Between Black Friday, Green Monday and Red Alert ("Oh my gosh, I'm out of time!) Christmas Eve, millions of American shoppers realize their days… and dollars are numbered. Heading into the homestretch, time is at a premium and every convenience helps.

Enter 7-Eleven. Created 80 years ago as a quick in-and-out shopping alternative for time-crunched consumers, 7-Eleven stores provide a convenient place for basics, like milk, bread and yes, holiday gifts. Some shoppers know that grabbing a few gift items along with a morning cup of Joe means fewer things to worry about at the end of the day.

Whether it's the new DVD of this summer's blockbuster release, The Simpsons Movie; a prepaid wireless phone with unlimited nights and weekends; a plush black teddy bear benefiting St. Jude's Hospital; a bottle of California wine and fresh flowers; or one of dozens of gift cards, 7-Eleven has something on Santa's list.

Time is not the only thing at a premium this shopping season. Watching the holiday budget is the number-one item on many lists. According to one study, almost one-fourth of Americans said they would spend less on Christmas gifts this year in light of economic worries about rising fuel prices, interest rates and uncertainty in the housing industry. As "needs" replace "wants" on wish lists, many are looking at practical presents like gift cards for gas and groceries.

Here are a few gift ideas available at participating 7-Eleven stores as we head into the last week of holiday shopping:

* The Simpsons. Simpsons Movie, the animated extravaganza that won rave reviews this summer not only for the actual film, but also the surrounding promotions, is out in the "St. Nick" of time. And what better place to buy it than a 7-Eleven, the store that made the Kwik-E-Mart come alive for Simpsons fans in anticipation of the much ballyhooed movie premier last July. Suggested retail price is $21.99.

* Bear Essentials for St. Jude. For three years, 7-Eleven has raised needed funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by selling a plush, cuddly teddy bear. This year, the bear is back -- black and better than ever. For every bear purchased, 7-Eleven will make a $3 donation to St. Jude's to fund ground-breaking research to help cure catastrophic childhood diseases. The bear comes in black this year with the green St. Jude logo monogrammed on his paw and a matching green ribbon around his neck. A great gift all by itself, the St. Jude bear also can multi-task, serving as a cute gift cardholder. Suggested retail price is $8.99.

* Fun and Game Cards. Free online games are the latest virtual craze and while the games are free, the clothes and accessories to trick out the avatar, or player's online identity, are not. 7-Eleven has introduced prepaid Nexon gift cards in $10 and $25 denominations for teens and 'tweens who play popular games like MapleStory, Audition and KartRider.

These "Massively Multiplayer Online Games" (MMOGs) are capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of players simultaneously. Kids can purchase "items" to make a super-cool avatar styled to the players' preferences. Gamers can use the prepaid cards to redeem virtual in-game items and accessories within the Nexon games 7-Eleven is the first convenience store in the U.S. sell the cards that make the popular game characters.

* Give Someone a Jingle. Wireless phones remain at the top of many wish lists, particularly with teens. 7-Eleven offers two new low-cost phone options through its proprietary the SpeakOut Wireless Phone program. The plans are aimed at parents, who want the ability to control costs through the prepaid phone card arrangement. The newest SpeakOut prepaid plan offers unlimited nationwide nights and weekends, 200 anytime minutes and 5-cent two-way text messaging for just $40 per month. In December, the first month is free when a customer buys a Sanyo 2400 handset or LG 5225 for $49.99. A $40 airtime card is included with the purchase.

For those who prefer a pay-as-you-go plan, 7-Eleven has lowered the per-minute rate on its SpeakOut plan to just 15-cents a minute for nationwide anytime calling and 365-day expiration. For customers who buy a Nokia 1600 or Motorola C139 handset in December for $39.99 will get a FREE $10 SpeakOut airtime card. This offer includes nationwide calling with 365-day expiration. Refill cards in denominations from $10 to $100 are available.

