ORGANIZE YOUR GIFTING--ALL YEAR!

NJ Expert Oganizer, Marilyn Shain Labendz, makes buying gifts in advance helpful

Everyone has a different way to shop: on-line, in small stores, in large malls, consignment shops, etc. The one thing in common is that the items have to come into our house before they are gifted! Now what!?

While you're shopping you find the perfect birthday/anniversary/graduation gift for someone and you buy it. Now what!? Where do you put it so that you remember where it is when you need it?

As you're shopping, you find a bargain so good that you buy it even though you don't know who you are going to give it to. Now what!?

Here are some specific ideas for gift giving during the holiday season and all year long:

If you're not going to put the holiday gifts under the tree, menorah, or some traditional place at home consider these possible hiding places:

The trunk of your car.
In a newly cleaned out corner of the garage or closet. (Ahem, ahem).
Under your bed.
In a kitchen cabinet that no one goes to.
MAKE A NOTE OF WHERE EACH GIFT WAS HIDDEN!

If you shop all year long and buy gifts ahead of time or "someone will like this":

Set up an area, (basement, garage, etc) with bins.
Mark the bins: gender specific youth/gender specific adults/house gifts...you get the point.
As you buy items ahead of time put a sticky note on the bottom if it is designated for a specific person.
In your calendar, on exact date of someone's birthday (or specific event) for whom you have purchased something weeks or months ago, write what you bought and where you put it.
Make a list of "Gifts I've Bought Ahead of Time" on your phone with the recipient's name, birth date, or in your notebook if you prefer paper, what the gift is and where you put it.