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By now, the smart Christmas shoppers are sitting pretty. They've crossed out most of the names on their list and have wrapped, boxed and mailed gifts to family and friends up north. They've got the weekend to peruse the malls for last-minute finds and frost the final sugar cookie.
The not-so-smart shoppers are panicking. They haven't pulled the wrapping paper from the closet, let alone found the perfect presents. They vow never to let this happen again. Next year, they'll start in May. June, tops.
Whether you're the former or the latter, there's still plenty of time to remember the people who play important roles in everyday life. Like the hair stylist, the postman, the newspaper carrier, the housekeeper or the cobbler. The list goes on.
ALL THOSE PEOPLE probably deserve a token of gratitude. But how much?
It really depends on your budget, says Joann Torretta, owner of First Impressions on Davis Islands, which offers etiquette classes and helps professionals develop their image.
There's no standard for giving, but gifts - and the thoughts behind them - are always appreciated, she says. Her advice: Make a list and set a dollar figure, keeping in mind you might have to delete a name or two. (Remember, there's always next year.)
Baked goods, liquor and cash, of course, are the biggies. Torretta suggests gift certificates to a grocery store. "Everybody's got to eat."
She recommends people tip newspaper carriers about 10 percent of their annual subscription. Heck, if waiters can get 20 percent to deliver a hamburger from an adjacent kitchen, newspaper carriers should get something for bringing the day's news to your door in the dark of the morning.
Go ahead, call me biased.
NANNIES OR housekeepers warrant about one week's pay or one visit, depending on how often they come. After all, they know what your junk drawers look like and they put up with your kids.
Letter carriers should also appear on people's lists, Torretta said. They dodge your dogs and never complain about your mountains of catalogs.
Officially, the U.S. Postal Service bans employees from accepting gifts over $20 to ensure that no one gets special mail treatment. Occasionally, however, someone will give a weightier gift. Managers usually look the other way.
Bridget Robertson, the local postal spokeswoman who used to deliver in South Tampa, says she never bakes around the holidays because her husband, Dale, also a carrier, gets so many cookies. Over the years, she has received socks, bath gifts, kitchen towels, T-shirts and a winter hat.
John, who wouldn't give his last name for fear his bosses will frown on him taking gifts, says he welcomes the kind gestures but doesn't expect them. Generally, about 30 of the 420 customers on his route give something, either a gift card to the movies or a restaurant, or cash. "If everyone gave a dollar, I'd make out like a bandit."
Hair stylists at upscale salons may fare the best. A regular customer at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon at Saks Fifth Avenue this year gave a stylist a $1,000 shopping card for WestShore Plaza. Another gave a five-day stay at a condo in the mountains of Colorado.
Wow. Let's say it all together now: "I must be in the wrong business."
Michael Noriega, director of color and education for Elizabeth Arden in Florida, says the closer the holiday, the more lavish the gifts. Clients often come in asking what they can give - movie passes, liquor, gifts.
"I say yes to all of the above," he said.
No matter the price, any present is better than none at all. It shows you care and appreciate service people today and all year around. And isn't that what Christmas is all about?
- Susan Thurston can be reached at 226-3394 or thurston@sptimes.com