No Worries, Procrastinators! Last Minute Gift List For Those in a Hurry

Photos, story by Cassie Hepler

So you were too busy sleeping off a hangover from pre-holiday party number four this year to get thee to the store. That’s what online shopping is for! That and the internet is for porn. But seriously, sometimes you need to get someone something in a hurry and don’t want to look bad. So we’ve got your covered. You’re welcome.

More holiday parties are a great way to unwind after all the stress of shopping, traveling and meeting with family. However, most of us have faced this frightening scenario: you arrive at the party, address: check, date: check, festive outfit: double check. You think you’re in the clear only to realize that everyone brought a gift and you showed up empty handed! In fact, 44% of consumers admit they’ve been caught empty handed or didn’t buy a present for someone who bought them a gift.

Don’t be a grinch.

Instacart‘s got your back (and ours too, thanks for the holiday stash Instacart!). We love them because of the efficiency of the process. Order online last minute, schedule your delivery and enjoy your friends and family while the food arrives. Forgot mixers? They’ve got that. Need a cookie gift box or some pomegranates for drinks? Done. Organic candy canes? A nice alternative to typical peppermint sugar canes. Need just a nibble? Those whole wheat sweet tasting crackers and that cranberry goat cheese is heavenly with organic sparkling cider. Need a nip? Add some whisky to the cider, which brings us to our next suggestion.

Manatawny craft distilled spirits are a local Pottstown favorite for good reason. You can shop online for leather wrapped flasks, “Whiskey Saved My Soul” T-shirts and of course their line of tasty liquor. Which one to get? We got you. The clear gin has light botanical notes that knock out the juniper’s sharpness, while the Wooden River has a complex and compelling taste with less of a bite. The Small Batch Whiskey was an amazing malty taste that goes a little too well with a piece of ice and the clear whiskey is closest to moonshine, strong and ass kicking. And if you’re looking for a new rum flavor, this is it. Not sweet at all though somehow made with 100 percent raw sugar, it would made a stealthy wicked good mixer.

Try Gyft, a digital gift card platform, will save you from being dubbed the party Grinch and allow you to buy and send digital gift cards from any device. So, next time you’re dressed to the nines for that holiday get together and are caught in an unexpected gifting disaster, pull out your woobie and send the holiday gift that everyone wants this season, with just a few taps of a screen. And if you sign up right now, you can save $5 off your purchase. Then apologize for “email” or “shipping” problems.

When it comes to chocolate, Godiva is like the Dom Perignon of the cocoa world. Loaded with delicious flavor and fat, every lady (and gentleman) loves the pure decadence of melting chocolate on their tastebuds. With free shipping on orders over $49 (you know you want the big box… for a gift, of course), it’s a no-brainer kind of like diamonds. Everyone loves diamonds, especially if they are shaped in delicious shapes like these limited edition chocolate and truffle assortments. The larger red box sells for $35 and if full of an assortment of nuts, berries and other decadent flavors while the long green box if a truffle flight ($15) and can be paired with some sweet white or tart red wine… or just scarfed down in one sitting. Because the holidays don’t have calories, remember?

We gladly welcomed Soothe into our home and Philadelphia on Dec. 21 and the surrounding suburbs (yes, even New Jersey) just in time for the stressful holiday season. For our Explore Philly readers, use code JAHZI for $30 off your first massage! Soothe is a same-day, massage-on-demand service with over 2,000 licensed massage therapists that delivers a licensed, vetted, certified massage therapist to your home, office or hotel room, with as little as 60 minutes advance notice. Services include Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports and Couples massage, in treatment lengths of 60-90-120 minutes that includes gratuity and taxes. From $99-$139-$169 with hours from 8 a.m. to midnight daily, people can book 24/7 via the iOS or Android app at soothe.com/app, online, or via the toll-free number (800-960-7668) during business hours. We’ve checked it out – twice – and plan on being soothed some more this year and all of 2016.

Last but certainly not least, let’s not forget Spring in a basket delivered straight to your doorstep with Chrissy’s Flowers in Manayunk. Delivered to this writers doorstep from volunteer organization Project Sunshine (who are always in need of more Philly volunteers btw), this was like a ray of sunshine on rainy a December day. Still going strong and looking fresh from a week ago, we highly recommend working with small businesses as well. After all, we were all beginners once. And in the season of giving, loving and laughing, the Explore Philly team wishes everyone a wonderful holiday season and even brighter New Year!