TIS the night before Christmas... and the present cupboard is bare. The shops are a festive frenzy of frazzled shoppers, and you don’t know where to start with your Christmas shopping.

But before panic sets in, let us help you out with a bluffer’s guide to the eleventh-hour trolley dash.

If the only thing that gets you and your loved ones through Christmas is the thought of a break after it, why not invest in flight vouchers? Monarch Airlines offer vouchers that can even be sent by email, if the clock is ticking and the last Christmas post has left.

You could whisk someone to the winter sun in Tenerife or Lanzarote, take a city break in Barcelona or escape to Alicante or Almeria.

Vouchers are available right up until Christmas on 01582 556333, where you can buy them in any denomination.

For foodies with too much on their plate, Morrisons may have the answer. Their chip and dip set, £6.99, will get everyone in the party mood, and for when the wine finally stops flowing, there are matching bottle stops too (£3.99).

But if all that materialism is too much, you can treat someone to a pet they’ll never forget - and get into the charitable Christmas spirit at the same time. Fostering an orphaned baby elephant in Kenya means it can be nursed into adulthood and released into the wild on your friend or relative’s behalf, and they get regular updates on how Dumbo is doing.

What’s more, it is done entirely by email - so it’s perfect for last minute or long distance gifts. For more information, see www.elephantdiaries.org.

Film fans young and old can’t fail to have their hearts melted by a cute Wall-E model. The transforming toy brings Pixar’s smash-hit animation right into the living room, and can be picked up in two ticks for £14.95 from John Lewis.

You can send more adventurous sorts on a forest escapade. The Go Ape high wire adventure in Buxton is a great day out for all ages, where thrill-seekers can trek from tree to tree - 40 feet up in the air.

Rope ladders and zip slides add to the adrenaline rush, showing the forest in a completely new light. Baboon gift vouchers, for 10-17 year olds, cost £20, while Gorilla vouchers for adults cost £25. Purchase online at www.goape.co.uk or call 0845 643 2034.

At the totally opposite end of the scale, if there’s a lady in your life who needs a serious pampering, you won’t have to go far.

Luxury spa Loved in Bramhall has everything anyone could possibly need to de-stress, from massages to manicures.

The spa does special gift vouchers, the perfect last minute buy - and those for over £50 come in a beautfiul silk-lined box, complete with samples of Loved’s latest products and a handmade Belgian chocolate heart. Call 440 0001 or visit www.lovedbeauty.co.uk.

Perhaps you know someone who likes a wee dram every now and again? The Singleton of Dufftown, a scotch whiskey now widely available for the first time, might provide a suitably festive winter warmer.

The single malt, which is made using highland spring water, has sweet hints of blackcurrant and a caramel aftertaste, designed for both whiskey connoiseurs and those still developing the taste.

Singleton is now available in Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Oddbins, RRP £28.69.

Add some drama to Christmas by booking theatre buffs into see a London show.

Cheap deals are available on everything from Billy Elliot to Hairspray, with more than 40 to choose from. Every Christmas, Get Into London Theatre sells cut-price tickets to the hottest shows in town - this year from a credit crunch-beating £15. Tickets can be bought online at www.getintolondontheatre.co.uk.

For a fragrant festive season, look no further than the big savings you can make with a perfume gift set. Fragrances such as DKNY come with a body lotion in a luxuriously presented gift pack, working out as a big saving compared to buying the items individually.

DKNY fragrances are available at all major department stores, including Debenhams and John Lewis.

And finally, if you’ve shopped until you dropped but still have a bit of cash left over, the four-legged friend in the corner shouldn’t be forgotten either. Give your pooch a yuletide makeover with a Christmas bandana - both stylish and seasonal.

The Ho Ho Ho bandana is available for £2.99 from Pets at Home, along with an array of other animal outfits that will have your furry friend turning heads at every party.

But, as everyone knows, it is not the gifts but the food that make the purrfect Christmas, and Pets at Home have that covered too with gifts including luxury stockings full of treats and even a doggy Christmas cakes.