The heat is on

As of this moment, there is only 20 or so shopping hours left until Christmas. If you're not done with your shopping, things are likely to get very hectic in the next day or two. Here are some tips from me to you:

• Lineups at the till are going to be long, unless you shop at places like Bowring. So if you can get away with gifting a vase or package of potpourri, you'll save loads of time.
• What's more important - being courteous or getting that last set of kitty pyjamas at La Senza? That's right, survival of the fittest. You don't want to see their face when they unwrap a vase from Bowring.
• Of course she doesn't want a 52" plasma HDTV for a gift. Don't worry, that look you'll get will only last until she sees Little Miss Sunshine on the big screen.
• Shopping mall parking spaces are at a premium right now. It's not worth the hassle. Just take a taxi and deduct the fare from what you were going to spend on them. They'll never know.
• Women love chocolate. But not just any chocolate. It should be dark and it should come from Europe. If it says "Made in China", make like you've just touched someone with measles, drop the box and run. It's OK if you attract attention - it may serve as a warning to other men who might be considering buying that inferior treat.
• When buying clothes for women, if she has never explicitly told you she would like to own a particular article - don't buy it. Just because you think it looks nice doesn't mean she thinks it does.
• Doesn't wrapping a gift suck? It doesn't have to be that way. Go to your local house and home store and find the section with fancy boxes that look like gift boxes (that open). You know why they look like gift boxes? Because they are gift boxes! No tape or folding of paper necessary. And they're re-usable.