Gas Station Convenience Stores, Drugstores Are Refuge for Last-Minute Christmas Shoppers
We’ve all forgotten to put someone on our shopping list.
— -- It’s happened to all of us – desperate, last-minute “Oh no, I forgot a present for Bob” gift syndrome. But fear not. Creativity and personalization can make even a last-minute present meaningful.
Pharmacy Chains + a Printer: The Virtual and the Visual
Many pharmacy chains are open until midnight Christmas Eve and many are open on Christmas Day. They have loads of toys, gift sets and of course gift cards, but I like the virtual and the visual: something you buy online given with a gift that represents the idea.
- Tickets to a basketball game and a basketball
- Membership to the Zoo and a stuffed animal
- Membership to the museum and a coloring book/crayons
- Housecleaning gift certificate and a feather duster.
Gas Station Gift Baskets
Themed items can be bundled with a little humor to make a decent gift. My favorites involve scratch off lottery tickets.
Tropical Thoughts
Scratch off lottery tickets, a tropical juice, a coconut candy bar, sunglasses, and a note that says “I couldn’t afford a plane ticket but I hope this takes you to someplace sunny.”
Chinese Restaurant Gift for Your Sweetie
Get a takeout Chinese container and a few fortune cookies. Download a word template to write your own fortunes and fill in a bunch of dates like “You will go bowling with a beautiful woman” and “Will you strike lucky?” then watch this video to see how you can take the existing fortune out and insert the ones you wrote and printed. It involves a wet paper towel and the microwave, but it was pretty easy.
Starbucks
Many Starbucks stores are open on Christmas. Some stores will have more gift options than others but here are some examples of Starbucks gift ideas.
Fake Newspaper Article
The fake newspaper generator takes your photo and text and spits out a fairly realistic looking article. I love this idea because often the people you need a present for are tough to buy for. The fake newspaper generator lets you turn your gentle mockery of a loved one into a fun gift. Write the article, print it, frame it and hopefully get a laugh.
The Candy Bar Card
Use candy bars to write a personalized message. It’s a cute way to give a sentimental card to someone who’s got a sweet tooth. It’s especially useful if you can say the kids made it. Here are a bunch of examples of candy bar cards.
With all stores and chains mentioned here, do call before you go. I’ve found whether a store is open on Christmas is highly variable.
