If you waited until the last minute to grab those Christmas gifts, you’re not alone. Our Elyse Mickalonis caught up with some folks who decided to brave the malls Sunday, many of whom say the best thing to do is sit back, relax and enjoy picking out gifts for loved ones.

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NEW YORK STATE -- For some, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But if you’ve saved all of your holiday shopping for the weekend before Christmas, it may not seem so wonderful at the moment.

“Those few things are not quite where we thought they’d be, so we have to check out a few more stores,” said Karen Blaisure, a Michigan resident.

Andreza Mancuso Schaden, who is from Brazil, added, “It’s busy, busy, busy. Oh my gosh, I was surprised about that!”

Pennie Merrick, from Chenango Forks, said, “The parking was crazy. We kind of took the farthest spot away and just walked.”

Stores around the area were packed with people Sunday afternoon. Some say they’ve just begun to tackle their shopping lists, while others say they tried to get everything done early and were out grabbing the last of their gifts.

"I knew it was going to be frantic,” said Merrick. “I kind of like the chaos of it. It wouldn't be Christmas. One year I did all my shopping ahead of time and it just didn't feel like Christmas, not running and rushing to get those last minute gifts.”

Those who don’t feel overwhelmed by shopping this time of the year say if you find yourself getting stressed, take a breath, take a step back and remember what the holidays are truly about.

“Being with your family, showing and sharing your love with each other,” said Blaisure.

And if you’ve got little ones in tow, seasoned shoppers suggest waiting in those long lines to see Santa and his reindeer and make the experience fun for them.

“It has been very crowed today, very busy. We started our photos at 11 and we had 30 to 40 people in line then,” said Jordan Patch, Animal Adventure owner.

Hailey Merrick, a Chenango Forks resident, added, “It was really fun seeing the reindeers. Its antlers go in all different ways.”

After all, waiting in line is a small price to pay to get in those last minute Christmas wishes taken care of.