| OK, you know what you want to buy. You know | | | | staff will work the store over with a fine-toothed |
| where the deals are. You are still not ready to | | | | comb prior to the sale. Knowing where in the |
| shop. But you need to know where the toys are | | | | store to find the items you are after means you |
| going to be when you are ready to shop. For the | | | | can shop confidently. |
| Holiday Shopping Diva, this means having an exact | | | | Ask if items will be rearranged, sometimes sale |
| knowledge of the aisle within the store and the | | | | items are moved to a more prominent spot or a |
| exact street the toy store is located on. | | | | place that will accommodate a larger display. Ask |
| Or if shopping online, the stores you have seen | | | | sales staff if they will be moved. If the sales |
| with the best selections and offers, especially if | | | | person doesn't know, ask the manager. |
| they are offering freebies, such as free shipping. | | | | Again don't be drawn off target. Impulse |
| Holiday Shopping Diva Secret: Cluster the map | | | | purchases only increase post holiday stress due to |
| Once you know what your toddler would like, and | | | | blown budgets. You love your child, but that does |
| have researched the toy sales so you know what | | | | not mean you must purchase every Radio Flyer |
| stores or internet sites you want to patronize, it | | | | Classic wagon you see on sale. You will spot deals |
| is time to get prepared with your map. | | | | though because your antenna will be up for any |
| Knowing where your destinations are is not | | | | deals in vicinity of you, whether they be online or |
| enough. Selecting destinations that have the tea | | | | offline. |
| sets and race car tracks you need should not | | | | With a list in hand and a shopping route mapped |
| mean you are driving from one end of the state | | | | out, reassess your list for the final time. You |
| to the other. Try to find shopping malls that | | | | should have a store heading with gift items listed |
| cluster the stores you are after. This might mean | | | | in descending order of priority. |
| that you'll need to drive a bit farther initially to find | | | | Ask the manager about sale limitations, times or |
| a shopping center that clusters most, if not all, of | | | | supply limits - there are usually only a few of the |
| your targeted stores. The drive is worth it | | | | big items in stock. If you are after the big sale |
| because being in walking distance to all the stores | | | | items it might be wise to know about limited |
| you need to visit means fighting for a parking | | | | supply so you can get there very early and stand |
| spot fewer times and saving in gas and traffic | | | | in line or change your list. |
| induced headaches as well as time. | | | | Holiday Shopping Diva Secret: Practical things to |
| Holiday Shopping Diva Secret: Map out the | | | | keep in mind |
| exterior | | | | Toddler toys can and do sprout legs and run into |
| This is a very important step. To avoid a shopper | | | | other shoppers' carts; don't enter the stores |
| melt down a bit of on site reconnaissance is | | | | unprepared. Make sure you not only have an eye |
| invaluable. Going to the stores before D-Day | | | | for what you are looking for. Make sure you don't |
| allows you to be aware of traffic patterns, | | | | get poked in the eye by someone's toys |
| parking conditions and even any construction that | | | | sprawling out of the top of their cart. |
| may pose a problem. This is especially true if your | | | | If shopping online, bookmark the deals you see |
| store cluster is one that is out of your normal | | | | for a quick visit back to your list of great finds. |
| shopping trip routines. | | | | One final note: Supplies are always limited for |
| Holiday Shopping Diva Secret: Map out the interior | | | | deals. Whether creating maps to offline stores or |
| A simple drive by is not enough. You need to go | | | | creating bookmarks for online stores, recognize |
| into the store and locate the items you wish to | | | | the early bird gets the worm. Waiting for deals |
| buy. Don't be tempted to hide them elsewhere so | | | | can work for you as long as you don't wait so |
| you can rescue them from hiding later. The sales | | | | long that all the deals are gone. |