Last Minute Environmental Gift Ideas Keeping Your Holidays Green

Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas gift buying is in full swing. The challenge is on! With only a few shopping days left and perhaps many gifts still to buy; here are a few ways to minimize your shopping time and frustration and simultaneously make a significant difference for the environment. When making a few changes in your buying styles and habits you can have a considerable impact on the environment with little effort.

It's really fairly easy. Just follow some of the gift ideas below and enjoy the satisfaction of being part of the green movement by greening your gifts. Make it a truly green holiday this year. Take heed!

Remember to give presents people need, can use and are practical. Be creative! Try these......
 Tickets to movies, concerts, museums, sporting events, outdoor activities or an annual pass to national parks.
 House or garden plants, herbs, seeds and bulbs. Pots and planters boxes made from natural ingredients.
 Gift certificates to clothing, electronics, books, grocery, or vitamin stores.
 Music and books. itunes or the equivalent downloadable books and music.
 Give the gift of YOU! Make coupons for services such as babysitting, a night out at the movies, dinners dates, weekends away, massages, yard work, dog-walking or help write a resume or article, give a computer lesson or offer some other talent or skill you can share.
 An old book or collector's item. Things with a unique meaning. Shop at antique stores, estate sales or flea markets.
 Cook home-baked sweets and put in a reusable tin box, a kitchen container, or another usable item.
 Any homemade item. A knitted hat or scarf.
 Fair-trade organic chocolate or coffee. Always a hit.
 Clothes and other items made from hemp, wool, or organic cotton.
 A roll of postage stamps.
 Office supplies such as recycled paper and envelops.
 Energy efficient light bulbs, battery re-chargers, or solar-powered products.
 First aid kits or emergency road side equipment.
 Board and card games that will be used over and over again.
 For your children, you can open a savings account, buy stocks or bonds.
 A gift gasoline card for your teenager or college student.
 A calendar marked with important dates, such as birthdays, anniversaries, and family gatherings.
 A book of favorite recipes.
 Carbon offsetting. This purchase erases negative energy footprint of reducing carbon emissions.
 And last but not least give to one or more Charities in the name of your recipient.

The list is really endless if you just take a moment to think about your purchase. If you consider where the product was made, what it is made of, who made it, what actually went in to the manufacturing of the product, you might want to reconsider that purchase. Fact: A manufactured item will generate 70 times its weight in waste during manufacturing. Wow!

Most of all; enjoy the process. And please don't buy me anymore knick knacks. My shelves are already brimming with dozens of dust collectors!

To learn more about how become more environmental conscious when planning your holiday parties and events, planning conferences, workshops and seminars, and events of all sizes, visit my website: www.successfuleventplanning.com.

About the Author

As an Event Planner, Writer, Author and Environmentalist Ms. Kilkenny is in the process of her next writing endeavor, a book dedicated to greening the hospitality and event planning industry.

Gifts In A Jar A Great Last Minute Christmas Present

Here it is just a few days before Christmas, and you all of a sudden realize you need a few more gifts. Should you make a frantic dash to the mall and fight with everyone else over the last few affordable and decent presents? If you?re like me, that idea doesn?t sound appealing at all. What if you could make a personal gift instead that your friends and family will love?

Usually when we hear homemade gift, we think of sweaters grandma knits, or those granny square afghans your aunt Lydia makes for everyone. At best, it may involve a picture frame with a collage of family photos.

Here is another idea for a great last minute Christmas present that you can literally put together Christmas Eve. Best of all, the recipient will love and actually use it.

So what is this big ?Mystery Present?? It?s called a gift in a jar and the basic idea is to fill a decorated mason jar with a baking or cooking mix. Mix together a hot chocolate mix out of cocoa powder, sugar, powdered creamer and some spices and fill the Mason jar ? of the way with it. Top it off with a layer of miniature marshmallows. Make a little label with directions on how to turn this hot chocolate mix into hot cocoa by adding some warm milk.

You an also mix the dry ingredients of your favorite brownie or cookie recipe. Or instead of mixing the dry ingredients, layer them in the jar for an even more visually appealing gift. Don?t forget to add a card with the recipe and instructions on how to turn this mix into a yummy batch of brownies or cookies.

The possibilities for gifts in a jar are endless? You can add cake mixes, dry ingredients for your favorite soup or chili, or even create your own spice or dry rub mixes and pour them into small jars.

Make a label and glue it on the front of the jar, like those on old-fashioned jam jars. Next, cut a piece of fabric into a square that overlaps the lid of the jar by at least an inch. If you have a pair of those fancy serrated scissors, use those to give the cloth that fancy triangle shaped edge. Center the fabric over the closed lid and secure it by tying a ribbon around it.

Write a recipe card and poke a little hole in one corner. Thread another piece of ribbon through it and tie it around the Mason jar as well. That?s it, your gift in a jar is ready.

