Do you have leaves changing color in your area?  If so, you have found a bargain decoration.  Collect a bagful of leaves of various colors.  Make sure that the leaves are dry and have no insects on them.  (There’s no need to add any new “pets” while decorating.)  Choose a decorative bowl or two that you already own and fill each with leaves.  Larger bowls can be used as centerpieces.  Smaller bowls can be used on endtables or can be clustered as a centerpiece.

Does your family eat winter squash?  Hopefully, the answer is yes because this produce can start as a decoration and end as part of a meal.  Whether your family prefers butternut, acorn, or spaghetti squash, this vegetable can be used as a centerpiece for your dining room table or breakfast counter.  Set the squash atop a colorful placemat or cloth napkin, and you have a multi-purpose item.

Do you own trick or treat buckets?  Don’t just save them for Halloween night.  They can be used as decorative pieces on end tables, counters, and more.  Add a battery-powered votive to add a little glow after dark.

Make your home festive by using resources that already are available to you.  If you have other simple suggestions, please share them with us.

It is true. An item that is $10 before a holiday can be $2.50 the day after. This realization made me eager to find other ways to take advantage of these tremendous savings. Here are a few ways I save money throughout the year.

1. Candy Extravaganza

After Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Halloween I stock up on candy. For example, I found Lindt Lindor Truffles in large heart shaped boxes after Valentine’s Day for only $1.50 per package. Because they are individually wrapped, and because they don’t expire until the end of 2011, I bought and froze several boxes. I plan to re-package the candy in cute candy dishes for gifts. You may not realize it, but chocolate candies freeze well for several months. Because of this, I buy and freeze Halloween candy for use in Christmas stockings as well.

2. Crazy for Candles

Each holiday offers a plethora of candles. This is especially true for Christmas and Mother’s Day. After these holidays, I purchase several to use as birthday gifts. Contrary to what you may think, retailers offer candles other than holly berry or pine at Christmas. After New Year’s I was able to purchase vanilla scent Yankee candles for $2.50.

3. Luxurious Lotions

Another popular item at Christmas and Mother’s Day is lotion. I hit my local Walgreen’s for deals on these after the holidays. Think gift sets. Sure the set might be packaged in holiday specific wrappings, but when taken apart, the components can be re-purposed for birthday gifts. These lotions are great to have on hand for hostess gifts and for teacher gifts. Similar to chocolate, lotions have a lengthy shelf life. No worries about them “spoiling.”

4. Plush Pets

Many holidays revolve around plush pets. These bunnies, chicks, lambs are so cute that sometimes I buy them for birthday presents or to use as “toppers” on baby shower gifts. If you find a cute animal on clearance, see if you can remove any holiday specific items – such as a red, white, and blue ribbon for the 4th of July – and add a neutral ribbon.

5. Wonderful Wrappings

Each holiday offers wrapping paper and bows. When these items end up in the clearance bin, buy them for wrapping birthday presents. For example, I have a friend who relishes her Irish heritage. I often snap up St. Patrick’s Day decorative paper to use for her special day.

1. Check out companies that offer free shipping. This is more common than you’d think, especially around Christmas. There may be a minimum purchase you have to make, but not necessarily. L.L. Bean, for example, charges no shipping for a short time before Christmas. (Google “free shipping” to find lots more offers.) Just enter the other person’s street address on the order form instead of your own. Most companies, when shipping a gift this way, will put in a gift receipt that shows no price but can be used to make a return. They may even gift-wrap the item for you, for a little more money.

2. Go digital. Buy and send your friends eBooks, or anything else that can be delivered by email or a download link. If you’re not sure what they’d like, send a digital gift certificate – lots of online businesses sell these. This is not only postage-free, it’s close to instant.

3. Redeem some points. Rewards programs that ship or courier items to your home, like Airmiles, do charge you shipping for heavier ones. But it’s not a problem with things like gift cards, which can travel in an envelope. If you have them ship gift cards directly to your friends, you won’t even have to spend the price of a stamp.

Bonus: All this can be done online. So something else you won’t have to spend is time in a crowded mall.

