Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas - gifts for everyone

Ok, if you are anything like me and leave things to the last minute, then keep ready, you may appreciate this...

Below are some last minute gift ideas for those of you who are still struggling to find something for hard to buy for person or for those of you who are just starting to think of what to buy for Christmas (gasp!)

Autobiography - A good autobiography of a person of interest to your loved one. There are so many autobiographies and other good books of virtually every topic possible that are released just in time for Christmas. For instance, my husband is a mad AFL supporter so I was thinking of buying him Ben Cousin’s autobiography.

Any kind of book is a great gift to give for Christmas – when you receive a book, you can steal yourself away on Christmas day, after what is usually an exhausting time with a glass of wine or other beverage of choice or otherwise save your book for a good holiday read if you are taking time off work.

Magazine subscription – Like books, there are magazines for every topic under the sun. I’ve asked my Mum for a 12month subscription to ‘Women’s Health & Fitness’ and I’m going to treat myself to a 2 year subscription to ‘Runners’ magazine.

A magazine subscription is great idea because it is a gift that keeps on giving all year long, giving the person something to look forward to each month and an excuse to take time out to indulge in an interest or hobby. Also, you will often find that magazine subscriptions come with a bonus gift (I get a free stop watch with my 2 year Runners subscription) which can be an extra stocking filler for the same person or for someone else.

Tickets to a Show – This year I asked my husband if he could give me a night out at the Ballet with pre-show dinner so I could see the Nutcracker just in time for Christmas.

I plan on buying my Mum tickets to see Neil Diamond when he tours Australia in March.

There are so many live shows playing all year round that you can usually find something to interest everyone or at the very least you can usually buy a gift voucher so that the person can choose something they will really love.

Here is a list of some of the events planned for Brisbane this year (something for everyone).

Some of my personal favourites - Wicked the musical (am going to see this in February with the girls from work), Billy Connolly, STING - Symphonicity Tour (Sting sings with the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestra), Riverdance .

There are heaps for the kids - Walking with Dinosaurs – a great show to take little boys to (educational and exciting!). As well as heaps of stuff for teenage girls - Katy Perry, Good Charlotte, Justin Bieber, Usher - OMG Tour, Rihanna. I have 6 teenage nieces so am always on the look out for giving them an ‘experience’ or ‘memory’ as a gift.

One year I took my nieces to see Delta Goodrem (don’t judge). They loved it and it was nice to do something with them. Thankfully they are all too old to like Justin Bieber!

Annual pass – an annual pass to one of the adventure parks - Dream World, Sea World, Movie World, Wet n Wild, Australia Zoo, Alma Park Zoo – a good excuse for a family outing every month if you have a young family.

Start a collection – For friends and family that have everything but you still want to buy something sentimental or special, you can always start a collection for them. For instance, I know someone who collects miniature porcelain owls and I collect mix match cups and saucers

The collection could be seasonal, like a special Christmas ornament – you could give them one each year from the same range (they usually have special releases each year). For instance, I had thought of buying a glass a Wedgewood snowflake ornament for friends spending their first White Christmas in Canada this year as a memento of their special trip.

Stocking Fillers - Take away insulated coffee mug – you can fill it with the person’s favourite chocolate or lolly or put a gift voucher inside for a free coffee and/or meal at their favourite coffee shop.

And for those of you who are struggling to think of something for your better half, here are some of my ideas...


Belt – a good quality professional or casual belt.

Memberships – Probably the best present I have ever bought for my husband was membership to the Brisbane Lions football club about 8 years ago. Buying season long membership meant that my husband could enjoy watching one of his favourite games live every week and either gave us a good night out together (we sometimes go out for dinner before hand) or if I didn’t want to go or couldn’t go, an opportunity for my husband to catch up with and treat one of his mates to a good night out. We have maintained the membership ever since.

Leave Pass – Since becoming a parent, I now enjoy taking moments away to do something indulgent just for myself more than ever. This year, instead of hosting yet another Christmas function, one of my work service providers organized a free treatment for some of their female clients at the Thai Footspa. It was a great idea and I had a great time ‘networking’ with other interesting ladies in my industry/profession while sipping champagne followed by jasmine green tea, enjoying a foot massage and pedi and walked away from a Christmas function feeling unusually relaxed and refreshed. While I was there I also bought a few gift vouchers for Amelie’s teachers and my hair dresser (people that deserve to put their feet up!).
So I’m thinking of organizing a ‘male equivalent’ for my husband - maybe an all expenses paid day at a good golf course for my husband and two mates so they he can spend the whole day playing a sport he enjoys, take a whole day off and catch up with good friends. If possible, I might throw in a voucher at the ‘18th hole’ so they can stay and have a steak (or other ‘blokey’ male meal) and beer and make a real day of it.

Happy shopping!