@GirlontheProwl here, and with Christmas around the corner, the holiday gift giving frenzy is upon us. I’m sure many of you have walked into shopping centers and just about run away screaming—not to worry you are not alone! But in an effort to ease your shopping experience, here are ten things you need to know in order to survive the chaos that comes with holiday gift shopping.

1. A good night’s sleep: I know, you’re probably like whaaat?!, but from personal experience going gift shopping on less than five hours of sleep won’t help your patience with other frenzied customers. Not to mention little to no sleep makes even the most nicest people into tiny monsters! So make sure you get that sleep in.

2. Make a list: Santa isn’t the only one who can make lists! Make a list of items you would like to buy for your loved ones and as you probably already know it’ll make your lives a whole lot easier. But here’s the catch, don’t get stuck inside the box. If you find something you like better than what you have on your list, just go for it and throw caution to the wind.

3. Start early: I don’t mean you should have started in November (although that would probably be better in hindsight), but start early in the day. If you are like me, trying to get your holiday shopping done all in one go has become a bit of a game. So what better way to achieve that than giving yourself more hours to shop!

4. Dress appropriately: It may not seem like it, but what you wear makes a big difference when it comes to holiday shopping. The best thing to do is dress for comfort. Don’t wear anything heavy or too warm because more often than not shopping centers are piping hot. So leave those winter coats in the car and cruise past those shoppers walking around with their jackets in hand because they didn’t have the good fortune of reading this tip!

5. A shopping buddy: While it’s not always convenient to find someone who you aren’t shopping for to go with, shopping with a partner is always a sure-fire way to relieve some stress. Plus, it’s always easier to bounce ideas off someone and ask for advice if you take someone with you.

6. Food: I am a lover of food, as I am sure many of us are, but in the holiday shopping mix it’s sometimes easy to forget to eat. My advice to you? When you start feeling that gnawing feeling in your stomach eat something, because before you know it, you’re going to get “hangry”. A combination that no one enjoys, and just like how a lack of sleep it is no good when it comes to being efficient, neither is being hungry!

7. Coffee: I know, I know, first I tell you to sleep, then I tell you to eat, and now I’m telling you to drink coffee? What, madness! But honestly, when you start feeling the day wear on, drink a coffee (hot or cold)—it’ll keep you awake and more importantly happy. Seriously, no one likes sharing their shopping experience with the Grinch!

8. Shopping on a budget: We all go in with a budget in mind, but with Interac and credit cards, sometimes the numbers get away from us. So what should you do? Well, try withdrawing cash. There’s nothing more motivating than not having any extra room to spend. Trust me, the after-holiday-stress over bills will be a thing of the past.

9. Be kind: Every year people forget that the holidays are meant to be a time for kindness. So don’t be that asshole who bumps into people and doesn’t apologize. Not only is it annoying, but it’s rude. However, if you are on the receiving end don’t get angry—even though you want to—and just remember some people don’t quite know how to handle the holiday frenzy like you will.

10. A Smile: And finally, to put a smile on everyone’s face, remember to wish people a happy holiday—trust me, it could make someone’s day, especially if they’ve been working all day.

And that’s all I’ve got, folks. If you have any tips to offer or just have questions make sure you comment down below, otherwise hit that like button and don’t forget to subscribe…I assure you there will be more Christmas-y blogs to come!

Cheers,