1- Make A List For Every Holiday

Some people celebrate big and others celebrate small. No matter what your plans are, its a smart idea to make a list of everything you need to do and buy for each holiday. Once you have the list, shopping should become easier.

2- Shop Discount Chains For Party Supplies

Dollar stores and closet stores (such as Big Lots) are the best places to shop for holiday goods, candy, and party supplies for a much bigger discount.  Dollar chains also sell greeting cards and wrapping paper for as much as 50% off year round!

3- Get Creative

With a little creativity, you can make your own holiday treats, gifts, and decor for much less that store-bought goods! Check out websites like Real Simple, Martha Stewart, and Family Fun for tons of ideas to get your started.

4- Don’t Overwhelm Yourself

You don’t need to celebrate every holiday with a party or family get-together. Its too expensive and time consuming!  Decide on one holiday (like Thankgiving, Hanukkah, or Christmas) that means the most to you and plan a special party for that. Then you can spend the rest of the holidays (like Halloween or New Year’s) doing whatever else you want to!

The other thing that makes your life pretty simple while shopping in Mont Tremblant is the fact that every store pretty much sells the same things; extremely nice jackets and pants, gloves, mittens, hats, and depending on whether it is a ski or board shop, you also will find that sport’s respective equipment. Of course, the different shops have different patterns, colors, and brands, so one hint would be to look through every store before you decide to buy a certain article of clothing just in case you find a, for example, jacket that you like just a little bit more than the one you thought you were going to buy. The good thing about these stores is that although they are competing with each other, everything is priced the same. Soloman mittens are $89.99, a white plaid Burton sweatshirt is $119.00, and a knitted hat is $30.

Some of the boutiques that are located in the Tremblant area are Boutique Burton, Boutique Salomon, Boutique Adrénaline, and Le Ski Shop. These are all really well presented stores that have boots, jackets, pants, helmets, and more that just cry out for your attention. I cannot even begin to tell you how many jackets and sweatshirts I eyed in our walks through the boutiques. But some of the prices were not even realistic enough to pass for an early birthday gift or something. For instance, I found this North Face jacket that was so incredibly nice, but it was $500. Five hundred! However, even though the prices are ridiculous, the store owners are always extremely friendly and are more than willing to help you out even when they know you won’t be able to actually buy what they are offering to you.

Shopping, or more like window shopping it should say, along the streets of Mont Tremblant is a very pleasant experience—I only wish I could afford a souvenir! I suppose the pictures will have to suffice.

The goodness of the taste of wine is not really proportional to its price. Seasoned wine buyers know this. I am not a seasoned wine buyer because I only buy wine when there are celebrations, but when I am in the wine section of the local grocery store or wine shop, I spend quite some time inspecting wine bottles, reading the labels and neverminding the price tag first.  You can find wines under $15 that would be great for a bowl of punch or on their own if you take your time in choosing.

It is also good to plan what kind of wine to buy and how much to have before shopping for it. Of course, the kind of wine to buy is dictated by what you have in mind– would it be served with dinner or for a party of more than 10 people? If you plan to serve beef and pasta and the like, you should narrow your search to red wine; if you’ll have fish or chicken search for white wine. In this way your confusion will be lessened when you are already in the store facing many different kinds of wines. It is also good to know that wine and food from the same region go well together.

If you regularly buy wine, you have probably noticed that more and more good wines are now sealed with screw caps and no longer with cork. This is to prevent “corkiness,” that kind of after-taste in some wines that use cork as cap. It is wise to choose wines with screw caps especially if you plan to have many bottles for a large party; screw capped wine bottles are easier to open.

The region that produced the wine also can be your guide in choosing. Wines coming from Spain, France, Italy, Australia, Argentina, Northern California, and Chile are a few of the best regions.

But sometimes, it’s not about finding the perfect gift but knowing the most inappropriate gift you can give to someone. Here are some ideas to avoid completely. Just a note, some of the ideas here may involve knowing more about a person than on a superficial level.

1. Gift Cards

Gift cards only work if the recipient asked for it specifically. And only then, it works if you know the recipient goes to that shop or restaurant or café a lot. You’d be better off just giving them the cash.

