TA K E TH E S TR ESS O UT OF HOLIDAY SHOPPING

If you are one of those super-organized people who
does all your holiday gift shopping early, you probably
can skip reading this. It won’t apply to you.
For the rest of you who – like me – are currently scrambling
to find last minute presents, I want to share a few
suggestions that I hope will lessen the stress.
It isn’t just figuring out what to get all the people on
your list. It’s the actual shopping. (That includes finding
a parking place, locating the right gift, wrapping it and,
worst case scenario, taking it to the post office. There
will be the “line from Hell.”)
So my first suggestion is to order from catalogs or
online. This is the easiest way I know to avoid lines.
Most popular stores offer online shipping as well as
shopping. Think about the time you’ll have to spend
standing in line otherwise.
You can save even more time by sending gift cards
you can purchase at local stores. These can be used
for electronics, restaurants or any number of other great
gifts. They can be found at grocery stores, pharmacies
and similar locations. You can also obtain them directly
from the business itself.
Some companies offer options like “clubs” that will
ship fruits, candy, wine or some other tasty treat monthly
for an agreed upon time. You pay for it, they do all the
work.
If you don’t have to mail your gifts (remember that
lengthy post office line I mentioned earlier?), you may
want to make your own gifts. Tins filled with fudge or
cookies are always popular.
The easiest one of all to make is “Texas Trash.” The
recipe is on the various Chex cereals, easy to make and,
if microwaved, takes just minutes.
Tins can be bought cheaply at garage sales or resale
shops.
Finally, consider shopping locally. Unlike mega-malls,
your small hometown stores offer convenient parking,
and no long trips on I-45, which will resemble a parking
lot by the time you are reading this.
So try these ideas to put fun back into your holidays
while taking the “Bah, humbug!” out of them.