Here come the holidays, a time that gives me a swift pain in the you-know-what. Tsk tsk you say. Where's my holiday spirit? I left it behind when the heel of my boot got stuck in an escalator in a mall in New Jersey. Or the time my daughter had the screaming meltdown over her choice of Chanukah attire (gold lame on a seven-year-old doesn't work for me). Then there are all the relatives, the guilt (I'm Jewish, enough said), the presents that are greeted with a quizzical "What is it?"

Instead of just kvetching though, I thought I'd do something proactive to make your life - and mine - easier this holiday season. I've found great gifts that - except for a few blowouts - are under $100. Now that's something to be grateful for.