In The Home Stretch
Finish Shopping Now, Before It’s Too Late

By Matt Hampton

With just 13 shopping days left once you hit the two-week mark, it may not seem as though things are getting down to the wire, but don’t fall back on those haunches just yet, everything still needs to be wrapped, mailed, and occasionally assembled.

It’s important to consider the amount of time it will take, especially in the warm-up days of the season, to finish the shopping for everyone on your list. The most nightmarish scenario can rear its terrifying head unless you follow a system to keep things from falling apart.

Fortunately, devising a system to get things done can be quick and easy, and if you stick to it, the rest of the holiday season will be a breeze.

Step One: Remember that gift recipient list? That classic bullet-pointed guideline for everyone in your life who needs a little something? It’s time to make that list your new best friend. Laminate it, photocopy it, staple it to your clothes, whatever it takes to make sure you don’t leave a single person empty-handed.

Step Two: Organize what you have, and what you don’t. If you consider each person on your list as a checkpoint, and each gift as a check, the system essentially breaks down to what’s checked and what isn’t. Take a step back, gather every purchase you’ve made in one place, and start sorting. A visual recognition of all the shopping you’ve done (while alternately scary and thrilling) can help you to keep in mind the things that you still need.

Step Three: Actually finish that list! It might seem like a no-brainer, but between gathering up supplies for meals, picking up or dropping friends and family at the airport, cleaning, cooking, and a host of other responsibilities that pile up during the most festive time of year, it’s easy to just forget. As long as you’ve followed steps one and two, three should be easy, but don’t let anything get under your radar.

Step Four: Devise a wrapping system. Once everything is purchased (believe me, that’s going to be a load off your mind), then it’s time to get to wrapping. One way to plow through it is to divide what’s being mailed and what isn’t. Working through items by location, wrap everything that’s going to one place, pack it, and send it away. Once those gifts are in the mail, I guarantee you’ll feel a seasonal smile creep across your face.

Step Five: Make sure there’s a place for everything, and Tab A is in Slot B. Assembly is often the place where families get tripped up over the holidays, so it’s important to make sure that the little things like directions and tools are close at hand. Take stock of everything that needs to be put together, set-up, painted, hung or brought to life with a magical hat and make sure those things are close at hand.

Once everything is bought, wrapped and put together, the most important part of the season, the importance of coming together, will assemble itself.