Lastminute-Gifts.com has many gift ideas available within 24 hours throughout the United States and Canada. When it comes to the rest of the world however, really fast gift delivery has been a problem. Many products simply are not available outside the US, and items which ship worldwide must go by an international carrier. This is expensive and time-consuming, but there hasn’t an alternative.

Now there may be a solution. A site called Gifts n Ideas has teamed up with local shops in 184 countries. With this network in place, they can deliver gifts for you same day, overnight, or as fast as that that country’s transportation structure will allow.

Gifts n Ideas also offers service in the US and Canada but it is not impressive; prices aren’t competitive here. However, the other 180+ countries is where they shine. Using local establishments saves a lot of shipping, and the time savings can’t be duplicated.

There are a few countries where no local connection is available. In that case Gifts n Ideas uses an international carrier and the time and shipping advantages go away. But you are saved the inconvenience of having to ship internationally yourself.

When looking at delivery schedules, time on much of the planet is hours ahead of time zones in North America. It’s very possible that in the country of your choice, “tomorrow is today” - what looks like next-day shipping is actually same day shipping. In the description, look for the words “hand delivered” - that could be a tip-off to fast local shipping.

If you have a gift that’s that need to go outside the United States, it’s worth checking into Gifts n Ideas. They may have exactly what you need, when you need it.

Once again, members of the Garritan community are offering a Christmas album, complete with cover and and label artwork absolutely free. You can download it for your own holiday listening, or burn it to disks, print out the artwork, and present it for the ultimate in cheapskate holiday giving. Unless there are musicians in the family, nobody will be the wiser. The downloads are available at http://www.garritan.com .

The music on the album wasn’t created by huge orchestras and mighty choruses, but by individual people working on their computer or laptop with Garritan Personal Orchestra software. This is available for Mac and Windows and ready for instant download. If you know a musician, student or hobbyist who would love to have their own orchestra, go over to the Garritan site and check it out - this could be an excellent last-minute gift idea.
For the rest of us, it’s great to be able to enjoy another collection of Christmas music from Garritan.

In fact, they are so confident that they can deliver your order in time that they guarantee it. When you place a qualifying order, Amazon prioritizes it to ship right away and automatically refunds the shipping costs if they miss the delivery date.

The trick is identifying eligible products. In order to do that, look for the “Want it delivered...” message that displays a delivery date and shipping option. This message lets you know that Guaranteed Accelerated Delivery is available for the item.

In addition to choosing eligible products, Amazon advises taking the following steps to ensure a successful order:
• Choose a shipping speed (one and two day delivery dates appear in green)
• Choose an eligible shipping address
• If your order contains other ineligible items, check the split shipment box
• Place your order before the deadline displayed on the product detail page

One more thing - make sure arrangements are made to take delivery of the package if necessary. If your shipment requires a signature or appointment, for instance, be sure someone is there.

This covers the basics of Amazon’s Guaranteed Accelerated Delivery service. If you have more questions about this feature, check the Amazon help pages for details.

With Accelerated Delivery comes Accelerated Shipping Prices. Amazon is a bit reluctant about showing them, but currently they display your new total price in red at the top of the page. You’d save quite a bit if the order could take a few days to arrive, and Amazon will let you change shipping preferences very easily. But if it can’t wait, their shipping prices are reasonable. And when time is of the essence, getting that order could be well worth the price.

Or the coffee  mug you saw a catalog which would be perfect for for Aunt Gladys… but it costs a fortune?

Or you’d just love to give something very personalized and special, but have no idea how to put it together?

Cafe Press has an answer to all the above.  This web site allows you to design custom T-shirts and and personalized gifts, then have them made and delivered fast.

How much time do you have for designing custom Christmas gifts? Here is Cafe Press’ 2009 holiday shipping schedule:

Shipping Method:   Order By:
Economy:                       11:59 p.m. (EST) Sunday, December 13
Standard:                        11:59 p.m. (EST) Tuesday, December 15
Premium:                        11:59 p.m. (EST) Sunday, December 20
1 Day:                               Noon (EST) Monday, December 21

Cafe Press doesn’t have a Speed Feature ( a method of getting your gift delivered or announced within 24 hours).  So if your custom creation won’t get there in time, use our  Gift Announcements to let them know their gift is on the way.

