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Monday, March 31, 2025

Tip for Tuesday

We've made it to April!  We are all thinking about the joy of Spring arriving, warmer weather, flowers...  
But what about Christmas?  I really don't want to be thinking too much on that yet, but there is something I do all year around to prepare for Christmas.


This tote is always in our storage area in the basement.  But, it's not used for regular storage.





I keep Christmas gifts inside it.  Whenever we are in a fun store, traveling, or I see big sales, I check for possible gifts. I do stockings for our kids and grandkids.  If you have to do them all at once around Christmas, it's hard to find things and can be expensive.  This way I can get good deals and often find things that are not standard stocking stuffers.
I keep a little notebook in the tote and write what I get and who it's for so I can keep track.

So, that's my tip for today - keep your eyes open for gifts all year long and you'll be thankful you did it when the Christmas season comes around.

22 comments:

Mandy said...

SUCH a smart idea! I really need to do this!

Deb J. in Utah said...

I've been doing this for years, Mari! Even Charly does it. On Christmas morning, I often find that one of my favorite gifts came from a truck stop we went to during a summer road trip. It is truly a great idea and it is always fun to be on the lookout for the perfect gift!

Miss Merry said...

I don't do gifts anymore. With five children, significant others, ten grandchildren, some bonus grandkids, etc. - it got to be too much. Now they all get a check for their birthday and a season pass to an amusement park for Christmas.
BUT in the olden days, I did what you do. I had a master list of gifts for each child that I bought during the year, always evening up the amount once I got to fall. I also watched for gifts for our parents, etc. It was so much more economical to shop the sales and to spread the spending!

Ginny Hartzler said...

Yes, I do the same thing. Always keeping an eye out for good gifts the year round. Finding and buying every single gift at Christmas can be overwhelming. I do the same for birthday gifts too.

Susan said...

I do the same thing. I need to be more organized. I have things set aside for Easter right now.

roentare said...

Spreading out the shopping throughout the year not only makes it more affordable but also allows for more unique and meaningful finds

Catherine said...

A very good idea I think I’ll try to do it all year. Gifts are less expensive during the year than just before Christmas and no rush it’s a very good idea.

Prims By The Water said...

I use to do this when my kids were little. Believe it or not the toys at Toys R Us were cheaper in the Summer months than closer to Christmas. They would start raising their prices closer to Christmas. It was such a scam to customers...but having to take Economics in college, it was supply and demand. Janice

Pamela M. Steiner said...

What a great idea. I'm not a good shopper, but if I could get myself into this kind of pattern it would sure help at Christmas time! Thank you!

Jeanette said...

I always intend to do something like that and then never do! I have a hard time thinking about Christmas once the season passes!

Shug said...

This is such a great idea. I cleaned my closet yesterday and found two gifts that I was supposed to give this past Christmas...they will now have to wait until Christmas 2025. Thanks for sharing this...I needed it.

MadSnapper n Beau said...

my mother did this her entire life. she kept the gifts in a great big really old from the 1940s suitcase, locked of course, I regualry tried to open it. ha ha and that is the truth. Once she forgot to put a doll inside it and i foudn the doll, i was 4 or 5. she told me Santa had so many kids to see, that he asked her to store it for him to give him more time

Chatty Crone said...

That is a great idea! I have some gifts - so now I have the way to organize it!

photowannabe said...

Such a smart idea. You are so organized..the notebook with who gets what is fantastic because by the time Christmas rolls around the designated things will be forgotten. We don't have any "littles" any more but we still do stockings. Its a fun tradition.
Sue

Dianna said...

That's a great tip, Mari! Thank you for sharing.

Sandi said...

This is a good idea! But Christmas...sigh...it's so far away.

carrie@northwoods scrapbook said...

Genius! I sort of do this too, however not nearly as organized as you are my Lovely. You inspired me to start this on some level years ago. Thanks for always be such inspiration here. 💗💗💗

HappyK said...

That's a great way to shop for Christmas.

Romance Book Haven said...

What a great idea for gifts!

Lowcarb team member said...

That is a great idea ... many thanks for sharing.

All the best Jan

Jean said...

I am a very boring Grandma. I give each of them cash. 15 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren is just too many to figure out gifts and stocking stuffers for.

Kim said...

That's a great idea, Mari! I remember my mom used to do that, but then she would forget where she'd stash things and find them months later in her closet!