The best Christmas gifts ever!

Hi neighbors! Only 20 more days till Christmas, are you ready? I don't know if it's my old age, or if things have really changed that much; but it doesn't seem like people get as excited about Christmas as they used to.

Shopping starts so early now, and takes away from Thanksgiving and even Halloween gets nicked in the bud by Christmas marketing.

People just seem a lot more excited about shopping for Christmas than they seem excited about Christmas traditions.

If you feel Christmas has lost its religious and holiday spirit; why not all agree to have a Christmas where only handcrafted gifts can be exchanged? Home made cookies, pies, and cakes can be given as gifts. Hand made clothing, towels, pillowcases, pillows, and house shoes make pretty and practical gifts. Photo albums are always popular gifts.

Maybe just all agree to give no gifts that require batteries or gifts that have to be recharged. How about no games that require a machine to play them? There are lots of board games, drawing games, card games and physically acted out games that the entire family can play together. Together -- that's the key word.

Many games today are isolating, and a person plays by him- or herself, or with some invisible stranger online. Isn't one of the definitions of "games" something that requires more than one person to play?

Here's an idea for a special Christmas blessing. Spend one day and night with your family (a warm day and night that is) and decide there will be no TV, no radio, no iPad, no downloaded music, no cell phones, no computers, no electronic notebooks, no online games, no Twitter, no Facebook -- in short, nothing electronic. (Cooking stoves are allowed, as are refrigerators.)

The family has to stay together at home the entire time -- no hopping a ride with a friend to get back to modern civilization or take in a movie.

What could your family find to do together? If any in the family can play an instrument, there is always that and everyone can sing along. There's fun in just singing if no one can play an instrument. If there are little children in the family, singing children's songs can be a lot more fun than you might think.

Putting together puzzles can be fun for most ages. Board games or card games can fill in a lot of time.

Just doing normal things can be a family event if everyone pitches in on the cooking and clean up. Find that box of old recipes from your parents or grandparents. Pick out some favorites that you have all the ingredients for (no running to the store) and discuss cooking tips while you are all mixing and cooking the food.

For centuries, most homes and families gathered in the kitchens for family fun, discussions, and work.

As you use certain tools, tell children how today's electronic versions of tools differ from the ones you are using on this special day. Just talk to each other.

Read or tell stories to each other. Discussions about books, television shows, or movies, can lead to how these scenarios mirror those situations family members find themselves in and offer an opportunity to lead into deeper conversations.

In today's society, cultures and families, the simple act of talking to each other has fallen aside. We must get back to expressing our ideas, hopes, dreams and feelings with those people we trust -- our family. Being able to put thoughts into not only written words, but also verbal conversations is critical to our society's survival.

Until the next time friends, remember, the best Christmas gifts family members can give each other is time spent together as a family. Happy shopping!