Tip for a Tuesday.....

Start Early!

Today I ordered my Christmas cards.  Yes, I'm aware that it is only June.  An email arrived this morning notifying me that a favorite artist was having a sale on all her items on the Lang website.  In between loads of laundry, I perused the site and found two boxes of cards. In addition, I googled the name of the site and found a 10% off coupon.  Nice!

Two weeks ago, I picked up some items for my girls for Christmas.  I've also "pinned" a couple of ideas for Little Miss for her November birthday.  I picked up the Hallmark ornament catalog yesterday and have chosen which ones I need for my daughters' collections.  Tomorrow, I have a long list of greeting cards to pick out at Hallmark, for which I  have an $8 coupon!

Why do I start so early?  When the Englishman and I were first married and sending gifts to England, I learned very quickly that I needed to get them in the mail early if I wanted them to get there on time, whether it be for Christmas or birthdays.  Seeing the value, i.e. stress reducing, that early and organized shopping could bring me, I carried it over to our family here at home.  It's been working great for several decades now!

I also find that it helps to spread out the cost over a period of months, rather than spend it all in one go.  Traveling or being on vacation can offer a chance to pick up some unique gift items, especially if you have a collector in the house. There are often sales starting as early as June, as retailers want to clear out space for the upcoming holiday season.  Have you noticed how early they start the holiday music in the stores these days?

Afraid you'll forget what you bought?  As I've mentioned before, keep a notebook in which you jot down what you have purchased, for who and where you have hidden it.  The last point is very important.  Can't tell you how many times I had to search the entire house for that one last toy I knew I had, but just couldn't find.  Basset hounds are quite good at sniffing out little creatures, but are useless when it comes to  finding a hidden gift.