PULLING OFF SOME SEASONAL MAGIC : You can ensure that festivities are a celebration instead of a chore by making use of speciality services

Tick. Tick. Tick.

If you hadn’t noticed before today, the sight of Santa Claus bringing up the rear of a Thanksgiving Day parade probably pounded the point into your head: The holidays are upon us, big time.

With Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s looming ahead, there are parties to host and attend; out-of-town guests to house, feed and entertain; food to buy and prepare; cards to send out; gifts to select, pay for, and deliver; houses and trees to decorate.

Time is tight enough February through October for the average Ventura County resident. But add on the extra holiday chores (sorry, make that pleasures) and there’s not much time left to breathe. And better make that a shallow breath. A deep one and you’ve wasted a good three to five seconds.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Wasn’t it about this time last year you said, “Next year, I’ll shop early, say no to hosting the family get-together, and just keep it simple?” Oops. Forgot about that, didn’t you?

We don’t mean to seem Scrooge-like--the holidays are a festive time of year. Time can be a problem, but as with most problems, there are solutions.

We here at Life would like to offer some suggestions on saving time this holiday season. You may be one of those independent types who likes to take on a challenge all alone, but don’t be ashamed to accept help. There are plenty of businesses more than willing to lend a hand as the holidays gain momentum and the stress builds.

But before we get to the tips, let’s talk briefly about the stress. With relatives visiting and malls packed with shoppers, lack of time is only one aspect of holiday stress.

Judith Sitko, a Ventura therapist, sees another.

“What I hear most about holiday stress is the guilt, the feeling of obligation,” she said of the mandatory gift-giving and party-throwing. “If someone doesn’t have the time to do everything, but they don’t feel guilty about it, they just say, ‘I’m just not going to do it this year.’ ”

Thus, no sense of obligation, no guilt, no stress over the shortage of time. It’s great if you can do it. But for those of you who do feel that obligation, and do hear the ticking of the holiday clock, here are some suggestions regarding gift-giving, party planning and house decorating.

LIMITING THE LIST

We’ll begin with the gifts. Sitko suggests limiting the list of recipients to a precious few--maybe just the very closest relatives and friends. “I buy gifts just for the children,” she said, “and that has eased a lot of the stress for me.”

There’s always the generic gift certificate, to save on time. And don’t forget, you can always invoke that “naughty or nice” clause for the undeserving.

Catalogues and home shopping networks are two other ways to go. You can shop to your heart’s content by phone without leaving the comforts of your favorite chair. Unfortunately, it’s a little late in the game, since you often must allow four to six weeks for delivery.

If it ultimately comes down to conventional department store shopping, however, there’s still no need to feel overwhelmed. At Bullock’s in Thousand Oaks, there’s a person on staff who helps people shop. And if you can afford to spend an extra few bucks, you can hire someone to shop for you. We tracked down a few of them.

Robin Albanese of Simi Valley loves to shop. She had considered turning the pastime into gainful employment for several years, but it wasn’t until a couple of months ago that she finally started her Shop Around Town service.

“My husband is a crisis negotiator for the city of Los Angeles (Police Department). He was at the mansion when O.J. surrendered. There was all this hoopla around him,” said Albanese. “I said, ‘You know, honey, you get to do a lot of fun things. You’ve done what you wanted to do your whole life. Don’t you think it’s time I get to do what I want to do?’ ”

Thus, Shop Around Town was born.

“There are a fair amount of people in our community who have the financial resources, but they have those financial resources because they are workaholics. They have the money, but what they don’t have is the time,” said Albanese. “Most of my clients are men because they lack the real desire to shop. Absolutely one of the most distasteful things for them to do is enter a mall.”

Sometimes Albanese’s clients know exactly what they want her to buy, other times she needs to conduct an interview. She may offer suggestions, or let them browse through her couple of hundred catalogues.

“Most of us buy gifts we enjoy receiving, so it’s not so much that I need to understand who the recipient is, but who the giver is,” she said. “I try to please the giver. If they are proud of the gift and pleased to give it, then my job is done.”

Oak View’s Lynne Stanfield, operator of Santa’s Little Helper, a year-round personal shopping service, sees her business as a way of helping people prioritize their chores during the holidays.

“It allows people to take away one of the pressures of the holidays. It’s enough to sit down and make a shopping list,” she said. “If someone is willing to do your buying and even wrap the gifts for you, then that allows you to focus on spending time with the family, or planning a dinner, or putting up decorations, or sending out cards.”

Stanfield’s clients range from men who don’t have a clue about what to buy for that special person, to women who don’t like to shop or can’t fit the activity into an already hectic schedule. Nonetheless, like Stanfield, her clients realize the significance of gift-giving.

“It’s one of the basic things in our culture that shows caring,” Stanfield said. “It’s a tradition of showing love and respect.”

Before meeting with prospective clients, Stanfield conducts introductory telephone conversations to determine general needs. Then, like Albanese, she meets with the gift-givers to determine specifics.

“I find out their needs and directions. Do they know specifically what they want? Do they need ideas? Shopping is my specialty and I have a knack for knowing where to find something. I know the importance of efficiency and I know the value of a dollar,” said Stanfield.

PLAYING HOST

As with gift giving, there are simple solutions to the hassles of hosting a holiday dinner, whether it be for a large group of friends or a small collection of relatives. Just say no, would be one, said therapist Sitko. Short of that, a potluck might do wonders.

“Potlucks are very popular,” she said. “People are beginning to ask guests to bring a pie or the vegetables. I know some people say that’s not appropriate, but it’s becoming more accepted. People like to be invited to parties, so they don’t care if they have to bring something.”

If you do end up stuck with the entire holiday meal, you may want to consider hiring a caterer or a personal chef. Let’s start with the personal chef.

Phyllis Kidd of Mira Monte, a perennial finalist in local cooking contests, is such a person. Earlier this month, she began her What’s for Dinner? business, in which she meets with clients, prepares a menu, buys the groceries and delivers 10 customized dinners to be frozen and heated when desired.

Kidd had an instant response when she first promoted her business, and expects a feeding frenzy over the holidays.

“Women will spend three weeks planning, shopping and preparing for just one meal--Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner,” she said. “This is stuff you can go home and heat up; the longest takes about 30 minutes.” Just pop them into the oven when the guests arrive.

Kidd greets prospective clients with a food questionnaire to help her plan the menu. Typically, the result is five different sets of meals prepared for two. But she’ll gladly prepare a holiday party and charges a set fee per 10 meals.

When you’re talking catering, however, often it means large orders. But there are independent caterers who will serve small gatherings.

Kay Corning of Kay’s Gourmet Catering in Westlake tends to do huge events (such as the Sears Roebuck employees party), but she and her staff are available for groups as small as 25. And if you pick up the precooked food rather than having it delivered, served and cleaned up, she will prepare as few as 10 meals.

Of course, your pocketbook may dictate the amount of food you have catered. But if you’re willing to take on some of the main dish cooking chores, you might want a caterer who just provides the appetizers or desserts.

“Usually people call us because they want a dessert that’s a little fancier than they’ve normally dealt with in the past, and the idea of trying to make it during the holidays is a little overwhelming for them,” said La Starr Heiliger, owner of La Starr and Company in Ventura.

And what about the most obvious form of dinner help? Just because you’re hosting a fancy feast, doesn’t mean you should ignore takeout food. And the ultimate in takeout may very well be The Town Waiter, operated by Rick and Meredith Solano.

The Town Waiter offers a stable of drivers who will pick up meals from selected restaurants around town and deliver them to your home (provided you live in Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme or Camarillo.)

Though they are closed Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Eve, they plan to be busy the rest of the season. “People have already begun making Christmas plans and parties,” Rick Solano said. “They call and reserve a time, even though they don’t know what they’re having yet.”

One last suggestion: Suppose you are more than happy to prepare all the food yourself, or you manage to get guests to bring dishes. What about the cleanup? Guests are more likely to race toward the front door than toward the kitchen sink.

Heiliger, an instructor in Oxnard College’s Hotel, Restaurant, Management program, suggests employing some of her students. “They can do service and then clean up,” she said.

LIGHTING DECOR

You know those Christmas lights you shoved into a box several years ago and have never found the time to restring on the outside of the house? Wouldn’t it be nice if they would magically attach themselves to the eaves?

Well, sorry, they won’t.

But there are people out there willing to do the hanging for you. They’re called handymen, or painters, or anyone with the right tools and skills.

Camarillo’s Eric Kinsey has hung lights for friends and family in past years, but this season is extending the service to total strangers.

“Once word got around, I realized how great the demand was,” Kinsey said. “I talked to people after last Christmas and they said, ‘Yeah, we really wanted to hang lights but we didn’t have the time.’ ”

Kinsey said time really is the major obstacle.

“Most people pretty much have a set way of how they want their homes decorated, they just want someone to do it,” he said. But that doesn’t mean Kinsey won’t offer some decorating advice.

Bill Hartman of Hartman Handyman Service in Ventura has been asked to hang lights on occasion. He said it’s usually a last-minute thing, when people find they’ve run out of time to do it themselves.

He’s also been asked to pick up and haul away Christmas trees, and even put together those daunting gifts that require assembly.

“I once got a call on Christmas Day,” he said, “to put together a dollhouse.”

So there you have it. There’s no need to worry about time as long as you have a little extra money to pay someone to work for you. That, or some very close friends who will pitch in for free. Now you can breathe easier, right? Take a deep breath.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

10 Ways to Save Time

Here are 10 tips to help you save time over the hectic holidays, as offered up by local experts:

* Instead of preparing all the food for your holiday dinner party, make it a potluck.

* If you don’t want to have a potluck, have the dinner catered, or suggest instead that everyone go to a restaurant.

* Buy gifts for a select group of friends and family, not everyone you’ve ever met.