For over 200 recipe ideas for all kinds of Gift in a Jar Recipes visit http://www.kinderinfo.com/giftjar and get started making those beautiful last minute Christmas Presents.

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas - Gifts of Edible Delights

Eek, the stress of it all! Last minute holiday gift ideas can be a headache if you are at a loss for ideas. The gifts you decide upon will depend on who you want them for and why. Fun and fantastic Halloween gifts for the kids or gracious Thanksgiving gifts can help determine your gift giving needs for the fall season.One idea that can help you out of this tight spot is quality and tasty holiday food gifts. Everyone likes to eat! Creative baskets are a sure-fire gift for families, neighbors, friends, coworkers and clients. The edible delights are bites of pure deliciousness. And, they are wrapped and designed in fun and festive works of art that you can feel proud of.Those last minute holiday gift ideas come easily with Halloween gift baskets and Thanksgiving food gift baskets. Flavorful and stylish, quality creative baskets can be delivered directly to your recipients, making your holiday shopping, wrapping and deliveries a pleasant and fast experience.Fun and tasty last minute holiday gift ideas for Halloween are:ghostly boo baskets and bags filled with sweets for the big or little kids in your life, gives them a night of ghostly fun. Make your own boo ghost bags with white paper lunch sacks or make them out of fabrics. Use a black marker or crayon and fabrics to create the ghostly image. Fill it with edible delights for the kids and have a great Halloween. jack o lantern containers filled to overflowing with Halloween gifts of sweet edible delights, will delight any spooky participant of Halloween night. Stuff a tee-shirt in the bottom and fill it up with edible delight the kids will love. big bags of treats and plush toys for the ghost and goblins you know are spooktacular gifts of tasty goodies. Add a soft plush toy for the kids to remember how good Halloween treated them.

Last minute holiday gift ideas for Thanksgiving are: autumn creative baskets filled with gourmet specialty goodies of vegetable dips, crackers, caf? lattes and many more edible delights are gift ideas for mom and dad, grandparents, and any other friend you know or just met. fall snacks are perfect gifts when someone has made an impression on you or you want to make an impression on them. It is always nice to say thank you with gifts of good taste. gourmet Thanksgiving food gift baskets are filled with scrumptious gifts of cheeses, meats, snacks and sweet treats that can be topped off with a cup of gourmet coffee. They are gifts of good taste for those last minute gifts of the season. If you need fun Halloween gifts or ones of thankfulness, holiday creative baskets are the gifts you are looking for. Ghoulish or gourmet, creative baskets can come to the rescue for last minute holiday gift ideas.Shirley Bass at GiftBasketJewels.com invites you take a look at autumns last minute holiday gift ideas. Halloween gift baskets and Thanksgiving gift baskets are themed perfectly for your gift giving needs. You have to see them for yourself to know how well they can help you with those last minute holiday gifts. By Shirley Bass

Last Minute Gift Ideas in a Basket to Go

It's crunch time and you're starting to get an overload of anxiety. You need last minute gift ideas immediately - if not sooner. You are determined not to drop the ball and meet your obligation to make someone happy for this gift-giving occasion. But the clock is ticking. What to do?There is a formidable option for you to consider that covers a very wide range of interests, hobbies, and edibles. This means that the gift recipient would very likely find one or more of these choices quite appealing. These themes include movies, casinos, bath spa, golf, gardening, guy items, NASCAR, romance, picnics, and even kid stuff. Need more?This gift option also includes tasty comestibles such as chocolate, coffee, tea as well as other foods that fall under the categories of gourmet, Italian, and spicy. There are also edibles under the label of healthy classified as either "heart-healthy", sugar-free, and kosher as well.Or how about last minute gift ideas that cover specific situations such as birthdays, get-well, new neighbors, condolences, thank-you's or even weddings? So what concept could possibly cover all of these with a probability in your favor of finding at least one that would strike a bulls-eye in the heart of the lucky beneficiary of your generosity?

The answer is unique Gift Baskets...and more strategically, buying unique Gift Baskets online. There's not only an exciting assortment of themes to choose from but a way to have them custom-delivered according to your wishes when purchased online. Your wish is the Gift Basket website's command from your home or office! How easy is that? And no mall-shopping hassles or costly gas prices to worry about as well!Take the advice of aGiftBasketParadise.com and seriously consider unique Gift Baskets as last minute gift ideas. You'll have both a wide selection to choose from and the delivery taken care of. Your burden will be lifted and you'll also make a certain recipient very happy. How can you possibly top that scenario?

