holiday shopping tips and tricks.

top: h&m (similar) // bottoms: forever 21 // vest: chelsea & violet (similar) // booties: lifestride // hat: forever 21 (similar) // bag: vintage coach (current version) // earrings: j.crew (similar) // bow: claire’s (similar) // nails: opi “opi red”

as the holiday season gets into full swing with thanksgiving tomorrow and christmas soon after, it really is time to start doing your christmas shopping if you have not already. i feel like black friday is the unofficial start to the holiday shopping frenzy. though it can be daunting when there are so many people on your gift list and you want to give the right gift to each, it is definitely possible to get it all done while maintaining the holiday spirit and not losing your sanity. so today i am teaming up with kendall of “styled snapshots” to share our top 5 tips for conquering your christmas shopping list!

below are my top five tips and make sure to check out kendall’s top five tips over on her blog!

1. start early. if you have not already started the christmas shopping or at least started gathering ideas, now is the time to do so. when i was in college and had to wait until after finals week to begin my christmas shopping i always felt that i got so stressed over it all that it took away from the fun and the spirit of the holiday.

2. have backup ideas. try to have one backup idea for each person because sometimes stores sell out, gifts end up being too pricey, or you do not have time to visit the seventh store. try to come up with ideas that you like equally as much as your first choice that you can substitute in if necessary.

3. dress appropriately. i recommend comfortable pants, booties, a button down shirt, layers, a hat and a crossbody bag.
booties are great because they are easy to get on and off and you can wear regular socks with them. if you are planning on trying on any shoes, let’s be honest, those thin nylon things they give you are not the same as socks and you do not want to come home and realize your shoes are too tight when you have real socks on. button downs are great because then you do not have to worry about pulling a shirt over your head 800 times as you try on but a hat in case your hair gets messed up anyways. lastly, a crossbody bag is essential for shopping because although those large crook of the arm bags are adorable, your arm is going to be sore enough with all the shopping bags.

4. utilize the internet. if you can buy online and it is cheaper, go ahead and do that. do not forget about cyber monday. though the internet can get pretty crowded that day, i know last year i was able to score some pretty great stuff (for myself haha) from j.crew for next to nothing!

5. wrap your gifts pretty. this totally requires starting on your shopping list early but i know i always appreciate a well-wrapped gift. i hate when i have a wonderful gift for someone and then run out of time and do not have time to wrap it pretty, it just seems like if there is a great gift on the inside that it should look like a great gift from the outside as well! some of my favorite ideas for this year are: neon tags, hand cut snowflakes, white stamps on butcher paper, and reindeer stamps with pom poms.

happy shopping everyone, go get some great gifts!