It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

And PF bloggers everywhere gear up for the season of madness. Here are some great Christmas articles from the PF blogging community. The first is from one of my favorite bloggers, Single Ma's Fabulous Financials:

Every single year, my mom is the hardest to shop for and I'm stumped yet again. She doesn't like me to buy things for the house. "Gifts are supposed to be for ME, the house is for everyone!" She doesn't like me to buy clothes and shoes. "SM you want me to dress like an old lady and THAT I'm not!" She's not into perfume, makeup, jewelry, or other girlie stuff. The collection inside her armoire proves it. Money is tricky because it never feels like the right amount, no matter how much I give. And she doesn't NEED anything. So what is a daughter to do?

We're in Debt talks about one Christmas ritual that doesn't cost money -- anymore, anyway. We, too, decorated our tree again last night, with my four $1 ornament additions (including a new snapshot of the two ninos) and my one splurge -- a $2.99 ornament. Our tree looks a little less bare every year...

Decorating our Christmas tree is always a fun time for the two of us. The best part is that our tree grows at about the same rate as we buy new ornaments. This means that our tree always looks full, without us having to spend more money.

Don't Mess With Texas writes about children and play credit cards. I know a friend of mine actually lets her kids play with the "fake" credit cards companies send with pre-approved offers, but I've always shredded ours. I love piggy banks but I know the new rage is an ATM machine for allowance money. Teaching kids they can withdraw without any deposits (the deposits come from mom and dad) is a little disturbing to me...

And the use of plastic by young (and younger) people is now being reinforced by some popular board games. The trend started a couple of years ago, but it's really taking off this holiday season, according to a report this week on the CBS Early Show.

Financial expert Dave Ramsey and program host Harry Smith took a look at all the toys that are not-so-subtly teaching kids to pay with plastic.

Among the games that now supply kids with fake plastic instead of toy money are Monopoly, Life, Barbie (not surprisingly; look at the clothes she buys!) and even Dora the Explorer. Can SpongeBob SquarePants be far behind?

My Open Wallet recommends a good antidote for all the consumerism this holiday season: giving to charity.

It's that time of year: all the fuss over Black Friday and holiday gift guides can lead to a certain level of disgust with rampant consumerism and greed. The story that did it for me was a mention of a woman who hurled her entire body onto a pile of $50 digital photo frames at WalMart to make sure she'd be able to buy one.

So what's a good antidote? Thinking about ways to help people whose needs are more basic, or organizations that do valuable work.

PF Advice talks about the phenomenon of Christmas in December November October and how parents eventually can just get by with one fall Turkey dinner:

As the Christmas juggernaut rolls on, it consumes and assimilates all Holidays in its path. Soon Santa Claus will get credit for Thanksgiving and that tradition will die off on its own. Jolly ole St. Nick will come down your chimney with a sack of presents and a turkey. The presents will be left under the tree and the turkey dinner will be left on the dining room table.

This will mean two things for parents. First, they will have to sneak the presents under the tree while preparing Christmas dinner, and giving the credit for the wonderful meal formally known as Thanksgiving to the fictitious reverse burglar as well. Second, they will only have to have one major Holiday meal. No more turkeys and hams and double doses of mashed potatoes and candied yams. Just one Turkey dinner that will satisfy all.

From Millionaire Mommy, a thousand words:

And with that, a Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good...avoidance of the holiday crowds.