FansEdge is a website that can make gift-giving much easier. Dedicated to licensed team sports products, they have a huge inventory of gift ideas for nearly any sports fan you can think of.

FansEdge also has a Quickship service. If the item you’re looking at has the QuickShip logo, it’s available to ship out today (M-F) when you order by 5:00 PM Eastern time.

In case you have a few days to spare before the order must arrive, FansEdge has a great 4.99 shipping fee on any size order. But if it can’t wait, express shipping fees are reasonable and well worth the price of having it in your (or their) hands tomorrow.

Here’s a list of the sports FansEdge  covers. And as a service to the Sports-Challenged like myself, I’ve also included what those acronyms mean!

NFL = National Football League
MLB = Major League Baseball
NBA = National Basketball Association
NHL = National Hockey League
NCAA = National College Athletic Association
NASCAR = National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing
AFL = American Football League.

In addition to all the acronyms, FansEdge also covers
Golf, Boxing, Tennis, Soccer, and Minor League Basketball.

What is a place like Office Depot doing in a blog about last minute gifts? Okay, they don’t offer gift twrapping and I wouldn’t shop there for perfume, but things like computers, cameras, and GPSs are very popular gift ideas. And there are many more products, gadgets, and craft supplies that are also suitable for gift-giving.

But the real reason Office Depot appears on the Lastminute-Gifts.com site is the speed feature. They offer free overnight delivery on most of their products. Yes, FREE.

And this free offer covers a lot of territory - much of the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico - wherever an Office Depot retail store is in range.

There is a $50.00 minimum for free delivery and you’ll want to check the fine print to make sure your items are eligible and in stock. Order by 5:00 PM M-F for next business day delivery.

This feature is actually designed for small businesses, but anyone in a “Gift Emergency” can take advantage of it. Next day delivery is expensive — over $30 on average. So if  Office Depot has an item on your gift list, free next-day delivery may be worth going without the gift card and bow. You can wrap it up when it arrives.

And if you’re shipping the item directly to your recipient, you will probably want to notify them that it’s coming. Free email gift announcements are available at Lastminute-Gifts.com .

Vermont Teddy Bears make perfect gifts for nearly any occasion. Made in USA and modeled on the original 1902 Theodore Roosevelt teddy bear, they come in a variety of furs, models, and themes.

The bears are available in a great variety of occupations, hobbies, bears for her, there is for him, new baby gift bears, and holiday favorites.

Each bear comes as a Bear-Gram gift in a fun gift box with an air hole, personalized gift card, and gourmet chocolates.

And now for the speed features. Vermont Teddy Bears are speedy - Overnight delivery is available, order by 4 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday.

If you need to announce your gift faster, there is a little-known feature on the web site - free ecards featuring pictures of Vermont Teddy Bears. This is an old feature but still working. To take advantage of it, scroll down towards the bottom of the page and look for a link that says “Free Greeting Cards”.

The ecards are available for sending right away, and usually come very fast.  Please tell your recipients to check their spam box as most ecards are automatically sent to the spam box by email programs. And be sure you’ve ordered your bear before sending the gift announcement.

With both an Overnight Delivery and a Get It Now speed feature, Vermont Teddy Bears are a last-minute-friendly way to give a very special gift.

She ’s kind of difficult. I was thinking about what a certain type of gift for the casinos  but are there anything else?

My boyfriend’s mom will be in town next week.  She’s in her  60 ’s and has to watch what she eats.  What’s a good birthday gift?

Bake Me a Wish! has a unique way for you to celebrate Independence Day -
order a Freedom Cake for yourself or as a gift. For every Freedom Cake ordered here in the United States, a cake just like it will be sent to a soldier serving overseas.

This cake is a chocolate lover’s dream, featuring a layer of deluxe chocolate brownie thickly blanketed with a creamy fudge frosting. Sprinkles decorate the top, with bittersweet chocolate shavings are all along the sides.

The cake you order features a special card informing your recipient that a cake has been sent to a soldier in their name. Meanwhile, a serviceman deployed overseas will receive a cake just like it with a card in your recipient’s name. This is great way to celebrate while remembering our troops.

The Operation Birthday Cake! program is administered by Soldiers’ Angels - more info at www.soldiersangels.org.