We all know them. Every year, they swear that they’ll do better about getting their Christmas shopping done ahead of time, but every year, they’re scrambling at the last minute to get those last few gifts or stocking stuffers. But where can you go to get everything you need, especially when most stores close early on Christmas Eve.

As the title suggests, those last-minute wonders have a best friend/ savior in Walgreens. Most of them are open until at least 10 p.m., and some even stay open until midnight. And, my goodness, they have a ton of things you can buy for your significant other. Just be careful — some of the items you might get at Walgreens could land you a temporary sleeping arrangement on the sofa.

Years ago, a good friend of my wife had the brilliant idea to go to Walgreens and post a bunch of the things that procrastinating husbands might get for their wifes. In that spirit, I offer you some suggestions, just in case you find yourself in a shopping crunch for some future Christmas or birthday.

We know that most of our wives love stores like Ulta and Sephora. Good news — Walgreens is almost as good as those places at offering tons of options to help our ladies their look their best! There’s a wide array of makeup from brands like L’oreal.

But if you want other cosmetics choices, head over to the As Seen on TV aisle, and you’ll find airbrush makeup and Magic Minerals. Oh joy!

But before they put on the makeup, they may want to clear the way for everything to go on smoothly. For that, Walgreens has the DermaSuction. The tagline on this device says that you can “Suck the yuck out of your pores.” You can say that this thing sucks and it won’t be an insult.

Walgreens does have a nice selection of perfumes to help your lady smell like a million bucks. My wife loves Obsession, and Walgreens has various sizes of that scent available. Of course, those do come with a decent price tag, so expect to shell out upwards of $40 for the name brand fragrances. But if that’s more than you want to spend to smell good, Walgreens also has a nice array of knock-off fragrances, and these run only $11.99. They might not have the “inspired by” aroma that your wife prefers, but maybe she’ll be willing to try something new, like “Romance” or “Daisy.”

Perhaps your wife wants a day at the spa. Look no further! For a fairly low price, you can make your wife feel like a queen with facial rollers, facial cleansers and nail treatments. She’ll thank you for letting her have the opportunity to turn your bathroom into a salon!

You can even bless her with self-tanning options, so that she can “up her tanning game” and look like she’s been to the beach in the middle of winter! And then there are the hair-removal options. No wife wants to look like a Yeti, and with these “Flawless” products, your lady will be able to clean up her act around her mouth, chin and eyebrows. (Just make sure you don’t use any terms like “Bigfoot” or “Yeti” when you give her these. We’re now venturing into potential couch-dwelling territory.)

Once your lady is free of unwanted hair and is looking beautifully made up and tanned, she’ll be ready for a day in the sun. For those women, Walgreens is already pushing out beachwear. Your wife will look both relaxed and stylish in these fashionable outfits! But make sure you give her an equally fashionable pair of sunglasses so she doesn’t strain her eyes.

While she’s lounging in the lap of luxury, she might want to have something interesting to read. Walgreens always has a broad array of specialty magazines tailored to a host of interests, from Princess Diana to Jesus, and from Tigers to Guns N’Roses. You can also keep her mind sharp with puzzle books like Sudoku, Word Search and Dot-to-Dot.

While sitting and relaxing in the sun, your lady will undoubtedly build up a powerful thirst, and Walgreens is second-to-none in its variety of adult beverages. Does she like wine? Look no further than their shelf or two of quality vino. (That Kendall Jackson is looking especially inviting…)

Of course, there are those who prefer something with more carbonation and fewer carbohydrates. For those ladies, consider Walgreens’ fine assortment of flavored seltzer. They even have these chilled in their refrigerated section, so you can take these home to your wife ready to pop open and consume on Christmas morning! (It’ll be 5 o’clock somewhere.) 

And if they want a tasty deli snack to go with their preferred beverage, Walgreens also carries a nice variety of gourmet meats and cheeses, also found in their chilled case.

Your wife might be more inclined to feast on sweets than on meats. Walgreens has you covered there, too. Does she like Ghiradelli? Check.

How about Lindt Lindor Chocolate truffles? They have you covered there!

Is her taste for the creamy and crunchy Ferrero Rocher candies? Look no further!

Does she love variety? The Whitman sampler is a trusted go-to for many a husband who isn’t sure which chocolate his wife prefers, and they’re reasonably priced, too!

Is she diabetic or concerned about her waistline? Walgreens carries a nice selection of sugar free chocolates that will tempt her taste buds without jacking up her A1C!

