If you celebrate Christmas, have you finished your Christmas shopping?

Consumer Reports published some highly entertaining survey results today about holiday shopping. An excerpt (which I believe to be a breakdown restricted to the 20% who stated they have not started their holiday shopping yet, although CR could have been much clearer about this):

Thirty-nine percent report buying gifts in drug stores, 9 percent shopped with street vendors, and a small sliver (one percent) admitted buying holiday gifts from vending machines. Forty-three percent plan to take the easy path and buy a gift card.

What if you really don't manage to get all of those gifts purchased in time? Of those who said they expected to be in that position, 46 percent said they'd give their intended recipient an IOU; 36 percent said they'd just pretend it didn't happen. Eight percent said they'd just avoid the other person.

In the interest of fewer awkward moments, here's a quick list of ideas for last-minute gifts, and things you should avoid. Keep in mind that Amazon.com is offering free two-day shipping until 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET today (Wednesday), which equals a Christmas Eve delivery.

Great last-minute gifts

• Amazon.com gift cards. It's hard to find someone who can't find something they would like on Amazon. Amazon is offering free one-day shipping on all gift cards, so you don't even have to get out of your seat to get those last-minute gifts taken care of.


• Local gift certificates for events and experiences. Would that special someone love a hot-air balloon ride, craft or cooking lessons, or a punch card for their favorite hourly-fee activity?


• Restaurant gift certificates. The rule of restaurant gift certificates is that you will be a favorable topic of conversation during the meal, whether it occurs during the holiday season or six months later. Many gifts do not spur such conversations. Think about it.


• An awesome game. Fluxx, Bananagrams, Blockus, and Quiddler are all under $15 and great games. Give one as a gift at a family event and you'll be playing it that same day and, trust us, hearing, "What a great game!" from your relatives or friends. If you're reading this before 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, you can get them at Amazon.com through the links here for less than in stores. Blockus in particular is good for kids as young as six.


• Premium-quality food ingredients from the grocery store. If your friend would be shocked to know that $20 balsamic vinegar even exists, this is the wrong gift for them. But if they're foodies, they know the value of a premium olive oil, block of cheese, or wine, even if they can't often (or ever) afford it. This is a great last-minute gift because you can pick these items up easily during your grocery shopping, creatively wrap or gift bag them with a touch of class, and you have a memorable and enjoyable gift.


• Dried soup mix. Buy a dozen mason jars and a few basic ingredients at the grocery store, layer, write out recipe cards, and voila! A cheap and thoughtful handmade gift for a dozen of your closest acquaintances.


• Coffee foot scrub. Mix 4T ground coffee, 3T corn meal, 3T Epsom salt or sea salt, and 3T olive oil + 2 drops of peppermint or lavender oil, or just 5 T. olive oil in a pinch. You probably have these ingredients in your pantry and/or freezer right now, so grab a container and go! If you don't have a small jar, do not underestimate the dress-uppability of a wad of plastic wrap. Lush does it every day. Add a ribbon and, if you're giving it to your partner, add a coupon for a free foot rub. Instant gift win.

Bad last-minute gifts

• Restaurant.com gift cards. Sure, they cost pennies on the dollar, and are a great deal for eating out. But they also require real expense to use, even if it's only part of a meal. These "$X off your meal of $Y or more" gift cards should be reserved only for people who you know are going to be eating at the place anyway -- in that case, it's a nice, personalized gesture supporting an existing habit. Beyond that, just buy them for yourself. At the moment, the code HOLIDAY will get you 80% off what are already fractional costs.


• Those new AmEx and Visa gift cards in checkout lines. A $4 "purchase fee" amounts to a 2% tax on you for doing business with AmEx or Visa, which is obnoxious and wrong. If flexible spending is what you want to give, give cash. It will probably be spent more wisely anyway.


• Cheap electronics. We are all in favor of useful gadgets, but choose wisely. While an unwanted item is likely to be returned (if you provide a gift receipt) a bad investment is often used to the point of disappointment, then discarded. E-waste is a major problem and it's only getting worse.


• Pets. Step awaaaay from the puppy.


• Personal grooming or home cleaning items. Those are for birthdays, silly!


• Thrift-store toy purchases. Not always bad, but check for recalls first, please! Wow, that link is hard to find on the redesigned CPSC website.

So tell us... What are your best bets for last-minute gifts? And how far are you in your holiday shopping?

Hurrah to all the mothers out there from all the families at the ZRecs Network. We hope you're all having a wonderful day, and we'd love to hear how you spent it. If you're looking for a little something extra for a mother in your life, send a quick video card and follow it up with a phone call!

So... what did you do for the mothers in your life today? If you're a mom, how did you spend your Mother's Day?

Salt dough is great for making ornaments for any occasion. Christmas may be the most obvious choice, but in our household we have a three-foot purple tinsel tree we pull out for a variety of occasions, most consistently for Mardi Gras (when we decorate it with strings of beads gathered there), the spring equinox (egg ornaments, flowers, and fake birds), and Halloween (where, to date, we've used strings of Halloween lights purchased at steep discounts in post-holiday sales).

Making salt dough decorations requires a bit of organization, as it's a two-stage process (the cut ornaments need to bake and then cure at least overnight), but it's a low-hassle, fun way to celebrate any season you like. You could use this process to make a seasonal garland if you aren't interested in using a tree (just run a long length of ribbon through, perhaps knotting between ornaments to keep them evenly spaced), or make small items for a kids' charm necklace or bracelet.


First, let's get the recipe down for you... Just a minute... Hang on, dude, these things take time.


There! (That's two cups flour, two cups salt, and one cup water.)

Made with the help of Sarah Neuberger's brilliant Recipe Writing Stamps from The Small Object. Not cheap at $24, but a lot of fun and a great gift for little (or big) chefs. All it lacks is third-cup measurements. You'll see these stamps come up again on ZRecs as we talk more about cooking with young chefs and helping them to understand recipes.


Mix...


...and mix.

Knead the dough into a ball, chill it, and then roll it out and cut out your shapes according to theme. We used a variety of Halloween-themed cookie cutters, and some random ones too.

Poke circular holes for threading string or ribbon through - a straw works well for this.

Then bake at 250 degrees for several hours. After that, let them cure at least overnight, or a full 24 hours if possible.


Paint.


Add glitter now - the paint can act as glue. Z actually developed a very deliberate technique involving mixing glitter in with the paint. Honestly, it was a pretty interesting process. Very textural.


Let dry.


Did we mention that dress is casual?

Projects involving glitter work great outdoors, by the way. Adds a bit of sparkle to an old picnic table.


When they're dry, decide if you want to add any other ornamentation... we may still break out glue and sequins before we're through with this project. Then run your bits of ribbon or string through them and tie in knots or bows, or a longer piece to make a garland.

We'll make sure to get a photo up of our finished tree when we have it decorated - skeleton string lights and all!

Do you do anything unusual with kids to dress up any fall holidays at your home?