As a mother who spent a total of 32 months of her life breastfeeding two children, I’m a huge advocate of all of the advantages of breast milk over formula (see “101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child”). Being a nursing mother comes with its share of logistical challenges: You need different bras, you have to learn how to treat thrush and you must cope with department-store employees who frown at you for nursing in the fitting rooms. (Really, would they prefer to have a woman bare her breast in the aisles between the racks of clothes?) I would have loved having resources like La Leche League International’s “Breastfeeding Answers” page, which addresses everything from allergies and colic to feeding frequency and how to nurse twins. BreastFeeding.com is a friendly, upbeat site with a community link, where you can visit online with other nursing mothers; live “Ask a Lactation Consultant” sessions; and the more gossipy “Breastfeeding Celebrities: Who Is, Who Isn’t?” Much drier, but with tons of accurate information, is the Center for Disease Control’s site on breastfeeding. The always-reliable Babycenter.com has breastfeeding videos, including the best nursing positions and problems and how to handle them. If you’re trying to keep track of how many times you’ve breastfed or when you last pumped, try BabbleSoft’s Baby Insights software, which is particularly useful when you have a newborn and need to be able to tell the pediatrician how often baby is nursing. Moms have better fashion options nowadays, too. Glamourmom sells clever nursing bra/tank tops – like the apple-green tank ($29; pictured) — that allow you to discreetly nurse your baby while still wearing something modern and cute. Expressiva Nursingwear carries stylish dresses designed for nursing, such as this pretty flower-print shrug dress ($59) with two hidden nursing openings. This Moroccan-style top is made from rayon and spandex, for a soft and stretchy feel ($37). Then there’s the amusing “I make milk, what’s your superpower?” long-sleeved T-shirt ($36).

Argan oil is the latest “miracle” ingredient in the beauty industry. The oil comes from the nuts of the argan tree, which grows in Morocco and is known there as “liquid gold” — Moroccans slather it on their faces, hands and even their children’s skin. Many Moroccan women have jobs pressing the argan nuts for oil, which allows them to support themselves and their families in a way that would be impossible without the existence of this product. This New York Times article gives a lot of useful information about argan oil, which is extremely high in vitamin E and contains three times the fatty acids found in olive oil. Fans say it helps keep your skin looking young, and works as a treatment for wrinkles, dry skin, acne and eczema. Argan Body sells a variety of products with oil that comes from a women’s cooperative in Morocco. A small bottle of organic argan oil runs $50. Two items are on sale: the night cream with argan oil ($17.50) and the Argan body mud face mask ($30). The site has a useful FAQs for those who have never tried an argan oil product before. Josie Maran Cosmetics recommends the oil ($8; pictured) not only for the face but also for hands, nails and hair, claiming it can treat torn cuticles and split ends. Among the argan oil cosmetics from Josie Maran are mascara ($22) and a cream bronzer ($30). Kiehl’s Superbly Restorative Body Lotion contains argan oil as its key ingredient ($35).

Mom always said not to procrastinate. But we guess you weren’t always listening: Mother’s Day is just four days away, but thanks to a wide range of last-minute gift options on the Web, your Mom doesn’t have to be empty-handed Sunday. Wow her with a fabulous blue box from Tiffany & Co. — order online by Friday at noon and you’ll have it in time for Sunday’s visit. Try a Mom heart locket pendant in sterling silver ($250) and a chain to hang it on ($50). If you’re looking for a lower-priced option, the silk scarf is chic and budget-friendly ($50). Go the traditional route and send Mom a bouquet of flowers. 1-800-FLOWERS offers same-day delivery on select arrangements. The strawberry floral margarita is a unique take on the standard gift ($70), while the Mother’s Love bouquet goes the more traditional route ($80). Order by 1 p.m. ET Thursday at Harry & David for overnight delivery on a variety of foodie gifts. The deluxe Mother’s Day tower features pears, Moose Munch, chocolate truffles and gourmet brownies ($50). Appeal to Mom’s sweet tooth with a Tower of Chocolates ($40). Order up until 2 p.m. ET Thursday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art store for Mother’s Day delivery. The Parisian dragonfly pin is a nod to spring’s nature-inspired fashions ($85; pictured), while the shoes card case can help Mom look stylish while networking ($30). Expedited shipping today from Sephora will ensure the arrival of Marc Jacobs’ limited-edition Daisy gift set, including eau de toilette spray, body lotion and a purse-sized cologne ($75). Can’t personally deliver Mom breakfast in bed like the good old days? Send her Philosophy’s Breakfast in Bed kit, which features three scented hair and body cleansers in flavors like Cafe au Lait, Belgian Waffles and Fresh Cream ($30).

