No-Stress Shopping

This year, start a new shopping tradition.

More on:

• Mother's Day
• Parenting Kids

Hit the mall and you get crowds; go online and you lose the touch-and-feel factor. Solution? The new breed of home sales parties, which let you whoop it up with friends as you work down Santa's list.

For fashionistas: Invite the girls over to shop for shoes. Try the Aerosoles styles you love, from sleek boots to sporty sneakers (visit aerosoles.com). Or bring the mall to you with unique jewelry, handbags and clothes from homemaiden.com.

For foodies: Try decadent treats from chocolatesophisticate.com (call 800-471-9590 to set up a party). And check out cookware, serving trays and dinnerware ( tasteofhomeentertaining.com).

For the TLC-deprived: Get makeup and skin care demos, and indulge in treatments like a peppermint foot scrub with a party from thebodyshopathome.com.

From Reader's Digest - December 2006