Is she nuts? Your local Walgreens has lots of “Nice” options, from peanuts to cashews to pistachios to roasted corn. Sweet, spicy, salted or plain — they have a crunchy option certain to delight your lady’s palate!

Does your wife like to relax? Walgreens has a plan for your wife, too. First, she’ll need to be comfortable. Let’s start with her feet. There are several options for comfy slippers so she’ll feel nice and warm, even while she’s chilling. 

To make her feel warm on the inside, let’s get her some delicious coffee. Walgreens has more than a dozen options for gourmet coffee, whether she brews with a K-Cup or with ground coffee.

And while she’s enjoying a long winter’s rest, drinking her tasty coffee and wearing her warm Totes, she should be taking in the aroma of a lovely scented candle. Who knows what peace, love and joy smell like, but it’s from Yankee Candle, so it must be amazing!

If you’re a really good husband, you’ll make sure she’s completely relaxed. Think about getting this high-tech back scratcher. Sure, it’s designed to allow her to reach those itchy spots on her own, but it’s Christmas! You can use the scratcher to bring her relief.

Even better, you could get her one of these TENS or red light therapy units to bring lasting relaxation to her weary muscles. They’re a little pricy, but she’s worth it! (And you’re shopping at the last minute, so you can’t be too picky…)

Of course, if you really want her to relax, you should think about something like this silky smooth pillow case and eye mask. It even has a pair of eyes with long lashes on the mask — and it’s 50 percent off. Both enjoyable and cost-effective. What could be better!

Your wife might want to use her phone while she’s taking a break, but who has the energy to hold that device in her hands, especially after a long, grueling week at work. Thank God Walgreens had the foresight to pick up these hands-free Phone Neck Mounts. This was the last one they had, so they must be a hit!

If your wife is health conscious, there’s always the option to give her something she already uses every day. Does she take vitamins? Go ahead and get her a refill of her favorite tablets or capsules. From Vitamin C to Vitamin D to Coenzyme Q-10, Walgreens has your wife’s health well-covered.

And if she’s a smoker, they’re also all over that. They have numerous flavors of nicotine gum available to help her kick that nasty habit.

You might be surprised to find that Walgreens also has something for the lady with a green thumb — especially if she’s also a Star Wars fan. They have not one, but two different Chia Pet choices, and both involve “The Child” from The Mandalorian. If this is your wife, go ahead and get both of them. Your home will be both cuter and greener with this herbal decoration in it!

Is your wife low-tech? Walgreens has numerous game options that require no electricity and no technological know-how, such as these entertaining decks of cards. You can spend tons of quality time together playing everything from gin rummy to bridge to pinochle. (Or if you’re in a family like my in-laws, you can take your deck to the family gathering and play “nertz.” Look it up — it’s fun and competitive.)

If she likes to write more than text, get a fancy pen for her to write all of her letters. If your wife is like mine, she’ll be writing thank you notes as soon as the presents are unwrapped. This Dashing set has two pens, so she can store an extra one in her purse or briefcase!

If she is a techie, Walgreens is your connection. Near the checkout of every store are two sections. One has a vast selection of technological devices to improve your phone experience, especially if you’re looking for earbuds, headphones or Pop Sockets. They even carry Roku devices.

The other section is right near the register. No wife can have too many charging cords, especially since they so often break or disappear. Go ahead and pick up a spare for her — and get one for yourself while you’re at it!

Perhaps your wife’s passion is the home. Think about getting her some tools to help her take care of the nest. Can anyone have too many mops, brooms or buckets? She’ll thank you for making sure she has everything she needs to make the place sparkle. (Of course, she might also invite you to spend the night on the sofa to reconsider your gift-giving choices.)

And if she loves being in the kitchen, there are these culinary and bar devices that will help her slice or dice, or to open a delicious can of fruit or vegetables. She could also use that wine opener to uncork the bottle of Kendall Jackson you put under the tree.

After all of that, you might just decide to go the easy route and buy her some gift cards. This might be the safe option, especially since Walgreens has practically every store or service represented in their gift card racks. But this isn’t nearly as creative as selecting from choices like the ones I listed above.

There you have it — options for the savvy, last-minute husband! Hopefully, you got everything you needed. If not, take your phone and this post with you and head over to Walgreens! They’re open this morning (most of them by 7 or 8 a.m.) and are ready to fill your gift basket or stockings before your wife awakens to realize that you forgot to shop for her!

Copyright © 2021 by Doug DeBolt.