Yup, I hear ya Sharon. I'm feeling pretty awesome right about now. My last "obligation" is in the post. Now I get to pack some fun stuff that's already purchased (within "the budget"...which means I bought it within another pay month, lol!)
Got a few gifts the other day at Target for the two little kids. I got a pang of "is it ENOUGH?" while I was there, and then just had time to think. OF COURSE it was enough! A couple fun, useful, new things? Plenty.
We might bake a batch of cookies for "family time" but it's the process that's worthwhile, not the product. I tend to try and give most of that away. February cookie thing and all.
Funny story: MIL decided one year that we would all draw names to exchange gifts to kinda tighten things up. Which is a great idea, except I didn't "get" what the rules were, because we'd end up receiving gifts from them but they hadn't chosen us. So then we didn't HAVE any gifts to reciprocate because we were going according to "the rules" but I guess MIL was making up her own giving rules, and would give to everybody. GAH...so uncomfortable. Apparantly the pulling names thing has ended this year, so I dunno what that means...give to everybody? Give to nobody? :lol: I'm not worried, but it goes to show many people get caught up in the "need" to participate in the holiday.