2. Holiday Clothes

Under no circumstances should you give anyone clothes (that includes shirts, pants, socks, hats) that bear any icon, drawing, logo depicting the holidays. The only people who’ll really be able to appreciate this, in my opinion, are your grandparents.

3. Jewelry/Music Boxes

This gift would have been fine if it were in a unique and special design. But if it comes in that stained glass design with the spinning ballerina inside, please do us all a favor and refrain from buying it. There are a lot of more beautiful and unique designs to hold a person’s jewelry. Try to do more research on that.

4. Stuff You Found Cute

Let’s face it. Just because you found it cute, doesn’t automatically mean that other people will also find it cute. Oh, and buying stuff you want for yourself and giving it to others doesn’t count either. You’ll just end up spending more than is necessary.

5. Recycled Gifts

Please DO NOT, under any circumstances, recycle your gifts. If you really hate it that much, consider donating it. Why not just give it off as gifts, you say? Because, believe me, the news always will go back to the original giver who will find out that you tried to give the gift as your gift to someone else. It may not be the next year, it may not be the next year after that, but it will go back.

Of course, some people do appreciate these gifts. And they would be very grateful to you for giving them these gifts but that doesn’t happen often. It’s always best to get to know the recipient a little more and exert a little more effort into finding the perfect gift for them. As they say, it’s the thought that counts, and the fact that you care enough to take the extra step and find something meaningful for them means a lot.

So, what are the worst gifts you’ve ever received? Let’s talk about it!

1- Take A Second Look
Perhaps you already have holiday dishes or décor that you forgot about. Discover your hidden treasures in the basement and find a way to make them new again.  Maybe you were given a set of old Christmas plates, as a family heirloom, that you would rather not use for dinner. Why not showcase them in your china hutch instead? Get creative with your options! Don’t forget to look at secondhand stores for more options.

2- Browse Close-out Retail
Places like Big Lots are a great way to discover décor options without breaking the bank. The close-out stores buy merchandise from local merchants who are either going out of business or selling extra merchandise that they can’t sell. Make sure to go shopping at least once a week, as they are always selling new items for less!

3- Shop For Handmade
Online retail websites are a great place to find a variety of  low-cost handmade gifts and décor. Here you will find a wide array of gifts, decorations, and so much more. Check out Etsy.com.

4- Learn A New Art or Craft
Now is the perfect time to take that pottery class or ornament making workshop. You will not only learn something that’s fun and make new friends, you also will save some money by making your own décor.

5- Wait For Clearance Sales
The best way to find great deals on holiday décor? Wait until after Christmas and take advantage of their winter/holiday clearance sales. You can save the new stuff for next year!

If you are not one of those who makes shopping lists, you’ll be surprised to know that when you make a list you end up being able to save a lot of money and still come out quite satisfied with your shopping. When you shop without a list you’ll be prone to impulse buying; a list will set clear boundaries and get your holiday shopping organized.

Of course, the holiday season is the time for gift giving, but it doesn’t mean to say that you need to spend so much on gifts. Know exactly who are the persons you will be giving gifts. If you go shopping for gifts without a clear idea on who the recipients of the gifts will be, you’ll end up buying more than what is necessary. And avoid buying gifts on credit because it is one sure way of spending more.

It is wiser to shop at discounters instead of department stores.  Thrift stores and resale stores are also good places to shop. But if you love going to the local mall for shopping, be sure to subscribe to their e-mail newsletter because it will alert you on upcoming sales and coupons. Coupons and sales are  a big help in cutting down on holiday shopping expenses.

Take time to look around for deals, there are a lot of them now because the economy is not that good and retailers are marking down their merchandise. Actually it is quite easy to find good deals. Have you tried buying online before? Try it now, and you’ll be happy to know that there are lots of different kinds of discounts you can find online, especially if you buy at big online stores like Amazon. You also can find many online promo codes that can significantly cut prices of the items you buy online.

1- Decide where you will go first. Almost all stores open early (like at 6:00 am) and sometimes earlier (4:00 am). Some stores offer the best deals in the morning, and some offer deals all weekend. The strategy? Prioritize which stores are most important since these are the stores you will want to check out first. The earlier the better, because they often sell out quickly on the most popular items like toys and electronics. Consult the ads the day before.

