In recent years, Black Friday -- the Christmas shopping frenzy the day after Thanksgiving -- has been followed by Cyber Monday -- the unofficial start of the online holiday shopping season. More and more each year, I find myself enjoying this kind of holiday shopping. No long lines, no parking hassles, no picked over merchandise. I don't find myself in the holiday spirit after experiencing any of the above.
If you plan well enough (do as I say, not as I do), you don't even have to stress about the present shipping in time. I've shopped online for gift cards, a toy kitchen for my daughter, movies (great for finding obscure titles) and an atomic wristwatch. How much of your shopping do you do via the Internet?
Quite a bit, though more for birthdays (when I'm unlikely to see them in person, so the shipping has to be paid anyway) than Christmas.