Last Minute Holiday Shopping

It's just days before the holidays commence, and you've awakened in a cold sweat. Maybe you've forgotten a gift for your great-aunt Mary Jane, or maybe, just maybe, you've put off shopping a little too long.

Don't let last-minute gift giving get you down. Instead, let it be one more way to end the year on a green note. Opportunities abound for thoughtful or even insightful presents that minimize packaging and shipping miles and are available immediately, like magazine subscriptions, downloads and charity donations.

Instant Gratification

Give a year’s subscription to The Green Guide so everyone on your list can get the healthy, evironmentally sound product and behavior tips in the bimonthly newsletter and in web-only articles and columns at thegreenguide.com. All available right away with a click of the mouse. At special reduced rates for a limited time:  print subscriptions are 2 for $20 and e-subscriptions, 2 for $15.

Music is all about personal preference. And although we may think we know what Johnny really enjoys listening to, it's much easier to play it safe. Rather than buying a CD that could very well end up in the goodwill bin by the end of the month, not to mention the PVC case it comes in, give your loved one the gift of choice. Gift cards for music downloads are available from countless retailers like Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com), Radio Shack (www.radioshack.com), Apple (www.apple.com) and Napster (www.napster.com).

The Bigger Picture

Sing an altruistic tune this holiday season with a gift that will not only show a loved one you care, but help those in need. Alternative Gifts International provides a portal through which you can donate to various causes like sustainable agriculture in Belize or peace and justice in Haiti. Regardless of cause or contribution level, there are multiple ways to give back this winter (www.altgifts.org).

Indulge the green thumbs in your family, and give a gift that will keep on growing. Native Seeds/SEARCH, a non-profit dedicated to preserving native crop varieties of Mexico and the Southwest while aiding and educating Native American farmers and communities, has an "Adopt-A-Crop" program that would make an ideal gift. For $100 you can adopt one of five "adoptable" plant species. After the crop has reached maturity, Native Seeds will send your loved one a packet of the newly harvested seed (www.nativeseeds.org).