I bought some gifts today for my niece (her birthday is the 27th, so I needed to get a birthday gift also) and my mom. They live in the same town, (not too far from golddust I believe - Butte county)so I can mail everything together. My plan is for my daughter to fly to Spain to visit my son who is doing a study abroad year there. That was to be my gift to both of them. However, the cabin crew union of British Airways has voted to strike from Dec 22 - Jan 2, so I don't know if that trip will happen. I have not planned for my daughter to come home nor bought gifts for her or my son. She currently lives in L.A. and we are in Oregon. I am trying not to stress over the situation. We will go visit my oldest son for Christmas eve and spend the night in a hotel. Probably will give him cash, since he is a struggling recent college grad working in retail.

ninos...I wondered why people line up 3 miles to get into that Midnight Madness sale. I didn't realize they pull them in with a $500. gift card hidden in a goodie bag...lol. No wonder. I would love to do Black Friday but I never do. My husband is not a fan of shopping period and he hates traffic more than most people. He hates waiting more than most people. None of my kids enjoy it either, so any interest I have in shopping on that day is very quickly squelched. [g] Actually, I haven't suffered for not going to Black Friday sales. Last year, I was looking for a camera and had my eye on a specific one and about mid December, Staples had the lowest price I had seen or expected to see and they bundled it with a printer. It was a Canon camera and rated highly. I notice this year, they were offering the same camera yesterday for what I bought it for last year without a printer. So that was a pretty great price for a camera that was just on the market last year. ninos...I also am not a pocketbook fan any more. I used to be for many years, but when my kids were small I got in the habit of using a fanny pack. I found one I really liked that was small, slim and black and looked pretty good. That was about 12 years ago and I still use the same fanny pack. lol Believe it or not, it still looks really good. No wear spots or tears or stains. I am a homebody so I am sure it gets less use than most handbags. [g] oceanna...that is one gorgeous table AND what a great job you did in bringing it back to life! Craig's List...I am going to have to keep my eye on that more often. Which categories do you look in the most? That is a great reminder and you are right of course, recycling is healthier for all of us and the planet too. I was horrified recently to discover when shopping for a new mattress that the government actually requires all manufacturers to use fire retardant on them. What is wrong with them? So you are breathing that all night every night, just 'in case' your house catches fire some day. When, if the fire gets to your bed, you probably would be dead from smoke inhalation anyway. So we have postponed buying a new mattress. This year, I have been thinking of becoming less of a 'consumer'. I think I already have been pretty reasonable over the years but there is always room for improvement. I have never been one to put lights up on the house at Christmas, but more because we just don't have the time or energy to do it. Now, with global warming and energy costs what they are, I just can't understand why I continue to see people escalating their outdoor holiday decorating. I went into Lowe's over the weekend, which apparently I rarely do over the holiday season, because it was the first time I saw where people are getting all these huge light displays. Unbelieveable. I LOVED when I was a kid and our parents would take us to see 'the lights' at Christmas, but I think times are different now. Anyway..that is the subject for another thread, [g] it would be nice to keep this thread going over the holiday season and we would have it for next year too, to compare. Thanks for contributing... :-) pm2

Sheila, shop online and save your feet. I do all of mine that way and save $ too. I use Ebates and then go to the site to shop. It's so relaxing and easy. I have back issues so shopping more than ten minutes is not an option. I wish my grands were small again so I could have them over on weekends. Enjoy the holidays.

Satine, I'll be happy to share about Chanukah later today when I have time. I'll start a new thread. I like giving gifts. Getting them too, but that's the least of it, for me. I know a guy who does the guy Christmas Eve Christmas shopping because he just can't be bothered having to think of nice presents, so he goes to Walgreens and buys random stuff. A lot of As Seen On TV items. :) Some of them can be funny, and sort of the comic relief in a sea of presents, but he totally doesn't get the heartfelt part. I started buying the same thing (different colors/styles but same) for all those girls once they'd outgrown individually chosen toys and things. They're happy to have nice wrapped packages to open. I sent WrapSacks one year, cloth bags for presents, and they were disappointed not to have paper and ribbons. In the scheme of wasted packaging, a few wrapped presents aren't that big a deal and I save my eco-efforts for the poor sufferers at home. :) We always have a book and a toy for all the kids, and a book and something more grown up for the teens. At a certain point, the local kids drift into adulthood and get whatever little something the adults get. We make a big donation to the food bank or somewhere similar in honor of our family's get together, and just have a token beyond that for the adults. Last year, everyone got a Seed Gem in a little organza pouch. Pretty. Fun to open. Reusable. :) Each pretty hexagon box comes with a few seeds and a growing medium in a little plastic bag. You put the seeds in the medium, in the bag in the box, and water it as directed until you have a good start, then pull out the plastic and plant the whole thing, including the box. They have flowering plants and herbs. We do personal presents among the adults in the immediate family, and often draw names for one adult in the larger family. Nice things that we've chosen specifically to please someone. It's not about what someone can afford, but taking the time and interest to get or make them something nice. There's a price limit on the exchange, but I can always find something cool. I'm not expressing this well, on how to do it or anything, but one of my great joys is finding gifts for people that are intriguing and enriching.