Cheryl Shops

When it comes to last-minute gifts, I have nothing against a carefully selected gift card from a place the recipient actually likes to shop, but let's face it, nothing says "I almost forgot to get you something" like an Amazon gift card that you bought at the grocery-store checkout line. (And in fact, I'm not one to stop you from shopping there either—here are some of my favorite products on Amazon, most of which can be ordered with express Prime shipping.) But even if you're going to show up with or send an e-gift at the 11th hour, you can at least put a little thought into it. So here are some of my favorite last-minute gifts that aren't gift cards—all can be delivered electronically, too, which should come in handy since we're all staying at home this year, right?

Now that you've shopped all of the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and even Giving Tuesday sales, time to tackle gifts for other people. While I focused on major retailers offering ridiculously good discounts in my sale post last week, for my annual holiday gift guide, I really wanted to highlight small, local, sustainable, woman- and/or POC-owned businesses, because they're the ones who really need (and deserve!) our dollars at the moment. And speaking of money, I know it's been a rough year for a lot of people, and not everyone is in a position to spend a ton on gifts. And that's ok—for me, the most important thing is knowing that my family and friends are happy, healthy, and safe. But if you are in a gifting mood, read on, be thankful, and spend mindfully. (And if you're Sean, feel free to scroll straight to the splurge section. Kidding! Sort of.)

Remember when you were a kid and got one of those countdown-to-Christmas advent calendars where you got to open a new door every day and inside there was a piece of chocolate? (Mmm, chocolate.) I used to beg my mom to open more than one per day because clearly I was a sugar addict, but I think the true joy was enjoying a small daily treat leading up to the biggest treat-fest of them all, Christmas. Of course, you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy an advent calendar, and apparently you don't have to be a kid either, because a bunch of beauty brands have started creating their own, after the success of the original Liberty of London advent calendar. (Note: this year's version has sold out twice already, but I am praying it comes back in stock, because it's goooood.)  Speaking of selling out, I had intended to post this next month as part of my gift guide, but since so many beauty advent calendars have sold out already, I thought I'd better jump on it. So while you can spend $200-$300 on a luxury brand's version, there are a bunch of amazing advent calendars out there for under $100. Here are my eight favorites.