Online shopping is tops for convenience, but what about those times when you crave personal attention or even a more manageable way of sifting through the avalanche of online offerings? Turn to the virtual personal shopper. Shop It to Me starts you off by asking you to zip through checklists to specify your interests by designer, size, type of garment, etc. (I had great fun checking Armani, BCBG Max Azria, Prada, Eileen Fisher, etc.) Once signed up, you’ll receive daily e-mail alerts tailored to your choices whenever they show up on sale or discounted –– it’s almost as if your personal store arrives in your inbox every day! At ShopStyle, you can create your own stylebook for almost any brand of clothing, shoes, accessories and cosmetics, build your gift registry and share your stylebook with friends or groups; I saved this purple Norma Kamali dress (pictured) from Nordstrom for $395 in my favorites. You can even set price alerts to receive notifications when the price drops on certain items. At Personal Shopper, once you sign up and fill out a survey of your preferences, you can search for everything from clothes to home décor and sort by price, discounts, stores and brands. StyleFeeder operates in a similar vein, with the difference being that you can rate items brought to your attention and over time, StyleFeeder will be more selective about what is sent to you. You can also “grab” things from other sites to build a personal wishlist and track items of interest. One word of caution: If you thought going to the mall could take all day, these sites can take just as long –– clicking through the array of offerings can be downright addictive! If you’d like the more personal touch, you can select a shopping expert from the list at LivePersonalShoppers for advice and guidance through live chats or e-mail for a small fee per minute, payable through your account with LivePersonalShoppers. Retailers with personal shopping options include Shade Clothing (which will send notices about special promotions and sales and offers 5 percent discounts on orders placed through your personal shopper) and that grande dame of department stores Neiman Marcus.

Smart women are making better choices about what they put on their skin, and the market for chemical- and preservative-free mineral makeup has grown in recent years. If you’ve never heard of Susan Posnick Cosmetics, chances are you will before long. In 1999, Susan was into a 20-year career as a professional makeup artist, when she was diagnosed with skin cancer. Cursed with sensitive skin and a need for serious sun protection, she shelved her film and fashion work to develop what is now the best-selling cornerstone in a complete line of makeup. ColorFlo ($64; pictured) is a pure mineral foundation with an SPF of 26 available in 13 shades. Application of ColorFlo is easy and efficient, thanks to the unique self-dispensing refillable brush. A gentle sweep of this versatile product gives you a light finish, but you can also apply ColorFlo with a heavier hand if you desire more coverage. Posnick’s mineral line also includes the popular ColorMe ($32) face color, available in seven highly pigmented shades that self-dispenses with a built-in powder puff you’ll never lose. Inevitably, Posnick has branched out with products like ColorEyeDefine ($26), an amazing eyeliner and eyeshadow in one streamlined pen; ColorForever ($24), which combines a plumping lip conditioner and separate lip color in one; and ColorCorrect ($22), a handy dual-sided creamy pencil to conceal and brighten. Part of the appeal of Posnick’s line lies in its travel-friendly design. All of the products are meant to do double duty: When you buy ColorCoated , for instance, you are getting a mascara and brow gel in one tool ($24). Susan Posnick Cosmetics are carried at day spas, medical spas and clinics in the U.S. as well as chic boutiques around the world ranging from Fred Segal in Los Angeles to CoLeColle in Japan. But you won’t have to travel that far to experience the Susan Posnick line; the newly designed web site makes color selection easy. In a day and age when many of us are trying to simplify our daily routines, you’ll feel good about buying products that multi-task so beautifully.

The wonderful thing about having long hair is that it’s generally always in style, and there are so many ways to wear it. No matter what style they choose, women with long hair need to be equipped with an arsenal of hair accessories – ponytail bands, combs, hair claws, barrettes, headbands and hair pins. Luminence.com carries the newest craze in hair accessories: Glowbys, strands of fiberoptic lights that can be threaded through your hair. They are powered by small batteries and come in different colors, great to help your hairstyle stand out at prom, dances or other nighttime events ($6 each; batteries $2.50). Longhairgirl.com features a variety of accessories decorated with Swarovski crystals. This sparkly medium-size barrette (pictured), for example, glitters with small flowers in a variety of colors ($25) as does this ponytail holder ($15) and the glamorous hair claw ($65). While sporting a fake tropical flower may not be for everyone, this hibiscus hair clip ($49) or the carved plumeria barette ($19) would be perfect accents for a bathing suit and cover-up or vacation wear. More tasteful and beautiful are the mother-of-pearl hair clips ($9) or the turtle mother-of-pearl design ($9), which would look great on brunettes. For unique and fanciful hair accessories, look no farther tha Snap Dragon Hair Couture, which specializes in handmade hair accessories constructed from silk petals, feathers, Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls.