Shop Early for the Upcoming Holiday Season

Pretty soon, the holidays will be here, so the time to start shopping is now. Whether it's Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or Thanksgiving, we all know how busy the holiday season gets when it arrives. Every year, many of us run around at the last minute, buying gifts for loved ones and friends. It's human nature to procrastinate, it seems. Those who have their shopping done before it all truly do amaze me. Organization is a wonderful thing.

The retailers are the first to start preparing for holiday shopping festivities. They put their products on display fairly early. The best time for getting handmade Christmas ornaments at Pier One Imports is after Halloween. Going into that addictive store full of shopping eye-candy takes a clear head and focus, otherwise it's easy to walk out of there with a bunch of lovely items that I never needed in the first place. I limit my shopping to ornaments during the "rush," when frenzied customers battle against one another, trying to get the good ones before they're all gone. Standing in the way of a glassy eyed shopping maniac is dangerous business, so it's best to get in as early as possible, grab wildly then get out quickly. One year I had more ornaments than my 7 foot tall Christmas tree actually needed. Half the fun is in the conquest.

Another tradition of mine is shopping online. Before Thanksgiving I like to get my holiday baking and meal preparation items from the King Arthur Flour Company's . My mother is now hooked on the catalog. This classy, Vermont-based company is a foodie's paradise. There are various flavorings, flours, unusual pans, and other kitchen items to tempt any cook, amateur or professional. Also, they even sell mixes, and baked artisan breads and pastries. On the site they even have do-it-yourself baking lessons and recipes.

For novelty gifts, one of my favorite places to shop is CafePress.com. This site offers artistic designs on everything from mugs, to shirts, office items and more for everyone. It's a great place to get mousepads or mugs for teachers, co-workers or friends. The products are great, and I love to shop in various artists' stores for a variety of subjects, such as pets, flowers or political gifts.

Give yourself time to shop, so it won't be necessary to be rummaging around in an all-night store scrambling for picked-over junk that nobody wants, the night before celebrating a holiday. Taking more time is helpful in choosing appropriate gifts, ones that show thought towards the recipient. Besides, slugging it out against a mob of holiday shopping procrastinators isn't my idea of holiday cheer. Everyone have a happy holiday season, and remember to get your shopping done early. It's better for us all to enjoy the season to its fullest with friends or family, with as pleasant and calm atmosphere as possible. Maybe then, we'll all feel a little more "peace on earth and good will towards men."