Holiday Shopping at the Mall: How do you cope?

There's just two weeks until Christmas and I haven't even started my holiday shopping yet, which means I'll be spending all of Saturday at the mall.

I'm not a big fan of shopping on most days, and during December a trip to the mall cause more stress than glee because of the mass amount of people there.

We are both blessed and unfortunate in Novi to have — a place for everything you need. Unfortunately, everybody else in a 30 minute radius is going there to get the things they need, as well.

This can bring on a lot of stress.

First, when you're driving to the mall you tend to get stuck in traffic, and it can take you 20 minutes to find a parking spot.

Then once you're in the mall, you have to battle crowds of people in a hurry and dig through merchandise to find the item you want. Plus, you have to stand in super long lines! And I'm not just talking about the stores — nobody should have to wait that long to get some Starbucks!

And what are you supposed to do with your coat? Leave it on and sweat a lot, add more stress to your arms and carry it with your bags, or pay to store it?

Then once you've found everything you need, or have had enough hustle and bustle for the day, you head out of the mall. Here can be another problem: remembering where you parked!

The whole experience can be so exhausting that I have to wonder, is there a way to do it better?

Gift-giving is supposed to be about sharing joy and spreading cheer, so how can I make shopping at the mall a more merry experience?

So I want to know from you pro shoppers out there: what shopping tips do you have?

Do you bring your coat inside or leave it in your car? What's your parking strategy? How do you keep your cool in the crowds? Do you find holiday shopping as exhausting as I do?