Time to think about Christmas already? Well, yes. Yes it is. You may ask why I’m being unreasonable. The answer is that I’m not. There’s a lot going on in the world of commerce this year and it’s completely out of our control. So, if you want Christmas gifts under that tree, it’s time to buck up, buttercup.
Everything Is Floating Over The Pacific
No one wants to start thinking about Christmas three days after Halloween but this year, the issue has been forced into our line of thought thanks to a massive backlog of container ships off the ports of Los Angeles, CA and Long Beach, CA. Little do many know that these two ports accept 80% of the country’s imported goods – yes, I said 80%. The ports are fully capable of the intake and happen to be the most logically located stopping points for all ships traveling the waters. Things work great this way…until they don’t. The story behind why there is a backlog goes deep and is complex. There may be upwards of 500,000 containers awaiting entry into to the ports at this point and very little is moving. It is causing a chain reaction of downfalls within the logistics chains and basically, contents of containers are spoiling; product isn’t making it to shelves on time; retail chains are running out of stock; restaurants/fast food chains are scrambling to find supply of things like paper bags, cups, — even ketchup packets! It’s not the food that’s in short supply, it’s the packaging and containers that are shipped from overseas. Did you notice that the toy aisles at places like Target are empty? That’s not by design and it’s not because people are shopping like crazy – it’s due to inventory being stuck on ships. I like to say that all this stuff we’re looking for is on vacation over the Pacific Ocean. It sounds nicer than the truth.
Start Shopping
Time to draft the gifting lists, hop on out there (or online) and start plucking things to fulfill your gifting needs. Dare I say, “do it now while there’s anything available to buy.” I spotted these at Costco the other day and they’re super cute for all ages.
Disney pillow (16″ x 16″) and a matching throw blanket (59″ x 78″). For $18.99, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how substantial the set is.
How about an advent calendar from Zuru, the maker of the popular Mini Brands! toys? Mini foods may sound silly to you but once you see these in person, you’ll lose your mind. I bought one package a few months back and have spiraled into having a wonderland collection of fun mini foods that mimic the brands I use every day in the kitchen! This advent calendar is currently available at Sam’s Club warehouses and Target. I haven’t spotted them elsewhere but you may have some luck.
Mini Brands! advent calendar –$22.98 @ Sam’s Club; $29.99 @ Target.
Super cut and cozy looking Ladies Sleep sets for the Disney and pajama fans. Costco has brought Disney pj’s to their holiday inventory for the past few years and they never sit on the display table for very long. A week ago, there were plenty but mind you, it was before Halloween when not a soul was thinking about Christmas.
Mickey silhouette design or Minnie and Mickey — $16.99 @ Costco.
The engineer in all of us loves Lego sets. Especially these cool vehicles that are made for ages 10+. My kiddo has been building these, on his own, since he was 8 years old so take the suggested age range as you may. If the gift recipient has a knack for building things, is patient, and detail oriented; they should be just fine.
Technic sports car or Jeep — $39.99 @ Costco.
Online Orders May Experience Delays
The wonderful world of online shopping won’t escape being hit by the port backlog. We’re already seeing delays in delivery times on some items and as we well know, the holiday season manages to muddle the Prime two-day deliver schedule, too. Two-day becomes three…four..maybe twelve-day delivery. Even though it’s inconvenient, most of us have learned to adapt and plan ahead. This season, though, you should get out ahead of your ‘early planning’ and buy what you can. So, is that early-early planning? Oh the irony. The word “early” is not really in my vocabulary.
And So…
You can do it. Don’t fight back out of spite, just open your heart to the holiday season, a little earlier than you really want to. If you end up having to give your friends and family cash this year because you didn’t heed the warning, I won’t laugh or say, “I told you so,” but I mean…if I did, I wouldn’t be out of place ::giggling::. Even gift cards are ‘vacationing’ in shipping containers over the Pacific; don’t bank on those as your plan B this Christmas. This is just another curveball to add to the many we’ve received over the past two years; looks like the universe isn’t done yet.
Good luck out there, friends. Stay safe, healthy and be sure to keep the chaos alive. Without it, there’d be nothing to write about on this blog ::making funny face::.
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