|
gift
ideas
(excerpted
from
Present
Perfect)
Call a travel agent and book a trip. Have
the itinerary faxed to you and present it with a toy boat or airplane.
Buy tickets to the symphony by phone.
Have them delivered to your office by messenger. "Wrap" them
in a bouquet of flowers you pick up on the way home from work.
If you have several gifts to buy at the
last minute, try to buy as many gifts as possible in a single
location—a bookstore, drugstore, or grocery store, for example. (See
below.)
Grocery stores are wonderful places to
shop for last-minute gifts.
- Fill a wok with oriental food
favorites (don't forget the fortune cookies).
- Fill a decorative tin with holiday
cookies from the grocery store's bakery.
- Give a cookie sheet with cookie
cutters, a spatula, and a roll of cookie dough from the store's
refrigerator case.
- Fill a basket or large bowl with all
the fixin's for the ultimate ice-cream sundae.
Drugstores are filled with an array of
merchandise for last-minute shoppers. Many are open 24 hours a day,
providing one-stop shopping 'round the clock. Just look at the
assortment of treasures you can find at the drugstore
- Games, toys, and puzzles for
recipients of all ages
- Electronic gadgets—personal stereos,
electronic dictionaries, thesauruses, hand-held video systems and
games
- Small and fun appliances—Belgian
waffle irons, popcorn poppers, ice cream freezers, French fryers,
shake makers, telephones
- Cosmetics—makeup brushes, nail care
accessories, fragrances
- Sports and exercise equipment—balls,
bats, step exercisers, in-line skates, small weights
- Costume jewelry and fashion
accessories
- Picture frames and photo albums
- Watches and clocks—alarm, radio,
travel, shower
- A variety of flashlights—penlights,
roadside, pocket
- Calculators—construction,
scientific, funky, big-buttoned
- Hair ribbons, barrettes, headbands,
and bows
- Audio tapes, video tapes, and compact
discs
- Holiday music, ornaments, tableware,
linens
Like drugstores, bookstores offer a wide
range of quick gifts for those of all ages:
- Sturdy, colorful picture books for
infants and toddlers
- Counting, alphabet, fantasy, and
rhyming books for preschoolers
- Humorous, adventure, and
how-things-work books for grade schoolers
- Coffee table books for just about
every interest from antiques to zoology
- Magazines—insert a note to mention
that you have arranged for a gift subscription and then be sure to
do so, or roll together several current magazines of interest to the
recipient and tie them with a bow
- Theme calendars for every interest
- Large-print editions of favorite books
for people with sight impairments
Don't overlook items around your house as
gifts for last-minute giving.
- Pass on a piece of antique or heirloom
jewelry to a daughter or granddaughter.
- Or give a piece of your costume
jewelry to a niece or friend who has admired it.
- Recycle baskets, vases, and other
accessories—assuming they are in good shape and in keeping with
the recipient's taste and decor.
- Frame a school picture and give it as
a gift to grandparents or to an adoring aunt.
- Give items from one of your
collections: coins, stamps, baseball cards, books, records, quilts.
Present Perfect:
Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion is filled with ideas for
last-minute gifts and many other creative gifts. In addition, you
get tips on gifting etiquette, shopping, wrapping, special
presentations, and much, much more. To order the book,
click here.
NEW!
To start shopping for gifts right now,
click here.
Have
any last-minute gift
ideas you'd like to share? |
