It’s the most wonderful, or, for some, stressful, time of the year. Weekends are already filled with commitments like Christmas parties and family events. Traffic is crazy. Anyone else love the classic four-way stop shuffle? Whatever you do, please don’t be the person ‘stuck in the middle.’ How about jam-packed parking lots where the only spots available are suited for smart cars? Try to keep on truckin’ then! The point here is that what oft separates joy and stress is how well-equipped you are going in.
Online Shopping
Make it a little easier on yourself and move some (or all) of your holiday shopping online this year. Here are a few reasons why you may want to give Walter Whiskers and the story of the sad little "mouse" new meaning:
1. If you have children, online shopping is definitely the way to go. Gone are the days of trying to secretly pass something through the cashier without the kids noticing and then having to hide the gifts at someone's house until the big day. Most items are now shipped in packaging that doesn't reveal what's inside. Stealth skill eliminated. Winning!
2. Shopping with kids in general. Enough said.
3. You don't have to carry a zillion bags through a shopping mall while trying to work your way through a maze of crowded people. Never mind having to walk a mini-marathon in your construction boots, am I right fellas?
4. You can research a product before purchasing. With that being said, you can also check several different online stores to see where you can find an item at the best price. Cost savings and availability, who loses? No, really.
Wives, Girlfriends, Mothers, and More
Now, let’s move on to the men who don’t know what to buy those special ladies in their life—it’s probably best to just let them pick out their own gift. All kidding aside, I can help you with that!
You can always go the easy route and get items that don’t require a size such as:
· Jewelry (take a look at what she already has, most women tend to stick to either gold or silver)
· Kitchen Appliances (instant pots are the hot item right now)
· Fashion Items (scarves, hats, purses)
· A Spa Day (trust me on that one)
· Gift Cards (a low-risk, low-reward option)
If you are deciding on getting her a clothing item and are worried about fit, there are online stylists now, like me, that can help. What does an online stylist do, you may ask? Ultimately, we develop relationships with our customers. We work together online through text and pictures to find the right size. We will figure out how certain pieces will fit depending on the shape and style of it. This minimizes the need to return and, naturally, makes for a more confident and satisfying online shopping experience. If you're truly at unease about getting her the wrong size, be sure to play the gift cards you were dealt, in your case, pocket aces to a trendy retailer.