Ready, Set…Shop! How to get your Christmas Shopping DONE and truly enjoy December

Okay, friends, if I’m not already driving you crazy with this whole Christmas done early concept, let’s just dive right in to the whole shopping side of things.

And if you need a little song to kick things off and really get you in the spirit (ahem, or drive you completely nuts), I found you this one, which always makes me smile.

Yeah, so you’re welcome or I apologize.  Take whichever one applies and let’s dive into the foray of Christmas shopping!

 

Can you tell I’m just a tiny bit excited?  I’m kind of a gift girl.  I have a soft spot for decorated malls with oversized wreaths and ornaments hanging form the ceiling. I don’t mind the lines this time of year and, yes, you will probably even find me tangled up in a few of them the day after Thanksgiving.  But rather than talk about the how, let’s start with the why.

Christmas is busy. BUSY.  I think we can all agree on that.  Years ago I had visions of my husband and I having these marathon shopping trips together, holding hands as we strolled the mall and listened to Christmas music. Our arms were full of shopping bags overflowing with the perfect gifts for each of our children and family members.  We were smiling wide and he may have even been wearing a Santa hat. I can’t remember exactly, but it’s possible.

And that happened never.  NEVER.  Because life is not a Hallmark movie and my husband thinks he will break out in hives if he is forced to be in a mall more than about 10 minutes this time of year.  Or any other time of year for that matter.

Insert Plan B.  I wake up insanely early on Black Friday and am rewarded with hours of uninterrupted shopping time, a husband who is willing to watch the kids (forget the part that they are, for much of the time, asleep), he avoids an outbreak of hives and all is merry and bright.

Honestly, I don’t mind the crowds.  For me, Black Friday is less about a mad rush for crazy good deals and more about having time to get it done.

Earlier this month, I heard Glennon Doyle Melton (of Momastery fame) discuss how in her home, Christmas shopping is done by December 1st.  It’s simply a known fact.  If her kids have a gift they would like, they need to make their request by the first of the month because all shopping comes to a halt by then.  And it’s not even for taskmaster reasons.  She believes Christmas is about Christ and she wants to celebrate that with time together, quiet evenings, and not shopping.  So she sets apart the month of December for what truly matters to her and makes it a priority to have shopping done early. To top it off she gets to snub the marketing frenzy that is December.

I kind of love that, friends!

December brings a heavy onslaught of ads on television, in your mail, your inbox and anywhere else media might be able to grab your attention and your dollars.  Wouldn’t it be nice to say, “No, thanks.  I’m DONE.”  Wouldn’t it be nice to drive our children away from those distractions as well?

But guess what?  December 1 is one week from tomorrow.  ONE WEEK.  Is that even possible?  I think it is.  C’mon, be brave. 😉

Make a list.  Nail down your gift exchanges.  Figure out exactly what you’ll be needing and get a little organized.  With the madness that is Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes a host of really great prices.  You don’t even have to leave your home. Many retailers have been making some of their early morning deals available online as well, so grab your laptop and some coffee and shop in your pajamas if you want.  There really is no reason to add stress to the season by saving your shopping for the last minute.  Do a little thinking, a little planning and get it done.  Okay?

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Set a standard.  By now you’ve all heard the “something to wear, something to read, something you want, something you need” concept.  It’s basically just a framework for gift-buying that works quite well for families.  A seasoned mom friend of mine had a tradition of buying her girls 3 gifts each. She figured if 3 gifts were good enough for the Newborn King it was good enough for her girls as well.  Others prefer to set a specific dollar limit to help control spending.  Whichever way you decide to do it, decide and do it!

• Make a plan of attack.  For some people, finances might not allow for all purchases to be made by December 1st, but that doesn’t really mean your shopping can’t be done.  Do your research now.  Put your gifts in an Amazon wishlist and hit “purchase” when you are ready, but at least get the shopping part done.  Commit to what you will be buying now and leave the month of December well enough alone.

• Utilize Amazon.  I loved this article over here on 10 things you never knew about Amazon shopping.  I even learned a thing or two and I’m a pretty regular Amazon shopper.  If you’ve never utilized the Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial, now is a perfect time to give it a try and get all your orders with free 2 day shipping.  Personally, I’ve never regretted signing up for Amazon Prime.

These are my top three tips, friends, and I promise, with a little intention it really is possible to pull this off.  So amidst trying to get your house ready for Thanksgiving guests this week or figuring out what you will be bringing to the Thanksgiving dinner, carve out a little time for some intentional Christmas shopping prep.  Get your lists ready, your budget nailed down and challenge yourself to see just how much of your Christmas shopping you can knock out in this one wild weekend.    I don’t know about you, but a December calendar with Christmas shopping already marked off my to do list sounds like a pretty nice gift in and of itself.

 

So what do you think?  Are you up to the challenge?  Do you already have most of your shopping done?  Think you can finish up by next week?  I’m going to give my best try, friends.  I hope you will too!