Anyone still gift shopping?

[appleton]

Just wondering if I'm the only one with quite a bit of shopping to do! There are a few really tough to buy for on my list & that's a big factor. I have next Friday off to finish up, but there's like 10 different stores I'll need to go to. Can't really shop on my lunch or after work due to store locations (my work isn't close to retail areas).

Any tips? Please help me get it together. If you're in the same boat & want to share your thoughts, I'd love to know I'm not alone. I haven't been able to figure out the year round shopping, but I'm open to suggestion about this as well.

 

[Bren]

I shop online a lot. It saves me from having to go out & hit a bunch of stores. Amazon is my favorite. They have tons of choices, are usually very competitive with pricing and have free shipping over $25 (on most items). Gift cards can be an easy, quick gift. You can go to a CVS or Kroger and have your choice of dozens of cards.....restaurants, retail stores, even Disney. If you really need to go to all 10 stores make a plan on what you want from each place so you can get it done quickly.

Good luck & have fun!

Bren

 

[luludou]

I too still have some gifts to finish... but if I can't find they'll get GC our $$. I'm 90% done though.

 

[Cindylouwho]

I pulled the trigger on my Amazon order this morning after reading all the reviews on everything. I use an Excel list and I have a budget. I don't go out unless I have a real clear idea of what I'm after. It's easier to peruse online than it is in person. I don't overspend or get distracted that way.

I'm now about 80% done so I have time to wrap it all up next week. Amazon Prime is very worth it for me. I pay their $75 or whatever it is for a year of shipping and I get everything I order in 2 days. So everything I ordered this morning will arrive no later than Monday. Whew!

I only have have the things left where I want to go down and see them in person. I'm doing that this afternoon and got DH to pick up the kids to give me time. When school lets out I'll then have time to go do "casual shopping" with the kids and enjoy all the lights. Right now it's all business! LOL!

 

[teachermomof2]

I still have some shopping to do...Monday will be the big day with dh and I heading out. I'll also pick up some stocking stuffers for dh this weekend while I'm out alone. I still have some major stuff to get...my parents, my brother, dh, fil, uncle and goddaughter.

I struggle with giving "enough".

 

[sierra_mtns]

I need a gc for DMIL. She's moving in April to Idaho with DSIL and I refuse to add to the stuff she has to pack and move. I'm contemplating either a JCP gc or a Home Depot gc. I figure she can buy new bed linens with the JCP card or get paint for her quarters from Home Depot. And since I can't decide, it's not done yet.

I have to get supplies for YDS. He's making HM turtles for the families this year. We have the pecans, I just need to get bags of Rolos.

I need applesauce and sugar for three more batches of apple butter.

I still need 2 purple portfolios to put the Easy Bake Oven cookbooks in for DGD and DGNiece.

That and I have to ship Saturday, and then I'm done, done, done! Well, I'll be sewing Christmas ornaments until Christmas eve...but then I'm done.

 

[missjane]

I'm way behind. All my Saturdays have been eaten up with other things...life things that were unavoidable. I have been looking at Amazon when I had time the last two days. I still have my mom, DDIL, and to finish "filling in" for everyone else. I have to pick up DGSs' gift from Best Buy. I haven't even started stocking stuffers, except for DGS5. Saturday the 17th is my shopping day. Then we dismiss school at noon on the 20th. I'll go then or on the 21st and finish if I have to.

I will have to stay very focused when I am shopping - no stopping to look at all the "pretties" that take my money and time (mainly my time)! lol I have specific things I am looking for, know what I need; just haven't had time to go.

I, too, have a proximity problem. All the major stores are 50 miles away. Plus I teach which means no lunch break on which to shop. I am usually finished by the weekend after Thanksgiving, so I am a little bit in a panic right now.

 

[MrsSoup]

I still have to do the kids stocking stuffers and DH's gifts. I've only gotten him one thing so far but have others in mind.

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I am behind also and I have some gifts to make also. There is one more week of teaching so I can make them after that when I have more day time. It doesn't help working days and nights. I am still looking for ideas for a few and need to get pencil to paper on what I have and need.

Every year I try to buy during the year but don't have much luck. Sometimes I just can't seem to find what works for them.

 

[jinglemom]

I am about 90% done with extended family gifts but, only 20% done with my kids gifts. I was feeling really stressed about this since alot of times my two youngest don't even know what they want when it comes to making a Christmas list. There is rarely anything locally that they are interested in. They were able to give me a list Monday. I think I narrowed down most of what I want to give them as long as I can find the items. 80% of what they want is online, especially ds#2 and my husband's big gift. I planned on trying to finish up as much as I could today, but this morning we got a call saying there was fradulent activity on our credit card, so now our card had to be cancelled. ...ugh! Now I have to wait until Monday for our new card so I can make my online orders. I already had a little trouble trying to find certain items so am a little worried about waiting and then they are no longer in stock.

I too, fall back on the gift cards for relatives who are really hard to buy for and don't know what I would do without online shopping. As for tips for year around shopping, I don't usually buy things year around, but try to look for ideas all through out the year. I usually have an idea for what to get alot of my extended family or friends, but almost always end up finding something else I think they'd like as it gets closer to Christmas. Then I just save the idea I had for the next Christmas.

