How to Plan Your Holiday Shopping to Actually Enjoy It

Published on: 25 December 2018 Last Updated on: 13 September 2024

Christmas is just around the corner and you still haven’t bought any presents, picked out the meals you are going to prepare or even haven’t decorated your home? It’s no wonder why you stress about the holiday shopping every year then if you always leave the shopping for the last day.

If this is you, you’re probably wondering how some people keep a smile on their face even though the lines at the supermarket are enormous, people are generally stressed and unpleasant as your life descends into chaos.

The answer is simple: planning!

Holiday shopping doesn’t need to be stressful or painful. It can be a walk in the park if you know how to plan everything and make sure you’ve checked everything off your to-do list.

So get an app like Blink the Bee and get ready to take notes – we’ll show you how to make the most out of your holiday shopping.

Think About the Gifts First

The biggest expense on any holiday shopping list are the gifts, especially if you have kids you don’t want to let down. Chances are you already know what they want for the holidays as they have been nagging you about that new toy or video game for months.

Fortunately, you can find these at a lot of stores and online, just make sure to order it in time or your kids will be left empty-handed.

Make a Holiday Shopping List (And Stick to It)

The gifts are just the tip of the Christmas tree you need to climb as the holiday approaches. If you haven’t done your holiday shopping yet, chances are you’ve forgotten about a lot of Christmas essentials. So make sure you leave a note in your virtual online assistant so you don’t forget about any of these categories:

Decorations: Get those holiday decorations for your home, both for the indoors and the outdoors.

Food: Know what you will be cooking? Make sure to write down all the ingredients so you don’t forget anything.

Dinner Essentials: There’s more to a family holiday dinner than the food. Make sure you don’t forget about the drinks, napkins or extra plates.

Gifts: You’ve already picked out the gifts? Great! Now don’t forget to get the wrapping paper, holiday cards, and ribbons to wrap them up.

Traditions: Don’t forget about advent calendars, picture books or Christmas socks.

Pick a One-Stop Shop

Got the list written down? Good, now it’s time to do some shopping. The best and quickest way to do this is to find a store that has everything you need in one place. Whether it’s a giant supermarket or a mall, not having to navigate through the holiday traffic jams will save a lot of time and nerves.

Remember the Things You Are Likely to Forget

There is nothing worse than having gone through your holiday shopping only to realize you forgot something when you come back home. Whether it’s batteries for your holiday decorations, wrapping paper or dinner napkins, make sure to write down all the items you are likely to forget on a separate list so you don’t miss anything on your first shopping run.

Be Done With Shopping

Once you’ve shopped for everything that was on your list, be done with it. It might be tempting to visit a shop again just in case you’ve missed something, but try to avoid the temptation and enjoy the holidays with your family without any stress of being lured into one-time deals on things you’ll never need.

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How To Buy & Sell Jewelry Online