* Wired and Wireless Accessories Revenues for the mobile phone accessory market is estimated to be $32 billion in 2007. 7-Eleven carries some of the most popular items like wireless phone chargers including a multi-tip packaging model that fits 90 percent of the current prepaid/postpaid handsets on the market as well as a three-in-one cross-functional charger (wall, car, and 9-volt emergency in one format). Chargers are competitively priced at between $9.99 and$14.99. * iWant iPod Accessories. As iPods continue to be the gold standard of MP3 players, the market for accessories like headphones, chargers and speakers continues to grow. 7-Eleven carries seven high-quality accessories for just $9.99, the lowest retail price in the industry. Items include FM transmitters, foldable speakers, home and car charger, radio receiver, USB Cable and are compatible with the new iPhones.

* Getting Carded at 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven has expanded its gift card selection this year and offers 20 different cards with something for everyone – online music, game stores, electronics, department stores, electronics, sporting goods, home improvements and household stores, as well as restaurants and entertainment. In denominations from $7.99 to $50, gift cards are priced for everyone's budget. The three newest gift cards introduced by 7-Eleven for the holiday gift-giving season are the new "Black" 7-Eleven Gift Card with key fob functionality, Gamestop $25 card and an iTunes $25 Card.

The 7-Eleven gift card can be used to purchase fuel for the car, keep someone fueled on coffee and Slurpee drinks, or to refill a prepaid wireless phone in the coming year. The 7-Eleven gift card has no hidden fees or expiration date and is reloadable in amounts from $5 to $100.

Also available: American Express in $25 and $50 denominations, Xbox Live gaming cards in five varieties, from $7.99 to $49.99. Other retailer and restaurant gift cards to choose from are JCPenney, Lowe's Home Improvements Stores, Circuit City, Foot Locker, Bass Pro Shops, Chili's/Macaroni Grill, TGI Friday, and Applebee's.

* "Santa Cause" CDs and other Stocking Stuffers and Gifts. Available exclusively at 7-Eleven, "The Christmas Album" features all-time Christmas favorites from various artists including All-4-One, Fourplay, Al Jarreau, Natalie Cole and Vanessa Williams. The 7-Eleven collection's other three titles include holiday hymns and carols by Willie Nelson, Amy Grant as well as "Christmas Classics on Piano." For every CD sold, a $1 donation will be made to the Feed The Children organization.

* Wrap it Up. Where there are gifts, there should be gift wrap. Adding to the convenience of last-minute holiday shopping, 7-Eleven has stocked gift boxes, bags and tags as well as small stuffed animals to carry home gift cards with style. Consumers will spend approximately $1.7 billion purchasing Christmas greeting cards, more than on cards for any other season. Gift wrap is suitable for products carried at participating stores: gift cards, wine, CDs, chocolates, toys and lottery tickets. Postage stamps and two sizes of bubble-wrap mailers are available for long-distance gift-giving at some stores.

* Fruit of the Vine. Sonoma Crest Cellars, 7-Eleven's new proprietary wine, is an award-winning premium-class vintage perfect for a gift to a neighbor or to take to a holiday party. Created by a small family-run winery in California's Sonoma wine country, Sonoma Crest is now available at participating stores in three varietals – chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Comparable to a $15 bottle of wine, the all varieties are priced at $9.99. The Sonoma Crest merlot was bottled in time to be entered in the Orange County Commercial Wine Competition in Costa Mesa, Calif. In blind taste tests, the 7-Eleven merlot received a silver medal in this largest all-California wine judging event.

For consumers who have their shopping under control, 7-Eleven stores are open and ready to help out in those unforeseen emergency situations, batteries not included, digital camera on the fritz, missing recipe ingredient, or just as an escape from all the family togetherness.

"As always, most 7-Eleven stores will remain open around the clock throughout the end-of-the-year holidays," said Alan Beach, 7-Eleven, Inc.'s vice president of merchandisng. "Historically, Christmas Day is one of the busiest shopping days at 7-Eleven."