--- title: 7 Last Minute Shopping Tips and Some Shopping Advice description: Calm Down. It's not too late. I have last minute Christmas gift tips. image: https://blog.housefairy.org/hs-fs/file-2049871930-jpg/ALL_BOOKS/Pam_Young.jpg --- Hello, Friend[Access Your Account](https://www.housefairy.org/my-account) ### Happy Kids,  Happier Moms [![facebook](https://blog.housefairy.org/hs-fs/file-422096398-png/social_buttons/facebook.png "facebook")](http://www.facebook.com/therealhousefairy) [![twitter](https://blog.housefairy.org/hs-fs/file-426374790-png/social_buttons/twitter.png "twitter")](https://twitter.com/HouseFairyPam) [![pinterest](https://blog.housefairy.org/hs-fs/file-426359165-png/social_buttons/pinterest.png "pinterest")](http://www.pinterest.com/thehousefairy/) [![youtube](https://blog.housefairy.org/hs-fs/file-426364010-png/social_buttons/youtube.png "youtube")](http://www.youtube.com/user/MakeItFunVideo/featured) [The House Fairy](https://www.housefairy.org/) ## [7 Last Minute Shopping Tips and Some Shopping Advice ](https://blog.housefairy.org/7-last-minute-shopping-tips-and-some-shopping-advice-0) ## ![Pam_Young](https://blog.housefairy.org/hs-fs/file-2049871930-jpg/ALL_BOOKS/Pam_Young.jpg?width=100&name=Pam_Young.jpg) It’s Never Too Late   I know, I know, you haven’t completed your shopping and Christmas is the day after tomorrow. I get to say, “I know” because I really do. I’m a Sidetracked Home Executive and in case you don’t know, we SHEs are procrastinators. So calm down and breathe. Everything’s going to be just fine. Get a pen and paper, sit down with your favorite beverage and think. Your creativity is one of your special gifts and that super mind of yours just waits for times like this to come to your rescue. Knock and it will answer. Here are just a few of the last-minute ideas I’ve come up with over the years. 1. **Give gifts from your kitchen.** Since I love to cook and I make all my salad dressings from scratch, I’ve often given the dry ingredients along with the instructions to add olive oil and vinegar (you can provide those too, but let the recipient shake them together later for a fresher gift). I save glass jars and quart jars are the perfect size for the recipient to ad the oil and vinegar to the dry ingredients. You can also use those wine vinegar bottles for the oil and vinegar and put the dry ingredients into one of those cute little jars that sample jellies and honey come in when you have room service at a hotel. Gifts from your kitchen are always welcomed. See what you can whip up to give.  **2 Give money ** Download Everybody Loves Money from my website for ten fun ways to give cash using stuff you’ve got around the house or from the grocery store. [![Clever Gift Ideas](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/341571/c978d3ca-b8b1-4302-ad42-f38505ba3bbd.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/341571/c978d3ca-b8b1-4302-ad42-f38505ba3bbd) 1. ** Write letters** I love to write letters to those I love and update them on how much they mean to me. Since we give money at Christmastime, adding a page with my love adds so much to the value of the gifts. 1. ** Stay away from the mall!** When you’re in a rush, the brain tends to give in to the pressure of noise, loud Christmas music and flashy displays. It just wants to get you out of the chaos and get you to someplace quieter. If you must to go to Target or Walmart, wear earplugs. My daughter Peggy discovered earplugs when she was a young mother. She told me they were just like taking a tranquilizer.         At this point in time, it’s good to avoid stores that sell nothing but Christmas stuff. If you haven’t hauled out holly, it’s too late. And do NOT go to any stores throwing last-minute sales unless you want to end up in therapy or handcuffs. 1. ** Plan for just one stop ** Before you head out, spend at least twenty minutes making a list of what you need at the store. This thinking time will save you so much time when you’re out there. Pretend you’re back in *Little House on the Prairie* days and you have to get everything from Mr. Olson’s store. That’ll spark your creative mind as you look for what you need on that list you took time to make. Note: don’t leave the note at home. 1. ** Give a gift of your time and energy** One year my son Michael gave his cousins a voucher he printed up on the computer to take them to a movie complete with treats. He told me later, that he should have given just the movie because the combination of movie and treats went way over his gift-giving budget. You could make vouchers for your help with house cleaning, car washing, gardening, sewing, laundry, baking, baby sitting, pet walking, grocery shopping and such.        7. **Be Kind** The most important thing you should do at this time is to be kind to yourself and don’t stress over this sacred holiday. And remember, like the words to one of my favorite Christmas songs, “It’s not the things you do at Christmas, but the little things you do all year long.” Thank you for reading my blog. I’d like to give you a gift. It’s a chapter from my latest book and it’s all about getting rid of clutter. It’s called, *There Arose Such a Clutter *and I’m sure it will help you see your clutter with new eyes. [http://lp.housefairy.org/lp-joy-of-being-disorganized-chapter-seven](https://lp.housefairy.org/lp-joy-of-being-disorganized-chapter-seven) Oh, and Merry Christmas! ![pam_signature](https://blog.housefairy.org/hs-fs/file-2228804502-bmp/ALL_BOOKS/pam_signature.bmp) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Subscribe