PATRICIA SAYS: We seem to have only just moved on from Christmas but Easter always seems to approach at high speed with never enough time to get ready. Easter eggs are everywhere. Buy them now and you feel a bit foolish. Leave it too late and the best ones are all gone. Well I'm afraid the same is true whether you're buying in the shops or online so don't delay to be certain of getting what you want you definitely want to avoid that mad rush on Good Friday to find the perfect egg for your family chocoholic. Here you'll find chocolates ranging from well priced mini eggs for Easter egg hunts right through to perfect hand decorated eggs from Fortnum & Mason. Alongside all the chocolate you can buy beautifully scented soap eggs from Penhaligons, really pretty flowers from Jane Packer and sterling silver, Faberge inspired eggs from Baybrook, so however many you're buying for you can choose quickly and easily without having to go anywhere. Bliss.
www.braybrook.com If you feel like giving something extravagant this Easter then have a look round this website, specialising in beautiful silver pieces and in particular combinations of silver with horn or jewel coloured glass and the selection of flower eggs - silver eggs with gilded snowdrops, roses, pansies or violets inside. Expensive? Definitely, but if you want something very special you may well find it here. They offer gift wrapping and UK express delivery and they'll also deliver Worldwide. Order by 12th April for Easter this year.
www.chococo.co.uk This is a small business based in Purbeck in Dorset - a team of people who make chocolates because they love it, and they've developed their own, totally unique, range of chocolates and sweets including some prettily packaged and not over priced Easter Eggs for grown ups and children. All their chocolates are suitable for vegetarians, and contain only natural ingredients. Here you'll find goodies such as Chilli Tickles and Raspberry Riot truffles, The Chocoholic Giant Hamper Box, hand dipped apricots, figs and prunes and Granny's Award Winning Tablet. Irresistible. Delivery to EU with a UK express delivery option. Final posting date for Easter is Tuesday April 11th.
www.chocolatebuttons.co.uk If you're having lots of children round for your Easter Egg hunt then this is the perfect place to stock up. Although they do have lots of foil covered chocolate eggs, lambs, bunnies and chicks on offer for individual purchase they also offer quite large packs and tubs. These seem to contain large quantities but if you're going to be hiding them all over the garden you'll need quite a lot and the prices here are very good.
www.chocolatetradingco.com Here's a mouthwatering selection of chocolates, from beautifully presented Charbonel et Walker serious chocolate eggs for the chocoholic to funky and fun ideas for children, such as chocolate filled hen's eggs and chocolate lambs plus the really pretty Ouef Maisonette with its own yellow chick. They'll send out your order for you with a personalised gift card and give you lots of information on how to know when you're tasting the highest quality chocolate. Order by April 12th for Easter 2006.
www.fortnumandmason.com As you would expect, everything on this website is very beautiful and expensive so if you're buying Easter treats for a large family you may want to move straight on. However, if you're not buying for the masses do have a look here, it's a real feast for the eyes. You'll find charmingly packaged cakes and biscuits, delightful eggs and novelties for children and serious, truffle filled eggs for adults. Resist if you can. Final order date for Easter (UK) is Monday April 10th.
www.janepackerdelivered.com Jane Packer is famous for her beautiful, modern, floral designs. On her website you'll find a small collection of arrangements which can be delivered Nationwide, plus her fragranced gift sets (which you need to order with flowers). This would be a very good place to find something really pretty to take as a gift if you're going visiting this Easter. The flowers are not over priced and you can be certain they'll be absolutely lovely.
www.megrivers.com If like me your Easter isn't quite the same without a perfect Simnel cake with the eleven small balls of marzipan on top but you simply don't have the time to make one then order yours here. Meg Rivers produces simply delicious cakes, including celebration cakes and her wonderful chocolate cake and brownies (be warned, they don't last long). Don't leave it too late to order as they do run out, particularly of seasonal cakes.
www.penhaligons.co.uk How can you resist these gorgeous soap eggs, one in each of Penhaligons fragrances Lily of the Valley, Quercus and Bluebell and nestling in their own basket effect box? As usual Penhaligons have come up with something absolutely right for the season and totally delicious. You'll also find their Quercus Easter Egg candle on the website in a silver egg cup and they'll deliver to you anywhere in the World, with each product beautifully wrapped.
www.sofresh.co.uk On this website you'll find beautifully photographed hampers and baskets of fresh fruit, to which you can add chocolates, flowers and plants and a personalised card. This would be a perfect place to order something for someone you can't get to see over Easter rather than just sending a traditional chocolate egg. Everything is offered in different sizes from the reasonably priced to, quite frankly, gorgeously extravagant. Despatch is by overnight courier.
Patricia Davidson is the managing director of web shopping directory
thesiteguide.com, where you can browse the best online shopping sites on the web for free and receive weekly updates on the new, cool places to shop online.