10 Holiday Shopping Tips: How to Buy the Perfect Girls Gymboree Gift

When Santa comes to visit this Christmas, make certain your little angel's eyes sparkle at the perfect Gymboree girls gifts you so carefully purchased, wrapped and placed under the tree, tagged From Santa.

Holidays are special times. Parties, family get-togethers, gifts and fun! Here are some tips to help you delight your little girl (or some other lucky little girl you are buying for) with just the perfect girls Gymboree gift:

1. Everybody loves outfits! Head to toe, decked to the nines, every little girl (and big girls, too!) loves a complete Gymboree outfit. Whether it is a silk tulle dress with velveteen headband and antique white lace tights from the Family Portrait collection, an embroidered flower hoodie, pants, matching socks and striped tee from the Autumn Harvest line, to a Family Portrait coat, purse, gloves and hat, go all out! Buy something just for fun -- and exquisite style. Christmas is for fun, not everyday stuff. Make her eyes shine when she opens that special present (and it can be from Mommy and Daddy, too!).
2. Cuddly stuffed animals make worry-free pets. When I was a little girl, I could smell Christmass all night before. There was just something magical in the air and it made my skin tingle just dreaming about Santa and all the presents he would bring. Of course, no Christmas at our house was complete until little Susie got her latest stuffed animal! I had the veritable child's playground of animals, a regular zoo in my bedroom. Daddy even constructed special shelves lining the ceiling so I could see and talk to all my cuddly friends. This said, there are so many cute and cuddly animal-like friends out there available from Gymboree that they can stand-in for pets. This season Gymboree has the Pretty Panda Gift Set that includes a panda bear sweater in aqua sky, panda ear muffs and an adorable panda bear backpack -- all from the Imaginary Friends collection. There's also the Junior Gymbo Doll -- okay, he's not a stuffed animal, but he is cuddly.
3. Accessorize with glee.  Fuzzy, furry, appliqued, sequined, embroidered, yarn, crochet -- hats, belts, mittens, gloves, scarves, purses, shoes, bracelets, necklaces -- you have loads of choices in colors galore. Perfect for complementing any outfit. You can wrap them individually for neat little stocking stuffers or pile them into a Chinese box-type puzzle. Each layer holds another little surprise! Just make sure you know how many layers there are so that nothing gets tossed out. Come to think of it, maybe do both -- everybody loves a stuffed stocking and a box full of presents.  Tons of fun!
4. Give gift certificates -- the universal present.  If you find yourself stumped, or size guessing becomes a problem, you can always give a gift certificate. This is most welcome for the moms who shop for the little girl, but some girls just love to go shopping with mom to pick out just what they want. When my children were a certain age, that was just what they wanted to do. This also works if your little girl does not get that certain item. Lo and behold, here is a gift certificate that will do the trick!
5. Look for eBay sellers who offer special services.  Gift wrapping, overnight shipping, shipping to gift recipient, special requests. When it comes to holiday shopping, you want the ultimate in service. You want to make sure your gift arrives in time and wrapped just so, especially if you will not be able to do it yourself. Find an eBay seller who will honor your requests. If you want an item as a gift, but do not have time to shop for it in stores, eBay shopping makes perfect sense -- and it's a bargain, too!
6. Shop eBay sellers who offer Free, Discounted or Combined Shipping.  If you plan to shop for Gymboree girls clothing, outfits, accessories, etc., this holiday season, look for eBay sellers who offer free shipping. This can save you a bundle! Those $4.05 USPS Priority Mail shipping costs really add up. If you purchase multiple items from a seller, many offer combined shipping to save you money. Some will even ship everything for free. Of course, not everyone can offer free shiping, but discounted or combined shipping is a bargain as well.
7. Ask seller a question.  When you shop listings and you are in doubt about a particular size or material or color, dash off an email to the seller to ask a question (use the Ask Seller a Question link in the auction listing). It only takes a minute and it may very well make the difference between you getting exactly what you want or missing out altogether. Popular Gymboree girls clothing sells out quickly during the holiday season. And we all know what it can be like shopping for just the right piece to go with something at stores. Can you say sold-out?
8. Check seller return policy.  Sometimes you buy a gift you think is just perfect only to discover someone else (maybe Mom or Dad) already bought exactly the same thing! If you buy on eBay, look for sellers who offer a return policy for unworn items. Of course, this means you have to return it at your shipping expense, unworn with the tags still affixed (for NWT items), but if you get your money back, then it is definitely worth it.
9. Try a gift a month.  Something novel you may want to try is a gift a month for that precious little girl. You can buy everything at once on eBay and package and ship off items one at a time during the year (or just give them to that special girl at regular intervals). Christmas all year round.  I love it.
10. Give something back.  We all know there are those who do not have anything this holiday season. Why not purchase something for the Toys for Tots, Salvation Army or other deserving charity? Or buy from eBay sellers who are allocating a portion of their sales to deserving charities, like the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity (for families affected by Hurricane Katrina) and others. Click on the eBay Giving Works icon to locate participating sellers. You will feel better for it, I guarantee it!

Most of all, holidays are a special time for families and friends to get together, share and make memories. Be well, drive safely and enjoy every moment. God bless everyone!

Suzanne Kane, ExquisiteFindz

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