Advent Angel: 12 Days 'til Christmas!

Socrates once apparently said, "Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love." In fact, anybody who knows me knows that I love giving presents. Not just any ol' presents, but ones that I try to tailor pick for each of my friends and family!

They could, however... (and often do!) cost less than a buck-ninety-eight! And actually a quick jaunt to the mall this past weekend honestly left me vaguely nauseated from some of the massive, stressed-out conspicuous consumption there! Want to know how inflated Christmas costs have gotten? Check out the "PNC Christmas Price Index" to find out how much the "Twelve Days of Christmas" would set you back these days! (Hint: it's at a 21-year high!!)

Of course, the perfect "sensible token of your love" need not be expensive, or indeed cost anything at all... Check out those tenacious "culture jammers" Adbusters' "Buy Nothing Christmas" site! Otherwise, try a good ol' "White Elephant Gift Exchange" or "Yankee Swap," or the classic "Secret Santa" (with your very own FREE online "Secret Santa Organizer" here!!)

Unfortunately, as we've already established, I personally am totally artistically challenged, and, while I am trying to cut back, I still rely on retail for most of my gift-giving needs. That's why I thought I'd post some links to some unusual Christmas gifts here... to spare you whenever possible the seasonal commercial hell of the mall, not to mention help you find the perfect rare and unusual token for those you love most!

First of all, I've already posted about imaginative potential gifts that cost next to nothing in my "Ode to PVC"! (Piping, that is!!)

Now, some really unusual stuff (which may or may not be exactly cheap, but could suffice as the one super-special gift for those unusual people on your list!)

UPDATED: Another of Don Jim's typical highly-insightful posts re: "The War on Christmas"

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