Every year, I swear I will get ahead of the December holiday gift-giving stress and every year, my plans are foiled. And not for lack of trying.

You see, my Master Plan is to get all my holiday shopping done throughout the year. The strategy is simple: buy gifts whenever I find the “perfect” gift for each person on my list. Then, tuck the gifts away in closets so that by December, I simply pull them out and present them to the recipient who swoons with delight at my thoughtfulness. Easy, right? Well, as I self-congratulate myself in July at having found the “perfect” holiday gift for my mother-in-law, by December, I end up forgetting where I put it and inevitably stumble upon it months after Christmas.

So to help stay organized and sane during the holidays, here are some tips I love to help reduce the stress of holiday gift-giving.

Envirosax – These little babies work overtime during the holidays! Tote your purchases in these awesomely cute reusable tote bags. Plus, when you come home after a day of shopping, your family members won’t know what stores you hit. How many times have you had to hide store bags in the garage or some forsaken place to avoid the prying eyes of your little ones or your significant other? As an added bonus, they make an excellent gift for your kids teacher, coworker or really anyone. Check them out at http://www.envirosax.com/

mGifts – For you mobile-savvy mamas, check out this on-the-go gift organizer. This app lets you keep track of things you need to buy, things you've bought & how much you've spent. With this handy little tool you won’t blow your budget or forget your Aunt Francine! And if you’re like me and buy throughout the year, you can add a little note to tell you where in your house you’ve stashed it!

Brita® Bottle – Stay hydrated during your marathon shopping trips (did you know the average person spends 10 hours shopping for the holidays) with the Brita® Filtering Water Bottle. Fill up on-the-go, whether you're at the mall or shopping your local gift stores. As one of Clorox’s sister companies, Brita® gets that Moms need to stay calm, cool and collected and staying hydrated is a great way to help do that! You'll beat the afternoon slump. 

Create A Gift Wrap Center – OK, after you’ve bought all your gifts, time to get to work and wrap them all up. The average person needs 6 rolls of wrapping paper & 3 hours to wrap during the holidays. Stock up on all your gift wrapping needs at one time. (I like to hit the stores in January to get the post-holiday sales). Make sure to get wrapping paper, a few rolls of tape, bows, gift tags, a pen, scissors, ribbon, gift boxes, a few gift bags and tissue paper. Store all of your gift wrap needs in this handy little storage bin from the Container Store®.

Emergency Gifts –Don't get caught red-handed...keep a stash of simple, inexpensive gifts pre-wrapped in your closet. You never know when an unexpected guest or that friend that you agreed to not exchange gifts with, will show up - gift in hand. Some of my fave last-minute-gifts include gift cards for the Apple App store, gift cards to a local coffee shop, a box of nice tea, a fancy bar of soap, a bottle of wine, & the above mentioned Envirosax. You get the idea...

Stay Moisturized and Pamper Yourself! –  The extreme weather conditions coupled with crowded over-heated stores, can wreak havoc on your skin. Make sure to stay moisturized! You may not be escaping to the tropics for a winter getaway, but you can hydrate with this new Burt’s Bees product inspired by the tropics: Burt’s Bees® Richly Replenishing Cocoa and Cupuaçu Body Lotion. (In case you’re wondering, or like making kids giggle with fun-sounding words, cupuacu is pronounced “Cup-oo-as-soo”). You can also keep your hands soft & supple after all that gift-wrapping with the Burt's® Bees Shea Butter Hand Cream. Carry it in your purse for mid-shopping applications. Dry lifeless skin be gone!

As a holiday treat for all you readers, leave a comment on this blog and three commenters will be randomly selected to win a Gift Pack from our sister company, Burt’s® Bees!

No Purchase Necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States & DC, who are at least 18 years of age at the time entry. All comments must be received by 12pm Pacific Time on 12/22/11.

What stress-busting tips do you have for the holidays?