Last Minute Christmas Gifts for Dating Couples

Not the most creative of last minute gift ideas, but a strong standby in case of emergencies. Plus, you can either buy online and have the gift card electronically delivered at any time of the day or night ((no shipping!), or you could stop by your intended's favorite local hangout and get a quick gift certificate there, instead. Try some of these retailers:

• Gardener's Supply - Home and Garden (Buy Direct)
• Gaiam - Natural Living (Buy Direct)
• Discovery Channel Store (Buy Direct)
• Travelocity Hotel Gift Cards (Buy Direct)
• Cooking.com (Buy Direct)

No need to buy anything here, other than maybe some dollar store finds like construction paper and a glitter pen. Write down the things you think your partner would appreciate, catering the ideas to your relationship level, and tie it all up nicely with some ribbon or a couple of staples, such as:

• One free massage for the body part of your choice -- great to bundle with some massage oil from the local 24/7 drugstore;
• A movie marathon of your favorite flicks -- give with a gift certificate to a video store;
• Walk in the snow, hand in hand -- some gloves would work here, or even a one-use hot pack;
• A coupon for maid service or car detailing, take your pick depending on the recipient;
• One gourmet dinner, served in bed.

You can order one (or several) magazine subscriptions online for a fraction of the price that you would elsewhere, and your gift will arrive on its own, without prompting from you. Plus, this last minute Christmas gift will keep your present in your date's mind all year round, as every time they receive the magazine in question, they'll fondly think of you. Some packages to try:

• Under $10, such as Esquire, Motor Trend, Nylon and Women's Day(Buy Direct)
• Under $25, like Cosmo, Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated (Buy Direct)
• Combo Subscriptions, like Maxim/Blender and Good Housekeeping/Redbook (Buy Direct)

A quick and easy DIY project, you can easily make your date a bundle of romantic fortune cookies, tailored specifically to him or her. For ideas on what to write inside (and I highly recommend you write the 'fortunes' before making the cookies), try these short and sweet suggestions, all specifically created to offer loving words in the shortest number of characters:

• Romantic Text Messages
• Flirty Text Messages
• Cute Love Quotes

You could go and plant a tree for a loved one, taking a picture of the event and explaining to them with a small note card why your gift is such an important one. Or, you could pay a company like The Conservation Fund to do it for you -- which may be handy if you've got a lot of trees you'd like to plant, or if you don't have easy access to green space. Completely tax deductible, with 100% of the proceeds going towards the company's tree-planting efforts, this is a last minute Christmas gift that gives back.

Tickets, you ask? To what? Well, the beauty of buying tickets online is that you can purchase something for anyone's interests, tastes and wants. Sports fans can find any upcoming game in your area and buy a ticket (or two) for the event, and live theater afficionados can do the same. Basically, if you need to pay admittance to an event, you'll probably be able to find it listed, here. And if you can't quite decide between a concert or special event, you can always choose the Holiday Gift Card (Buy Direct) option, and let the recipient decide their last minute Christmas gift for themselves.

If your partner really wants to take up yoga or deepen their already active practice, why not give them a series of weekly online guided yoga classes by well-known instructors Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidnam. Each week’s audiocast focuses on refining the poses and principles, and include guided relaxation and meditation. Plus, the recipient will not only have access to Rodney and Colleen, but also a robust support system via chat, blogs and community forums.

If you're really stuck and need to send a gift immediately, donating to a charity on someone else's behalf is a thoughtful gesture. Charity Choice offers a unique twist on this practice; instead of going to the charity you'd like to give to, you can purchase a tax deductible gift certificate or gift card for your intended, and then they can choose which charity the money is donated to.

A large number of online retailers now offer quick, last minute shipping on select items, but sometimes finding them can be a chore. Here's a short list of a couple of companies offer inexpensive yet fast shipping so you can shop anytime of the day or night for your loved one and get it here on time, and no one will be the wiser that its a last minute Christmas gift.

• NOVICA - National Geographic's online store (Buy Direct)
• Are You Game - games (Buy Direct)
• Max and Chloe - jewelry (Buy Direct)
• Henry and June - lingerie (Buy Direct)
• Kitchen Collection (Buy Direct)

If your sweetie feels their health is important to them, or if they ingest an awful lot of energy bars, then perhaps giving them a custom-made concoction might be the perfect gift for them. You can even create a personalized name and label for your bars, to be shipped directly to anyone's door. Or, if you are really in a pinch, buy a gift certificate and let your date choose their own combination of flavors.