Are you one of thousands or even millions of people who have stood in lines before Christmas because you have waited too long to shop or to mail your presents? Whether you had a good reason for your procrastination or not, it was probably a big bother to spend valuable time in those long lines. This year things can be different if you get started now. Here are some ideas that might help you beat the rush.

Make A List - Even Santa Claus works with a list, right?

• A good place to start is to write down the names of individuals who will be receiving gifts from you and your family. Next, write down thoughts about the type of gift you want to give to each individual.
• For recipients that live out of town, consider making address labels right now that will go with each gift. When you are ready to gift wrap the gift and to package it, you won't have to stop to find the address, thus saving time and lessening frustration.
• Think of giving the same item to many people on your list. Unless they live close to each other, they'll never know you did that. One idea is to buy a certain gift in bulk. For example, hand puppets often come as a set. By separating the puppets, you can give one to several children. Not only will you probably save money, but you can do a sort of assembly line method of gift wrapping and packaging.

Get Help From Professionals - Some of your gifts may be too bulky or large for you do wrap and send easily. For those items, consider using packing services that will not only gift wrap your gifts but even package them for delivery.

• You'll be able to track your deliveries and, since you're sending them this early, you won't have to worry about them being late for Christmas. 
• Don't worry about your gifts being damaged. They'll be placed in protective wrapping and, if necessary, they'll be placed in special crates. Be sure to keep all paperwork so that, if something is damaged, you can turn in a claim for reimbursement purposes.

Since you're taking care of gift giving this early, consider telling the recipients that a gift is on its way. Also, think about putting a cute sticker on each package that says Please Don't Open Me Until Christmas!

Contact a company like Bekins Van Lines Inc for professional help.