2- Prepare for a long day ahead. There will be long lines, pushy people, and tired sales people. Make sure you come armed with a list and strategy to find what you’re looking for. If you cannot find what you’re looking for at the store, check it out online later.

3- If you’re looking for a certain gift, but don’t really know much about it, do your research on the item firsthand before heading to the stores on Black Friday. Oftentimes, the lines are too long and sales people are driven with certain sales quotas, so it’s not the best time to ask.

4- Let’s be honest, some of the Black Friday sales aren’t the best. Sometimes the deals get better near or after Christmas. If the deal is 25% or less off the sale item, wait for later because no doubt you will find a better bargain elsewhere.

5- Before purchasing anything, remember to check the return policy on the items- make sure that they can return the item, if necessary, after the holidays.

In any case, the stores already have realized what costumes are hot this year, so if you have not bought a costume yet and want to be unique, try not to draw ideas from the following trends .

First on the list is Micheal Jackson. With the death of this star happening this year, there is bound to be some hardcore wannabe moonwalkers this October 31st. Another popular costume that is based on a celebrity is a Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana costume (whichever you prefer). Along the same lines of famous people, we definitely are going to see who the Twilight fans are this year. Dressing up like Edward Cullen and Bella Swan is not going to be popular just based on the fact that the movies and the books have been so popular but also because their costumes are so simple to make! You probably would not even have to go out and buy something. Sticking with the movie theme, Harry Potter characters are bound to run amuck this year. However, even though the latest Harry Potter came out fairly recently, those costumes have typically been extremely popular in the past as well.

I personally think that the costume that we will be seeing the most of are Zombie costumes. With this new ridiculous spike in interest in all of these vampires, zombies, and other creepy “people”, I have a feeling that we will be seeing a lot of interesting faces. I have already seen Boston being invaded by Zombies on random days of the year, so  I am a little scared to see what it will look like on Halloween.

• Costumes need not be expensive. Every year people are spending more and more on Halloween costumes because they think that the more expensive the costume, the more it is guaranteed to bring the best results. It is true that the more expensive costumes are of better quality than the cheaper ones, but there are also cheap costumes that are of good quality and can give almost the same effect as expensive costumes. You only need to know where to find them and how to enhance their look. When buying costumes you have two options, you can buy online or the traditional way–physically going from one store to another. But it is obvious that the best bet here is doing the shopping online. When you shop for Halloween costumes online you have a wider reach, you have thousands of stores under your mouse, and it is easier to search for the costume you are looking for. So, if you want to hunt for cheaper but high quality Halloween costumes, better do it online.
• Coupons. Yes, coupons are great for shopping and they are great also for Halloween shopping. Know where to get coupons for the top 2009 Halloween costumes; it is easy, just use your favorite search engine for finding information about how and where to get coupons for costumes. I did a little search, and I easily found some coupons for Star Trek characters, Harry Potter, Wolverine, Hannah Montana and Michael Jackson costumes. You also can check your local newspaper and mailers for local coupons.
• Timing. The best way to shop for any holiday is doing it early or late. You’ll get a lower price for items that are not in season. If you buy Halloween costumes two or three months early, you’ll surely get lower prices for them. If you buy late, the same thing could happen but you’ll have a better chance at saving if you do it early.

I hope these tips will help you avoid overspending during your Halloween shopping.

1. Magnificent Mile

Located on Michigan Avenue, the Magnificent Mile is the place to go to to find the best in designer and signature labels. You’ll find Hugo Boss, Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo, among others. You’ll also find Cartier, Harry Winston, Levi’s, Louis Vuitton, as well as Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue here. If you’re shopping here, be sure to adjust your credit card limit to its maximum spending limit.

625 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611; Tel. (312)642-3570

2. Downtown Loop

If you’re looking to shop at a more historic part of Chicago, drop by the Loop in downtown Chicago. This is the home of the historic Marshall Field’s store (which is now Macy’s). The Marshall Field’s store is known for its celebrity sightings and appearances, magnificent annual holiday window display and the twin clocks, which the locals always turns to for the time. Other stores include Old Navy, Gap, Brooks Brothers, Nine West and The Children’s Place.

