Pushed for time? Worried that you won't find that perfect something for that very loved person?

Don't fret.

You don't need a ton of time or money to make a special memory come true, but your thoughtfulness and imagination is required.

We hope these ideas inspire your last-minute gift giving.

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Gifts that Give Back

Consider making a donation in honor of your loved one to a group or charity that is close to the heart. Network for Good  and Just Give, offer databases to locate and research countless international and national (even local) organizations that support a huge variety of causes and campaigns. With a few minutes, a few simple clicks (and a credit card), you can create a meaningful gift that truly celebrates the season.

Frame It!

This time: think INSIDE the box… Children's drawings or paintings become collector's items when enclosed in simple, inexpensive frames. No kids? Consider framing a poem or a special memento from a shared event or experience (concert tickets, sea shells, even a swatch of fabric from a favorite t-shirt or sweater) – and voila! A memorable, maybe even tear-inducing, masterpiece is born.

FaLaLaLaLa and Snap! Snap! Snap!

The "mix tape" days may be long gone, but the thought they delivered has not. Technology makes the process so much easier. Grab a stack of recordable CDs and plow into your digital music and photo collections. Share your rock n' roll history with your teenage niece or make a collection of photo memories for a grand parent to download to her own computer. Better yet: offer your services to scan old family photos onto a CD if you can. (Be sure to add an Itunes gift card for music fans so that they can continue to support the artists they love.)

Yum! Yum! Yum!

A short walk through Shubie's or the Fruit of the Four Seasons will surely inspire the perfect gift for anyone who, well… eats! Create a "gift basket" filled with unique and scrumptious treats hand-picked especially for your recipient. Add a few of your own special recipes. Need a basket? Consider something that you probably already have: a clay plant pot, a milk crate, a decorated paper grocery bag. Be creative.

The Gift of Time Together

Purchase a gift card to a local restaurant, throw in another to a nail or hair salon (for spa-like prep time), offer to baby sit or book a baby sitter, and create a "Night on the Town" for a deserving couple or for your own spouse. Have multiple children? With some paper, a few markers and a little imagination (or by accessing some nifty gift-card templates available online or even via your own home PC), give a redeemable "coupon" for a one-on-one outing – a hike in the woods, a sledding adventure, a movie (plus popcorn and candy!), or a fancy lunch date. This "thing" will last long beyond anything wrapped in paper.

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With some ingenuity and one hour, the heart and soul of Christmas can beat on. In you!