You've been there, so you know. The mall during the holidays is exhausting.

Cluttered with shoppers rushing to grab last minute gifts, it becomes a waiting game. You wait in your car to find a parking spot. You wait behind crowds of shoppers wandering up and down store aisles. You wait at the register to check out. And considering you've got only a week before the big holiday, I'm guessing you don't have too much time to wait.

So, to avoid the consumer chaos at Mayfair, Bayshore or Southridge, head to any number of the stores listed below, guaranteed to lighten the stress and increase the ease.

Milwaukee Public Market
400 N. Water St., (414) 289-3107
www.milwaukeepublicmarket.org
There certainly are several vendors under one roof here but this is a market, not a mall. The market's private parking lot as well as the surrounding blocks of metered parking making shopping easy.

American Apparel and Urban Outfitters
2165 N. Prospect Ave., (414) 223-1133
americanapparel.net
1937 E. Kenilworth Pl., (414) 226-1498
urbanoutfittersinc.com
These two international retailers are located just feet apart on the East Side. And the Esselle Style Studio boutique is right there, too, in the Kenilworth Building.

Historic Third Ward
South of I-94 and East of the Milwaukee River
The Third Ward is packed with small boutiques and specialty shops. You can head to Broadway Paper for cards and wrapping, Sprout for kids clothing and games or Moda 3 for ski, snow and skate apparel. There's street parking throughout or easily accessible ramps on Chicago or Milwaukee Streets.
http://www.historicthirdward.org

Four Corners of the World
5401 W. Vliet St., (414) 445-9606
www.fairtrademilwaukee.org
This Westside fair-trade retailer is easily one of the most accessible places to shop. Located on 54th and Vliet Streets, parking abounds right in front.
onmilwaukee.com/market/articles/fourcornersfairtrade.html

Lotus Land
832 E. Clarke St., (414) 372-8317
lotuslandrecords.net
This weekend is the perfect time to head to this Riverwest record store. Celebrating its eighth anniversary, Lotus Land offers sales all weekend as well as a party at The Mad Planet Saturday night. Read the article here: onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/lotus8.html

Artist and Display
9015 W. Burleigh St., (414) 442-9100
www.artistanddisplay.com
Artist and Display's large store and free parking lot bring ease to stopping by for a quick gift.

Goldi's Shoes
4114 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood, (414) 431-4832
goldishoes.com
I've often fallen victim to their incredible selection of shoes, but Goldi's provides much more than footwear for giving. Perfumes, lotions, jewelry, clothing and gifts line this Shorewood shop. You can swing in and out with parking in the attached parking lot or on surrounding streets.

Downtown Books
327 E. Wisconsin Ave., (414) 276-5330
www.downtownbooksonline.com
Street parking is really your only option for Downtown Books but on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, you shouldn't have too much trouble (no need to plug Downtown meters on weekends). Downtown Books has floors of used, rare and vintage books perfect for giving.

Paperboat
2375 S. Howell Ave., (414) 483-8462
www.paperboatboutique.com
You can park right in front of this Bay View gift shop, which sells work by more than 200 artists. You'll find jewelry, artwork and gifts for everyone on your list.

The Spice House
1031 N. Old World 3rd St., (414) 272-0977
www.thespicehouse.com
Your nose will lead you to The Spice House. Park right out front on the street and stop in to choose from jars and jars or gimpoft boxes of specialty spices. There's a Spice House location at the Public Market and one in Wauwatosa on Watertown Plank Road, too.