I am SO with you on the commercialism!! And now, not even Santa Clause is welcome in some malls! I don't know what this world is comming to.

I stopped buying (pun intended) into the commercial aspect when my kids were still at home. I refused to buy anything in the stores that year unless it was a small item to make something with that the kids had decided would be a gift. Mostly, I encouraged them to give of themselves. My daughter came up with a "coupon book" for everybody. Coupons for her time and/or her attention to be redeamed throughout the year.

My youngest still wants to hold to that tradition but his wife gives him too bad a time and they wind up spending more money than they can affort to spend.

Oh, well! You give it your best shot when you can, right?