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How sad that we just spent a day of thanks for all that we have (have you taken an inventory of the craft room lately?) and then are coerced into feeling like we "missed out on something" because we aren't spending more money on more "things".
Christmas has become nothing more than a commercial designed to make people feel like they are bad friends or bad relatives because they aren't spending what little cash they have on presents for other people that those people don't really need in order to live a happy and fulfilled life.
We stopped giving presents during Christmas a long time ago and now I can sit back and laugh at the hysteria surrounding the hunt for gifts just because a commercial said it was a good deal and you aren't smart if you don't buy it NOW. We give gifts all year long - for birthdays, anniversaries, new clothes at the beginning of a school year or for that special school dance. Christmas at our house has returned to being about family - spending time together, playing board games and card games after a traditional meal, spending a few hours volunteering for folks in our community that actually have real unmet needs for food, clothing and shelter. Now we hand-make cards for one another with letters that share how we feel about each other instead of a new game console or sweater which really mean nothing in the grand scheme of life.
FIGHT BACK! Take back the true meaning of Christmas from the secular box stores. Spend time with your family instead of with a retail clerk. If you want to give, then give something back to your local community in a way that will really help someone with life needs. Dig in the craft stash and make cards and gifts from your heart with a flair of your artistry. Besides, isn't that why we hoard all that stuff anyway? And isn't it fun to design and create and share it with others?
And now, back to your regularly scheduled program. Who wants the soap box next?
It's too much for me. Too many stores, too many ads, too many days - it's expanded far beyond Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Above and beyond the advertising propaganda you get to buy, buy, buy, this is about the time of year you start getting news stories about how retailers are concerned they won't sell enough and if we don't all spend a lot of money, it will mean retailers will have to cut jobs.
In addition to the emails I am getting , on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving we got a 6 pound newspaper! There were about 10 pages of news and the remaining pages were ads . :shock:
I was so over whelmed when I saw it I never read any of the ads. I just threw the entire 6 pounds of ads in the recycling bin and did not go out on Black Friday.
The Sunday paper was only slightly smaller .
I enjoy a good sale too. but this year's Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/ Cyber Monday sales push seems especially aggressive.
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I don't worry about all those ads, just delete away! I only took advantage of two sales...one for Purple Onion stamps and the other today for the new Kindle Fire HDX. If I pay attention to those ads, I will feel I missed out...so not reading helps me a bunch!
We dont do this in Australia but Of course I have seen all over the web. I was watching the news and saw what it is like at the sales, W O W I couldn't believe the crowds, the fighting etc, amazing what people will do when they just have to have something.
I enjoy a good sale too. but this year's Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/ Cyber Monday sales push seems especially aggressive.
Oh I so agree! I know many retailers are hurting and I understand why they're pushing so hard but it is just so much craziness! They don't understand it makes us want to spend less, not more.
How sad that we just spent a day of thanks for all that we have (have you taken an inventory of the craft room lately?) and then are coerced into feeling like we "missed out on something" because we aren't spending more money on more "things".
Christmas has become nothing more than a commercial designed to make people feel like they are bad friends or bad relatives because they aren't spending what little cash they have on presents for other people that those people don't really need in order to live a happy and fulfilled life.
We stopped giving presents during Christmas a long time ago and now I can sit back and laugh at the hysteria surrounding the hunt for gifts just because a commercial said it was a good deal and you aren't smart if you don't buy it NOW. We give gifts all year long - for birthdays, anniversaries, new clothes at the beginning of a school year or for that special school dance. Christmas at our house has returned to being about family - spending time together, playing board games and card games after a traditional meal, spending a few hours volunteering for folks in our community that actually have real unmet needs for food, clothing and shelter. Now we hand-make cards for one another with letters that share how we feel about each other instead of a new game console or sweater which really mean nothing in the grand scheme of life.
FIGHT BACK! Take back the true meaning of Christmas from the secular box stores. Spend time with your family instead of with a retail clerk. If you want to give, then give something back to your local community in a way that will really help someone with life needs. Dig in the craft stash and make cards and gifts from your heart with a flair of your artistry. Besides, isn't that why we hoard all that stuff anyway? And isn't it fun to design and create and share it with others?
And now, back to your regularly scheduled program. Who wants the soap box next?
Nicely said! I'm on your bus! Am putting together baskets of asst. homemade cards for a few select friends and family. That is it!
I just heard on the national news that sales for Black Friday (which I think included Thanksgiving day-----OMG-----) were greater than last year.
You know what that means. As long as people come out and shop and get them to their goals (sales goals), we'll continue to see the massive ads, etc.
Liked that one poster said it went in her recyling. Agreed! Think recycling! That is the one thing that makes me glad about all of it. I recycle! Hurrah!
My grandkids live out of state so I send a gift card to my daughter and I'm done! Buy I did buy from Joanne's, Paper Smooches, Taylored Expressions, and Gina K. They had some good deals and hopefully that will keep me busy for awhile. Oh wait I made 75 cards for friends/family to mail out and am working on my own (50) done. Then I can get another box off to OWH. :p
It is too much, but I just delete the emails and don't even read them. I skip over them on the message boards. We still give lots of Christmas gifts, but I don't feel pressured into buying anything I'm not ready to buy or can't afford. Most of the ads I'm seeing are for things that I would buy for myself, not others, anyway.
We dont do this in Australia but Of course I have seen all over the web. I was watching the news and saw what it is like at the sales, W O W I couldn't believe the crowds, the fighting etc, amazing what people will do when they just have to have something.
Please don't think the fighting etc is the norm in the US. Those are actually exceptions. Around here I know the box store that sells electronics, (which seems to be the thing that drives those fights), have organized lines of shoppers, pass out tickets for the items before the person even enters the store so they know before they get in that there is an item reserved for them to buy, limit the number of people who enter at one time, etc. My son works for one of those stores, I wouldn't stand in a cold long line for any of the "deals". It was below freezing here!
The crowds, that's true and I wouldn't do that. The thought makes me shudder.
If I need to go out that day I just wait until afternoon and it's normal out there. Personally I just went out on "buy local"Saturday and bought that pair of shoes I needed anyway.
I hate to think folks from outside the US see such news and think those reports are the normal actions in the US. For most of us that is not true.
I didn't buy a thing all weekend either online or in person... not even groceries... except yesterday I did my demo pre-order from the upcoming spring mini. That doesn't count : )
I agree with those that say the harder they push, the less it makes me want to buy. I'd rather pay more later than feel pressured now. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because it was so much less commercial than the others... but now it's exactly the same...
__________________ Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek, Gold EliteSong of My Heart Stampers14-time incentive trip earner
Black Friday Violence is nothing new in the US. Especially in the last 8 years it has gotten worse and worse. I think it is insane to shop on that day. The internet is my friend on Black Friday and Cyber Monday!
I'm burned out on Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads
