This article is for those of you who aren’t just frantically wrapping like me; you’ve put off buying until now. Or you’ve forgotten Aunt Erma, who decided to come to Christmas dinner after all. Whatever the reason, you can still come up with a gift. Plus, all of these ideas will keep you away from the mall. Whatever you do, stay away from the mall and the highways that lead there!
Books
If you have an independent bookstore in town, today is the day to visit! Should you be a bibliophile like me, you may need to tear yourself away from the store before you spend the day there. Find anything from children’s books to the latest. Here are a few of my favorites from this past year:
Butler, The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland by Salena Zito. Zito tells her personal story, from the day she spent covering President Trump’s rally in July 2024 and the attempted assassination to the aftermath.
American Apocalypse: The Second American Civil War by Kurt Schlichter. This dystopian novel will leave you disturbed and unsettled. There’s no happy ending, no matter who wins.
The House that Broke Me: A Daughter’s Memoir of Loving and Losing through Her Mother’s Addiction by Kate Lariscy. Kate tells her story of growing up with a parent addicted to painkillers without sparing the truth.
And a classic: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The tale of a family’s dissipation through a crime is a psychological and religious masterwork. Set aside your phone for a while and dig deep.
If you don’t have a bookstore nearby (all too common nowadays), there is Amazon. You can still give the recipient a book on Kindle. If they don’t have the actual Kindle, no worries: there is the Kindle app for their smartphone. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve read books on my big phone while waiting in line or on a plane.
If they’d rather listen, give your recipient a book from Audible. Either set them up with a membership or give them the book they’ll enjoy during the lazy week after Christmas.
Not a reader? Gift Cards
When online shopping first entered our lives, I didn’t like it. Proves I’ll never be a billionaire mogul. Now you can buy anything and everything online – and they have the last-minute Christmas gift cards to make it happen, even today. All you need is your recipient’s email, and your gift is set.
If you must have a physical gift card, the local drugstore or grocery store has them in stock.
Restaurant Gift Cards
As my dad has gotten older, the less he wants stuff and the more he’d rather have things he can consume. As I age, I’m coming around to that way of thinking, too! I’d much rather have an experience. A gift card to a local restaurant is the solution. One year, my brother gave my lucky Dad a new wallet stuffed with gift cards to Lowe’s, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, and all his favorite fast casual restaurants. If you have the time to find a wallet, it’s a neat gift anyone will appreciate.
Personalized Photo Gifts
In your phone right now, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of pictures you snapped over the past year. Odds are good you have multiple photos of your gift recipient and you doing something fun. Go to an online drugstore website, like Walgreens, and use their online photo store to make a photo gift: a magnet, coffee mug, or calendar. Most drug stores offer same-day pickup. There you go – a gift that looks like you spent more time and money than you really did. It’ll be our secret!
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