Staying Cozy This Christmas is Just a Click Away

Paul Smith

Winter came late this year, but rest assured, it is here.  And what a year it’s been, with the state of our current world.  Oh, don’t worry, we won’t be talking about politics here today.  J

Instead, let’s think a little about Christmas, everyone’s favorite holiday.  Have you placed your Advent candles at home, shopped your party dress, and have you prepared yourself for that stressful task of getting Christmas gifts for your loved ones?

Moms of toddlers, like myself, naturally do not have time to mull through shopping malls, perusing through the milieu of bling blings proudly displayed on store shelves, with all kinds of holiday music from George Michael (how many versions of “Last Christmas” have you heard?) to Mariah Carey, to light, smooth, fluffy jazz versions of “Twinkle Bell” playing cheerily in the background.

In fact, even before becoming a work-juggling mother, I had long ago given up on the idea of doing Christmas shopping—the kind where you physically shopped in stores.  To tell you the truth, at the end of the day, I don’t know if I enjoy shopping much at all.  I enjoy looking at pretty things and discovering unseen designs and gems.

However, the physicality of shopping, especially in the winter, where you are covered in light sweat caused by indoor heating, carry a heavy coat under your arm while trying to squeeze through the store aisles without knocking anything over, sift through a massive stock of things, hand-pick the one(s) of your choice, ask for size changes (or quantity additions, where you may have to wait for a questionable length of time), go to the cashier, cue, go through the physical labor of paying cash or swiping your card, enter your pin or wait for change, wait for packing, a-n-d, finally, lug what may be a heavy bag (or bags), meanwhile trying to put on your coat, out into the dark and cold winter, had lost its appeal a long time ago.

When it comes to Christmas shopping, I have two options- hiring a personal shopper or do my shopping online.  Since I don’t know anyone who knows my taste and the taste of my loved ones as well as I, I resort to the second option.  For one afternoon in early December, I choose to stay cozy, sink into my favorite couch with my laptop, with a warm cup of tea or latte, listening to the music of my choice (which may not be anything Christmas-y at all), and click away.  Oh what joy.

Below are a few of my top choices when it comes to Christmas shopping:

For dad > Amazon: For DVDS of political documentaries and New York Times best-selling books on current affairs (https://www.amazon.co.uk )

For mom > Victoria and Albert Museum Online store: For any design home-ware, accessory, or stationery (http://www.vandashop.com/ )

For brother > Ebay: For any 70’s or 80’s memorabilia such as the authentic board game “Snake & Ladder” reminiscing of our childhood (http://www.ebay.co.uk/ )

For sister-in-law > Etsy: For handmade, quirky cooking-ware as she is a phenomenal baker (http://www.etsy.com/ )

For girl friends > ASOS: Top UK clothing site that includes more than 500 brands; reasonably-priced clothing and accessories for everyone (http://www.asos.com/ )

For more pricy and exclusive gifts > Net-a-porter (http://www.net-a-porter.com/ ) and Paul Smith online store (http://www.paulsmith.co.uk/shop/home/ )

For design lovers > Moma Online Store (http://www.momastore.org/ ) and Taschen online store (http://www.taschen.com/ )

For stationery lovers > Smython (http://www.smythson.com/ ) and my friend’s beautiful, hand-crafted designs at Tiselle (http://tiselle.com/ )

So, this is how I choose to stay cozy in the winter.  Please share your ideas by leaving comments on the blog.  I would love some tips for ordering gourmet foods and elegant bouquets online.

And, please remember this motto from my grandmother: Don’t overspend, because it’s absolutely unnecessary.  Those who already love you will not love you more if you overspend on them.  And for those who love you more only after you overspend on them, they are not worthy of your love in the first place. :)

Happy Christmas shopping!

Above image from paulsmith.co.uk/shop