| Too busy to gift shop during the year and too | | | | having to cook dinner. |
| overwhelmed at Christmas? WYT shopping is for | | | | |
| you! WYT stands for While You're There. It's | | | | When you drop donations at the thrift store, |
| based on the premise you can buy presents | | | | look around. Another person's give-away can |
| anywhere. | | | | be your give-to. It's the perfect place to |
| | | | find collectibles - like souvenir plates for |
| When you go to the gym, buy a one-month | | | | Cousin Walter, who doesn't travel farther |
| membership for a friend. Misery loves | | | | than the Travel Channel. |
| company. | | | | |
| | | | When you vacation, buy local crafts. If you |
| While you're at the supermarket, check the | | | | visit museums, visit the gift shops. Posters |
| specialty aisle. Cheese stuffed olives for | | | | and books make special presents for arty |
| martinis, truffle oil for gourmet cooking, | | | | friends. A box of blank cards makes a special |
| macadamias for memories of Hawaii - food is a | | | | present for anyone. It's much less expensive |
| great present because it doesn't need | | | | than Hallmark and says you cared enough to |
| dusting. | | | | send the very best - of Matisse, Picasso or |
| | | | Warhol. |
| You've had to make another trip to buy a gift | | | | |
| card - give someone the gift of not having to | | | | When you're making prints of your vacation |
| make these guilt trips. While you're at the | | | | pictures, buy a frame. Grandparents can never |
| stationery store, buy an alphabetized file. | | | | have too many pictures of the children they |
| Put a couple of anniversary cards in the "A" | | | | let eat cookies before dinner. |
| section, birthday cards in the "B" section, | | | | |
| get well cards in the "G" section and so on. | | | | However, to get the full benefit from WYT |
| It's the gift that keeps on giving - peace of | | | | shopping, always ask for a box for your |
| mind. | | | | purchase. When you get home, wrap it and |
| | | | label it. |
| When you're at the nursery buying plants to | | | | |
| replace ones you've over watered, buy a | | | | Yes, this means using Christmas gift wrap |
| trowel or pruning shears. Combined with a | | | | year-round. It also means when others are |
| gift certificate for a manicure, it's a gift | | | | crazed by holiday shopping, you can join me |
| for someone with a greener thumb than yours. | | | | at the mall, where I sit at a cafe and scan |
| | | | the crowds for the ghost of my Christmas |
| The next time you're having dinner out, buy a | | | | past. |
| gift certificate and give the gift of not | | | | |