Friends\family that always give store bought soap & bodyvwash

[soapsydaisy]

Does anyone else run into this? I have a coworker that always gives me gifts from Bath & Body Works. I mean I appreciate the thought of the gift but I am aggravated that I always give her homemade soaps, scrubs, and lip balms and she doesn't get it. Now I need to figure out what to do with the stuff she gave me. Yard sale?

 

[Marilyna]

First, I'd stop giving her your stuff. If she wants to buy it, fine.
Second, you can try the BB&W products as a form of research and development. See what you like about them, what you don't like, etc. Then throw them away! Ha Ha!

 

[new12soap]

You are right, she doesn't get it. My MIL gave me a gift cert to B&BW long after I had been making my own products, she really meant to be nice because she thought that was something I liked.

I agree, you can use them for research, but if you don't want them at all I am sure there is a shelter nearby that would LOVE to make someone's day with such a gift. And then you can write off the donation! Win-Win

 

[lizflowers42]

I would totally re-gift something like that--do you have pre-teen or teen girls that need gifts to give to their girlfriends for birthdays (that way you don't run the same risk of your co-working finding that you've regifted it)? Chicks love that stuff

 

[Sapwn]

I would sell them in ebay at a very low price just to give them away.

 

[robtr31]

wrap them nicely and give them to her,

 

[Ruthie]

I'd send them off to Clean the World with my next box of rejects and scraps. Or give to the local women's shelter. or take Marilyna's idea of research and at a later date share with this co-worker. Even if she does not "get" that yours is better, she can at least "get" that you do not want the B&B stuff.

 

[Chay]

I get a lot of B&B stuff as gifts too. People think "Chay really loves this kind of stuff, it's the perfect gift." I usually give it to a teenage girl or toss it.

 

[jean1C]

Is there something that you want? Let's say a nice bottle of cabernet? If so, maybe you could find someone's failed homemade batch...give a bottle. That way she may think you like wine and voila! You are set...LOL.

Seriously, I get it. I was at a wedding shower a few weeks ago and the "favors" were liquid soap from the dollar store. We stayed a little late since we are family and the guest of honor kept wanting to give me the EXTRAS...., I make soap, I don't need anymore. As a matter of fact, you could probably give my favor to old Aunt Mary who would be delighted to go home with an extra soap favor.

I like the idea of donating it to the shelters. Every year my friend gets donations together and makes Christmas bags for a short term domestic violence shelter. They would love to have ANYthing like this. In addition to anyone who is looking for a donation for some type of auction.

 

[Stinkydancer]

My family does this too (my friends know better)- BBW makes me itch which is why I began making my own soap to begin with. You can probably get good money for that stuff on Ebay.

 

[soapsydaisy]

I just think it is funny. It is already in my next Goodwill bag. I only give her my products for Christmas and other events when everyone is buying gifts. I am a special ed. teacher and there are 15 other teachers in our dept., plus everyone has at least one aide. So at Christmas time a bar of soap and a tube of lip balm is usually the least inexpensive gift to give (and I like the feedback). She asked me to make her a custom soap not too long ago. I think she is probably the type of person that stocks up on generic gifts when BBW has a sale. She thought enough to give the gift but didn't think about me, lol.

 

[ourwolfden]

I know this is an older post but I was reading it and had a thought! Does she always give you the same type of item or the same scent? If she is mixing it up maybe she is trying to “help” you with R&D by showing what is out there for sale. Not sure, but it makes it seem a little nicer. We make homemade wine and love it when people pick up bottles for us from different places.