Last-Minute Survival Guide for Parents

You Need: A Birthday Card
Construction paper and markers can be cute, but they also say, “We forgot!”
The quick fix: For a less harried alternative, click the icon above to print out a card on heavy stock paper. Or try yahoo.americangreetings.com/printables for card downloads (registration gets you free access for a month). For the future, consider ordering a set of personalized gift tags to keep handy. The styles at roseberrycreekdesigns.com have all kinds of kid-friendly pics―ladybugs, trains, baseball gear―to go alongside your name ($16 for 30 tags). The site wittydoodles.com has tags with cute stick figures ($29.50 for 30 tags).

You Need: A Birthday Present
What, your closet of generic go-to gifts for this type of emergency is empty? Oh, right. You remember to stock it only when Target is closing in four minutes and you have zero time to shop.
The quick fix: For this emergency, hit the Internet. The website gifts.com lets you select a participating store from hundreds of options (including KB Toys and Nickelodeon), choose a dollar amount, and print out cute, personalized gift certificates. (The certificates can also be e-mailed directly to the recipient.) Know any young movie buffs? They’ll give two thumbs-up to Fandango Bucks―illustrated, brightly colored movie passes from fandango.com.