If you’re looking to shop for last-minute Christmas gifts, here are my (admittedly last-minute) recommendations.

Local shopping

Changing Hands is an independent bookstore with Mesa and midtown Phoenix locations. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, they can order it in, and they have other cute products besides just books. Their loyalty card and the First Draft coffee shop/bar inside the Phoenix store are great reasons to stop by. If you’re looking for book recommendations, my favorite reads of the year were Why Fish Don’t Exist in nonfiction and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow in fiction.

Monsoon Market is where I get my non-literary gifts. If you’re looking to shop for a trendy Gen Zer or millennial, this is the spot for anything from consumables (natural wine, local chocolate, infused olive oil) to decor and accessories.

Annual events like Merriment in Melrose and Phoestivus are great opportunities to meet smaller vendors while walking around and getting food. If you missed them this year, The Fred (a collection of small local stores) does a fantastic last minute Christmas market event on the 23rd.

Giving back

In all honesty, most of us have enough stuff. If you’re looking to gift a difference in your community, this is a great time of year for it. My favorite local nonprofit organizations focus on our homeless neighbors: Phoenix Rescue Mission, Circle the City, New Freedom, and AZ Hugs. They can all use help year-round, but especially when it’s extra cold or hot outside.

If you’re looking to give your time, volunteering to serve food is also a great activity that you can do through Paz de Cristo. For international impact locally, I recommend volunteering at Feed My Starving Children and shopping at their store— both located in Mesa.

If you’re looking to shop online and give back at the same time, I recommend The Good Store. All profits there go to funding medical care around the world through the organization Partners in Health.

Gifting experiences

If you’re looking to gift someone something intangible, look at upcoming shows at local venues. Taylor Swift tickets might be out of your budget, but prices at The Rebel Lounge, Crescent Ballroom, Club Red, The Nile, and The Van Buren are a lot more affordable.

I recommend the Phoenix edition of the Pub Pass for those who like to try new spots. It gives you a penny beer at 25 different local places in the valley.

One of the best gifts I’ve been given recently was a roller-skating lesson through local group Zoni Girls.

I’ve also gifted someone a glass blowing class through Phoenix Glass Center (although these are difficult to reschedule, so watch out for that!)

For those who want a less active activity, it’s a ton of fun to create your own scent at Lotions and Potions (in Tempe or midtown) or make a lipstick or lipgloss at LipLab in Scottsdale. I’ve done both these with family and friends, and I wear my custom perfume from Lotions and Potions every day.

Gift cards

Some people think this is a cop-out, but I think sticking local can make this a thoughtful and personal option. Plus, Postino, First Place Coffee, Sicilian Butcher, and the Fox concepts all do a holiday gift card deal that gives you bonus gift cards for purchasing this time of year.

I also recommend grabbing a gift card to Changing Hands in advance of their excellent New Year’s holiday sale. If your resolution is to read more, you can’t miss it!

If you don’t know what someone wants, at least if you shop local or non-profit oriented, it’s money well spent.