Thank you for the gift suggestions! I decided on the "snuggly blanket" for my son's fiancee. I found a brown velvety throw with a sherpa-like lining, and I complemented it with two pairs of brown fuzzy aloe socks and some "chocolate" body wash & lotion. All at a good price.

For my son, I got a 5-cup Mr. Coffee for his office (he has to go across the street for coffee now) and a Nike T-shirt.

Also, thank you for encouraging me to get a tree, even though I was feeling too poor. I went shopping for a real tree yesterday -- they were all too big -- and then I overheard a price quote of $70. I scrambled out of there. And not just because of the price, but because I realized I was not physically up to putting up a real tree by myself. But I'm glad I did the walk-through, because it was a very cool Christmasy experience, complete with holiday music, a wood fire and good piney smells.

Instead I opted to get a small pre-lit articial tree at Wal-Mart. I also got a pre-lit garland. I put them both up today, and decorated them with my beloved ornaments. I also got out my Christmas village, my Santa collection, and my grapevine tree (which I had forgotten about), and which I decorated with all my earth-toned ornaments. I am very happy and brimming over with the Christmas spirit.

In an hour or so I will get ready for a Christmas dinner -- it is a working dinner for me, as it is an appreciation event for my employer's donors. But it is a chance to dress up and I am determined I will enjoy it.

My Christmas gift spending was $65. My trip to Wal-Mart cost $57, but it included some non-Christmas things like hangers, cleaning products, and a new stapler. (Woo-hoo! A Christmas present for myself!)

I also made a Goodwill stop yesterday to drop off items and ended up spending $21 -- part of it was a gift for BFF (a teapot), and part of it was gifts for moi -- wine glasses and more houses for my Christmas village. Good finds all.

In the midst of all my spending, I stopped at McDonald's for lunch. Or, that is, I drove through McDonalds. I dropped a dollar at the window (which was immediately reimbursed) but still I was so rattled I left my food there and had to go back. And someone had already got the dollar bill flopping around on the ground! (Someone after my own heart!) I spent $4 there.