3. River North

River North is probably the best Chicago neighborhood to visit when antique and furniture stores are needed. Cosulich Interiors and Antiques as well as Christa’s Antiques are the best antique stores to start with. The Ambiente Collection and Hastens Bed Shop are probably the best ones to shop around for furniture.

4. Wicker Park and Bucktown

If you’re looking to support local economy, be sure to drop by Wicker Park and Bucktown where local designers have set up shop. Check out Una Mae’s, Robin Richman and p. 45, as well as more famous stores including Marc by Marc Jacobs, Intermix and Cynthia Rowley.

Are your credit cards ready?

Some people have had their costume picked out since November 1st of last year, but if you are anything like me, some of us do not know what we are wearing until 30 minutes before we head out to whatever our activities may be. This year I have taken one step forward, and I successfully have thought about potential costumes, but it is a  question on whether or not I will act upon these thoughts.

My friends always have told me that you have to start early to figure out what you are going to be–otherwise all of the good stuff is going to be gone. Where can you find this good stuff?

If you live in the Boston area, I would highly recommend going to the Garment District. It is the place to go as an alternate department store. You could go there and find any costume you want–though those costumes have prices that run as you would find at a typical costume store. If you want to get into your costume and spend $100, then by all means, the Garment District’s Boston Costume shop will have something for you!

One of my favorite things about the Garment District is the pay by the pound. Some people relate it to searching for buried treasure. What happens is that the store opens an 850lb bale of clothingn every morning when the store opens (except Fridays). They will put out paired shoes, bric-a-brac, purses, bags & belts at other various times during the day. The best thing about it is that you pay by the pound! It’s $1.50-a-pound every day of the week except Fridays when it is $1.00-a-pound.

You are bound to find a costume when you head to the Garment District.

1. True Sake

True Sake is the first ever true sake store in San Francisco and the US. It’s the only place to go to in the US to find the best in sake. Not only does their stock come entirely from Japan, but the owners and employees work hard to maintain its freshness. They even have sake tasting classes and an actual Sake Day (mark your calendars – October 1, 2009!). For the “definitive source” in sake, be sure to drop by True Sake.

560 Hayes St. San Francisco, CA 94102; Tel. (415)355-9555

2. Omnivore Books On Food

Omnivore Books On Food specializes in new and collectible books on everything about food. Every food newbie, enthusiast, expert and connoisseur comes here to stock up on food knowledge. Since opening last fall, Omnivore Books On Food has sponsored several appearances from food authors and experts.

3885A Cesar Chavez St. San Francisco, CA 94131; Tel. (415)282-7385

3. Paulette Macarons

Paulette Macarons opened its second store in San Francisco. Enjoy different types of macarons, from the classics (caramel, carribean chocolate, Madagascar vanilla, lemon, Colombian coffee and coconut, among others) to the seasonal ones (rose and passion fruit). Order online or at the store.

437 Hayes St. San Francisco, CA 94102; Tel. (415)864-2400

4. Far West Fungi

Far West Fungi is the must-go to store for all the mushroom lovers. This family owned business offers several mushroom varieties for your cooking and eating needs. When you visit Far West Fungi, you’ll be amazed at how many types of mushroom actually exists.

1 Ferry Bldg. Shop #34, San Francisco, CA 94111; Tel. (415)989-9090

5. Self Edge

If you’re serious about denim clothes, then give Self Edge a visit. They source out the world’s best and finest denim for their clothes.

714 Valencia St. San Francisco, CA 94110; Tel. (415)558-0658

Be sure to drop by these stores when you’re in San Francisco and find out what they have in store for you.

1. Gift cards are generally tacky. It doesn’t take a lot of effort in purchasing a gift card, even if it is a card/certificate for someone’s favorite store or service. The best gifts are usually bought with great thought and creativity. Unless the person actually requests a gift card (or are notorious for gift returns), a gift card is bad taste.

