The Bo…yzo’s Are Back in Town

I know why online shopping has become a huge hit.

The bo…yzo’s are back in town, congregated wherever things are sold. Especially Costco.

For those of you who joined me at the circus in my previous post about bozos (When Everybody’s a Bozo), I’m glad I’m alive to write the next installment. The bozos are still alive and well, too.

On a recent excursion I nearly got hit by a ‘don’t get in my way’ bozo behind the wheel in one of Costco’s main traffic lanes. Never mind that I was halfway across  the lane already, not to mention being ‘the pedestrian’. Rules of the road apparently do not apply in parking lots except exceeding the speed limit. Who says I can’t do 38 mph in the parking lot? What’s speed bumps got to do with it?

The internet and PayPal are looking much more appealing these days.

This certainly isn’t the first year the crowds and traffic and stuff (oh my!) have gotten on my nerves. Nearly getting run over by grandma’s reindeer on four wheels (why yes, it was a little old grandma driving way too fast behind that wheel…to which I muttered something about ‘being old enough to know better, so SLOW DOWN!’) got me to thinking:

What have I done differently, if anything? Or have I just continued to suffer through the same old way of tackling the festivities of the season because – well, ya know, it’s tradition?

I’m pleased to say the bozos have had a positive effect. There are some things I do differently now. How about you? Can you relate to some of these or do you have some great ones you’ve landed on yourself?

You’re welcome to share in Comments and add some more to the following list:

Holiday thank you dinner – as a small business owner, one of our ways of saying thank you to a small group assisting us through the year was with a nice dinner out. In January. Far, far away from the headache of trying to coordinate December weekends and snagging reservations for a party of anything over two. It became a favorite holiday party after the holidays way to show our appreciation and give us all something to anticipate in the cold, dark, long days of our wintry January. Each time a good time was had by all. More relaxed too.

Shopping through the year – I’ve employed this tactic for quite a number of years. However, there is a key to its success: remember where you’ve stowed the gifts! (I’ve resembled our angel’s face plant in the palm pose a few too many times).

I like to shop this way because 1) it cuts down on the December frenzy and 2) when I come across the perfect gift for a special someone on my list, why pass up the opportunity? Costco taught me that, when too many times I passed up a great purchase thinking I’d go back and get it later. They never had it after that. Every. single. time. If it’s perfect and you have the money, get it then. You’ll thank yourself later.

Shop ahead but plan for a surprise – My daughter-in-law, who also employs the shop through the year approach, came up with a good solution for getting swept up in the fun of the Christmas shopping season. Though it may sound like an oxymoron to plan for a surprise, common sense tells us shop-ahead purchasers there will usually be something we come across during the actual countdown to Christmas. So, she shops through the year for her and our son’s two children, but tucks away an amount to have on hand for some small fun or interesting last-minute gifts. If you’re not a ‘one gift’ shopper but more like a ‘bunch of smaller gifts’ shopper (especially if you have younger children at home), this is a great way to engage in the squirrels’ approach without going nuts. Gather early but plan so you can top off the stash with that perfect acorn.

Gift Cards don’t have to be impersonal – I know, nothing says impersonal like a Visa gift card or the third Starbucks gift card of the year. I used to shy away from giving gift cards for Christmas. But a gift card may not be as impersonal as one thinks. When is a gift card a great way to say Merry Christmas, I love you?

For the sandwich lover in your family, how about a sub shop gift card? For the seamstress or crafty person, they’ll appreciate indulging their hobbies on your thoughtful dime with a gift card to their favorite fabric or hobby shop. For the parents who have everything but the kitchen sink (and are in dire need of a new one), adult children can go together and get a gift card to the neighborhood home improvement store. And there’s always Amazon. It’s like ten Costco’s put together. There isn’t much you can’t find on Amazon.com these days. For the hard to buy for or I know what I want/like/will use recipients on your list, an Amazon gift card isn’t impersonal at all; you’re giving them the gift of choice!

So many options are available these days for engaging in the gift of giving – when you stop and consider the person you are gifting, giving can speak louder than words. It’s a special way to let them know you care, you see them, you know them a lot or even a little.

Perhaps they are more giver than receiver; bless them with a gift given to a charity in their name. Maybe they’re adamant they don’t want anything – so write them a personal letter telling them why they are a gift. My list could go on, but I’d much rather hear from you!

What have you done differently, if anything?
How have you bucked tradition?
What has brought more calm and less frenzy to the shopping, festivities,
commitments, and full calendar holiday season?

Please share by clicking on Comments or Share Your Thoughts on the website.

If you notice the bo…yzo’s are back in town, my advice?
Watch out for grandma and her reindeer in the Costco parking lot 🙂

Welcome to the Christmas season!

~ Nancy

Collage photos courtesy of Pixabay & Unsplash by Kate Zaidova – Free Images with PicMonkey enhancements
Snowflake photo credit: Snowflake via photopin (license)