When I was growing up, I had a very close-knit family. Christmastime was always one of my favorite times of year because we would all get together, have a big noisy dinner, and then adjourn to our den to commence the festival of greed. In addition to my mom, dad, brother, and sister, I would also buy gifts for my aunt, uncle, and four cousins. As we all grew up, spouses and children were added to the ...

tags: mom dad, aunt sarah, nking, thoughtful gifts, exchange gifts, breaking the bank, christmastime, gift exchange, brilliant idea, merriment, brother and sister, elephants, scarf, greed, cousins, cluttering, holidays, bonus, economy, benefit