{"id":8565,"date":"2017-10-05T09:16:10","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T13:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=8565"},"modified":"2023-02-16T12:59:07","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T17:59:07","slug":"a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Buying<\/p>\n

My husband sat on my enormous suitcase, which bulged cartoonishly at the seams, while I struggled to close the zipper. The telltale crackle of wrapping paper and ribbons being crushed created a worrisome soundtrack. I was headed across the country to visit my family for Christmas, and I was determined to bring all the presents I had collected over the year. (Next Christmas, I bought more travel-friendly gifts<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"Buying
Santa starts thinking about next year’s Christmas presents on December 26th\u2014and so should you. | Image courtesy Unsplash user Mike Arney<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As usual, I\u2019d been hoarding gifts since the end of last Christmas, picking up an item whenever something caught my eye. I started buying Christmas gifts throughout the year after I moved across the country from my family. The first holiday season away, I realized I didn\u2019t have enough money to buy presents for everybody and<\/i> a plane ticket home at once, so next year I spread my shopping out.<\/p>\n

I discovered that giving myself some breathing room made Christmas shopping actually…fun! Gone was the stress of shopping last-minute in over-crowded malls. Instead, I could focus on what I wanted to get each person, letting spontaneity be my guide if I happened upon the perfect present unexpectedly.<\/p>\n

Sounds good, right? If you\u2019re intrigued, here\u2019s a guide to buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. Your wallet, stress levels, and family will all thank you.<\/p>\n

Use Wish Lists<\/h4>\n
\"Wish
Wish lists are a great way to make sure you\u2019re getting gifts your family really wants! | Image courtesy Etsy seller JolisMots<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My niece’s yearly birthday wish list is a true work of art. Last year, she listed a Barbie Dreamhouse next to \u201ca duck egg,\u201d wrote \u201cskateboard\u201d three times, and used the front and<\/i> back of her paper in order to get everything down. Needless to say, there were quite a few things she didn\u2019t end up getting, but I saved her list so I could use it when shopping for her Christmas gifts.<\/p>\n

If you and your family regularly make holiday wish lists<\/a> with a site like Elfster<\/a>, it\u2019s easy to buy Christmas presents throughout the year. You have their wants and needs gathered in one place and can quickly refer to them when you see something you think they might like. It\u2019s also useful for shopping sales\u2014it\u2019s easy to get carried away when you see a big discount, but if you refer to the wish lists, you can make sure you don\u2019t spend money on something they won\u2019t really enjoy. So hang onto those birthday wish lists and wedding or baby shower registries\u2014they could come in handy when buying holiday gifts.<\/p>\n

Shop Post-Holiday Sales<\/h4>\n
\"Sales
Take advantage of sales throughout the year! | Image courtesy Unsplash user Gyorgy Bakos<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ah, February 15th, the most romantic day of the year. That\u2019s the day my hubby and I scramble madly through the aisles of our local grocery store, stocking up on as many boxes of Valentine\u2019s Day chocolate and not-that-wilted bouquets of roses as we can justify, all at a huge bargain.<\/p>\n

But the day after a big holiday isn\u2019t just a great time to load your cart with candy and flowers. Post-Christmas and Valentine\u2019s Day, you can find great discounts on everything from perfume sets to flatscreen TVs. One of my favorite parts about buying Christmas presents throughout the year is that I can almost exclusively shop sales. If I see something priced at a bargain, it\u2019s worth it to buy it months ahead of time rather than waiting until Black Friday when everyone else is trying to get the same discounted item. Not only is it less stressful, but it\u2019s also more economically feasible to spread my purchases out over the course of a year.<\/p>\n

It also gives me time to shop around, since not all sales are created equal. One store\u2019s huge blowout might turn up nothing but bulk packs of tube socks and crumbling styrofoam jack-o-lanterns, but because I\u2019m shopping over the course of months instead of hours, I won\u2019t feel pressured to buy. It gives me time to search for the holy grail, like the time I found the exact pair of earrings my mom had casually mentioned wanting on sale for 50% off a few months before the holidays.<\/p>\n

Think Seasonally<\/h4>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t it a little cold?\u201d my mom asked, as I showed off my new swimsuit. It was May in Maine, long before it would be warm enough to swim, but May and August\u2014before and after peak beach season\u2014are the best times to buy swimsuits.<\/p>\n

Shopping seasonally goes two ways. You can buy great gifts you might not have access to during Christmas, like locally made apple butter or beachy home decor. But you can also find great gifts and great deals by shopping for things that are out<\/i> of season.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve bought skis for my brother-in-law in April, camping equipment for my husband in October, and pool floaties for my niece in September, all for less than if I were purchasing them in season. When the holidays come, I have everything I need because I\u2019ve been buying Christmas presents throughout the year.<\/p>\n

