So have you waited to the very last minute to start putting your holiday list together and now find that you still have an inordinate amount of shopping left to do in the few days before Christmas? Well, I’ve certainly been exactly where you are before and that prompted me to get innovative. Not necessarily because I’m so naturally creative, but more because I am lazy and absolutely hate everything about the crowds buzzing around most retail outlets this time of year.
Here are a few of my favorite last minute ideas that help to make the tail end of your holiday shopping a snap:
Movie Tickets
For the movie buffs among your friends and family, a gift of movie tickets could make for an ideal gift. At
www.fandango.com, you can purchase Fandango Bucks in increments of $25 which can be used at theatres around the country and have them delivered to people on your holiday gift list by email or traditional email. You can even print them out on your own computer instantly, insert them into a card and voila you’ve got a present baby! How easy is that?
Broadway Gift Tickets
For theatre lovers, friends who live in the New York metropolitan area or travel to New York frequently, give the gift of Broadway from the cozy comfort of your own home. At
www.Broadway.com, you can go online and create a gift certificate that will make recipients squeal with absolute delight. Choose from a wide range of shows with current runs, print out your certificate and you’ve created a personal and unique gift that will be a surefire hit.
A Four Seasons Gift Card
What’s not to love about The Four Seasons Hotel? Absolutely nothing, that’s what. Which is why a Four Seasons gift card makes an amazing gift. Choose an amount ranging anywhere from $100 - $100,000 and the Four Seasons will send a gift card to the recipients neatly and elegantly wrapped in beautiful box. Now that’s one package I’d like to receive. (Anyone listening out there?) Hurry to make your orders though, as orders received after 1:00PM EST on Dec. 20, are not guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas. To order, go to
www.fourseasons.com.
American Airlines Gift Card
Give the gift of travel this holiday with an American Airlines gift card, which can be purchased online, at an American Airlines Travel Center or at many retail outlets. It works just like a debit card and allows recipients to use the amount credited to the card in anyway they see fit. This is the perfect gift idea for friends and family who you want to come visit you. Another alternative would be to give a friend or co-worker a one-day pass or membership to the American’s Admiral’s Club so they can enjoy a luxurious place to relax before they travel next. For more information on the American Airlines Gift Card or Admiral’s Club Memberships and passes, go to
www.aa.com.
Spa Gift Certificate
Finally, since I have never personally encountered anyone who didn’t enjoy a little pampering, I highly recommend spa gift certificates as ideal last minute gifts. Whether you purchase the gift certificate from your favorite local spot or from a major hotel chain, it will, without question, provide a soothing and satisfying holiday gift offering. Better still, picking up one only generally only requires a visit to the spa’s website or a drop by one of the physical spa location (which by the way is a great reason to treat yourself ot a little much needed TLC.
There. Now don’t you feel better? Just take a deep breath. Pull out your list. Sit down at your computer and click away until you’ve scratched every name off that list. Doesn’t that sound so much better than being trapped in the perfume section of a department store waiting for someone to help you? I thought so.
