Slightly off topic, but is it just me, or has Christmas started far too early this year?
I heard my first Christmas song of the year back on October 16th (on an advert for Argos I think), and already most big shops have got their Christmas displays up.
I find the whole thing slightly nauseating, to be quite honest. Spending the best part of 3 months building up to a day of excess isn’t particularly my idea of fun – don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see the kids enjoying themselves, and it’s good to have a few days off where we can all indulge a little, but the sense of it all being a big let down seems to grow each year.
So short of banning it altogether (and believe me, the thought crosses my mind now and again!), what is the best way to minimise the hassle of buying all of those presents? For me, it’s to avoid all of the crowds and hopefully saving some money by shopping online. There are plenty of sites with gift ideas – the obvious one is Amazon, but most big department stores also now offer online shopping.
What are your survival tips for the run-up to Christmas?