C&R: Songs To Holiday Shop To

With the holidays just around the corner, many of us are starting to think about holiday shopping and the ever-complicated process of getting our gifts in order. Whether you’re one to spend hours sifting through sale bins and clearance racks or you prefer to sit back and see what pops up on Amazon’s ‘suggested’ page, shopping for gifts can be a drawn out and potentially stressful task.

Don’t worry; we’re here to save the day. We have compiled a foolproof list of gifts to give just about anyone, and – better yet – we’ve paired them all with songs to listen to while shopping.

1. Sweets
While shopping listen to Candy Wrappers by Summer Salt

While taste in candy varies from person to person, nearly all of us have a sweet tooth, and the holidays are a time of unremitting indulgence in everything from candy canes to Christmas cookies. Why not add some more?

2. Socks
While shopping listen to Fashion by David Bowie

Who doesn’t love socks? They stop our feet from getting stinky, and having good insulation is key to avoiding frostbite and amputation, especially during these bitter Wisconsin winters Beyond the myriad of functional safety benefits provided by a nice pair of toe-parkas, is the potential for a subtle yet alluring fashion statement. Wearing socks with your favorite animals or political slogans or a picture of your grandparents is a surefire way to establish yourself as a fashionista to be reckoned with.

3. A Watch
While shopping, listen to Broken Clocks by SZA

Falling into the same category of functionality and fashion statement, it could be argued watches are basically just shinier socks. But for those with a few extra dollars in their pockets, a nice simple analog, or a Garmin for your weird friends that enjoy exercise, can be a great choice. While the seemingly infinite number of brands and colors and styles can be daunting, don’t stress or overthink it; we guarantee that they’ll love it. Or if they don’t, they’ll at least feign gratitude and no one will be the wiser.

4. A Dog
While shopping, listen to Gonna Buy Me a Dog by The Monkees

This is our favorite when it comes to self-serving gifts. Have you always wanted a pet but haven’t had the time or money to manage living with pets? We’ve got the solution: just give one to a friend! While you’ll want to first check your friend’s medical history for any signs of animal allergies, there really isn’t anything that could go wrong here – and you’ll have a new furry friend without any of the responsibility!

5. Time
While shopping, listen to We Can Work It Out by The Beatles

As so articulately said by the most prominent philosophers, scientists, and researchers over the course of most of history, “We’re all gonna die.” However, don’t let this tidbit of inevitable doom dampen your holidays! If you’re low on cash or just looking to do something a little different this year, make your friends or loved ones a handmade coupon promising to spend a little bit of extra time with them. This can be a pact to do a specific activity like making cookies or stargazing or winning the powerball. It can also be a more open-ended promise to just do something fun in your mutual spare time.

Too busy shopping to check out these tunes? We’ve got you covered with our playlist below.