.....and I'm done!

Just popping in on this blah Saturday with an exciting announcement-

I have FINISHED my Christmas shopping!!! Woohoo!

I am completely done buying presents for everybody on my list and everything is wrapped and I am ready to enjoy the season.

Today I have a few tips for everyone with a couple pictures of Roxy thrown in to fight off being bored with no pictures =)


1.  Shop BEFORE the season starts. I pride myself on shopping all year long- I actually start at the after Christmas sales looking through Christmas decor and ornaments to put with gifts for the next year. If you can start shopping even a little before Thanksgiving, it will save you money in the long run. You will have a greater chance of finding things you need to buy for less money. My mom had a great idea the other day- buying a gift card every month throughout the year that way you already have gifts stockpiled at Christmas time.

"but.. I'm too lazy to shop all year long...."

2. It is OKAY to gift card! Everyone always thinks that gift cards are boring but honestly many people would prefer to have a gift card instead of junk they won't ever use! =)

"Yeah, no one needs more junk"

3. It's OKAY to regift- just be careful! There are all plenty of times when we receive gifts that we didn't want and DEFINITELY didn't ask for. I find that it's okay to regift as long as you are careful about it. For example you don't want to regift something to the person who gave it to you. You also might want to avoid giving that gift in that particular social circle. For example: if someone in your family gifts you an item you may want to gift it to a co-worker. They'll never know where it came from and will be brand new to them!

"I regift my cookies- but only the ones I don't like"

4. Wrap as you bring things home. A lot of times people will pile up the gifts as they bring them home and do a marathon wrapping session a few days before Christmas. But do you really want to spend a whole day/night locked in your bedroom while the season passes you by? I think not. So wrap as you bring things home- it will take a few extra minutes after each shopping trip but just think it will save you time in the long run!

"Why wrap when you can play with me?"

 5.  Check out Pinterest! There are hundreds of ideas on there for gifts that you can make or buy. There are also a lot of cute ideas for gift baskets and treats as well. Check out my pinterest page where I have a board called "Gifts For Others". There are ideas on there I can't wait to try!

"Make me presents, while I lay here and snore."

6. Set a budget and stick to it! You can chose to set a budget for each individual person or set a budget for your overall shopping. For example my brother and I always purchase a $25 gift card for each other that way we know we are spending the same amount on each other and neither of us will break the bank buying stuff we don't particularly need. I also set an amount that I will spend for friends and co-workers, but you could chose to set a total amount for everyone and stick to that.

"No budget for my gifts, right? Piles of toys and cookies!"

7.  Keep track of the presents you buy. I have 3 lists that I keep during Christmas shopping. The first is a list of ideas, the second is a list of what I've bought and for who, and the third is what is wrapped for each person. This gives me an idea of what I have for each person so I remember what they will be opening and thanking me for. It also helps me make sure that I've wrapped everything I've bought. I also keep a record of what I buy and hold onto it for years in a notebook so I know how much I spent on each person the year before and also I can make sure I'm not buying them the same thing!

"You are scaring me- I'm going to go hide now..."

I know I am neurotic, but all these tips do help me stay organized this time of year. It does get crazy trying to remember what you've bought especially if you start shopping early so hopefully those tips will help you guys out!

Happy Shopping!