Heartfelt gifts in a hurry

With each passing year, I find myself reaching deeper into my heart for holiday gifts that impart genuine love and appreciation rather than feelings of obligation or hefty price tags. For me, it’s a natural impulse, but it seems to heighten in response to the commercial clamor that wages on until the very brink of Christmas. Even as I write, the media is frantically reminding us that we are again facing those dreaded “last shopping days” of the season. With the clock ticking, there’s no doubt that many a generous spirit is now feeling frenzied rather than festive. Maybe you’ve forgotten a special person on your gift list, or maybe you haven’t found the perfect present for someone you love. Like me, you yearn to give from your heart, but now you’re down to the wire. Take a deep breath and let me lighten your load with five simple solutions for finding uniquely useful last-minute gifts that won’t cost a bundle or create a ton of waste. Best of all, they have “heartfelt” written all over them. Five Last-Minute Gifts from the Heart 1. Surprise Them with a Service With so much concern these days over consumption and waste, an ideal gift this year is a media rental service. Services don’t just accumulate on a shelf; they keep right on giving for weeks or months to follow, and they’re easy to purchase in a flash. Most of us are familiar with movie rentals from Netflix (www.netflix.com), but now there are also online book-rental services — think virtual libraries. BookSwim (www.bookswim.com) lends paperbacks, hardcover books and college textbooks, while services like Simply Audiobooks (www.simplyaudiobooks.com) and AudioBookWorm (www.audiobookworm.com) offer audiobooks on CD or via computer download. 2. Send Sumptuous Samplers Remember the fruit-of-the-month clubs? Well, what may have once been considered a rather kitschy gift has been elevated to a delightful means of doting on someone special, thanks to Diamond Organics (www.diamondorganics.com). Their Sampler of the Month program provides a convenient way to give doorstep delivery of fresh organic foods on the first Friday of each month. Valencia oranges, mesclun salad greens, shiitake mushrooms, oh my! You can select to send all 12 months or any combination of at least three months, and pay up front or receive a bill each month when your order ships. 3. Re-gift, Rejoice! It’s high time we get past the guilt of “re-gifting.” Why not? It’s nothing but nice to pass along a new or gently used item that is no longer of use to you. Check your closets for wedding gifts that never made it out of the box, and other goodies that you may have intended to return to the store. It may also be the perfect year to pack up a precious piece of jewelry or your prized collection of crystal wine glasses and pass them on to the next generation. There is priceless sentiment in giving something you value to someone you love. 4. Make It By Hand There has never been any question about the union of handmade and heartfelt. Anyone who receives a gift created by a loved one’s fair fingers is sure to feel treasured. You don’t have to be super-skilled, and the gift needn’t be grand in scale. Small, intimate gifts crafted by hand rival the most ostentatious items money can buy. Need ideas? Take a look at 101 Handmade Gift Ideas, a blog full of bountiful gift ideas that you can easily and inexpensively make yourself (www.100handmadegifts.blogspot.com). 5. Create a Coupon Book How about your own version of a holiday coupon book? No grocery-store discounts here! I’m talking about sweet perks that are tailor-made for the lucky recipient. This is an easy project to prepare on the computer (but it can certainly be completed by hand for an extra personal touch). Fill your coupon collection with indulgences that can be redeemed throughout the coming year. Some may be favors that you are willing to grant upon request — housecleaning, babysitting, a home-cooked meal, a date for two. Other coupons can be clipped simply for the recipient’s private pleasure, like little “free passes” to do whatever she or he desires — a candlelit bath, a walk outdoors, an hour of uninterrupted knitting, a cup of tea … you get the idea. Let generosity be your muse as you dole out decadence. 6. Give the Treat of Organic Meat No gift is more gracious than hearty, delicious and organic winter sustenance. Rocky Mountain Cuts (www.rockymtncuts.com) offers Gift Boxes and Organic Beef Packages boasting a variety of savory and delicious combinations of beef raised on the largest free-range organic ranch in the U.S. Tasty hamburgers, succulent tenderloins and delicious roasts are perfect options for nurturing someone you love.