This year, I came by my Christmas presents from various sources: the internet, home kitchens, the Salvation Army, Seattle’s Pike Street Market and local retailers.

Though I strayed off Kodiak Island to shop, I plunked more than a few dollars into local cash drawers, influenced by the gentle but firm “shop locally” campaign that began immediately after the Thanksgiving dishes were dried and put away.

But as I unwrapped gifts on Christmas morning, a creeping unease washed over me. Christmas in Kodiak was really Christmas from China. It began with the solar-powered yard lights. The box was stamped with the words: Made in China. Kitchen tools, slippers, a wooden, back massager: All made in China.

As I surveyed the coffee table, certain things -- handmade chocolates, a hand-quilted pot holder, and an ivory brooch purchased at a holiday bazaar -- stood out from the crowd of foreigners. Still, China glowed back at me in the lights on the Christmas tree.

In our effort to shop locally, we’ve also let China in, a scenario that played out across the country -- for this Christmas and every other holiday. (As a nation, we’re fiercely patriotic, but look closely and you’ll see who makes the flag magnets on your car bumpers.)

While we might not be able to live without China-made products, perhaps next year’s crusade should encourage us to “shop mindfully.” Why wait for the starting gun to signal the annual shopping derby? Your lessons in mindful shopping -- mindful everything – begins with your next visit to the store: Study labels and look at the undersides of boxes. I promise they will give you pause.

[NOTE: You might enjoy reading my article, Unshopping: 25 ways to get and give what you need without money