Christmas shopping: continued

I just love this whole shopping early for Christmas thing. Each day as the mailman comes, there's the hope that a Christmas gift will have arrived. But no fear it won't get here in time. :)

After making out a list of who we're getting gifts for, brainstorming for ideas and getting a workable budget in place, the fun part begins:

• working on handmade gifts
• scouring the internet for good prices
  
• watching the local ads for sales

Which is just one of the many reasons why earlier is better! No more last minute rush shipping fees. Instead there's time to get good deals and hopefully end up with better, more thoughtful gifts in the end.

It may seem like it's just dragging out the consumerism, but I don't think so. This year I hope to have all the shopping done by the first of December. Finishing the shopping early will make the weeks leading up to Christmas peaceful and relaxed, especially since I'm not a "good shopper". Instead of last minute dashes into town, I can focus on family, friends and the true Reason for celebration.

Just around the corner...

As the saying goes "the older you get, the shorter between Christmases". It's hard to believe that the holiday season is already fast approaching.

Hearing about women who get all their shopping done by Thanksgiving and have the whole month of December free to spend time with family, make holiday foods and remember the true Reason for all the festivities always sounds simply delightful.

But, I dread shopping and procrastinate. Last year I made that "last dash" Christmas Eve. And I only have one child. Yikes! That has simply got to change. Shopping certainly doesn't get more agreeable the closer Christmas approaches. So my goal this year is to have all my shopping done by December 1st.

It may just begin to be feeling like fall, but it's time to get busy! Here's what I've worked on this week. Want to join me...or are all your gifts already wrapped? ;)

1. Determine a workable budget.

2. Make a thorough list of each person for whom we're getting gifts. Nothing's worse than planning to get a gift for a friend and totally spacing it in the last minute rush.

3. Once the list is complete, begin brainstorming for each person.

4. Figure out which gifts will be handmade and get working on them!


Check out more WFMWs here. :)
photo by zurizim