Only a handful of shopping days left before Christmas and you've got a few gits yet to purchase. Why not make a donation in someone's name to their favorite charity? One of my favorites is the Humane Society. The Humane Society will always have needs to be filled and you can't go wrong making a donation in a loved one's name to your local branch. There's also shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries and museums to consider. If you're looking for something more global, consider a donation to the International or American Red Cross. Your donation to the Red Cross can be targeted to the Philippine Islands, your local community or to their most pressing needs. On a global scale, take a look at the World Food Program's e-vouchers, listed by Mashable as one of the Innovations That Improved the World in 2013.
Perhaps you're going to want to give something more personal. Consider one of Amazon's new Kindle e-readers. The standard Kindle is only $89.00 ($69.00 if you take the special edition which comes with advertisements) and weighs less than six ounces. If they already have a Kindle or other e-reader, you can send them a gift certificate or pick out a few books for them. There's all sorts of sales right now, for instance Winter Goose Publishing is offering its entire catalog of e-books at just $2.99.
If the person you're shopping for is a serious carnivore or bacon aficionado, why not make them happy all year long with a Bacon of the Month from Zingerman's. And if they're vegan or vegetarian then there's nothing like a Harry & David's fruit of the month.
If you're shopping for someone that's politically active, how about a Hillary Clinton Nutcracker or this frightening John Boehner ornament?
Personally, I plan on cooking a big breakfast on the 24th, care to join me? Merry Christmas!