2. You don’t need to spend a lot of money for the gift, but you don’t want to buy something dirt cheap either because the gift giver will know. And whenever you buy any gift, make sure to remove the tag or price sticker, so they don’t know how much you spent.

3. If you don’t know what to give the person, ask a close friend or relative that you both know well.

4. Regifting is never wise, and they will find out. It makes you  look cheap, and its just as embarrassing for you as it is insulting to them.

5. A perfectly acceptable gift for a giver? A donation in her name to a charity that’s important to her.

6. Who says a gift has to be something tangible? Give them an experience that they will remember. Check out Cloud 9 or Excitations for more ideas.

7. Get creative with your gift giving expertise. Go to a stationary store to find beautiful wrapping papers or a craft store to make your own. You also can give several small gifts, place them in a basket, and wrap it in cellophane paper.

I was reminded of this when I walked into Walgreens this afternoon and saw the countless amounts of cards and little knick-knacks. Do not get me wrong, some of those little gifts are cute and all, but they tend to be the type of gift that gets displayed for a little bit of time and then slowly disappear into a corner or a box. The gifts were bought with money, not love. I personally would prefer a homemade card over a box of chocolates, more lotion and perfume, or a fake flower.

In these days, you may even prefer making something over buying something. For instance, would you rather make a card from the materials that you already have at home, or spend $2 on a card and the time to go buy the card? While $2 could save your behind on Mother’s Day, your homemade card may work even better!

So, what can you do besides buy things for your mom? One idea would be to treat your mom to your own “homemade” spa. Give your mom a pedicure, well, at least to the best of your ability, or paint her nails. Maybe even, give her a back massage. Besides a spa, another idea would be to give her breakfast in bed. Going for a walk with her or cleaning the house for her are things that I have done in the past. Your mom probably does not care about the gifts as much as she cares about spending the day with you. So, treat your mom as if this day was all about her, because it is!

Stay off your cell phone for the day and devote your attention to your mom. She has probably taken care of you for a while, so the least you could do is to give her one day.

Try staying away from the little gifts and give your mom something that means something, love!

For Girls:
1.    Romantic – For the romantic girl, give her a personalized book of your love story, from the time you met to present time. She definitely will appreciate the time you put into arranging and designing everything to please her. You also can include a sincere message.
2.    Food Lover – Don’t just bring her to her favorite restaurant. The best gift for a food lover is to prepare her favorite meal yourself in your home or hers and surprise her with it. Even if it doesn’t go according to plan, she will appreciate the gesture.
3.    Never Go Wrong – If you can’t decide what to give her, then go with the one that can never go wrong: chocolates. But don’t even think of just grabbing some at the grocery or nearest convenience store. Ask around for the best chocolates in town or online. Get her the best chocolate there is and not the everyday kind you can buy anywhere. Always remember to be unique because your partner’s not just like everyone else.

For Guys:
1.    Sports Lover – If you can afford it, get a private instruction session for your partner. Whatever sport he loves and plays, he will be able to use this. If you can’t afford that, you can buy a gym or sports club membership for him.
2.    Outdoors Enthusiast – Give him new tools to use during his outdoor activities. Or if his tools don’t need replacing just yet, give him upgraded versions of the tools he currently has.
3.    Voracious Eater – Cook for him. And be sure to include his favorite dishes. If you can’t make all of them, try to pick the best one for each course. Or better yet, give in to his requests to eat the meal you hate the most to prepare.

These are only a few ideas, but if you shop around some more, you’ll find a dozen more options that you can give to your partner. Shopping around early gives you a big chance of making Valentine’s Day really special for your partner.

Is there something we should look forward to now that the holidays are over? Yes, there is…it’s post-holiday shopping! I’m more excited for post-holiday shopping than I am during the holidays. Why? Because holiday items are much more affordable now. This is the time we can hoard those holiday items we’ve been wanting. During Christmas season, I was eying this adorable dancing Santa in one of the stores here, but I wasn’t able to buy it because of budget constraints. Now, after the holidays, I saw it again with half of its price slashed! It’s so tempting to buy, but the con is I will just store it until the holidays next year. Nevertheless, I think it’s still a good buy, as long as I know how to store it properly for the next holiday season.

