It’s finally getting to that time of year. Halloween has passed, the air is getting colder, and the real holiday season is just ahead. I don’t know about you, but I always feel I drop the ball when it comes to holiday shopping. I overthink what’s going to be a good gift or what someone will actually want, and then I don’t even end up shopping until it’s crunch time. This is especially true being away at college when finals season kicks in, and it can be less of a priority to dedicate hours to scrolling through websites or walking through stores.
After learning from this last year, I’ve decided to make a change when it comes to my gift-giving practices. Whether it’s a birthday or just a little something special, I’ve collected tons of gift-giving tips that will not only make your shopping experience a breeze but will help you find gifts that really speak to the people you’re giving them to. Here’s a quick guide to getting ahead this holiday season:
- Your Notes App is Your Best Friend
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I feel like this goes without saying, but using your notes app is game-changing. It’s not just a tool for compiling a gift list last minute, but pretty far in advance (like…way in advance). I started a gift list in January of this year and add to it anytime I see something someone might like or hear them talking about what they want.
My sisters love to watch the toy commercials that come on in between kid’s shows and tell us to add these toys to our list, and now that I have a running gift note, I can just pop it onto their gift section! This is so helpful for saving time and gives you a ton of unique ideas that are special to a specific person!
- you can make shopping an event
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Since you know you’ll be busy later in the semester, the best way to get ahead of gift-buying procrastination is to think in advance and schedule a time to really dedicate yourself to shopping. Whether it’s a weekend or a random Wednesday in October, take some time well before the holiday season begins to go ahead and sort out what you’re getting everyone and wrap it up! This can be in little chunks throughout the week, or like I suggested, setting aside a whole weekend to do all of your shopping, wrapping, and tying with a bow.
Making a conscious decision to put gift shopping first makes this task far less daunting and gives you extra time to find that one really good gift! There are also so many gift guides out there for sisters, moms, brothers, boyfriends, best friends, and anyone in your life. This can be a great way to find inspiration!
I know that my dad really loves RC planes, so finding articles about plane tools or recommendations from other plane flyers makes it so much easier for me to find a meaningful, unique gift! You can even have your own PowerPoint party where you can make a slide for each person with cute pics of what they might like!
The holiday season can be super overwhelming with finals, travel, and festivities, but getting ahead of your gift-giving experience is the key to gifting success. Whether that’s keeping a notes app of all your friend’s biggest wants or searching for the perfect gift, there are so many ways to make your holiday season less stressful and keep it fun! Plus, taking a break from studying to look around for what those closest to you might like to see wrapped in a box or placed under a tree is totally worth it!
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