* Or consider drawing names out of a hat, especially if you have a large family. Buy a gift only for the person whose name you pulled.

* Hire a personal shopper.

* Hire a personal gift wrapper.

* Get a handyman to put up the Christmas lights.

* Pay someone to haul the Christmas tree from the farm to your front door. If selecting a tree is too much of a tradition to tamper with, at least hire someone to dispose of the tree after the holidays.

* If you end up with one of those hard-to-assemble gifts, contact the neighborhood handyman for some help, rather than fuss over it for hours.

* Get out of town.

HELP IS HERE

The following is a sampling of the folks who are providing much-needed services during the holiday season. Unless noted, they will ply their trade anywhere in the county.

SHOPPING

Santa’s Little Helper (Lynne Stanfield): Cost: Varies depending on needs of client. Cost of wrapping also varies. Initial in-person consultation is free. Call 649-1503.

Shop Around Town (Robin Albanese): Cost: $15 an hour for hard-to-find items. A percentage (20%-30%) of cost of gift for easy-to-find items. Free basic wrapping, extra charge for fancy wrap. Greeting cards, $2. Call 532-8729.

CATERING AND OTHER FOOD SERVICES

Oxnard College hotel and restaurant management students: Will help cook, serve food and clean. Cost: $8-$12 each. Call 986-5869.

La Starr and Co.: Offers various catering options, but specializes in desserts. Cost: $6-$15 per person for the dessert buffets. $12 and up for other menus. Service is extra. Call 642-2814.

The Town Waiter: Will deliver from selected restaurants to homes in Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo and Port Hueneme. Cost: $5 for delivery, with $1.50 extra charge for second restaurant. $10 minimum food order per restaurant. Closed Dec. 24, 25 and 31 and Jan. 1. Call 658-8778.

Food Fantasies: Will cater a gourmet Christmas dinner, with appetizers, sage and cognac-roasted turkey, garlic-chive mashed potatoes, orange-honey glazed sweet potatoes, dessert and other fixings. Cost: $30 a person for food only. Service is extra. Twelve-person minimum. Allow a couple of weeks advance notice. Call 643-4348.

What’s for Dinner? (Phyllis Kidd): Personal chef service. Includes grocery shopping, menu planning and food preparation. Regular cost: $260 for 10 meals; holiday cost: $200 for same. Call 649-3469.

Bon Appetit Catering: Specializes in large gatherings, but will prepare meals for groups as small as eight, providing you pick up from Simi Valley location. Cost: $10-$15 per person. Place order minimum of three days in advance. Call 526-7441.

Kay’s Gourmet Catering: Will cater a variety of menus, from hors d’oeuvres to full-course dinners. Cost: $19.95-$69.95 per person depending on menu and service provided. Traditional turkey dinner, $9.50 per person if you pick up from Westlake location. Call (818) 889-1161.

Alan Roettinger Culinary Services: Caters customized meals (he’s preparing Bavarian cream pie and pumpkin flan for a Thanksgiving dinner). Shops, hires waiters, cleanup crew if desired. Basic rate: $400 for a party of 8-12 people. Smaller parties negotiable. Serves mostly the east end of the county, but west county possible. Call (818) 889-5889.

Green Acres: Offers various dinner packages. Oven-roasted turkey, with gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Cost: $49.95-$59.95 depending on size of turkey. Full dinner with turkey, gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, yams, salad and rolls: $8.95 per person (minimum of 25). With roast beef, stuffed chicken breast, ham or lasagna, and fixings: $9.49 per person (minimum of 25). Delivery available throughout Simi Valley with $100-plus order, or pick up at Simi Valley location. Call 522-7038.

California Chicks: Full-service restaurant that caters large and small parties, preferably with minimum of 10-15 people. Allow at least a day notice for small parties, one week for large parties. Specializes in serving hormone-free, naturally raised chickens. Price varies depending on menu and service provided. Call 373-0223.

HOLIDAY CHORES

Christmas light hanging, tree hauling, assorted holiday decorating and/or tricky-gift assembly:

Ralph Christ: Specializes in light hanging, tree hauling and gift assembly. Cost: varies depending on size of job. Call 662-4474.

Hartman Handyman Service: Specializes in light hanging and gift assembly. Cost: varies depending on size of job. Call 659-0828.

Brittan’s Handyman & Maintenance Service: Will travel throughout county, with certain exceptions based on size of job. Cost: varies, but basic rate is $35 plus materials. Call 522-0386.

Eric Kinsey: A painter by trade who specializes in hanging Christmas lights. Cost: varies based on size of job. Call 389-1156.

Conejo Repair & Maintenance: This time of year specializes in lighting, other forms of decoration. Works primarily the east end of the county. Cost: about $30 per hour, but varies with size of job. Call 598-0308.

JB General Handyman: Will do “anything that you are too lazy to do.” Cost: varies depending on size of job. Works east end of county, particularly Simi Valley. Call 496-0182.