Last minute gift ideas for Christmas 2011: What can you give?

With Christmas Day just days away, many might need some last minute gift ideas for 2011

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It can be stressful to fit everything in leading up to Christmas Day. With buying all the food, finishing up work, and meeting up with family and friends, finding time to go to the mall can often be a challenging task.

Some last minute gift ideas:

Gift cards are always an option, and even though they are not very personable, they are available at many stores, some of which are even open on Christmas Day.

A coupon or a note in a card about an activity that is coming up can also be a great present. Even if you don't have tickets in your possession, or the tickets haven't gone on sale yet, letting someone know that you thought of an activity to do with them is a nice present and gives the recipient something to look forward to.

Many things are also email-able these days (including gift cards), but also things like memberships or subscriptions. One of the best presents I got was a magazine subscription and that arrived in my inbox on Christmas Day.

Another idea is food - people love baking, especially is they don't have to do it themselves. If you are a good cook, you can also promise to treat a friend or a loved-one to a nice dinner in January, which is typically the month many are depressed from spending too much money and need to stay home more anyway.

If you have some items around your house that you are not going to use, why not make up a gift basket? You can put together almost anything and wrap it in a nice basket with some ribbon or paper and it can be a great gift for someone. Especially if you have some wine or preserves that you don't like, others may appreciate that a lot.

If all else fails, be honest, say you didn't have enough time, but promise to make it up to them and make sure you follow through!

Happy Holidays!