Last-minute Christmas shopping tips

In the hustle of rushing around from soccer practice, holiday photo shoots, breakfasts (and lunches and suppers) with Santa and treks to view neighborhood Christmas light displays, one can simply forget about buying presents for people on their Christmas list. Before you set out to the nearest gas station hoping to find something on their shelves in a panicked shopping frenzy, take time to consider these last-minute shopping tips that can help you mark off those final names on your shopping list without losing your sanity.

Shop at odd hours.

There are some major retail stores staying open pretty darn late in hopes of making last minute sales during this time of recession. For example, a retail store popular in the ‘burbs stays open until midnight until Christmas Eve. I find it hard to believe that there are any lines in stores at 11:45pm. If you are a night owl, this might be a good option for you.

Create your own gift.

Making one’s own gifts to give got a bad rap years ago and I am not sure as to why. Lots of years I make a gift to give to others and have found that it takes much more effort than hopping in the car and plucking a gift off the shelf. Baked treats are a real joy to receive, because who honestly takes the time to bake themselves something tasty. Look here to see my secrets for tasty cutout sugar cookies.

Gift Cards.

I am going to be honest and say that gift cards are not my favorite gift to give (although I do like to receive them). I find them to be a bit generic. However, gift cards have become wildly popular and can be found anywhere…including gas stations (which tend to actually be open on Christmas Day…thus giving you one more shopping day).

Framed Pictures.

A great present to give relatives is a cute framed picture of your children or family. This is a standard gift coming from casa de Phillips. One hour photo places are EVERYWHERE, including local drug stores. Simply select a picture, download it onto their site, and place your order. Your prints are ready in an hour and you have a cute and thoughtful gift to give.