I know, I know... it's a bit early to be thinking about Christmas. I'm sorry. It's just that I am planning our Christmas campaigns at work, so it is already on my mind. And this year we will be advertising our computers as an ethical alternative. And thinking about ethical alternatives has stretched to me thinking about my Christmas personally, and this year I'm going to do things differently.

I do feel that the emphasis on Christmas gifts and the subsequent over spending is just criminal. You receive gifts you don't want and give gifts that others don't want, everyone becoming broke in the process. Christmas is mass consumerism at it's worst. But there's an obligation isn't there - an expectation, and whilst I could arrive for Christmas lunch without the obligatory bag of presents, giving a speech about the horrors of society today, this may be a little too hard for everyone to stomach first time round. But I definitely don't want to follow the same pattern as most years previous. Is there a balance? I think there may be...

This year, I am going to aim to ensure that everything I buy as a gift is ethical. This will not only fulfil my 'obligation', but may also help to educate the family on the alternatives.

And if asked what I want for Christmas, I will reply that 'I'm easy, as long as it's ethical'.