The early bird gets the special ...
For those shoppers getting out before Halloween costumes even appear, remem ber: time is your friend. Holiday trend experts offer the following tips for taking advantage of the extra time you have given yourself to get everything done.

True early birds can use their spare time to wrap packages with warmth, texture and color. For instance, new or gently used scarves can act like "ribbon" while mittens and gloves continue the cozy theme as "bows."

Use that extra time to actually shop: Reward yourself by taking more time to

peruse the aisles to find the perfect gift, card, wrap and acces sories for everyone on your list.

This year you can enjoy spending some of that extra time in the greeting card aisle. American Greetings has new sound, song and light cards for the holiday, which feature seasonal tunes and bright, beautiful images to put anyone into the spirit. Because you are getting such a head start, you'll have time to listen to every

sound, hum along with every song and smile at every festive scene that the cards

offer before choosing your favorites.

Enjoy the lack of traffic: Congratulations, you have ensured yourself the avoidance

of long lines and crowded malls. Take advan tage of your situation to actually enjoy your shopping experience in a leisurely fashion. Since you've given yourself the luxury of allow ing for addi tional shipping time, you can even utilize the convenience of online shopping.