The Guilt-Free Guide To Tackling Last-Minute Holiday Shopping

The Guilt-Free Guide To Tackling Last-Minute Holiday Shopping

Last Minute holiday shopping, before we address anything else, we need to confront what I call “delayed gifting guilt.” That’s because it’s likely something most procrastinators feel at this point if they haven’t secured any holiday gifts yet for loved ones. If you’re feeling it, I permit you to let it go! Otherwise, it will continue to hamper your efforts. So breathe deep, exhale, and say, “Goodbye, Guilt.” I just did it myself, and I have to say, it felt good!

Though that’s out of the way, we have another obstacle haunting most last-minute shoppers. And that’s time.

Prideful Procrastinators

Chances are good you’ve been so busy, you just haven’t had the time to procure gifts. And now, time is of the essence, even for prideful procrastinators. So it’s time to stop thinking about how much time you still have. Stop thinking, start shopping.

But that leads us to the third hurdle: shopping itself. Some people love it and find it’s their therapy. For others, it ignites anxiety – all those people at malls, all that trouble parking, all that noise, all the germs you could pick up – it’s enough to make you procrastinate even more. And that’s not good.

So the way to jump this hurdle is to do everything online – it cuts back on guilt, saves time, and it bypasses mall-induced PTSD. And it saves money as you can quickly search for bargains and not drive all over town.

“Go-To” Gift Recommendations

I prefer to give food gifts as I’m a foodie and I pay attention to the types of foods loved ones adore. Hint: one way even procrastinators can delight those on their lists is to get gourmet gift baskets to those who won’t splurge on themselves. But if someone (you) gets it for them, then they have the liberty to indulge. If you give them that freedom and a yummy gift, they’re sure to love you twice as much.

That’s the case for my older relatives — they seldom eat cheesecake, but THEY LOVE IT. It uplifts their souls. So that’s my go-to gift for them – and it has become their go-to gift for other relatives, too. And for friends and relatives who might not want cheesecake, I go the uber-healthy route and choose a fruit-filled selection.

Cheesecakes & Fruit Baskets

My cheesecake recommendation is The Gourmet Sampler with four tastebud-tingling flavors: Amaretto, NY Style, Strawberry, and Turtle! It’s like giving someone’s mouth a free trip to flavor town!

As far as fruit goes, my selection is the Dried Fruit and Nut Platter. Visually stunning and good for you, too!

Those two items – and maybe a few more – should help me complete all of my holiday shopping in about 20 minutes.

So right after I’m done writing this post, I will place all of my orders and relieve any guilt, rid myself of time-induced stress, and prevent the nervous shakes I might get venturing into a mall. I feel better already! Oh, I’m looking forward to those 20 minutes – that could be the best time I’ve had in a while.

But that’s just how I handle last-minute holiday shopping – confronting my psychological barriers first and then opting for cheesecake or fruit gifts (and gluten-free offerings, too!). You can follow my lead and make most everyone on your list very happy, too. Or you can get some extra hints by checking out these just-published lists on The Huffington Post, a top news site.

GourmetGiftBaskets.com was fortunate enough to be featured on both of these HuffPost Top Picks Lists for her and him this year – two days in a row!

The author’s choices were both sophisticated and insightful – so use those to shortcut your process. There are even some ideas on those lists for non-foodies if you have any on your list. And remember, you can order from GourmetGiftBaskets.com up until Friday, Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. ET and still have your Christmas gifts delivered in time.

Happy (guilt-free) Holidays, and see you next year!

 

© Featured Photo by Studio-Annika from iStockPhoto