Most stores usually have post-holiday sales, and this is the best time for great deals and bargains. Even online merchants go on sale, too! I have some advice for shopping. If they are on sale, I hoard my all-time favorite stuff that I regularly buy and use, like toiletries and beauty stuff. I love to hoard these items because I use them everyday. So, it’s really a great deal for me!

Even if post-holiday sales give you enough reasons to shop or hoard, you still have to remember to choose and decide carefully. Don’t just buy it because it’s on sale as you will just end up not using it. So, ladies and gentlemen, enjoy your post-holiday shopping…and shop wisely!

Christmas is coming! Are you done shopping for your Christmas presents? I am. I finished my gift-hunting early so that I can still have some extra time to relax and avoid the holiday rush.

Here are some helpful tips to avoid the holiday rush and to save time, energy, and even money:

Make a List

Make a list of the people to whom you want to give Christmas gifts. You also can categorize your list to save time and energy from going back and forth to the mall. I categorized my list into “Adult – men”, “Adult – women”, “Children”, “Babies”. With this list, it’s easy for me to go into one section of the mall and buy gifts for all the people in the list. You also can save some gas because you don’t need to make constant trips back to the mall.

Make a Shopping Schedule

Now, once you have the list, you can make a shopping schedule as to when you will go and buy your gifts. If you aren’t able to finish your Christmas shopping in just one day, you can set a day to buy gifts for all the adults on the list, then another day for babies, etc.

Shop in the Morning

If you’re not busy and if you have all the time to shop, make it in the morning if possible. I prefer to shop in the morning just after the mall opens so that I still have lots of energy to roam around and look for nice gifts. Morning shopping can spare me from crowded malls in the afternoon through evening or until the mall closes. In my country, I noticed that most malls start to become too crowded (especially in this holiday season) in late afternoons through evenings because this is the time that most people go to the malls after work or school.

I hope these tips can help you in any way. Good luck on your Christmas gift shopping…and don’t forget your lists!

The first on the list is somewhat like a venue I mentioned earlier (Amazon). However, this one searches shops and venues internationally and locally. Shopping.com will allow you to search through a large database of items and will in turn provide you with a list of closely matched products related to your search. It also will display the separate venues that sell the item and price match each competitor’s listed retail price. This ensures that every user gets the best deal possible. Shopping.com has no specific foray of items, therefore you can find any type of product from electronics to clothing and accessories. The user interface is fantastic, and everything is laid out nicely. Even the most lacking of internet users will find it completely navigable.

Overstock.com is another brilliant site that derives its roots from a collection of Amazon-type product search engines. The difference, however, is that Overstock actually is a company that carries the products, whereas Amazon and Shopping.com refer users to other venues. Once again Overstock is a company that carries a wide range of products and items; users can find nearly any type of object imaginable. For the holiday season Overstock is even offering $1 shipping site-wide for any qualifying product that is purchased. The user interface is simple and is designed elegantly with a classy look and feel.

BizRate.com is a little different than the rest mentioned here.  On one hand it searches a database of products and items just like Amazon while offering the same type of price comparisons, but on the other hand it also offers full product reviews. The reviews are excellent, informative, colorful and in many cases they help you ultimately make a decision. Not only can you find the best prices around for what you want to purchase, but you can decide before laying your money down if you want to go with a different model or perhaps a different brand based on the item ratings and reviews. The user interface here is a little more complex than the other sites mentioned, but not so much that it borders scary. It still works and runs efficiently.

If you still forget, then you might think you’re hopeless, but you aren’t.  I, speaking as a tween, say that we kids don’t need to get exactly what we ask for, so if you need to, just take a guess.  If you are buying for a little girl, get her the Little Tykes Color and Copy.  A boy, get him Legos.

But back to my point, kids don’t need everything they ask for.  You should try to get them something they want, but not everything.  If they ask for ten and you give them all ten, my point of view is that you’re  spoiling them.

