Backside-conscious Beckinsale, 35, strolled up the street yesterday, sailing past Crate and Barrel and hitting up stores such as Kitson Kids.

Maybe Kate was picking up some cute stocking stuffers for Lily Mo Sheen, her 9-year-old daughter with her ex, Frost/Nixon actor Michael Sheen. (Beckinsale has been married to her Underworld director Len Wiseman since 2004.)

The actress is also good friends with Victoria Beckham. Perhaps she was grabbing a few goodies for Posh's boys, Brooklyn, 9, Romeo, 6, and Cruz, 3.

Either way, Kate had better hurry up—there are only eight more shopping days left before Christmas!

And once Santa has come and gone, it will be back to work.

Expect to see Beckinsale on the promotional campaign for Whiteout, a mystery thriller that has Kate looking hot while wielding a gun in Antarctica.  She plays a U.S. Marshal who goes to polar extremes to hunt down her man.

So don't think a little thing like shopper's fatigue will stop her from finding that precisely perfect holiday gift.