We stopped doing the shopping thing about 5 years or so ago. That is when I began letting our family know that donations have been made in their names to various charities. We usually do a food bank, an animal charity, and something like Red Cross or other relief agency every year. No one on my "shopping list" needs anything, really, and we don't have the time, energy or money to shop for all those gifts that get unwrapped and returned anyway. So we just give notes reminding them of our blessings and how we would rather bless others this time of year.

Of course, with a new (first) grandson we will be buying some gifts. But we won't be the set of grandparents piling on the gifts. Hopefully we will be the ones able to give some really good memories and interesting experiences, and our gifts will just become reminders of those times.


And you are not alone feeling overwhelmed at the mall, and I regularly fantasize about a flame-thrower on the front of my shopping cart at the grocery store, otherwise I might never get the shopping done!