LIL' BUDDY'S BLOG - ALL RIGHT, GENTLEMEN - YOU CAN BEGIN YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING NOW!
THE CHICAGO REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!
OK, you dogs, my favorite day is almost here - Christmas Eve! Every year, at least for the two Christmas Eve's I've been around, that's the day, at about 4:30 in the afternoon, my Human Daddy Dean and I head out to stores in and around Chicago, to get our shopping for the holidays in.
If we time it right, we could be out by six - malls and stores are dead that late before the holiday, and most shoppers are bewildered men - hurrying and scurrying over for their wife's favorite perfume or jewelery, only to find American Express Gift Cards the only remaining option.
Well, this year, we might start a little earlier! Just a bit, however - I don't want to ruin my canine reputation!
BTW - stick around at the end of this posting for my list of my FIVE FAVORITE HOLIDAY GIFTS! I'm sure you four-legged friends will agree with most of these!
On the human side, here are some last-minute shopping tips, courtesy of Laura T. Coffey at MSNBC.com.
1. TODAY is the day to do shopping online! Many online stores guarantee Christmas Eve delivery if you order TODAY, December 20th, before midnight. Check the retailer's policy FIRST, however, before you select the SHIPPING OPTIONS button!
2. Another online option - e-gift certificates. For most e-tailers, you have until about noon on December 24th to order e-gift certificates online, and either have them delivered via email, or printed on your printer. If your using the email option, make sure the person receiving the gift won't block your certificate as spam. Also, verify whether your e-certificate will be redeemable in-store, online only, or both!
3. Go to the drug store, or food store, or convenience store, and buy actual plastic gift cards. It absolutely boggles my little mind how many different gift card opitions their are at the local Walgreen's, Dominicks Foods here in Chicago, or 7-11 Convenience Store. There are hundreds of options, from Nordstrom, to Home Depot, to I-Tunes, to Borders Books! Be careful, however, a few of these cards have expiration dates (although most kill dates or automatic deductions are now banned by Illinois Law), and gift certificates involving Credit Cards (Visa or American Express) often carry added fees.
4. Shop on December 24th! Boy, Laura, you were reading my little brain waves. Fewer people shopping, everyone wants to get in and out quickly. Mainly us manly men hit the stores on the 24th - less offensive perfume from the lack of lady customers. However, many of the best gifts are already gone, and shipping these gifts is never an option this late in the game. (You know, I had an aunt - a Blonde Peke - who actually did her shopping the day AFTER Christmas - but none of us kids really liked her that much on Christmas Day!)
5. Consider Gourmet Food Gifts. Godiva Chocolates (always a favorite of my Human Mom, Sue), fine wines or liqueur (Dad has to buy these - I'm not quite 21 yet!), aged cheese, and special sauces all fill the bill here. Many can be purchased on your way to your parent's house on Christmas Day as well - so they may never know, right? (Yeah, sure!)
6. Reading Material, Every Month for the Coming Year. Specialty magazine subscriptions, even in this internet age, are always welcome, as you think about the recipient's needs and interests. And, the gift keeps coming, every month for a year. (My favorite is Dog Fancy, especially their Spring Swim Suit Issue).
7. The gift of YOU! What about a gift of baby (or, dog) sitting services. A great gourmet meal that you prepare yourself. A home or car repair, perhaps. Be careful, what you promise here, you have to deliver here!
Wow - these ideas sure reduced my little stress level! Hit the malls, and the web, guys!
Oh, yeah - my five favorite holiday gifts -
1. A two-pound Gift Box of Holiday Candy, flavored with Liver Sausage.
2. A TV Remote, in the shape of a large beef bone, and with the aroma of BBQ beef!
3. Any holiday-scented candle with the scent of Rumaki.
4. My human daddy's unwashed sweat socks, wrapped up in a little red bow, and tied to a Meaty Bone.
5. A fresh, unmarked sapling in the front of our house.
Happy Holidays, everyone! Let's bark like this again next week!
YOUR ACE REPORTER ON FOUR PAWS,
BUDDY HOLLY MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