The spirit of Christmas is giving, not receiving.  What is most important when giving a gift to someone is that you thought of that person when you bought his or her present.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Read on for some suggestions on how you can make your online Christmas shopping a simple and easy process, not to mention an enjoyable one, too!

Shopping Suggestions:

1. Make a Christmas list, and realize that you will save time and money if you place one big order, as opposed to placing a couple of small orders online. The reason for this is because the majority of online stores charge a flat shipping fee. Plus, if you spend over a specified amount on a given order, in some cases the shipping and handling charge will be waived. Check this out before you place your order.
2. It pays to shop early in the virtual world, the same as it does in the offline world. Even online stores can sell out of popular items. To prevent disappointment, start shopping as early as your budget permits. Bear in mind that if you need to send items back or make exchanges because the size is wrong, it helps if you are “the early bird who gets the worm”!
3. Keep safety and security in mind when you shop online. This is extremely important. There are no cash purchases online, so you must verify that you are shopping at sites that are secure. A secure site should start with “https” as opposed to “http”, and it should be encrypted with SSL technology.
4. If the thought of buying holiday wrap and tags fills you with dread, then take advantage of the gift wrapping services that are offered by a variety of online shopping sites.
5. When ordering an item, always verify the expected date of delivery. If an item cannot be guaranteed by Christmas, you might decide not to order it. Always check the status of items before you click on the final button. Around Christmastime things get hectic in the online world, and it is not uncommon for items to end up on back order.

Green Thumbs

Does the mother in your life love gardening? Instead of buying fresh-cut flowers in a vase, buy some pretty potted plants that can be planted in window boxes or decorative planters. One year, I bought several six-inch terra cotta pots, and I let each of my children paint one. We filled them with dirt and a geranium, and they presented the pots to their grandmother.

Picture This

What mother doesn’t enjoy family pictures? Take some fun snapshots of your family ,and buy some unique picture frames for them. If your mom likes scrapbooking, you can take your photos and design a few clever pages to add to her scrapbook.

Stories From the Past

Is your mom interested in genealogy and family histories? My mom loves to collect journals, pictures, and memorabilia of ancestors and family members. For Mother’s Day every year, each of my three sisters and I write journal pages of the past year to present to our mom. We write about our adventures with our families, changes in our lives, and experiences that made us grow. My mom has a folder for each of us to keep our stories in. My mom loves this Mother’s Day tradition, and I love the opportunity to record my family’s story.

Time Out

Spending time with mom is one of the best ways to show you care. Take her to her favorite restaurant, or take a stroll through a park and bring a picnic.

Words

Tell the mother in your life how you feel about her. Tell her what you appreciate about her. Say, “I love you.”

But buying for men is much trickier. Women can’t just buy diamond earrings and be a winner (unless of course you are buying for a professional athlete or rap star, and diamond earrings may be appropriate then).

So ladies, I have decided to give you a list of 7 fool-proof gifts for you to get your man:

#7 - A hand written note telling him what he means to you. I know it sounds sappy, but most men I know would really appreciate a secret note that they find that tells them how important they are in your life.

#6 – Say “Thank You” more than normal. All men are creatures looking for praise. If you tell us we are doing a good job, we are all happy.

#5 - Get us a big steak. The number of men who do not like a big piece of meat is far and few between. Plus, beef is full of protein which builds up testosterone, which helps the libido. Connecting the dots with a great cut of meat goes a long way.

#4 - Watch our favorite sport with us. Most men I know love to have company watching sport. And the love of our life sitting and watching the game with us is a great gift.

#3 – Bake him something. The smell of fresh bread is a huge winner to me. For other men, it might be cookies, pies, or cakes. Besides getting to our stomachs, it showed us you took the time to make something special for us.

# 2 – Take him fishing. This can be replaced with any other type of  activity that requires outdoor clothing. Spending time outdoors with the perfect partner is a perfect recipe for bringing a couple together.

# 1 – Buy him a drink after work. Meet him at the best martini bar or local hangout after work and make sure you buy him the first drink. Most places like this have a great atmosphere and set a great mood for the evening.

Any of these ideas can be a winner for most men. Take a chance and put a little heart into your gift, and a good man will give it back to you two-fold.