She's in her late 60's, spry, spunky, and likes to go to bingo and the reservation casinos. has 2 birds and lives alone, but babysits her grand-kiddos every day ( 5 to 7 of them). We live across country from her and I'm a putz for forgetting since she is the one who bought our daughter a Baby Alive (paid online -ebay last minute pricing)!
2007-01-04 06:33:31 · 22 answers · asked by Summer Sunset McGee 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
get something now and send it with a nice card and explanation and put in a couple of lottery tickets. good luck
2007-01-04 06:37:35 · answer #1 · answered by SKYDOGSLIM 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1] Send her a nice gift basket - fruit, candy, bath soaps, whatever she'd like best.
2] Rap hubby on the head for not doing anything himself. Even if you are a stay at home wife and do all the shopping he should ask you what you plan to get her.
3] Make a Christmas spreadsheet. Include the names of everyone you gift and make columns for Planned, Ordered, Received, Wrapped and Delivered. Use the spreadsheet every year and this won't happen again.
2007-01-04 06:43:07 · answer #2 · answered by Queen of Cards 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
What does your hubby say about all this? And why didn't HE get something for HIS mother? Alright, alright, I know - it's just one of those things that ends up being the wife's "job." (It's the same way at my house....)
Anyway, maybe you could just come right out and say that you forgot (maybe soften it a little by saying that you were planning on it and then just got so caught up in everything that had to get done for the season, that you just now realized you hadn't done it yet, or something like that).
Knowing MY mother-in-law, however, I'd lie through my teeth, quite frankly. You could try saying, "How did you like that (whatever) we sent you for Christmas?" And when she says "What (whatever)? I didn't get any (whatever)!" you can act all puzzled and say, "Hmmm - it must have been lost in the mail! I'll send you a replacement right away!" Or, alternatively, you could call her and say "I was just putting our Christmas things away and I found the gift I was going to send you - apparently I forgot to put it in the mail. I am SOOOO sorry! I was thinking about doing it and then I guess I just never got around to it. So I'm sending it to you today - please accept my apologies." Then, race out to the store, get something nice, wrap it up (make sure it's in Christmas wrap!), and send it out to her pronto.
Under NO circumstances would I dare tell my mother-in-law that I hadn't even remembered to buy the gift in the first place, though. Several years ago I started keeping my Christmas lists on Excel spreadsheets just to avoid scenarios like this one, after similar things happened to me once too often! It might be worth a try for next year....
Hope this helps - good luck!
2007-01-04 06:44:22 · answer #3 · answered by Poopy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would apologize over the phone for the misunderstanding and the oversight.
You can always send something now- like flowers or candy (if she likes to eat candy and it's allowed in her diet).
On Valentine's Day- send her something very nice- can you get "gift cards" for the casinos she frequents? or vouchers?
Ask your daughter to write her a nice thank you note and maybe include something in with the thank you note (gift card to a book store or restaurant perhaps?)
Next time, buy her gift first and send it off right away so you don't forget!
2007-01-04 07:56:50 · answer #4 · answered by Lizzie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give her her Christmas present now and write in the letter the following:
I am sorry, but I ordered your present online and there were complications with shipping and paying. By the time I cleared everything out, the item I wanted to buy for you was out of stock. So I had to make a special order over the telephone and the present just arrived. Please forgive me for being such a mess, but I just want you to know that I have never forgotten you.
2007-01-04 06:49:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy her tickets to a musical/ play in late January/February. You can label the gift a Christmas present but there would have been no need to send it in December as that would have been too early....
Next time you speak to her "remind" her to keep that date free...play it off like you already told her the date. The send her the tickets a week in advance and you are home and dry.
A lot of hassle I know but you need to do it with families!
2007-01-04 06:43:13 · answer #6 · answered by jackiemm 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
clearly its hubby's fault so he has to pay for it. so send a nice card to his mum explaining your very sorry youre late with the present but youve been at your wits end what with hubby falling off the ladder putting up the christmas decorations and rushing back and forth from the hospital for the last couple of weeks, etc, etc.and its only now he come out the coma did he confess he hadnt posted the gift you carefully selected and wrapped yourself and sent him to post.
note that this scheme has the double advantage of not only getting you off the hook but since she will doubtless come rushing to visit to see how he is you will be obliged to whack hubby about the head with a large frying pan several times to make it look convincing as well.
2007-01-04 07:38:49 · answer #7 · answered by waif 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd say that you should just send a gift. Don't make up a lie -- people can see through that. Just send a gift and say, "I'm sorry this Christmas gift didn't get to you on time. We really care about you." You can even tell her that you forgot and apologize profusely. You could say something like, "Please don't let this oversight make you think that we don't care. I think you're wonderful."
2007-01-04 06:47:34 · answer #8 · answered by drshorty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Her son should have been the one to do this. Shame on him. Doesn't change the dilemna you are in though. Get her a gas card and send to her so she can get to bingo on you!
2007-01-04 07:08:18 · answer #9 · answered by Lost in Maryland 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sned her soemthing amazing along with a note saying something to the effect of you're sorry that it's late but yu ordered it and it was broken, wrong thing, not what you expected, etc. so sent it back and had to wait for the right thing.
2007-01-04 06:36:49 · answer #10 · answered by Cat Loves Her Sabres 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