Every year right after Halloween, it seems the stores take down all the Halloween merchandise and all of a sudden, shopping malls, stores, restaurants are magically transformed into a Winter wonderland with festive decor and Holiday music playing in the background.

Immediately, this puts me in Holiday mode. I feel like I need to grab a hot chocolate with a peppermint stick or candy cane in it, and buy those huge tins of assorted shortbread cookies that come out every Christmas so I can keep on hand for people who happen to 'drop in' during the Holidays.

I used to get a little stressed out when it came to shopping for Christmas presents for loved ones. The malls are always so crowded, the line ups at the cash too long, parking always a pain, and people not their most polite. T'is the season!

This makes me think of my Holiday shopping habits now.

• I usually pick up gift items here and there over the course of the year whenever I see something on sale. Sometimes I get multiples of the same items if the prices are right. We have a lot of babies in the family and pretty much all of our friends have children around the same age as Little One. 
• I don't really have a specific time of the year to start shopping for presents. Like I mentioned, I buy items throughout the year. I've got a big Rubbermaid bin marked "gifts" and I store items in there for when I need them.
• Closer to Christmas, I make a list of what my nieces, nephews, brothers, their spouses/significant others, Hubby, Little One, Hubby's family members, and my parents want or need. I keep that list in a folder on my BlackBerry so I have it on hand all the time.
• I look through flyers, websites, gift guides, etc.
• Sometimes, I have a clear idea in my head of what I want to shop for and other times, it's an impulse buy. I try not to make impulse buys though and prefer to stick to my plan.
• I shop locally - Manitoulin Island has a lot of creative and artistic inhabitants! I love promoting local businesses and try to buy locally whenever I can and as much as I can. Handcrafted, original items mean so much to me because of the thought, love, and labour that goes into making them. Also, many of our local shops carry items we can get in the "big cities". Many times, if the shops don't have the items, you can also ask them to order them in.
• For items on loved ones lists that are not available locally, I shop online. I do a lot of my shopping online. I buy everything from clothing, toys, and electronics online. It's super easy, hassle-free, stress-free (I don't have to fight anyone for a parking space or tackle anyone for the last [insert name of whatever the most popular toy is these days]!)
• We have two new additions to our ever growing family! Two nephews! Some of my friends have recently had babies as well. When looking for gifts for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and even school aged kids, check out the Fisher-Price Joy of Learning. It's an easy way to see which Fisher-Price toys are best suited for specific age groups. You can tell by the symbols which areas of development the toys work with. Physical (sensory, fine motor, gross motor, balance & coordination), Cognitive (curiosity & discovery, imagination & creativity, thinking & problem solving, academics), and Social & Emotional (security & happiness, self-expression & confidence, listening & communication, sharing & cooperation).