OK, I'm going to do it right this year. Keep it simple. There's no reason to make this more complicated or bigger than it needs to be. I'm going to keep my focus on the real meaning of Christmas, celebrate that, and not get caught up in all the hoopla of this particular holiday.

I start my simplistic streamlining with the decorations. I don't put candles in the windows this year. Ah, sweet relief. I just decorate the banister, the dining table, the console and the mantel, although I do not put any greenery on it this year. Taking it down a notch.

We still make out a letter to Santa. But I state that Santa will bring one special gift. Well, unless it's PlayStation. Then it'll be more like two gifts. Because you need an extra controller. OK, so it's three gifts, because you need a game to play. But you know what I mean, it's all one idea.

Mommy and Daddy will get them something, but it's gonna be useful. My 5-year-old gets a sentence sequencing game. And my 9-year-old gets a game called "You're Bugging Me," acknowledging that I understand what a pest a little brother can be. And we get them both lava lamps - you know, science.

And the neighbor gifts have to go. Unless I know them really well. Or they bring up my trash cans. So maybe I do them, plus the ones I see at the bus stop every day, and anybody who has a barking dog that they keep inside so it doesn't wake me before I've had my Christmas blend coffee.

And speaking of that, I'm not going to drag out all eight matching Christmas mugs. I'm just going to use the two that have "peace" and "joy" on them.

I won't be doing the multiflavored hot chocolate. No mint, toffee or peppermint flavors this year - just chocolate. And plain, white marshmallows. The red and green ones are just too over-the-top. We'll bake sugar cookies and you can pick two toppings. Well, plus the icing of course, but you'll only have three colors to choose from.

And then that's it. We'll probably see the Singing Christmas Tree, and I think they're ready for "A Christmas Carol," so we'll see that. Maybe the musical Bearstein Bears, the lights in McAdenville, a cantata or two, the service Christmas Eve, and maybe a few passes through some neighborhoods that boast luminaria, but nothing too crazy.

Just real simple this year. I'm not even doing Christmas cards. They take a lot of time, they cost too much money, people know what we look like, and all that addressing takes me away from making gingerbread houses with my children.

Well - that, and I couldn't get a good picture.