HOUSE & HOME
Homing in on the right gifts for the house can be tricky. Despite its eponym's legal troubles, MARTHASTEWART.COM is still one of the best places to start. Shop by category: there's gardening, decorating, even "homekeeping" (stylish supplies for laundry and other chores). WILLIAMSSONOMA.COM lures you with attractive cookware, kitchen tools and appliances alongside seasonal recipes. Both sites have a quick-shop feature so you can plug in item numbers from a print catalog to jump to specific products. Price-conscious shoppers should check out OVERSTOCK.COM, a clearance site for excess inventory (bed and bath, appliances, furniture) from brand-name manufacturers. Overstock sells lamps too, but you will find many more options at LIGHTINGUNIVERSE.COM, which organizes its wares by type (table lamps, pendants) and then subdivides by style (Art Deco/Retro, Craftsman/Mission).For gizmos, try TECHNO SCOUT.COM or BROOKSTONE.COM. Too much hardware? Make a softer statement with something from flower merchant CALYXANDCOROLLA.COM. It ships directly from growers, and the plants come in decorative ceramic pots.
tip
Don't be afraid to use your credit card online. Yes, there's fraud on the Web as well as off. But consumers are rarely left holding the bag (beyond the cardholder's typical $50 maximum liability, and some card issuers don't even charge that). Reputable e-tailers will use a secure server to process transactions, and will make it plain they're doing so. Of course, even secure servers can be hacked; if you think a thief is using your card, run a quick check at CARDCOPS.COM, a database of suspected stolen numbers, compiled in part from merchant reports.
FOR HIM
Inside every man there's a little boy who loves to play. Consider RCWAVE.COM, where we found the iRacer, a teeny remote-controlled car that makes a terrific desk toy for the executive who could use some comic relief. Or GIANTROBOT.COM (from home page, click GR Store), which carries Asian pop-culture kitsch, T shirts, comics, and other random items (Japanese Winney the cow egg toy: $7.50). Need a gift with more gravitas? Get silk ties, merino wool sweaters and other staples at BROOKSBROTHERS.COM. For the outdoorsman, there's REI.COM, which lists products by activity (cycling, cross training, Alpine skiing, fly fishing). And if you can get past the leprechauns and other cheesiness, SHOPIRISH.COM has some charming gifts for golfers. Still stumped? Every guy, whether he admits it or not, couli*Ad use a purse. Choose the perfect leather satchel or a more casual carry-all from the hundreds of options at EBAGS.COM (the hip stuff is under Urban Gear). Just don't use the P word in the card.
tip
Before you hit the Submit Order button, take note of the shipping charges. Paying $4.95 is fairly standard, but deals abound, particularly during the holidays. SONYSTYLE.COM, for instance, which carries a full line of Sony electronics, charges customers 1ยข per item for regular UPS ground (three to five business days). AMAZON.COM ships free when you spend $25 or more (with some exceptions). Elsewhere, shipping can get pretty steep. If paying CRATEANDBARREL.COM $8.50 to ship a $40 fruit bowl sounds unreasonable to you, check to see if the Crate & Barrel store at your local mall has it in stock.
FOR HER