"Whenever someone mentions during the year that they'd like a certain gift, I buy it right away and stash it in my attic. Everyone's always so surprised at Christmas that I remembered!" --Tracy Baxter, Irvine, CA

"My entire family rents a beach cabin early in November, and we all come armed with our calendars. We hash out the dates and schedules for the festivities, and if it gets stressful, we just hit the beach." --Debora Rinehart, Oakland

"My little shortcuts include only using gift bags to wrap and ordering holiday cards online." --Triste Wyckoff-Heintz, Glen Ellyn, IL

"It's easy for our December 27th wedding anniversary to get lost in the shuffle, so my husband and I celebrate in November instead. We sneak away for a weekend of remembering why we fell in love." --Natalie Alexander, Marseilles, IL

"We always spend Christmas morning in our own home in order to avoid the hassle of coordinating with relatives. We visit family later -- after the holiday madness is over." --Moira Nolfo, Glen Rock, NJ

"My four daughters love to pitch in by wrapping gifts, which helps -- sort of. The presents might not look the way I would've done them, but the joy of watching the girls proudly do it themselves makes it well worth it." --Kristina Wehrle, Fort Wayne, IN

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