The holiday season is approaching! We can't reach out and put a finger on the bow, uncork the wine, or tuck you in for a well-earned nap, but we can get you organized! Here are fresh ideas from a host of shopping, travel, entertaining, and even health experts.

November 6th: The best way to avoid 67 trips to the post office, 7-Eleven and CVS is a Get Ready Day. Purchase postage stamps, wrapping paper, tape, ribbon; pick up prescriptions and cold remedies; stock up on pantry staples and refreshments. If you'll be mailing presents, either start collecting boxes now or split a bulk order with friends from the huge selection of decorative shipping materials found at usbox.com.

November 12th: Put yourself on your gift list, and take your time picking out the one thing that's from you to you.

November 22nd: Judith Martin, a.k.a. Miss Manners, offers the following advice for avoiding annoying questions. "Even polite forms of 'none of your business' are too harsh for relatives who cite their love and concern when asking, 'So when are you having kids?' or 'Should you really be eating that?'" says Martin. "The most effective way to halt them is to run crying from the room. But the consequences—being labeled sensitive and being talked about all the more in your absence—may not be worth it. A less drastic method is to be charming. Thus, follow a dismissive 'Oh, who knows?' with an earnest 'But tell me how you've been, and what you've been doing.'"