Christmas Procrastination

Our family Christmas celebration is less than four days away and I am JUST going Christmas shopping today.  I happen to have an appointment in a nearby city, so I'm killing two birds with one stone.  Yes, I know that most of you have had your Christmas shopping done weeks ago.  I am a major procrastinator.  I am a major CHRISTMAS SHOPPING procrastinator.  I can't think of any year that I have ever had my shopping done with more than a few days to spare.  

Before you start thinking, "Shame on Liza!  She is so irresponsible..."  In my defense, I would like to list several reasons why Christmas Shopping Procrastination is not such a bad thing after all.   

1. Contrary to what the rest of the world says, we Procrastinators DO get good deals.  See here if you don't believe me.  Told you.
2. My side of the family has a hard time making up their minds about what they actually want for Christmas.  If I'd buy something in November, they'd probably change their mind by December.
3. In waiting until December 21st to shop, you have plenty more days to take special notice of what friends and family need, want, or hint about.
4. When you DO finally go shopping, you are motivated and focused like nobody's business.  Get 'er done, folks.
5. You do not have bulky gifts and presents underneath your tree crowding out your living room.  When the gifts finally do make their way under the tree, they are ready to be opened, like, the next day.
6. My side of the family also has a nasty habit of sneaking around and finding out what you bought for them.  I (we) have been known to open up people's purses, check for receipts to stores, unwrap and rewrap presents, bribe small children to spill the beans, etc.  If you buy the presents on December 21, they don't have much time to try their sneaky business.
7. Folks like me hate shopping and fighting crowds and enduring the annoying commercialism of Christmas.  If you procrastinate and save all the shopping for one day, at least you are not ruining multiple days with these sorts of things.

Now that I have shared valid reasons why it's not so bad to procrastinate, let me arm you with a few important points to make your own procrastination successful.  Procrastination is a fine art, friends.

1. If you decide to procrastinate shopping and shove it all into one day, you MUST have detailed lists.  List the names of people you are buying gifts for, the things you are buying for them, then organize those things according to stores, THEN organize the store lists according to the most efficient route through town.  Let me know if you'd like me to design a graphic organizer for this.  It will be cute and functional.
2. You must, MUST watch the weather.  Especially if you live in Iowa.  You will be, um, majorly out of luck if a snowstorm hits on the very last day you were able to go shopping.  Try telling your cute little niece that she doesn't get a present from you because the roads were too icy yesterday...  Not cool.
3. You must take online ordering and shipping times into account.  If you aren't able to buy things in physical stores, you've got to get your poop in a group a week earlier, unless, of course, you are comfortable spending oodles of money on overnight shipping.  

There.  Now YOU can be a cool Christmas Procrastinator just like me next year.  :)  Enjoy the last few days of hustle and bustle, friends.