Do you still remember your Mom browsing Macy’s or Sear’s clearance to find a great bargain? Maybe you also remember your family selling pre-owned fashion and jewelry by hosting a garage sale or a yard sale. Selling fashion and jewelry via garage sales or yard sales can be tough and time-consuming. You probably remember those events, thinking that you can do it better and more lucrative. This is the ultimate guide for selling, buying, and trading jewelry in the 21st century. Millennials know great ways of selling for great prices and finding bargains online but this guideline summarized the best ways for you. Selling, buying, and trading can be adventurous and our author tested some great options for you to do so. Find Jewelry Bargains Online: eBay.com is probably the best bargain-source on earth. It offers absolutely unbeatable options for buying jewelry online - often for a great price. Just follow a simple rule: spend time on browsing eBay’s inventory and use the email notification tool which is sending brand-new deals directly to your smartphone. Our author spent just some minutes, five evenings long, to find a Pandora Gold Safety chain for $125 (free shipping) while the average selling price for exactly the same pre-owned Pandora chain is approximately $250 – WOW, what a bargain just by spending some spare time. This is how it works! 1. Search for your desired item and click “Save this search” 2. Your searches are listed under “saved searches” 3. Bargains are sent directly into your email inbox eBay is a really great marketplace and thanks to PayPal and money back guarantee, a very safe place for online shopping. It’s our favorite place for buying pre-owned jewelry online. Too good to be true? Be smart before you pay for a bargain! Too good to be true? Keep a close eye on seller reviews as “too good to be true”- offers are popping up all the time. What do you think if you find a Rolex Datejust 18K Gold Watch for $1,500 that usually sells for over $5,000 offered from a seller with almost no feedback? Turn your back away and let this opportunity pass as the watch is either a fake or it will never be shipped to you. eBay will certainly reimburse you for your loss but your money is blocked for 1 or 3 weeks and the hassle you probably have is not worth the tiny chance of getting the watch as described. Other great sources for finding bargains online are consignment stores like The RealReal. They are definitely not recommended for selling as the bargain you want to strike is paid by the consigner. The fine print in consignment agreements makes bargains possible. Usually, a consigner agrees to huge discounts without having the right to decline an offer or to reclaim his item(s). In a nutshell – consigners are powerless. If you browse consignment store inventories regularly you can take advantage of this situation. Keep a close eye on coupons and limited-time offers as discounts up to 70% are possible. It’s difficult to follow all the offers but you have a really good chance to find a bargain. Sell Jewelry that you no longer need: Selling jewelry requires some basic knowledge and the ability to describe items properly is essential. Besides Wikipedia, the redollar.com education academy is a rich resource for getting educated in gold jewelry. Understanding the meaning of terms like karat, purity, gold price, or clarity is the basis of providing an accurate product description for jewelry. If you describe your items wrongly you either end up having a hard time with the buyer as your item description was described to his disadvantage or you end up getting paid too less money for your items. Alan Jensen, a reputable jewelry expert confirms that this kind of trouble happens really often to many people. Especially weighing-mistakes are pretty common as people need a precise digital scale for determining an accurate weight for gold jewelry. To avoid such troubles it may be helpful to consult an accredited jewelry appraiser. Does an appraisal make sense? Not always as appraisals can cost as low as $50 but they can go as up to $300 or higher. An appraisal is probably not the right investment if you get jewelry appraised that has a value of $100 but you have to pay $50 for the appraisal. In such a case the ratio is not well-balanced. Definitely helpful are free appraisals online. Although they are not 100% accurate, getting a rough idea about the value of your jewelry can be very helpful to make a decision if it’s worth to get more information about a piece of jewelry with help of a written appraisal from an accredited appraiser. It’s always great fun and very exciting to buy and sell online and your opportunities are endless. Good luck for striking your next bargain, or selling for a great price. Read Also: Knowing More About Chocolate Diamond Rings Health Benefits Of The Amber Teething Necklace

O’Neal Apparel Buying Guide

No matter what type of rider you are, you want to look your best as you hit the road. Finding the right motorcycle apparel is all about deciding what you value most and picking a brand that matches your personal style. Here’s a rundown of what O’Neal has to offer in each category of wearable gear. Finding the right apparel also reflects you and your bike’s personality. If you are a Harley rider, your perfect riding apparel would be different from someone tearing up the highway in a Ducati. In the world of serious biking and riding, selecting the right apparel for your ride is probably the single most important thing after the bike itself. Jerseys: If your budget has you on the hunt for cheap motorcycle clothing and accessories, O’Neal might be a good brand to explore. While affordable, these jerseys don’t skimp on any of the style or function. Having a quality jersey should be a priority for you as you hit the road on your bike especially if you are going to drive for a few miles at a time. It can save your body from harmful heat, wind and more. Bold patterns and striking colors are perfect for motocross t-shirts. Most designs also feature moisture-wicking fabric to keep you dry in wet weather. The good news is O’Neal has many quality yet affordable jerseys to choose from for the motorcycle riders. Pants: Wearing a quality yet highly comfortable motorcycle pant can make a big difference in your motorcycle riding experience. O’Neal has a durable line of motorcycle pants to keep you riding for hours. The designs match the cool patterns of the jerseys, but you can also find a good neutral black if that’s more your thing. Adjustable waistbands, zippers and elastic allow you to get the exact fit you need. Many options also include pockets for added convenience. Gloves: You need a good grip on your gloves, and that’s exactly what O’Neal provides. Silicone on the palms gives you extra friction, and the material has good stretch, so you get a snug yet breathable fit. Many of O’Neal’s glove products also allow you to adjust the tightness around the wrists. The more control you have over a motorbike, the better it is for you in terms of safety and a perfect pair of gloves can give you the best control over your bike. Boots: Your feet may take the biggest beating out on the road, but with sturdy footwear, you won’t even notice. In times of dangerous accidents, your high quality, durable pair of boots can save you from injuries. O’Neal uses tough plastic to protect your shins, while extra padding on the inside keeps your heels nice and cushioned. Most of the brand’s boots include metal reinforcement panels that provide a barrier against road impact. Check out O’Neal’s designs to see if they suit the vibe you’re after. Bold patterns can help you stand out, while sleek black options give you even more versatility. The brand’s functional features may also be just what you’re looking for. The motorcycle accessories mentioned here are all for safety, style, and comfort. If you are a careful and responsible rider, you should have all of these and enjoy your rides. Take no risk with your life and keep your passenger sitting behind safe as well. Read Also: Tips For Buying A Beginner Mountain Bike How To Get An Accurate Valuation Of Your Motorcycle When Selling Dos And Don’ts When You’re Involved In A Motorcycle Accident In Syracuse NY

