Last-minute Gift Guide for the Serious Procrastinator

Forget the good intentions, folks. They won't help you now. Once again, we revive the time-honored tradition of "panic shopping," that seasonal adrenalin rush that keeps life so interesting. But never fear. I'm back, with a second installment of the official Good Life Northwest Gift Guide.

No standing in line at the post office, no watching for the U.P.S. truck, and no worries, with these instant gratification ideas. The chance to cross that last name off your gift list is only a few clicks or a phone call away.

1.) A MEMBERSHIP-- Who wouldn't love to learn they just received a year's membership for a gym, a museum, club, or any organization they have an interest in? So many times we put others first and don't indulge in these things that we could enjoy all year long.Here are a few of my favorite suggestions:

Sound Experience    You've read plenty of my blog posts about the 1913 schooner Adventuress, Puget Sound's own environmental ship. Membership has many benefits, but you could also simply make a gift purchase of a single sailing experience. Be sure to check out the options. A nice alternative to the same old boring gifts, and it all goes to help preserve this historic ship while educating the public.

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology I mentioned the lab's own gift suggestions in my gift guide post last week, but just take a look at their site in general and see all it has to offer. I've blogged about them many times and we're on a first name basis. Of course you can't go wrong with Audubon either. Both organizations' memberships include subscriptions to their outstanding magazines.


National Trust For Historic Preservation  Again, the magazine alone is worth the price. Your gift can help preserve our nation's history, much of which is threatened.

YMCA   Give someone the gift of a "Y" membership and you'll give them the gift of better health in the new year.

2.) TICKETS - Here's a great waste-free gift that gives the recipient something they might not indulge in for themselves. Take a look at the theater, special event, or travel options in your own home town. Here are a few ideas: a ride on a train, plane, or even a ferry boat, movie tickets, musical theater, comedy, a special exhibit or concert, or maybe even a lecture with a celebrity, like this one, that benefits Seattle's Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance.

Please click on the following links to my recent articles on University Place Patch for last minute gift, waste free gift solutions that help support the arts in Pierce County.

Shopping for Gifts in an Artful Way(Video)


Take in the Fun at "Joe's Diner"(Video)


3.) TIME - I'm not talking about a new watch folks. I'm talking about giving a gift of time, yours or theirs. It could be a homemade gift certificate for babysitting, errand running, handling chores, or maybe taking over for a few hours for someone who is a caregiver for an elderly parent or other family member who needs a constant presence. How about giving an unhurried phone call to a lonely person, maybe an older relative who would rather hear your voice and know you care than receive any material thing?


4.) YOUR LOVE - The most important gift of all never cost anyone a dime. And this last one, my friends, is what Christmas is all about.