Thank you again for the wonderful inspiration,Thicket Dweller . Even though my daughter is only 14 months old, I too often get that "it's not enough, All of the other kids have..., If I were a good mother she would have..." mentality. As I type, there are so many toys strewn all over this house that one can barely walk. She has so many articles of clothing that many of the outfits she only wears once. She has three sets of doting grandparents and she is the only grandchild of two of those sets. We held a large family celebration for her first birthday (around 60 people) for which we had to rent a hall and needed two cars to take home all of the gifts. And just one month after that was Christmas! I actually sat down and cried Christmas Eve because she was getting so much, and there are so many out there with so little. I hate the consumerism mentality, and yet here I am, fostering it in my own home. I am taking your post as a sign tonight. I am making a commitment to lowering the unnecessary, illogical, and gratuitous spending around here. Why should I try to keep up with the Jones' when I don't want to BE like the Jones'?