5 Tips on How to Be a Holiday Rockstar

I always think it's funny how the closer the holidays are, the less I enjoy people. Everyone drives worse than normal, are less kind, and way more aggressive and colorful with their language. They are either overly and outwardly stressed out and take it out on you just because you made it to the check out line first or they are so far into their own little world that they will drive their shopping cart right into your ankles because, you know, you're ahead of them in that check out line. Quick Tip: (and this is not part of the 5 presented in this article) during the holidays walk backwards into the check out line, for you and your ankles' sake.

During the holidays, I try to avoid all of that interaction as much as possible by following a few simple tricks to fit in all the shopping, baking, visiting, and gifting without all the peopling.

Here are my 5 tips to get you through and rock this holiday season.

1. The Envelope Keepsake

We know there will be returns or at the very least exchanges this holiday season. You may even just want to review how much more you spent this year on cell phone accessories over last year. Either way those receipts will not help you if they are at the bottom of a purse, crammed in a wallet, or still inside the shopping bag it came in that is now at the bottom of the garbage. You want them easily accessible for a quick review. Keep an envelope (Wyrdo-recommendation is to use a yellow manila envelope as they are more sturdy) and put all your receipts in there. A packet of holiday spirit if you will. A keepsake of all the fun memories you bought...ahem...brought this season.

2. The Reason on Receipts

We already learned the reason for receipts now let's put the reasons on those receipts. You can very quickly lose site of just how much you are spending. You may be blowing your budget on one person when you have to buy for many. You have to ask yourself, "Did I already buy mom 3 or 12 Cricut accessories for her scrapbooking hobby/addiction?" And if you don't know the answer you better have those receipts handy to track it. To quickly filter through all the receipts in your envelope (yes you should already have your envelope by now) write the name of who the gift was for and a quick tag to remind you of the item you bought. For example "mom craft" or "nephew gun". That way you can grab all the "mom" receipts for a quick tally or that one "gun" receipt because now you think a few books is a better option for the neph.

3. The List of Lists

What is your holiday gifting budget? What are you making for dessert for Grandma's? Did you remember to cover your kid's pet snake terrarium after you fed him? With so much going on who knows what you will overlook. Keeping lists keeps you on track and on time. Also nothing feels better than crossing off a task like a boss!

Wyrdo-recommendations for types of lists:

Holiday Budget

Family Feeding Schedule (include pets and children)

Food Menu and Supplies Shopping List

Gift Idea List

What To Pack (if traveling for the holiday)

4. The Early and Less Often Rule

So many of the aforementioned people I hate seem to encroach on my life the most when I try to do any quick shopping trips during my weekday lunch break or after work before I head home. I have left that behind me and opted for 'the early bird keeps the sanity' mantra. With my trusty lists of who to shop for and my ideas for them, and my receipt keepsake envelope (see how we are building here?) I will go out before my workday starts or as soon as the shops open on the weekends (or at least by 9am, that's still early for a Saturday!). Now I do meet some fellow early risers during this time and we treat to each other with a mutual respect. You will get more done in less time and with less trips.

Now yes there is always the internet to help you completely avoid the outside world and I am a huge advocate. However there are times when it is just better to check out a shop (especially an independent business), get what you need, and get it home - without frantically accessing a tracking code and biting your fingernails while waiting for your online purchases to arrive.

5. The Gift (Bag) That Keeps on Giving

Did you know that most wrapping paper isn't recyclable? So not only does a gift you give get returned for store credit but your pretty paper is now wrapped around garbage in a landfill. Gift bags are the way to go, and not those large, overpriced decorative paper bags either. There are so many reusable shopping bags made of canvas or recycled materials in fun patterns and colors for the same price, if not cheaper, than a paper gift bag or roll of wrapping paper. Use that to wrap your gift and boom! saving the environment and a bonus present to offer your loved one. You really are a rockstar!

So I hope that these tips help you, they certainly have helped me.

If you were looking for tips to survive relatives and coworkers this holiday season, please refer to the second paragraph of this entry.

And if there are any last-minute gift needs out there, check out our shop.

Happy Holidays everyone!