Peer Pressure

[bill_sheehan]

This will be our twentieth Christmas together.  The tree is fairly dripping with nostalgia.  Here's our very first ornament. There's the mother-of-pearl star from Jordan Marsh on the top.  Here's the one we picked up on our honeymoon, here's the octopus grasping a pearl you found at the Museum of Fine Arts, and there's the one I brought back from

Comments

[wldrose]

I have been there and the way to we dealt with it was to do small a small under twenty doller gift to give on xmass morn or xmass eve when ever you do it

it cant be a joke gift and you cant ask for something it is one of those thought that count things for real

ash

[cvirtue]

I don't think it's peer pressure. I think it's habit, and absence of anticipation. Whether you think these are good, bad, or neutral depends on you.

Maybe you could figure out something special to make the other person (like dinner) or a surprise outing that the other doesn't know where you are going -- like take Your Conspirator to the beach (suitably en-sweatered) but she rides with a blindfold on so it will be silly and unexpected. Something like that will restore the anticipation without much pocketbook involvement.

[rowantwig]

I know just what you mean. My husband's family goes to gads of trouble and expense to waste waste waste at Christmas. Mine is very sensible; we give something the other person wants, and if there's no particular want then we don't give. Very sensible, but very hollow-feeling sometimes. All the in-laws' ridiculous hoopla irritates and annoys and sometimes makes me feel a little sick, but it certainly fills the winter season well.

[firynze]

I have, in the past, wrapped tins of food and bricks of ramen just to have something there, to look festive. I like festive. I just don't like being broke.

Most of what I'm giving Das Boy this year is both eminently practical and consumable. Heck, most of what I'm giving EVERYONE this year is consumable. Hooch and mustard - the gifts that DON'T keep on giving, so you can give them again next year!