Make Gifts Ahead of Time<\/h4>\n
\"Make
Crafting kits, like this woodland bunting, make it easy to DIY your Christmas gifts. | Image courtesy Etsy seller PollyChromeCrafts<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the quilt on my mom\u2019s bed to the painting in my father-in-law\u2019s office, homemade gifts are some of my favorite to give. But waiting until the last minute to make your gifts can be super stressful\u2014shopping for craft supplies when you\u2019ve got a lot on your mind can lead to some bizarre mistakes (that\u2019s coming from someone who once bought white paint instead of glue and didn\u2019t notice until after attempting to put my styrofoam snowman together…on Christmas Eve).<\/p>\n

Instead, plan your projects well in advance\u2014we\u2019re talking months. You may think you can complete a DIY gift project for your in-laws<\/a>\u00a0in a month, but life gets in the way, so plan for the unexpected. In fact, I find that the best time to start making my Christmas presents for the coming year is right after the holiday season when my social calendar is most relaxed and I have time to prepare. That way, if I start a project and realize it\u2019s beyond my skill level, I have time to try something else.<\/p>\n

Making a present for someone is an act of love, so you want to enjoy the process. By starting well in advance, buying your supplies, and making a crafting schedule, you can provide your loved ones with homemade Christmas gifts while minimizing stress.<\/p>\n

Pay Attention on Social Media<\/h4>\n
\"Check
If your loved one \u201clikes\u201d something on social media, it might just make a great gift! | Image courtesy Etsy seller juliaedean<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHow did you know?\u201d I was genuinely confused. I held a custom earthenware pot from a company I followed on Facebook, but I didn\u2019t even know my husband had ever heard of them (and the idea of him randomly stumbling across the same small pottery maker, located hundreds of miles away, seemed unlikely). It turns out that he\u2019d seen them pop up on his Facebook feed as a page I \u201cliked,\u201d checked their website, and got me one of their pieces. He bought it months before Christmas, afraid he\u2019d forget by the time the holidays rolled around, and stashed it in some corner of our house.<\/p>\n

I see this sort of thing on my social media feeds all the time\u2014my friends or family comment on a page\u2019s products, \u201clike\u201d something new, or tweet about a coveted item. And when that happens, I go to the page they were interacting with to pick up a gift. Buying Christmas presents like this means I\u2019m able to really surprise people because oftentimes, these gifts are things they never thought to mention to me. It\u2019s a thoughtful way to show them you\u2019re paying attention, even when the holidays are far from most people’s minds.<\/p>\n

Skip the Stress By Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year<\/h4>\n

Imagine it: a holiday when you\u2019re not<\/i> scrambling to buy presents at the last minute. It may sound too good to be true, but as with most things, careful planning and leaving yourself enough time can make your holiday shopping genuinely enjoyable.<\/p>\n

Buying Christmas gifts throughout the year takes the pressure off and leaves you time to leisurely search for the perfect gifts for your friends and family, or even to make them homemade presents. With this guide to spreading out your shopping over the year, you can spend more quality time with your family during the holidays instead of frantically shopping at the mall. And after all, isn\u2019t spending time with family what the holidays are really about?<\/p>\n

