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The holiday season can be an extremely hectic time for a lot of people. There’s so much planning, shopping, and running around that it’s easy to become overwhelmed by it all. That’s not news. We’re all familiar with the stress that can come along with this time of year, but you don’t have to just endure it. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” after all. So, we’re bringing you 5 Tips to Make Your Holiday Shopping More Enjoyable This Year.
5 Tips to Make Your Holiday Shopping More Enjoyable This Year.
1) The Early Bird Gets Less Headaches
It’s a bit of a no-brainer, but honestly one of the easiest ways to help yourself avoid stress during this holiday season is to get as much of the shopping and prep work done ahead of time as possible.
Much of the stress and anxiety around the holidays stems from a fear of not getting everything done. Did I forget to get Amy a gift? Oh, no! Christmas is tomorrow! Everything is ruined!
…Wait, do I know anyone named Amy?
These endless games of “what if” and “worst case scenario” your brain loves to play at night while you try to fall asleep are fueled by the uncertainty of tasks left undone. Stop this before it can start by making a list of all the things you need to accomplish and then start checking things off that list as soon as possible.
People frantically rushing through department stores trying to find that last minute present on mostly barren shelves is so well known it’s become a stereotype in most holiday films. Don’t be that person. Start your shopping early and save yourself the stress and headache.
PRO TIP: Take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Week sales to get early purchases at those holiday sales prices. ShopEngraveItHouston.com offers 20% All Orders through the end of November for this exact reason!
2) Everything is Better Together
As with most things, the burden is lighter when it is shared. We know the holidays can be stressful, and that stress can be amplified when you’re trying to do it all by yourself. Trying to go solo can cause you to become quickly overwhelmed and ready to just give up.
A great way to avoid this is to partner up with a friend who is also being proactive about their holiday prep plans. Not only will you help keep each other motivated to not give up when the going gets tough, but also having someone there with you makes the entire process more pleasant and enjoyable.
PRO TIP: Make it a group! Get all your friends together for weekly holiday huddles and make an evening of it. Dinner, drinks, a little online shopping, and plenty of laughs sounds like a recipe for your best holiday season yet.
3) There’s No Place Like Home
Granted, there might not be flying monkeys and wicked witches waiting to ambush you out there in the world, but if we’re being honest sometimes that doesn’t feel like too much of an exaggeration (especially during the frantic shopping season around the holidays).
Thankfully, we live in the age of technology. Which means instead of having to brave traffic and long lines at store after store after store, you can get all your holiday shopping done from the peace and comfort of your own home. (You don’t even have to put on pants.)
PRO TIP: ShopEngraveItHouston.com never closes. You don’t have to wait in line. And you can get all your holiday shopping taken care of without ever having to leave home. Just sayin’.
4) Make it Personal. Make it Perfect.
by ShopEngraveItHouston
Trying to find that perfect gift for someone can be an incredibly stressful part of the season. Some people seem to have some sort of supernatural knack for being effortlessly great at gift giving. Most of us, however, are not so fortunate. For us, gift giving can be a stressful and daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be as difficult as we make it.
The real secret to gift giving isn’t about getting the biggest, best, or most expensive thing you can find. It’s about giving something meaningful to the receiver. A simple and effective way to accomplish this is through personalization.
Personalization takes any gift up a notch instantly. Whatever the item may be, a custom engraving or personalization is guaranteed to make it a winner this year when gift time rolls around. Give a gift that’s personalized. You’ll be glad you did.
PRO TIP: All the items at ShopEngraveItHouston.com can be fully personalized with either a custom design of your own or by choosing from over 60+ templates in our design gallery in 5 minutes or less.
5) Remember the Reason for the Season
Ultimately, the best way to fight off the stress of the season is just to remind yourself what it’s really all about. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the expectations we place on ourselves to give the perfect gift, be the perfect host, whatever the case may be. We let these pressures overwhelm us and we lose sight of what actually makes this time of year so great.
It’s a time of peace, hope, and love. It’s a chance to celebrate the past year, and look forward to the future. And, it’s an opportunity to appreciate your loved ones and to let them know how much they mean to you. It can be easy to forget that in the hubbub of holiday drama. But, if you can remind yourself that is actually what’s important here, you’ll find yourself being grateful more than anxious this year.
PRO TIP: Take 5 minutes every day between now and New Years to remind yourself of all the people and things in your life that you are grateful for. It will help you keep things in perspective when mole-hills start looking like mountains.