The significance of Christmas cannot be found in the glossy pages of mail order catalogs, or the feverish excitement of TV commercials. Nope, my greatest pleasure on Christmas morning will never come from knowing the price tag of my gifts, or that they are the hottest thing. I prefer  that my relatives of friends were bothered enough to buy or make a gift for me that is truly meaningful, and not just a pretty box to place under an already over-loaded tree.

A homemade gingerbread man from my neighbor, even though she may have unintentionally replaced the sugar with salt again, is all the sweeter because of the love poured into each one. Christmas without my neighbor’s gingerbread man just wouldn’t be Christmas. The gifts that I desire most are the ones that took time, not just money and a mail order catalog to get to this year’s chartbuster delivered at my doorstep. I like to know that my dear friends have though about me and that I’m worth more than just another checkmark on their shopping list.

Think about it for a moment.  Think back over the time to the best gifts you have given or received. Why was that present so special? Was it the price, or the brand name, or the fact that it was on everybody’s wish list that year? Probably not.

I request to give gifts with love this year and not value it from the tag. I understand that not everyone has the skills or has tools or materials available to make something themselves. Spending time on a present does not necessary mean working a few months on a quilt either. When you buy a present for your loved ones, take time to think about the present and the person who will receive it. Buy something more personal than the latest game computer or newest iPod.

The saying “it’s the thought that counts” never applied more than it does when you take the time to add that personal touch to any gift. Personalized Christmas gifts are more meaningful than the figure in the checkbook. Even if bought from the convenience of your own home, through the Internet.

It’s the thought that counts!

If you belong to the rare group of people who gets their Christmas shopping done early on every year, you most likely receive a great deal of unpleasant glance from others around the festive season. This is particularly true if routinely let others know that you have already done all of your Christmas shopping. The reason for all the mean looks is that the best part of the public does not get their Christmas shopping and still have to go through the stress of overcrowded shopping malls and unavailable items. The fact that malls and shopping centers are so over-crowded in the last few days before Christmas proves that so many people wait until the last opportunities to buy something.

If you are part of that vast majority of people who spend every year last minute Christmas shopping and hate yourself for it each and every year, here are some tips to get your Christmas shopping done and over with quickly this year.

A first suggestion to get your Christmas shopping done is doing a great deal of Christmas shopping for the next year in the first few days after Christmas. This may sound weird and is only an option of it is financially possible for you. On the other hand, if you do this every year, you will actually save quite some money, since many shops are holding sales in these days. All the shops still carry typical Christmas gift items and you are probably very much in the Christmas spirit. Also, you usually have the best gift ideas right after the gift giving of this year.

A second idea for completing your Christmas shopping in time is to shop online. This is the best option if you are shopping for Christmas gifts for faraway relatives. Most online retailers will wrap your gift in an elegant box and send it directly to the recipient. Now you won’t have to wrap it up by yourself and stand in the line at the post office.

A third plan to get your Christmas shopping done early is spreading it over the whole year. Whenever you have to go out to buy a birthday gift for someone, buy two gifts for this person. One of the gifts is for the birthday and you store the other one for Christmas. This strategy does work best if you have a very solid group of people that you buy gifts for, like family members. You might still need to do some last minute shopping for a new colleague or any other distant friend.

Of course, there are people who love last minute Chrismas shopping. Some of them might see it as
a challenge. Other shoppers intentionally wait until the last minute to do their Christmas shopping because they like the excitement of the crowds. It gives them a sense of energy and get right into the Christmas spirit. However, joining the crowds for the atmosphere, while in your head you know that all shopping is done and wrapped at home already, or on the way by post to distant relatives, might be more relaxed.