Last year I was organized to the point of obsession prior to Christmas. I was determined to at least once in my life have my Christmas shopping completely finished by Thanksgiving. Believe it or not, me being the ultimate procrastinator, I accomplished my mission. This year I was seriously behind the eight-ball as that ominous 7-days-tll-Christmas personal deadline came and went. I was on the verge of panic. My creativity had failed me. I was coming up with not a single good idea for gifts for my loved ones. Good grief, why had I not shopped.? It seemed inevitable I was to become one of those merry band of last minute shoppers wandering aimlessly around with no idea what I was looking for. Why had I not just dialed that toll free number from the infomercial that night I couldn't sleep in November and ordered a dozen Snuggies while there was still time for shipping for arrival by Christmas? And with an order of a dozen there MUST have been a "but wait there's more" item included for those people you realize at the last minute you've forgotten. Why oh why did I do this yet again?

This morning on that 5-shopping-days-before-Christmas day there was a head-spinning mix of total panic and relief as I ventured forth in Lake Placid to shop. I had been out and about in the village several times this season, but not once found myself in the mood to shop for others. I'm always in the mood to shop for myself. As I'm sure everyone knows, there's a very specific mood one must achieve to find that true sense of accomplishment when Christmas shopping.  It's called Christmas spirit and I am as yet not there. As I strolled up Main Street from my office in the new Conference Center at Lake Placid building, the spirit of Christmas began to creep in.

Something about this village can make even Scrooge himself feel a little more "in the mood". Several stores have holiday music piped out to the street and the village decorations alone can put a lid on most anyone's bah humbug. Lighted trees and swags along the streets create a sparkling wonderland at night too. The windows in most all the stores have been decked for the season for weeks now and deserve a good long look. Creativity reigns on the streets of Lake Placid.

I can pronounce that I finally got the spirit! And as a bonus I found perfect things for all my loved ones and BFF's and didn't even have to leave the confines of our own little village of Lake Placid. I can now post a Facebook update...."Snuggies not needed". If you find yourself in the same boat, venture forth in Lake Placid. Visit our wonderful shops throughout the village for Christmas inspiration as I did. You'll find a world of holiday wonderment out there and some amazing gift ideas! And if you come to visit after Christmas, all the wonderment will still be waiting for you here in Lake Placid, Adirondacks, USA.