Give a catalog. Place a catalog along with a gift certificate in a box and wrap it as you would any other present. Think about the last time you stood in line to return something after the holidays. The gift-certificate recipient will thank you. Shop late or go early.
Stores are the least crowded during the dinner hour and when they open in the morning.
Try getting up in the middle of the night to get more done. Finally, think ahead. Be on the lookout for gifts throughout the year. Buy a holiday gift at the same time you're shopping for the person's birthday. It's probably too late to be of much help in 1999, but just knowing that you're going to be more prepared next year may help ease some of this year's anxiety.