Okay, you’ve procrastinated, and now it’s three days before Christmas. Are you simply SOL? (BTW – SOL is today’s freebie Texas-ism. It means “Shit Outta Luck.”) Nah, you’re not SOL. You’re smart and resourceful and darn it, people like you.
First, stop panicking.
Second, don’t rush out and buy a box of candy canes or those horrid chocolate covered cherries. Those smack of last-minuteness.
Here are several great options:
Electronic Gift Card
These babies are sent by the retailer ASAP. Creative? No way. But they are often very much appreciated. Smarty Boy likes to see just how many Amazon gifts he can collect for his after-holiday shopping!
Grocery Store Gift Basket
Hit your local grocery store and seek out cool stuff. You know, Carr’s Water Crackers, Boar’s Head condiments, Jack Daniel’s mustard, local wines, champagne and microbrewery beers. Gather four to six items and plunk them in a basket. If you’re really in a pinch and can’t find a basket, use a plastic bowl or wrap the goodies in fabric. (My editor Deb Nemeth agrees going gourmet is a good idea!)
IOU
Go back to those coupons we talked about yesterday, which means you don’t have to pay up until some point in the future. Order tickets for a play, concert or some other event that occurs during the spring. Promise your loved one a post-holiday dinner or lunch—your treat—and be sure to follow through.
Cash
Quick, easy and always the right size. (Thanks for Amy Remus for this one :-))
Charitable Donation
Even if you don’t have time to get a card from the charity of choice, you can always place a note in your own holiday card (Thanks to Nancy Naigle for this idea!).
Books
Great news about the popularity of e-readers. You can pop onto to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and gift e-books without worrying about shipping! (Thanks to @mslizalou for her Twitter response!)
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Have you forgotten someone on your holiday shopping list? You still have three days – hop to it!
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Today is National Haiku Poetry Day, so I thought I’d share one I wrote years ago when Smarty Boy was doing a haiku unit in English.
Pages, two or more
Words join in uneasy kinship
One book sits waiting
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