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Ok, so you messed up Shipping deadlines have come and gone, you don’t have time to get out and shop, and you’re at a loss as to what you could possibly gift to your mom, or your wife, this close to the holidays. Don’t worry, because we’ve managed to track down some very creative solutions to your current situation. From subscription services to front-door deliveries of the gift that keeps on giving (booze), we’ve found myriad gifts that will make someone’s holiday bright while totally disguising the fact that you, like last year and the year before and the year before that, may have dropped the ball. No need to thank us, just hurry up and get to gifting before time actually runs out.
Drizly
Ah, yes, the universal gift. Whether it’s beer, wine or spirits, Drizly delivers alcohol directly to your recipient’s door. All you have to do is enter the their address and browse thousands of available gifts, from Cabernet to Champagne to Coors. Done and done.
InsideTracker
For the everyday optimizer, InsideTracker is a dream come true. Pick a plan that suits your recipient, ranging from “basic” to ultimate, and they’ll receive a comprehensive blood test review that offers real time, cross-referenced health data on everything from nutrition to lifestyle to potential health concerns. If you’re not sure what exactly the data fiend in your life wants to know, InsideTracker even offers handy gift cards, so that they can control every part of the process.
Goldbelly
Ever wish you could gift your favorite hometown delicacy? Now you can, whether you’re still in the area or not. Goldbelly is a service that lets you deliver food, even if it’s thousands of miles away, meaning you can support local restaurants and give someone their (or your) favorite food at the same time. Yum!
Cameo
Here’s the deal: Cameo gives you the chance to gift something a bit more intimate than a pair of socks. More than a bit, actually; the service allows you to request personalized messages to your giftee from their favorite stars in the form of customized video messages, live video calls and direct messages. Rates and availability differ depending on the personality in question, but we’re positive you can easily track down someone your aunt/niece/wife loves.
Soothe
Soothe doesn’t offer some revolutionary new massage (sorry to those interested in gifting experimental shiatsu) but rather brings tried-and-true comfort straight to your recipient’s door. Offering daily massages in the luxury of your own home, Soothe allows you to give the gift of a trained, vetted and background-checked professional masseuse, without all the uncomfortable surroundings.
Future
Fitness apps pose a bit of a conundrum. On the surface, they seem to be built for convenience, but as any seasoned phone-based athlete is sure to understand, a service with a gazillion different videos or cookie-cutter plans can be simultaneously intimidating and boring — and a definite hinderance to seeing results. Not Future, though; the service combines the catered consideration of a personal trainer with the anytime, anywhere nature of app-based workouts for a seamless experience. Perfect for the person who is low on time, gym-avoidant, or just someone who wants to take the home workouts to the next level, Future sets you up with a coach, specialized training plan, and host of resources (they’ll even loan you an Apple Watch to get the best out of your training). How’s that for a gift?
Masterclass
If you somehow missed the Masterclass craze — perhaps you were too busy cultivating your sourdough starter or just couldn’t stand to look up from TikTok — the platform offers lessons on a whole variety of topics, ranging from personal wellness to cooking to astrophysics, led by leaders in the field. Courses vary in length and number of classes, but the pin-point attention to detail, coupled with an easy-to-follow lesson plan, host of resources, and integrated technology (pause and rewind are always your friends) makes this the perfect gift for that forever student. Right now, Masterclass is even offering a special deal of a subscription: a 2-for-1 offer, starting at just $15 a month.
Black Tomato
Shipping cutoffs may be upon us, but it’s still not too late for you to win big come Christmas morning. We’re talking real big. This year, give the gift of a vacation … and one that you’ve already taken the liberty of planning, at that. Black Tomato is a luxury travel company best known for their totally custom (and awesome) itineraries that’ll outfit you with the perfect surprise vacation, from the accommodations right down to the excursions. Albeit just a jumping-off point, you can peruse some of their existing itineraries for inspiration — including the “Get Lost,” which brings patrons to unknown, uncharted destinations and charges them with exploring their way through them. Best Christmas present ever?
Echo Dot + Amazon Music
A surprisingly adept little speaker that can also serve as your constant Alexa companion, the Echo Dot right now is just 99 cents if you pair it with Amazon Music Unlimited (at $7.99/month, which will auto renew but you can cancel any time after the first month). If you don’t need the Amazon speaker, try this combo deal instead; $7.99 for Amazon’s Music Unlimited streaming service, which also gets you six months of Disney Plus for free (and then an additional $7.99 per month after, though you can cancel).
Sugarwish
You simply buy the experience, and your recipient then gets to pick from a whole selection of premier products, like candy, cookies, snacks, coffee/tea or even dog treats.
We've put in the work researching, reviewing and rounding up all the shirts, jackets, shoes and accessories you'll need this season, whether it's for yourself or for gifting purposes. Sign up here for weekly style inspo direct to your inbox.