6 myths of mattress you must know for sure

Sleeping mattress shopping can be a standout among the most anguishing encounters, from pushy sales representatives to a mind-boggling number of choices to not really realizing what you require in any case. It's so natural to wind up with the wrong one, however it doesn't need to be that way. When it comes to purchasing a new sleeping mattress, you most likely have a couple of inquiries… and, then again, you may have a couple of mattress certainties concealed in the openings of your mind that you'll use to help direct your purchase decisions. Before making out of here another sleeping mattress, make sure you're working with the correct information! After talking to various sleep experts and conducting reviews, here are 6 myths debunked. 1. Perfect Box-spring Mattress Doesn't Exist: Unless your bed frame still uses braces for help, you needn't bother with a box spring, according to reviews. Box springs were first developed to help retain stun since sleeping mattress themselves were such a great amount of slender in those days. These days, all case springs truly do is simply raise the profile of your bed. So once more, in case you're going for the princess look, begin stacking. Something else, it's only an extra, superfluous cost. All you require is a strong platform underneath your mattress for help. 2. Purchase a Sleeping Mattress with the Longest Warranty Conceivable: Sleeping mattress warranty doesn’t allude to the life desire of your purchase. The warranty covers workmanship and materials and simply like numerous items utilized with outrageous consistency, you'll see wear and tear before you achieve the finish of the warranty. When purchasing any another sleeping mattress, read the warranty deliberately despite the fact that there's almost no distinction in the terms and states of warranty from maker to the manufacturer. It's great to take note of that transportation costs (to and from the manufacturing plant) are typically not shrouded on account of repair or substitution. Too, another warranty is regularly not issued when the sleeping mattress is replaced. 3. Testing Your Mattress by Lying-down on the Showroom Floor is Enough: Believe it or not, the only genuine approach to try out a mattress and ensure it's the one for you is to really sleep over it. (Mind is blown, right?) This reality is key with regards to shopping with sleeping mattress companies that offer both a sensible time for testing and return shipping rates in the event that the one you pick at first winds up not being the ideal fit. A few companies don't offer trials by any stretch of the imagination, and others' arrival estimating can get entirely steep. In any case, don't simply sneak in a catnap in the store and call it a day here. 4. You're most Definitely Going to Get the Total Value (and then some) of that Lifetime Warranty At the point when most companies say 'lifetime warranty,' they're alluding to the materials inside the sleeping cushion, which truly isn't a warranty by any means. It's a truism when this sleeping mattress is exhausted from typical wear and tear, it's never again secured under warranty. It's extremely ambiguous and can get exceptionally costly. The National Sleep Foundation prescribes changing your bedding each seven to 10years, paying little mind to any remarkable warranty. That is the most vital detail to remember. To what extent your sleeping cushion will keep going relies upon a few elements like utilization and its unique quality, yet as a rule, it's got a pursue that 10-year point. It won't give you much help and solace after that. 5. The Correct Sleeping Mattress will Anticipate Hurling and Turn: Infants begin moving to roll over in their sleep at around 4 months of age and by adulthood, we're moving as much as 75 times each night – whether it's a simple jerk or a full-out roll. We move amid the night to ease stress point torment and to lessen the strain on our backs and joints. A decent mattress will decrease the amount you move during the night by giving pressure point relief, which will enable you to slip into more profound, mending REM sleep. 6. Replace Your Mattress Every 8 Years: The Better Sleep Council suggests supplanting your sleeping mattress every 7-10 years, depending upon solace and support. In all actuality, the life of a mattress differs uncontrollably, which relies on how you deal with it, how you sleep over it and how regularly you pivot it. Think about your mattress as execution intends for your sleep. Much the same as a decent match of running shoes can enable you to run quicker and avoid wounds, a strong mattress can convey better, more advantageous sleep. You'll know when it's an ideal opportunity to get another sleeping mattress in view of how you grope when you wake up. Read More: How To Salvage Your Furniture After A Flood Why Is Sleeping Well So Important For Job Performance?