Scrooge sighting: Regulating Christmas

I love Christmas! It has always been my most favorite time of the year. I'm like a little kid in many respects. However, the years have weathered me a little. Ironically, as I continue my spiritual growth I find things about the season less enthralling than when it was a secular holiday for me. I used to "score" big time on Christmas. Generous parents helped me out quite a bit with this. Now, as I see things pull our recognition away from the Christ child I tend to find a negative streak in me. The materialism and gluttonous attitudes throughout the holidays, (mine included), distract me and countless others away from the reason for Christmas. Don't get me wrong. I love giving and receiving gifts. I've been wanting to start/revive my interest in slot cars for the past year and it has only been my budget that has kept me from begging my wife to get a track "for the kids." I also enjoy the cooking and eating during this time, but this is what I'm seeing:

• My desire to cook (and eat) overwhelms me with planning and shopping to make some treats and meals that I don't normally get to make.
• My desire to shop and buy a plethora of gifts for my kids continuously nags me to find the time to get all the things I want to get them.
• Media constantly speaking of "last minute gifts" two full weeks before Christmas day to give us the sense that we need to be finishing up. This is their way of telling us to shop early and often.
• A constant barrage of largely material gifts being flashed in front of me when I finally do stop. The ads tell me to do things like shop at Jared Jewelers or be sure to buy my spouse (or teenage child) a Lexus during their year end sales event. (The latter ad drives me nuts every year).

So yeah, I'm a scrooge about some things. I no longer care for the materialism, the rush and the push during the time. I'm ready to enjoy lights, songs and worship. (Why is it by the way that most churches aren't even open on Christmas day? You essentially have to be Catholic or in Europe if you want to worship the Christ child in church on Christmas Day. I have even heard pastors in the past, when Christmas falls on a Sunday say that we won't have church so that everyone can be with their family. I don't see the logic). So I have already started discussing with my wife what we might be able to do differently next year. Here are some of the thoughts:

• One gift to each member from each member of our immediate family (Maybe 2 or 3 from Mom and Dad). We're a family of four. That would be three or so gifts a piece. The gifts would more likely be bigger and would not be clothes or other practical gifts. It would be something special. (I know one family I grew up with that did this, and I have to say they are fairly well-adjusted so I do believe we could manage mental balance while doing this).
• With the extra time (and money saved) more focus would be spent volunteering our time and resources to other activities which would spread good will to others and enrich our own time with friends and neighbors.

So there's the start of it. I'd love to have other ideas that would help with this, but I'm feeling the stress that my parents always talked about (and I never understood) that happens when trying to handle the responsibilities of the season.