Still need some gift ideas to get a start on the holidays? Check out our <\/i><\/b>Christmas Gift Guides<\/i><\/b><\/a> for everyone in the family. You can share your favorite finds with us on Elfster\u2019s <\/i><\/b>Facebook<\/i><\/b><\/a> page, on Twitter <\/i><\/b>@Elfster<\/i><\/b><\/a>, and on Instagram <\/i><\/b>@Elfster<\/i><\/b><\/a>. <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My husband sat on my enormous suitcase, which bulged cartoonishly at the seams, while I struggled to close the zipper. The telltale crackle of wrapping paper and ribbons being crushed created a worrisome soundtrack. I [read more]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2748,"featured_media":8574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[533,532],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8565","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christmas","8":"category-gift-giving"},"yoast_head":"\nA Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year - Elfster Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Skip the crowds and the stress with our handy guide to buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. Your wallet, family, and blood pressure will thank you!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year - Elfster Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Skip the crowds and the stress with our handy guide to buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. Your wallet, family, and blood pressure will thank you!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Good Cheer | Elfster Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/elfster\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-10-05T13:16:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-16T17:59:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1895\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Justina H\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@elfster\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@elfster\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Justina H\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Justina H\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4dbf2ed4e8f4719bb7276c6031cc99f7\"},\"headline\":\"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-05T13:16:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-16T17:59:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/\"},\"wordCount\":1585,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Christmas\",\"Gift Giving\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/\",\"name\":\"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year - Elfster Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-05T13:16:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-16T17:59:07+00:00\",\"description\":\"Skip the crowds and the stress with our handy guide to buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. Your wallet, family, and blood pressure will thank you!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1895,\"caption\":\"Santa starts thinking about next year's Christmas presents on December 26th\u2014and so should you. | Image courtesy Unsplash user Mike Arney\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Good Cheer | Elfster Blog\",\"description\":\"Christmas Gift & Holiday Party Game Ideas\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Elfster\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/elfster-text-logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/elfster-text-logo.svg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":37,\"caption\":\"Elfster\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/elfster\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/elfster\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/elfster\",\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/elfster\",\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/elfster\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4dbf2ed4e8f4719bb7276c6031cc99f7\",\"name\":\"Justina H\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20eedcb96318810ca925cb71ee185e237c7fff5330f2e084c8c0ffa54ec5fe62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20eedcb96318810ca925cb71ee185e237c7fff5330f2e084c8c0ffa54ec5fe62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20eedcb96318810ca925cb71ee185e237c7fff5330f2e084c8c0ffa54ec5fe62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Justina H\"},\"description\":\"Justina H. loves creating things, whether it's sewing a dinosaur-themed quilt for a friend's baby or whipping up a healthy meal using seasonal ingredients. Her favorite gifts are always homemade, and her overly-stuffed craft closet and fabric collection are always threatening to take over her apartment. Her favorite Elfster feature is the secret santa app. When Justina's not busy planning her next quilt, chances are she's writing the day away, Facetiming her niece, or engaging in a battle of wills with her temperamental cat. Hit her up for creative ways to bring a DIY flair to all of your fabulous gifts and parties!\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/author\/justina-h\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year - Elfster Blog","description":"Skip the crowds and the stress with our handy guide to buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. Your wallet, family, and blood pressure will thank you!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year - Elfster Blog","og_description":"Skip the crowds and the stress with our handy guide to buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. Your wallet, family, and blood pressure will thank you!","og_url":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/","og_site_name":"Good Cheer | Elfster Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/elfster","article_published_time":"2017-10-05T13:16:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-02-16T17:59:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1895,"url":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Justina H","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@elfster","twitter_site":"@elfster","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Justina H","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/"},"author":{"name":"Justina H","@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4dbf2ed4e8f4719bb7276c6031cc99f7"},"headline":"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year","datePublished":"2017-10-05T13:16:10+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-16T17:59:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/"},"wordCount":1585,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Christmas","Gift Giving"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/","url":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/","name":"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year - Elfster Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2017-10-05T13:16:10+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-16T17:59:07+00:00","description":"Skip the crowds and the stress with our handy guide to buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. Your wallet, family, and blood pressure will thank you!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1895,"caption":"Santa starts thinking about next year's Christmas presents on December 26th\u2014and so should you. | Image courtesy Unsplash user Mike Arney"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/2017\/10\/05\/a-guide-to-buying-christmas-gifts-throughout-the-year\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blog.elfster.net\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Guide to Buying Christmas Gifts Throughout the Year"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/","name":"Good Cheer | Elfster Blog","description":"Christmas Gift & Holiday Party Game Ideas","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Elfster","url":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/elfster-text-logo.svg","contentUrl":"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/elfster-text-logo.svg","width":150,"height":37,"caption":"Elfster"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/elfster","https:\/\/x.com\/elfster","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/elfster","https:\/\/pinterest.com\/elfster","https:\/\/youtube.com\/elfster"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4dbf2ed4e8f4719bb7276c6031cc99f7","name":"Justina H","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20eedcb96318810ca925cb71ee185e237c7fff5330f2e084c8c0ffa54ec5fe62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20eedcb96318810ca925cb71ee185e237c7fff5330f2e084c8c0ffa54ec5fe62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/20eedcb96318810ca925cb71ee185e237c7fff5330f2e084c8c0ffa54ec5fe62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Justina H"},"description":"Justina H. loves creating things, whether it's sewing a dinosaur-themed quilt for a friend's baby or whipping up a healthy meal using seasonal ingredients. Her favorite gifts are always homemade, and her overly-stuffed craft closet and fabric collection are always threatening to take over her apartment. Her favorite Elfster feature is the secret santa app. When Justina's not busy planning her next quilt, chances are she's writing the day away, Facetiming her niece, or engaging in a battle of wills with her temperamental cat. Hit her up for creative ways to bring a DIY flair to all of your fabulous gifts and parties!","url":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/author\/justina-h\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mike-arney-174173-min-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2748"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8565"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8565\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}