 

[Lana]

I have to buy for my son Ryan and SIL Ryan yet.

 

[Colleen in PA]

Keeping mind that Friday, December 16th is FREE SHIPPING day for over 1500 online retailers. See which Knesset are signed up using the link below.

Www.freeshippingday.com

I do the bulk of my shopping through Amazon - love it! I did buy a bunch of toys at Target though during their sale. I am pretty much done, just need a few little things to complete my Christmas boxes for tomorrow.

 

[Winged One]

I have to buy a shirt for DH (counldn't get credit card to work during the week - it should but I hadn't tried that site before), and a few more Christmas beers (I am buying one each of a selection of different Christmas and winter beers).

I have to get something for my 2 grans, DH's aunt, and DD's teacher.

I also have to finish making a few things - like one more candle for the afterschool minders, and lots of baking and sweet-making!

 

[appleton]

Looks like I'm 50% done after updating my lists. This includes an online order I placed on Wednesday. Still to shop for mom & dad, including stocking stuffers; oldest nephew, niece, friend, maybe another gift for DH & a few stocking stuffers. Struggling w/filling stockings for parents without blowing my budget. DH has sisIL & niece to finish up.

I think we should be able to go to 5 or 6 stores instead of 10. And if a few receive gift cards or cash as part of their gift that will be ok. I've realized if I'd simply buy when I find a good gift instead of waiting to find the "perfect" gift that rarely exists, I'd avoid so much last minute shopping.

Hope everyone is able to finish up with as little stress as possible so we can truly enjoy Christmas!

 

[JayOkie]

I'm done except for a couple of odds-n-ends for Mama. (that's assuming I get the baby quilt done; otherwise, I'll have to come up with something for Miss Diva). Mama has told us not get her anything..."I don't want anything; I don't need anything". Soooo. I didn't do the 25 days of Christmas like I've done 2-3 years (was going to have to be 15 instead of 25 because of finances). BUT! I'm putting together a stocking for her. S/P shaker set for her collection, a sm. ornament for the tree, will get pens she likes, things like that. Mostly functional.

So guess I'm at least 90% done. Do all the wrapping at the same time so I only have to mess to clean up once. Will probably put that on next Sat's list of Things To Get Done.

 

[Ahorsesoul]

I still need to evaluate the Gift closet. With DD issues I haven't had time to wrap anything. So I might not be buying this year.

 

[Winged One]

I can't get the shirt DH wants - so I have to see if my bro can source it from the store offline (he lives in the UK), or else get it in the new year. But I got the beers.

So down to 2 grans, an aunt, a new baby and a teacher to buy for. And some kitchen action too for a few others.

 

[appleton]

Managed to pick up a gift for dad & a few stocking stuffers for mom & dad over the weekend. Still have a list of stores for Friday, but I'm getting closer to finishing up.

 

[Kim Loves Snow]

I'm about 99% finished. I still need to pick up a few items for DH who has a Christmas eve birthday on top of Christmas day - always a challenge!

I have 11 gifts left to wrap. Two are really big (floor safes for the boys - DH collects coins and has two floor safes and they both asked for one) and heavy so DH will have to help me. Four I need to find the right sized box for, one I can't find, two that can't be wrapped until the day the gift is given and I don't recall what the other two items are.

Every single year in the past I've been wrapping at 3:00am Christmas morning. I am not sure what happened this year, but I need to figure it out so I can repeat it next year. One of the things that I did do was NOT buy many stocking stuffers until December. When I buy them year round I tend to go way over board and since we wrap stocking stuffers it was really over whelming for me.

I too keep a spread sheet for gifts. It tracks gifts purchased and price for each person, to include stocking stuffers. When it's wrapped I bold the item and make it italic to show that it's been wrapped. When the gifts are finished for that person the whole column gets shaded so at a glance I know what to look for. I also list extra gifts that I have come across at the bottom of the spread sheet and use these for fillers for teachers, hair stylists, etc.

Putting out and keeping out all the wrapping supplies in the guest room (with a lockable gift closet door) was an amazing help. I could run in there and wrap when I had a few extra minutes although there was plenty of times that I spent hours in there wrapping too.

I also shopped on line and ordered early so it was all in around December 1. It was just easier to get some of the things early and not not try to hold off to save a few dollars here and there.

 

[aggy]

I'm still shopping.

I went to a craft fair over the weekend and bought some cute feather earrings for a couple of the female cousins and a pair of silver earrings for one of my best friends.

I also got my order back from Avon: an earring/necklace set for a friend.

I also ordered a book that my best friend of 32 years wrote and published called "Sweet Sixteen". I am so proud of her. This is her very first book to be published. I can't wait to read it. I also bought a copy for a friend.

I bought items for bedtime baskets I'm making for my three great nieces: bubble bath, baby lotion, pj's, bedroom slippers, Disney dvds, puppet wash mitts, hair barretts, activity books, and few stocking stuffers.