to Pam's Blog! ### Follow the House Fairy ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Month - [June 2020 (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2020/06) - [March 2020 (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2020/03) - [September 2019 (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2019/09) - [July 2019 (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2019/07) - [June 2019 (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2019/06) - [May 2019 (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2019/05) - [April 2019 (5)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2019/04) - [August 2018 (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2018/08) - [June 2018 (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2018/06) - [February 2018 (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2018/02) - [November 2017 (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2017/11) - [May 2016 (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2016/05) - [November 2015 (5)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2015/11) - [September 2015 (4)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2015/09) - [August 2015 (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2015/08) - [December 2014 (12)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/12) - [November 2014 (6)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/11) - [October 2014 (13)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/10) - [September 2014 (9)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/09) - [August 2014 (3)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/08) - [July 2014 (6)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/07) - [June 2014 (5)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/06) - [May 2014 (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/05) - [April 2014 (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/04) - [March 2014 (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/archive/2014/03) [see all](https://blog.housefairy.org/7-last-minute-shopping-tips-and-some-shopping-advice-0#) ### Posts by Topic - [Tools for Moms (11)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/tools-for-moms) - [Being a Mom (10)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/being-a-mom) - [Raising Children (10)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/raising-children) - [Entertainment for Mom (6)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/entertainment-for-mom) - [Family Games (6)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/family-games) - [Cooking Videos (5)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/cooking-videos) - [Fitness (5)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/fitness) - [On Being Organized / Disorganized (5)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/on-being-organized-disorganized) - [Playing with Kids (5)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/playing-with-kids) - [Recipes (5)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/recipes) - [Chores and Children (4)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/chores-and-children) - [Happiness (4)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/happiness) - [Cleaning (3)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/cleaning) - [Daily Thought, (3)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/daily-thought) - [De-Cluttering (3)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/de-cluttering) - [Habits (3)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/habits) - [Manners and Children (3)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/manners-and-children) - [Health (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/health) - [House Fairy Videos (2)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/house-fairy-videos) - [Children's Rooms (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/childrens-rooms) - [Great job mom (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/great-job-mom) - [How to Clean Videos (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/how-to-clean-videos) - [Organization (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/organization) - [Relationships (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/relationships) - [appreciation for moms (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/appreciation-for-moms) - [de-junking (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/de-junking) - [faith (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/faith) - [peace of mind (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/peace-of-mind) - [succeed (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/succeed) - [thank a mom (1)](https://blog.housefairy.org/topic/thank-a-mom) ## Subscribe by RSS ![rss-icon1](https://blog.housefairy.org/hs-fs/hub/341571/file-570749489-jpg/social_buttons/rss-icon1.jpg?width=50&name=rss-icon1.jpg) [Mom's World Feed](https://blog.housefairy.org/blog/rss.xml) [Privacy Statement](https://www.housefairy.org/privacy-statement) **About The House Fairy** The House Fairy is the brainchild of New York Times bestselling author Pam Young. A stay-at-home mom of three, stepmother of two and grandmother of 12, Pam has enjoyed most of her life surrounded by happy children of all ages. With a major in drama (not in college, but in life) Pam has always been able to see with the eyes of a child. Writing a shelf of “self-help” books to inspire disorganized moms, Pam’s focus has always been on solutions to the challenges mothers have in life.