Hard to believe this is going to be the last holiday season that Rachel, Ross, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, and Joey gather around the Christmas tree and Hanukkah Menorah to share memories. NBC’s Friends is coming to an end after a 10 year run on the network.

The show about love, life and lattes doesn’t wrap up until after the all-important May television ratings book, but if you know someone who is already in mourning over the inevitable end, a Friends’ themed-gift would be much appreciated this holiday season.

“We’re expecting DVDs and videotapes of past Friends seasons to be among our biggest sellers,” says Leslie Agerland of ShopNBC, a broadcast and online retailer. So big, in fact, there are thousands of copies wrapped and waiting for shipment orders at the company’s warehouses around the country.

There are also plenty of Friends T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and holiday ornaments on hand; but Friends isn’t the only NBC show whose memorabilia is expected to do well this holiday season. “West Wing, Frasier and ER also have large followings. So do NBC’s early morning and late night lineups,” adds Agerland.

Fans can order hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts and Christmas ornaments with their favorite show’s logo. Like Friends, many shows also have DVDs and videotapes of old episodes available for purchase.

If you’re looking for a gift a child will treasure for years to come, you may want to pick up a copy of “It’s a Very Merry Muppets Christmas” on videotape or DVD. The show is a classic. Or perhaps a retro gift: Alf and Mr. T. haven’t been on the air for years, but Agerland says people are still buying their merchandise.

For those who want to get into the spirit of the games a little early, Olympic merchandise with the logo for the 2004 Athens games is also available. “It’s the best collection of unique NBC items, many of which you can’t find anywhere else,” says Agerland.

In addition to NBC show merchandise, ShopNBC also sells jewelry, house wares, computers, make-up, and health and beauty products. For more holiday gift ideas, watch ShopNBC on cable or satellite, or log onto www.shopnbc.com. You can place orders 24 hours a day, seven days a week at both venues.

The holiday season is upon us. You now have this huge taste of staying organized throughout it. You need to purchase gifts for a number of people. You’ll need to take care of the spouse, the kids of course. You’ll need to remember to take care of your parents, your sisters and brothers….your in laws of course. Then, there are your friends. Don’t forget about the boss either…then there are the co workers….oh, and the neighbor that helps to get your child off the bus. You have to think about your child’s friends, their teachers. Don’t get the bus driver either. How in the world are you supposed to keep track of all of that?

There is no doubt that the holiday season brings upon us a lot of happiness and cheer. But, it definitely delivers a good amount of worry, stress and even forgetfulness. In order to make sure that your holiday season goes smoothly, here are some tips to help you get it all right. Maybe this year will be better than last? We can at least hope so!

• Make a master list. You’ll need to organize yourself in one notebook. Keep track of ideas that you have for individuals and then put a star by those individuals that you buy for. If it is small enough you can take it with you and jot down ideas as you go.
• Plan for a few extra gifts. If you can, make sure to have a few nice gifts that can work for virtually anyone. You may want to think about a nice bottle of wine, a gift basket of fruit, or a gift certificate to a nice restaurant. In case you do forget, or someone stops by and you don’t have anything for them, you have these back ups to use. And, if you don’t need them, you can treat yourself with them after the stressful holidays are over.

Having the ability to grab a great gift as you need it is important. Planning can help to make the holidays a little more enjoyable no matter how many you have to buy for!