It's that time of year where everything is on sale. Clothes, furniture, vacuum cleaners, you name it. So if the shopping bug has bitten, now is the time to get out and flex your consumerist muscle.

My stop yesterday? Bijenkorf. You know, that ritzy department store right on Dam Square. Everything's marked down. And along with throngs of frenzied shoppers, they were even holding some type of reception, right there in the store.

I stayed until the bittersweet closing time, and exited with a huge group of half-drunk merry makers. Because of my great finds, I was almost as happy as they were.