Maybe you have to be a Baby Boomer for that phrase to mean anything, but I remember television announcers from the late 1950s and early ’60s introducing commercials as if they were part of the program. There was a clear connection between what we were watching and the companies that paid for it with their advertising dollars. Today, we are so overwhelmed with advertising that it has taken on a life of its own, and “a word from our sponsors” has become product placement within the program itself.

I am boycotting Cyber Monday today, just as I dodged Black Friday a few days ago. I’m cleaning house instead, preparing for Advent with a good dose of dusting and vacuuming. I know I will buy Christmas gifts for my family sometime in the next few weeks, but it will not be according to some advertising executive’s schedule. Meanwhile, there is plenty to do to ready my heart for Christ, to make the way straight and the crooked plain in preparation for the day of the Lord’s coming.

Two women whose blogs I follow, and whose ideas inspire me, are Mary Hunt, the Everyday Cheapskate, and Rachel Held Evans, author of A Year of Biblical Womanhood. Both of these women posted great articles today, so I”m sharing the links with you here. They offer you some great options for getting through the next few weeks without breaking the bank, while making a difference in the lives of others.

Here is Rachel’s, and here is Mary’s. Read and enjoy! And please don’t feel guilty about taking advantage of great savings today on things you really want or need. Just remember that Jesus doesn’t really care how much you pay or how trendy your gift is. All Jesus wants for Christmas is you.