By Brian Connors

Last Minute Gift Ideas For Your Spouse

Shopping at the last minute for your spouse can be stressful. Here are some ideas for last minute gifts for your spouse.Think about what hobbies your spouse participates in and buy a gift card. For someone who reads, a gift card for the local bookstore will enable them to purchase that bestselling novel. Does your spouse like to download and listen to music? Then a gift card for a music site would be a perfect gift. Most grocery stores and many gas stations now sell gift cards so finding one that is perfect for your spouse is pretty easy.Try making a romantic dinner or grabbing some takeout from your favorite restaurant. Set the table, light a few candles and get a great bottle of wine. This always makes a great and thoughtful gift that looks like it took a lot of planning.Make some coupons on your computer and put them in a nice card. Coupons can be for a backrub, a night off from the kids, a romantic dinner or even the event of your choice. For men, consider making a coupon that says you will take your wife to the romantic movie of her choice. For women, a coupon good for tickets to a sporting event that your husband loves will really make his day.Book a trip. This can be done online or in person. Pick a destination that you both have wanted to go to or someplace that you have been before. An itinerary can be printed from your computer and placed in a card.Shopping at the last minute does not have to be stressful. Simply think about the person and buy something that fits into their lifestyle.

By John Parks

Last Minute Gift Ideas For Teenagers

There is so much to think about this time of year, that you may have run out of ideas of gifts for your teen. If you are in need of a few last minute Holiday Gift ideas or stocking fillers for the teens in your life the ideas in this article should help you.1. Petrol Card. If your teen drives, this is an great gift! With gas prices going through the roof, a teenager needs all the extra money for gas that they can get.2. Free Movie Rental. Pick up a voucher for their local video store or get a subscription for an online rental site for your teen.3. Magazine Subscription. Simply go to the nearest newsagents and pick up a copy a magazine you think your teen your teen will enjoy and send in the subscription card that is located in the folds of its pages. Then write out on a Christmas card that the subscription should start in a month, until then enjoy this copy.4. Music. Gift certificates at iTunes.com or at the local CD store will be greatly appreciated. Music is the way to many teenagers hearts.5. Amazon Gift Card. Anything a teenager could want is online at Amazon - books, makeup, video games, you name it. Gift cards are easy to purchase right on the site. You can also email the gift certificate code right to the teen if you are really running late!6. Movie Tickets. It is not cheap to go to the cinema. It is not a wonder that most teens prefer group dating - no one has the cash to pay for their date too! If you are going to get movie tickets, make sure you get two, so your teen can bring a friend.

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Last Minute Gift Ideas for Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day! Do you have a gift for your Mom? If not, here are some great last minute gift ideas that will make her smile. Don't worry, Mom understands that you've been busy. It's still a good idea to show up with a gift though...For quickie gift wrapping your best bet is to go with a gift bag. They tend to be a little more expensive than gift wrapping paper, but they offer a pretty presentation and no wrestling with paper and scissors and tape. Don't forget to get your Mom a nice card. One tip in buying a last minute gift is to try to go to stores that other people may not be going to with quite as much enthusiasm. The mall is probably the last place you will want to be - the mall will be crowded. But smaller malls or smaller stores are a better bet. Drugstores and grocery stores will have regular traffic and could therefore be easier to get a gift at. Another great idea is to get Mom a gift certificate at a spa, manicure salon or some other personal service (like a visit to a personal trainer). Gift card. This is an easy gift for most of us to pick up. There are so many stores and certainly you can find one that would please Mom. Even better, some large stores like CVS and Walgreens even sell gift cards to larger stores like Macy's, Best Buy and Home Depot. So you can actually buy a gift card for another store while in a different store. Sort of a Matrix type of moment...Gift certificate.

A nice idea is to get Mom a gift certificate for spa services of some type. You can always get Mom a gift certificate for a massage, facial or a manicure and pedicure. There are many small manicure salons that offer this gift certificate service, and a gift certificate for this will cost you about twenty five dollars for a manicure and pedicure. That's a great deal for something that will indulge Mom and be a nice treat for another day. Other ideas for gift certificates include gift certificates for restaurants, maid services, personal trainer and other personal services. Sweets. What woman doesn't love chocolate? Very few. A box of gourmet chocolates is the perfect gift for Mother's Day. You can even find many gourmet chocolates in a larger grocery store, or some of the specialty delis in larger towns. This is a very sweet gift idea. Another idea is to include a paperback novel that she can read while eating her chocolates. Coffee/Tea. Many women have just got to have that morning cup of coffee or tea to get them started in the morning. Why not get Mom a Starbucks card so she can stop at Starbucks and enjoy her daily treat on you for awhile? Or pick her up several pounds of coffee or espresso beans? You could also consider buying her some herbal teas or other types of teas if she enjoys tea vs. coffee. Select a pretty mug for her to take her drink in. Flowers. Now flowers for Mother's Day is a very traditional gift. If you are buying at the last minute this can actually be a bit harder to find. But one idea can be to buy Mom a flowering plant at a plant store. The plant will certainly last much longer than a bouquet of flowers. This is a terrific gift for someone who gardens or loves their home. By Abigail Beal