People overwhelmed and horrified by the out-of-control Christmas machine love to pause this time of year and say "wait 'til next year". As in, next year we'll simplify - buy less, slow down, get back to the important stuff like family and sharing our respective holiday traditions.

Then the next October rolls around and we roll our eyes at the holiday fare being out before the Halloween fare - and then the day after Thanksgiving, we roll up our sleeves and do it all over again.

Myself included.

Another unplugging I wish would happen is technology.

It's December 20th and heading into the home stretch. Regardless of your faith, Christmas is both a national holiday and the Superbowl of American consumerism.

I wouldn't dream of undermining an already fragile economy and advise you to step away from the checkout line and put down the credit card now.

But, how about this...

- Set a time tomorrow and put your business email on out- of- office reply until January 2nd? And don't check it until then.

- At the same time, wish your colleagues and clients a peaceful season with their loved ones and then focus on your own to the exclusion of them. Screen out their calls for the duration.

- Play some board games next week, instead of minesweeper on your handheld. With the exception of Yahtze, all board games require at least one other player.

- Unplug your computer and your laptop.

- Stop walking around the house with a bluetooth looped over your ear. Hint: your family takes that as a threat that any minute you could be talking to the air instead of them.

- Put a banner across the front page of your company web site announcing you're closed for business until the New Year.

Don't dream of a white Christmas or moan about having a blue Christmas. Go green instead. Unplug it all and save some energy - for the rest of the planet and the people who matter most in your life.

I'll start..

My last post of the year will be tomorrow before noon EST. I'll wrap up the year with one last post and then wish you all a happy, happy before I UNPLUG until January the 2nd.

'til then.. shop til you drop.

- Renee Oricchio