10 Last Minute Gift Ideas

We’ve all heard about the nighmarish economy and we’ve all witnessed more than a few businesses go under. Most of has have had to scale back in quite a few areas. So, why oh why is every store in town packed with shoppers and why is traffic bumper to bumper to bumper?!

I guess everyone is about like me. When it comes to Christmas, we still want to go all out. We equate buying great things for our loved ones with showing them how much they mean to us. I know as well as you do that we, as a nation, should have never allowed Christmas to get this out of hand (when it comes to spending money) but… it is what it is. Trying to redo traditions at this point would be next to impossible.

Besides, if you want to get down to it – I confess, I absolutely love going out and buying things for my family. I love wrapping them up and, most of all, I love seeing their faces when they open the gifts.

So, yes, I guess I’m part of the problem, IF it is indeed a problem. I’ve just decided that, starting December 27th, I’m putting back money each week for Christmas. I’ve heard a lot of people say that they’re going to shop earlier next year, but I’m one of the few nut jobs that actually loves the hub and the bub and the bub and the hub of the Christmas rush, so I’ll probably never be an early bird. Too much fun getting in there and mixing it up with the late birds!

Below is a list of some last minute ideas for Christmas shopping. The price ranges are all over the map, it’s just a group of things that might give you an idea or two. Maybe three.   By the way, I know you wouldn’t mind whatsoever (because you’re cool like that), but none of the links below are affiliate links – meaning I won’t be paid if you click the links or even if you buy anything.  I’m just trying to throw you some great ideas for Christmas and beyond – that’s all.

 1.  The most comfortable chair imaginable: I just reviewed the wonderful Steelcase Leap Chair on my office supply site. This chair is a real sweetheart. Everyone who visits us takes it for a “test drive” and loves it muchly. My daughters’ boyfriends say it would make the ultimate gaming chair. They even gave me a display of how perfectly the arms move for everything you want to do with your arms.

My aunt sat in it so long she never wanted to get up.

Check HERE for dealers near you. You can also find information on the website for ordering online. If you can’t get your hands on one before Christmas, just cool your heels and order one for yourself after Christmas. THEN start saving for next year.

The Steelcase Leap Chair is awesome. Your booty, back, and neck would love for you to read more about it.

 2.  For the cook, or wanna be cook, a  Paula Deen cookbook is a delicious gift.   Throw it in a gift bag with a couple of kitchen gadgets and a gorgeous kitchen towel and you’ll be someone’s hero/heroine.  Nigella Lawson’s Express Meals is another fantastic cookbook.  It’s gorgeous.  It’s pricier, though, than Paula’s so you might want to bypass the extras in the bag.

 3.  Also for the cook, Kohl’s has one of the most impressive kitchen departments around.  Yeah, I’d know – it’s the first department I head for.  I can tell you how each store on earth rates in their kitchen department, what brands they carry, etc.  Obsessed, much. 

Kohl’s has a great collection of Food Network pans, dishes, cookware, cutlery, books, and gadgets.   They also have the amazing KitchenAid, George Foreman, Calphalon, Black and Decker lines.  The blue Food Network Oven Mitt was given to me a year or two ago and I use it every day.  It’s gorgeous and has kept burns from happening to even an accident prone person like me.  There are some sweet Bobby Flay kitchen towels as well – they’re beauties.   There’s a Food Network Griddle that just caught my eye as well.

The Food Network Whipped Cream Dinnerware from Kohl’s is so beautiful it takes my proverbial breath away. It sends me every time I look at it.

Also, any kitchen product by George Foreman is a perfect gift. I’ve used my own George Foreman grill and rotisseire so much they could probably cook a complete meal without me.

 4.  For the person who is a little tough to buy for, a couple of gift cards is in no way a bad idea.  You could give them a dinner and a movie by including a gift certificate to their local theater as well as one to a great restaurant.  If it’s for a female, you could always throw in some flowers or a plan and if it’s for a male – chocolate always makes him smile.  Come to think of it, chocolate makes everyone smile, forget the flowers!

 5.  Books!  Books, audio books, calendars – they make incredible gifts IF you choose the right ones.  If you read any of my book reviews on this blog, you’ll see which books have been my favorites this year.  However, I don’t write many Cookbook or Fiction reviews on SHD.  So, I’ll tell you a few tricks of the trade – for cookbooks, you can’t go wrong (ever) with a cookbook written by a Food Network chef or celebrity.  As a cookbook collector, I guarantee you that if Food Network aligns themselves with someone, they’re about as good as it gets.  Tyler Florence, Alton Brown, Paula Deen, Nigella Lawson, Barefoot Contessa, Giada, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Emeril – if their name is on it, buy it with confidence.

As for fiction, in my opinion the following authors sit on top of the heap.  Their names are written larger than the book’s title for a reason – they’re the star.  For a reason.  Dean Koontz, John Grisham, Stephenie Myer, Nora Roberts, and Sue Grafton have no inclination of ever disappointing a reader.  Mr. Koontz isn’t above terrifying a reader to the point of gasping, but he won’t disappoint them.

 6.  DVDs are perfect for just about anyone.  If you know someone on your list’s favorite actor or actress, put together a little bag or box of this star’s movies for them.   Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Audrey Hepburn, Matt Damon, Keira Knightley, James Franco, Vin Diesel - they’re just a few of the stars I collect.  I love movies!

 7.  If you have someone on your list with a killer sense of humor, they’ll love January Jones’ Thou Shalt Not Whine.  It’s beyond hilarious.

 8.   Great CD’s right now:  Taylor Swift’s Fearless, Twilight’s Soundtrack,  Heartbreak by Kanye West,  The Killer’s Day and Age, One of the Boys by Katy Perry, I Am… Sasha Fierce by the amazing Beyonce would make most people deliriously happy.  Keith Urban has a greatest hits cd out that’d also make a great present.

 9.  If you’re just completely unsure, go to Amazon.com.   Not only can you order from the warmth of your own home – you can find lists galore.  They let you know what the hottest toys, books, cds, dvds, digital cameras, ipods, mp3 players, etc are. I’m completely amazed that adorable little Elmo finds his way to the top of the Toy’s list every year – in one form or another, his sweet face is always there!  If you’re ordering from the site, you need to do so today in order to have the gifts by Christmas.  If that’s cutting it too close for you, simply use their site for some great ideas.

10.   Last and best:  A Starbucks Gift Card.  If you know me and my Starbucks obsession, you probably saw this one coming.  Starbucks is more than just great coffee, chai tea, hot chocolate, apple cider, fraps, lattes, espressos, and iced green tea lemonade – it’s a state of mind. 

Starbucks is the last great frontier of pampering yourself.  It’s like a thumb in the mouth, a security blanket, and mom’s chicken noodle soup all rolled into one. But tastes better, feels better, and smells better. 

Ah, the aroma, the sounds, the smiling workers, the deliciousness….  I have somewhere I have to be.

Before I head to the great frontier, I just want to say that I hope you’re having a wonderful Christmas season.  Embrace and cherish every moment and every person.  And, for crying out loud, be careful driving in that holiday traffic.  Some people drive even worse than I do.  Avoid them at all costs.

Merry Christmas! – Joi

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