With the end of the semester quickly approaching, exams and final projects always seem to put a burden on the jolly holiday spirit. If you're one of these people who ignore their childlike love for the month of December, you will quickly find yourself in a dilemma.
Once you finish your last exam of the semester, your favorite holiday seems just moments away. While you were enthralled in your books, others were basking in the act of giving and receiving gifts. Now, it is time for you to catch up on your shopping.
You begin to wish you were just a child again; shopping for others technically wasn't necessary then. But, if you have one week or just a couple of days, you can still tackle holiday shopping before you head back home.
All the procrastinators are purchasing last minute gifts too, so join in with them. But where do you go to buy the perfect gift? When time is limited and you're still in Baltimore, what are your options?
You can always resort to taking a quick trip to the Towson Town Center. Only fifteen minutes away, you have a variety of clothing stores to choose from for both males and females.
For most people, after being here for a year or more, the mall becomes common and uneventful. You figure that you won't possibly be able to find anything for anyone there. But, let it grow on you.
They have popular stores like Abercrombie and Fitch and Nordstrom's, as well as Build a Bear and Footlocker. A sweater, or a more personal gift, can be found here. Even though you might be hesitant to go this route, you won't leave Towson "giftless." Plus, being picky during crunch time won't help.
Hampden is located even closer to the Hopkins campus than Towson. Only about five minutes away, you can find a bunch of boutiques filled with jewelry, scarves, and art, among other things. Scarves are always a safe buy, along with a specific painting/decoration for one's room.
I recommend jewelry for the ladies. They have a variety of handmade earrings and colorful bracelets to choose from. You can make this entire shopping experience last under 30 minutes. If you are pressed for time, take a cab or drive to Hampden one morning or afternoon.
The Inner Harbor is only 15 minutes away. Like Towson, Inner Harbor has some cute shops to choose from, but The Gallery mall, located across Pratt Street, is significantly smaller. Banana Republic and Forever 21 are a few of the buying venues.
Or, you can take the person (that you're buying a gift for) to the Inner-Harbor for dinner. Quick and easy, a gift can be bought and given with one simple dinner.
Little Italy also is the perfect place for a dinner/present. With a wide variety of restaurants to choose from, you can celebrate with your favorite person over a plate of homemade spaghetti.
Sometimes, other problems arise. You don't want to spend money on a cab to go to a mall and you can't find a ride to go shopping to these places. Shopping still can be done ... online, that is.
It's simple and fast. If you know what you want to buy, just type in the potential item and Google or Ebay it. If you still aren't sure what to buy him/her, online browsing is an option. From your favorite types of clothing, to little gifts, everything that could possibly be sold in a mall (and more) is available online.
Once you find the gift, all you need now is a credit card. Type your credit card number in and address, and in approximately three-five days your gift(s) will arrive. There is always the option to express ship your purchase.
Now, no one has an excuse to why they didn't have enough time to buy their friend a Christmas gift. You might be overwhelmed with exams and final grades, but holiday shopping can be done quickly (even when it's last minute). When you're down to the wire, shop online.
You can buy gifts ranging from $10-$100 within minutes, not leave your chair, and have it arrive to your home a couple of days later: all with the painless click of your mouse.
It's practically mindless, and your entire holiday shopping list will rapidly diminish. Last minute shopping is not as hopeless as it seems.
