry we need! I know we can return items from where we registered and get items we need, but what a pain that will be!

What do you all think? Are we over reacting?

[Mom2MandyandTristan]

I completely get your dilemma. My in laws were the same way buying stuff from stores we weren't registered at and we ended up with doubles and triples of stuff and stuff we didn't need/want (we were living in a small apt and had limited space). I had a friend too go and buy us a vibrating travel bed (which we didn't need/want cause we had a pack N play already). I also asked guests to please include a gift reciept in case of recall/extra/broken items which none of hubby's fam did but I still took them back to the stores anyway and for the most part either got gift cards or exchanged it for something we did need (we got one breastpump we didn't like and exchanged it for one we did). Can you do the same thing?

[foxxy]

Why are people so difficult? HA I can return items to the stores we registered at, but not the speciality store. I'm sure the speciality store would give in-store credit but it's mostly all furniture and bedding, which is ALL over priced. They sell some clothes, strollers and car seats, but we are getting all that stuff already. My shower is on the 19th, so I hope we won't have too many returns.

[Mom2MandyandTristan]

Not that I'm big on lying but when she gives you something can you say (in a sweet surprised voice) that you already have that "whatever it is" and ask her nicely to return it and get you "whatever else you need"???

[foxxy]

That's a great idea....why didn't I think of that! HA

Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to pass it along to DH too, so he can do the same!