My kids have excessive grandparents.  And aunts.  There, I said it.  

I know I am not alone.  It seemed like this was a huge conversation amongst my friends last year, as many of us were taking part in the Advent Consiracy and not wanting our new outlook on Christmas to be thwarted by twenty plastic toys from grandparents on Christmas morning.  I had some friends who were really upset that their parents or in-laws were reluctant to jump on the "minimal gifts" bandwagon.  A toned-down Christmas, in terms of gifts, was a tension point for many families, including my own.

As a family therapist, I gave a lot of thought to this dilemma.  More recently, I had someone ask for my advice directly.   This was my answer:

We've had a similar conflict with the consumerism of the season (and all it represents) so I really understand the conflict.  The difficulty is that your parents and in-laws may not share your same vision. As excessive as they may seem and as passionate as you probably feel, setting limitations or rules for how family members celebrate the holidays can be problematic.