Less than a month away...

That's right, I'm talking about Christmas.

I think I'm supposed to be out shopping today to grab some of those awesome sales, but I think I would rather pay full price than fight with crazy soccer moms over the last Tickle-me-Elmo Extreme. I think it's so weird that toys cause such a craze these days. I think about when I was a kid, and the only one I really remember people getting crazy about were Cabbage Patch Kids. I was probably 4 years old, but I remember my aunt coming to my house with a scratch on her face after fighting to get one of the dolls that was on that day's shipment.

Maybe I didn't pay much attention, but I don't remember another toy causing such a commotion until the original Tickle-me-Elmo hit the shelves. I'm sure there were many in between those, but like I said, I just don't remember. Then there was the Furby, Nintendo Wii, and the latest installment of Elmo.

Most people probably can't even remember what a Furby is, but every parent had to have one for the kid circa 1997. I think the toy manufacturers have figured out if they produce a limited supply, they can create their own increased demand. It's a smart move on their part, but it's annoying to the average shopper...well, at least to me.

Long story short, I still haven't bought a single gift this year, and as of today, I have less than 4 weeks to do so. We'll see what happens.