One of our proudest Christmas traditions is the last minute gift. Possibly
not the noblest of traditions but sure enough common enough to spark a
comment or two from anyone who has had to wait at the checkout of
any commercial enterprise.
Ever since we've been purchasing gifts for family and loved ones, there
are people in our lives who just can't seem to get any actual Yuletide
shopping finished until the last possible minute.
Indeed, I'll bet that the commercial side of Christmas counts on the last
minute gift buying frenzy for a sizeble component of their sales. For my part, I blame my brother...
You see, my brother promoted last minute Xmas shopping to an art form.
To watch my brother weave his way through the masses was pure poetry in motion. It was
magical. And as he's my older brother, I worshipped him
in every way.
If that is how he did it then it must be so. All the same, not all of us
are 6'4"and 225lbs so here a few suggestions to help you make your own last
minute miracle:
Get ready. You're going to be waiting in line in a very short while
so forget the need to rush out the house. Make a list, don't worry how
simplistic or short.
Know exactly whom you are going to be purchasing for. There's very little time remaining and
you might just have to cut your list. If you must make the choice to shorten your list, you can
give them a New's Year present instead. It will still be thought of as kind.
The biggest question, of course, is what to get. Let's commence with where
not to go. Without question, keep away from the "Big Box" superstores. By
now, they'll be picked over and full of stressed out Parents.
By snubbing the superstores, you must now think outside the box.
Think about the likes and dislikes of whomever you're purchasing for. If
that doesn't inspire anything, consider their friends and the activities they have in
common between them. If that doesn't produce an idea or two, think about the
work they do. When push comes to shove, you can always count on old
faithful. That is, you can go with male or female.
Hold on for a just a moment right here. If you've not began a list, start
over! If you do, awesome! You're on your way. Take your list, which must
include names, gifts and possible stores. Your journey can begin knowing
you've done most of the hard work already!
One thing before you hit the stores. Get some cash! You can count
on credit card machines and ATM terminals not working at the most
inopportune times. And besides, there's nothing like real cash-money to
speed-up check-out.
Once you're in the store, don't browse. Don't forget, you're on a mission
and the clock is ticking! Either it's there or not. Your list should be
fresh in your mind so if you see something that is close to
something on your list, don' hesitate!
Of course, a bit of practice goes a long way. By the time you're in
your second or third store, you'll have it all figured out.
The best part of grabbing a last minute present is the experience itself.
There's not much to remember about purchasing a Seasonal gift in October! But
you'll bump into all kinds of characters if you venture forth sometime
after December 21st. Oh, the stories you'll be able to tell!
And what better gift can you give than a smile?
Don't worry my fellow procrastinators! There's no need to rush - You've
still got time... | | Author Info: Halley Bell is a full-time writer for Christmas Cards and a unrepentant eleventh-hour shopper. |
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