There are ten days left until Christmas. Wow. It's probably time for my annual "Let's not get stressed for Christmas" post.

Now, I haven't stopped at many stores this year and I haven't even ventured to the mall, so I don't know if the crowds and moods are as horrible as usual. Internet shopping is so nice.

But it seems to me that Christmas is the worst time of the year for many people, either because of the financial aspects of buying, buying, buying or because you have to put up with relatives you'd rather not see or travel to six different places on Christmas Day.

We can't choose our relatives (and I like all of mine) so I can't help you there. But I will say this, and continue to say it a long time from now: My parents had the right idea.

When we moved, the tradition of separate Christmases came into being. Every year, we have no less than three Christmases with various relatives (both sides of the family) and friends. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are for our family alone, and we don't travel to anyone's house for anything. It's rather nice. Heck, it's more than "rather" nice. It made Christmas a fun time of year for our family.

Now that we're not all in the same place, things are different, yes, but the main tradition remains. This year we're not opening presents until the afternoon when Ethan gets here. But that's ok. And that approach might not work for you and your family. The travel aspect of Christmas and the stress involved there is a hard nut to crack.

The material aspects of Christmas are easier to fight. Not easy, just easier.

Is it really that important to buy the latest, hottest, biggest, fanciest whatever for your kids/spouse/sister/etc. this Christmas? Is it really that important to go into debt so your house can be filled with more stuff that no one will touch ten days later?

I don't know about you, but I have a room and a storage compartment full of stuff, and I really don't need any more stuff to add to the pile. When I move, I'll need a lot of stuff, like pots and pans, silverware, and practical stuff like that, but that's something for next year's Christmas list and will be greatly appreciated.

Here are some suggestions:

Edible gifts are always nice for anyone. I mentioned this last year, but the dried ingredients of different soups (just add water!) would be a great gift for an elderly relative living alone, or an on-the-go family who doesn't have that much time to cook. You can put the ingredients together in a canning jar and put a nice festive touch around the lid, and voila. Instant gift. (This also works well with brownie mixes and cookie mixes, but make sure you write out the recipe as well.)

Even though I try to avoid buying gift certificates, some people prefer getting then so they can choose what they want or buy something a bit more expensive without having to pay so much out of pocket.

If you're short on funds and long on creativity, teach yourself to crochet or knit, and make hats, scarves, bags, PDA cases, etc. Knitting and crocheting are fun ways to pass TV time (if you watch) and you end up with such wonderful handmade gifts. And who can say no to a scarf?

If worse comes to worse and you really don't have any money, a nice, heartfelt (and preferably homemade) Christmas card will say that at least you are thinking of the person involved. And no one should begrudge you a present if you can't afford to get one for them. After all, Christmas is about giving, not receiving. So many people seem to forget that.

There are other great ideas out there, and you can find a wealth of them on the web. It's not too late to figure something out if you're out of money... and shouldn't be an issue if your family and friends remember the true meaning of Christmas.

This Christmas season, I am very thankful for my family, my friends, and my publishers. I'm thankful for my readers, and my fans, and everyone who has written to me over the past year. I'm thankful that I'm not living paycheck to paycheck anymore; that I actually have money left over at the end of the month. I'm thankful that I'm sitting here right now without any major pressing worries or stresses to occupy my time. I'm thankful that my life seems to be going in a good direction, and that this past year, although stressful at times, hasn't even come close to 2002.

And honestly? Those things are the best gifts of all.

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