Christmas in July: A Holiday Survival Guide
It’s never too early to plan for the holidays and the folks over at American Greetings are kind enough to share their “Holiday Tips for the Early-Bird” with us. (We’ll be featuring more of their ideas in November and December.)
1. Use that extra time to actually shop. If you find yourself in the midst of your shopping list before Halloween rolls around, reward yourself by taking more time to peruse the aisles and to find the perfect gift, card, wrap, and accessories for everyone on your list.
2. Enjoy the lack of traffic. By getting out ahead of the crowd, you have won yourself a lack of long lines and crowded malls. Take advantage of your situation to enjoy your shopping experience–and maybe pick up a present for yourself.
3. Spread out your holiday task and hunt for bargains. Starting your holiday preparations early means that you’ll have more time to commit to all of your various seasonal tasks, including sending cards, grocery shopping, baking, and cleaning. It also means that you can bargain shop a bit for presents and the essentials.
Make a list of everything you need to get done and then spread out your holiday chores as you go. Use down time to fill out greeting cards, bake and freeze items for parties and holiday guests, and pick up a few items for the big holiday meal every time you head to the grocery store, taking advantage of early sales and specials.
4. Solicit help. More time means more opportunity to find out exactly what friends and family want for the holidays. Casually note favorite colors and styles, and stay alert for any hints they may drop. You can also seek out suggestions for any hard-to-buy for person on your list.
5. Dress up your gifts. In addition to having more time to get everything done, the early bird also has more time to dress up their gifts to ensure that they express the thought that went into choosing them. Accentuate any gift with a handmade attachment or other one-of-a-kind touch.
American Greetings is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of greeting cards, gift wrap, party goods, stationery, calendars, ornaments, and all sorts of “social expression” products.
For more “Christmas in July” posts, see:
Thirteen Recipes for Quilters to Enjoy from Mary Emma at “Quilting and Patchwork”
(photo © Newscom)
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1 opinion for Christmas in July: A Holiday Survival Guide
Christmas in July - Preparing for a Hassle Free Holiday Season
Jul 12, 2008 at 3:01 am
[...] At All Holiday Cafe, we have a Holiday Survival Guide. [...]
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