During this busy shopping season, it's become obvious that we have too many choices today.

Does anyone remember when auto manufacturers produced about four models each - from basic to luxury? Now there are hundreds of models to choose from with myriad options available. Every other product, as well, is micro-produced to demand decision-making on the part of the consumer, which essentially complicates the simple.

I was looking for the popular brand and type of shampoo I usually buy and was amazed to discover that each time I purchase it, the packaging changes, the number of choices increases and, of course, the price rises. What really gave me a laugh were products labeled for "regular" hair and for "normal" hair. I defy anyone to tell me the difference between the two. In addition, the selection included shampoos for: "colored hair/dry," "colored hair/normal," "highlighted hair," "fine hair" and at least four more categories.

If a woman finds a product she likes, she can bet that the next time she goes to the store, it will have been replaced by a "new, improved" model, which usually proves to be inferior to the one she wanted. This is especially true for cosmetics. After much deliberation and considering the advice of a sales clerk, you finally pick a shade of foundation or lipstick that goes with your skin tone, only to find it obsolete the next time you need it.

When we moved to Santee, my husband and I decided to give our children and grandchildren the most popular gift of all - cash. When the kids were little, it was a joy to go into a toy store and purchase Barbies, GI Joes, Legos, board games and all the other must-haves of childhood. Those were the days before computers, video games, cellphones and other devices were on the market and shopping was so easy. These days, when the kids tell us what they bought with our cash gifts, we don't even know what the items are!

Purchasing holiday clothing for my little daughter was one of my pleasures. It was like reliving my childhood to see her wear adorable, girlish smocked dresses with matching tights and hair ribbons. When did the fashion powers-that-be decide that little girls should wear replicas of women's clothing? One of my friends said it was almost impossible to find suitable Christmas outfits for her granddaughters because the dresses looked like they were designed for "ladies of easy virtue."

The clothes we wore years ago and the toys our children played with were, if you remember, manufactured in the USA. Look at the labels in your clothes, shoes and accessories and you'll find every country of origin except the United States. The toys our kids played with had quality and could be handed down from brother to brother or even from one generation to the next.

Who would have believed that the parents of the future would have to worry that foreign-made toys might injure or poison their children?

T&D Correspondent Shirley Upton can be reached by e-mail at writer@ntinet.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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