Hashtag for the Holidays

I'm a procrastinator by nature, and a perfectionist by design - not a good combination when it comes to holiday shopping. The closer it gets to the holidays, the less likely it is that I'll find the perfect gift. And then there's the act of shopping. The crowds? The parking lots? Dragging overflowing bags through the mall? Ugh. 

This holiday I choose to keep it simple. I nailed all of my gifts with three easy solutions to holiday shopping, and so can you! #yourewelcome

Holt Renfrew (#giftsformygirlfriends)

If I do leave the house, it will be this Saturday, December 8th. Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street will host a personal appearance and book signing with author and celebrity blogger – Emily Schuman of the popular blog Cupcakes and Cashmere. Pick up Emily’s new book - or how about one for each bestie - at Holt's and have it signed by Emily herself between 2 pm - 4 pm. There will be live music and of course, free cupcakes. 

Since 2008, Emily has been offering daily glimpses into her fashion-filled lifestyle to hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide. In addition to highlighting her polished style online, Emily also shares her ‘how-to’ world of cooking, baking, party hosting, and home décor. (I'm a sucker for a great beet-pickled deviled egg recipe.) 

Amex Holiday HotList (#familypresents)

American Express has made shopping easy by offering up gifts from their top online retailers in the Amex Holiday Hotlist. You can save items in a wish list of things you want to give or receive, and share your list with friends and family via Facebook. Because believe it or not, sometimes I don't want to shop. Here someone has done it all for me. I simply browse the selections of tech, fashion, sports and recreation, toys and so on; pick what I want and check out. Boom. 

eBay (#giftsforeveryoneelse)

If you're a retailer and not embracing mobile shopping, you're setting yourself up for failure. (And as a customer, could shopping from your phone be any more convenient?) Mobile has become "increasingly important" for eBay. And the recent shopping figures prove it. On Thanksgiving and Black Friday, eBay's mobile transaction volume was up 133% over the same time last year. Cyber Monday's activity was double 2011's numbers. 

Leading categories on eBay this holiday season include toys, collectibles and tech accessories. They recommend downloading the mobile device app to enhance your shopping experience.  "And shop when you're inspired," suggests Andrea Stairs, eBay Country Manager .

I like eBay's Holiday Collective featuring seven designers including Jonathan Adler, Chris Benz and Ruffian. This limited-edition collection includes gifts for men and women and everything is under $100.  Once again eBay proving their commitment to mobile,  the Holiday Collective launched last month with a pre-sale on the iPhone App, eBay Fashion, a full day before the items were available on the fashion section of eBay's site.

Look out this February for a special Valentine's collective that includes Canadian labels Foxy Originals and Dean Davidson.