Christmas is coming...

The holidays are always such an interesting time to implement the non-materialistic lessons we've learned through the year. We loved last Christmas because we had no money and people expected so little of us, we could concentrate on the important stuff. This year with actual incomes and people wanting to spoil our not-even-born baby, the marketing machines do not seem to be slowed at all by the economic crisis. I've been surprised and appalled by all of the Christmas marketing this year. We're at such a cross-roads where, as a country, we can really stop and take stock of our spending and owning habits. It would be such a shame if this opportunity passed us by and we didn't learn some lessons!

Our family hasn't really talked much yet about how we'll deal with the excesses of commercial Christmas this year... though we've agreed we loved last Christmas and hope to hang on to those strategies of cutting back. How about you? What are your strategies to keep Christmas from being consumer-mayhem so you can focus on the good stuff?

Beg, Steal and Borrow (Christmas Season)

Cleaning up and getting rid of things? List them here. Looking for a Christmas gift? Why not barter for it. Feel free to share things you need/want or can give away.