10 Best Last-Minute Christmas Presents

Christmas Eve shoppers in Clayton and Richmond Heights have a few precious outlets. Schnucks closes at 5 p.m., and Barnes and Noble closes at 6 p.m. For those of you who prefer late-night shopping, Walgreens stays open until 10 p.m.

We explored the shelves in search of affordable holiday presents (under $25) that look like you picked them out in November instead of on the way to Christmas Eve dinner. There are presents here for grownups, girls and boys—so relax, we have you covered!

1. The Autobiography of Mark Twain (Barnes and Noble) — Samuel Clemens insisted that the world wait 100 years after his death before publishing his autobiography. This is a great gift for any avid reader in your life.
2. The Settlers of Catan (Barnes and Noble) — Board-game enthusiasts refer to this as the gateway drug to real games—and by real, they mean awesome. This is a great game for a family with high school students or your single friends who want an excuse to stay in for low-key fun on a Friday night.
3. Star Wars toys (Walgreens) — Sure, little boys love Star Wars, but geeks of all ages will squee over a plastic lightsaber.
4. Mini stocking-stuffer kits (Barnes and Noble) — At $7 to $9 each, these aren't the cheapest stocking stuffers, but hey, if you're shopping on Christmas Eve, budgeting isn't your highest concern. These are decently made, cheesy and likely to inspire a laugh. Barnes and Noble's selections include an appropriately small Mini Bonsai Potato kit, a Mini Nun Bowling kit and a Mini Whack-A-Zombie kit.
5. Paper Jamz (Walgreens) — Much like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, this is far more fun than it has any right to be—except in this case, you don't need to invest over $300 in hardware before you can play the game.
6. Pillow Pets (Walgreens) — In a random survey of kids waiting in line to talk to Santa, Pillow Pets were a popular request among boys and girls under age 7.
7. Disney Princess makeup kit (Walgreens) — If you're shopping for a little girl under the age of 6, she's probably in love with both Disney and makeup. This kit is all about lip gloss with a little bit of blush and eyeshadow, which leaves it good for girls of all races.
8. Pez dispenser collections (Walgreens) — There's something timeless about the popularity of Pez dispensers, but they'll be most appealing to kids under 5, hipsters and grandparents.
9. Gingerbread house kit (Schnucks) — When was the last time you and the family actually built a gingerbread house? That long? Pick one up at Schnucks as a gift for whoever is having everyone over for Christmas dinner. It has all of the appeal of Legos except that when you're done, you get to eat it.
10. Fresh bouquet (Schnucks) — This is really more of a surprise present. If your family chef sends you out to Schnucks to pick up a last-minute dinner item, stop by the flower section and bring back a little something extra to say thank you for cooking.