It's that time of year again -- you're scouring the web for last-minute gift ideas that don't feel like a last-minute gift. And maybe this year more than ever, you're looking to give gifts that are meaningful. Gifts that will have an impact beyond Christmas morning. Look no further! I've curated some gift ideas for anyone on your list that is a) impossible to shop for, b) has everything he/she could possibly want and c) cares about giving back as much as you do.

1. Cookie of the Month Club - Give the cookie-lover a three-, six- or 12-month subscription of delicious cookies. Best part? 100% proceeds fund pediatric cancer research. It's this truly the gift that keeps giving.

2. Box of Chocolates - This is no ordinary box of chocolates. Gather Chocolates are hand-crafted, small-batch gourmet chocolates. A portion of each sale is donated to the Pollinator Partnership to protect and preserve pollinators.

3. Red Wine Gift Box - A sophisticated party in a box: bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, plus crackers, fig spread, dipping spice, salami and cheese. Every box helps fund ABA therapy for a child with autism.

4. A Goat - Yes, a goat! You can gift a goat to a rural community with Oxfam. A goat is a gift of sustainability: fertilizer and food for families. Or choose from other animal, water, education and green gifts.

5. Narwhal Tee - Fun, inspiring, sophisticated tees by Brave New World Designs will light up any closet. Plus 20% of profits will be directed to different charities. This awesome narwhal tee helps the Ocean Conservancy. Or give a gift certificate and let your giftee pick their own spirit animal.

6. ChopChop Magazine Subscription - Know a kid who likes to cook? Get them a subscription to the award-winning kids cooking magazine. Plus with every subscription, you'll help get ChopChop to families that need it most. (full disclosure - I work for ChopChop. But love giving subscriptions to everyone on my list!)

7. Tickets to a Culinary Event - Have a Top Chef super fan on your list? Why not get them tickets to a Share our Strength culinary event? Not only do these events feature mouth-watering food from top chefs, but proceeds help fight childhood hunger.

Happy Giving!

credit: 90+ cellars

90+ Cellars Wine Club
90+ Cellars is a limited collection of wine sourced from elite vineyards from all over the world with a history of producing wines with 90-point ratings, gold medals, and best buy awards. A bottle would be a pretty nice gift. A membership to the 90+ Cellars Wine Club is even better. Members receive a box of 6 or 12 different bottles four times a year. Click here to learn more.



BabbaCo Activity Box
Parents all over the world will be asking themselves this holiday break (and every break until the end of time), “what are we going to do with the kids today?” That’s why Jessica Kim created BabbaBox – an activity box for kids 3-7 delivered to your door once a month. It comes will ALL materials, easy-to-follow instructions and a book to go with that month’s theme. My boys were especially enamored with the Kitchen Science box. Check BabbaCo out here.

credit: fast company

Modernist Cuisine App
Most foodies know and bow to the Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet. Dubbed the “cookbook to end all cookbooks,” this 6-volume tome has created a revolution in kitchens all over the world. But for $500 (eek!), most home cooks would be very happy with the more approachable and shorter version – Modernist Cuisine at Home. And now, food geeks are putting down their immersion circulators for the newly released app. Described as your personal sous chef, word is the app is even better than the book. And for $80 on iTunes, it seems like a better deal too. Click here to download a free sample.

Credit: Forbes

Tonx Coffee Subscription
Every coffee connoisseur knows that the secret to really great coffee is in the beans (and the grind too from what I’ve been told). Why not get them a membership to Tonx – a subscription service that delivers fresh, high-quality beans to your door about twice a month. Tonx carefully sources the finest coffees and roasts them hours before shipping to you. Your coffee addicts will thank you. Click here to send a subscription.



ChopChop Subscription
I’m a big fan of magazine subscriptions as holiday gifts. Want to get the kid on your list in the kitchen? Give them a subscription to ChopChop Magazine – the cooking magazine for kids 5-12. Full disclosure, I work for ChopChop. That said, I really believe this magazine is truly special. If you don’t believe me, how about from the folks that know a thing or two about great cooking publications - The James Beard Foundation named ChopChop the Publication of the Year. Boom. Click here to subscribe.

credit: Formaggio Kitchen

Formaggio Kitchen Cheese Share
There are farm shares, meat shares and even seafood shares. How about a cheese share? If your giftee lives in the Boston/Cambridge area and is into cheese (who isn’t really?), sign them up for a cheese share from Formaggio Kitchen. From local producers, each installment of a Local Cheese share will contain four varieties of cheese selected at the height of ripeness and flavor. I love that each cheese comes with information about the artisans and farms that produced it. A three-month share is $99. Click here to learn more.

credit: gear hungry

Mantry
Know someone with a Man-cave who would totally dig artisanal foods such as bison jerky from Montana to BBQ sauce from Alabama? Outfit the cave with some goodies from Mantry – the modern man’s pantry. Each themed box comes with 5-6 curated foods in wooden box handmade in Brooklyn. It doesn’t get more hipster (and admittedly) cooler than this. To order a gift card, click here.

credit: Heifer International

Give Different - Give a Goat
Last but not least, give a gift that really, truly keeps on giving. Help those in need by making a donation to Heifer International and help families become self-reliant. For example, you can purchase a full goat or a share of a goat to provide a family in need with a gift of a goat. A goat can provide milk, cheese and butter for nourishment, boosts income through sales of extra milk and encourages better crop yields through fertilization and clearing of land. Give a life-changing gift this season here.

Warmest holiday wishes from our family to yours!

Disclosure: I was provided samples of 90+ wines and a BabbaBox to try their products. I am an employee of ChopChop magazine. As always, all opinions are my own.

So we supposedly had an extra weekend this year to prepare for Christmas since Thanksgiving was earlier than usual. But why is it that I'm still frantically searching for last-minute gift items, baking and wrapping like there's no tomorrow (Mayans calendar #epicfail)?  

(Image credit: America's Test Kitchen)