"The best part is that for the millions of dollars we spend on toys only to have them full of lead or come apart and choke a kid, the best toys [wanted most by kidz on the ground floor] are the homemade or everyday things around the house.

"No, [that's] not really Scrooge ... It's buy nothing [i.e. Stuff] ... not give nothing.  There was this ritual where [one] would give each other gifts whenever [they] saw something the other would like... but specifically NOT on [the holidays] or birthdays.  It was sort of a because-I-want-to-not-because-I-have-to thing."

That's a treasure of a thought this time of year.  That thought certainly is NOT 'Scrooge', NOR 'Hallmarkie' - possibly the 2nd worse the first!?  The Stuff of that thought is all together and all right, both well-wrapped and a gift, to those lucky enough to be around such a person - a special peace.

Very possibly there's a direct ratio between buying less to celebrating more ... http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/ ... !sreehC [in reverse].