If you had any doubt that Christmas was too commercialized, consider this: Even Santa Claus has a sponsorship.

This year, AT&T customers can send their wish lists to Santa via text message, for free, right up until Christmas Eve. Send a message to 1224 from an AT&T wireless phone and you get an instant reply — even if you're interrupting his exercise class. But try to send a message from a Sprint phone and you get an invalid number response.

It's possible that other cell phone providers also have free Santa text messaging, but my cursory search only turned up some ways to receive text messages in return for charitable options. (March of Dimes is benefiting because I couldn't resist sending my 13-year-old a series of messages on coal vs. a Sony PSP. Then for equity, I had to sign my daughter up, too, even though she doesn't even have a phone of her own.)

I'm not sure I like the tech-savvy Santa. He's been checking his e-mail for years and now he's texting? Next thing you know, he'll be laying off Rudolph and sending gifts via Amazon.

But this year, you can still leave the cookies and milk out. Just remember to check your text messages.

When Treena Shapiro isn't working as a journalist, she's busy with her real job, raising a son and daughter. Read her blog at http://familytree.honadvblogs.com.