HOT TIPS : PLAYHOUSES FOR THE GREAT INDOORS.

Byline: Barbara De Witt 

Still fretting over the pony and playhouse you never got? Your condo balcony or suburban back yard may not house a horse, but you could build your kiddo a castle or Victorian mini-mansion and relive your childhood fantasies.

For those who aren't handy with a hammer, 33-year-old Dana Willhoit of Houston has just the ticket. Her My Little Hideaway houses are made of painted cardboard that folds flat to tuck under the bed when not in use. The castle and Victorian house are $45 at the Right Start in the Glendale Galleria. For more information, call [phone].

First-aid alert: The weather's warming up, and that means children will be outside more, scraping knees, scratching arms and getting bug bites. Besides a kiss, they'll need an adhesive strip, so Band-Aid has a new collection that includes pictures of endangered species, such as tamarins and quetzals. Its competitor, Curad, also has some new bandages called Sof-Gel, designed to soothe scratches, and Cool Wrap for minor burns. Both brand names are available at markets and drugstores.

Designer discounts: Sure, you know all about off-price stores. They're the places where you have to search through racks and racks of merchandise that's sometimes damaged, often old and never in your size. So, Miz Hot Tips, was shocked to see an exclusive WilliSmith boutique inside T.J. Maxx at the Granada Hills Plaza. The sporty womenswear is current, in abundance and priced lower than the department stores carrying the same clothes.

Easter basket stash: A chocolate bunny in your basket is always yummy, but there are so-o-o many less-fattening options, thinks Miz Hot Tips. Diamond rings, cash and compacts (those teeny Estee Lauder designs) are easily tucked into plastic eggs, but for new ideas, try Motorola's new pagers in translucent colorful plastic for $80 at Circuit City, and Sony's first-ever portable Voice File IC Chip Recorder that's not much bigger than an Easter egg. The tiny, silver, egg-shaped recorder holds 16 minutes of continuous recording time, so you'll no longer have to scribble messages on the back of business cards or market receipts. It's $189.95 at Staples and other electronics stores.

Lookin' lean: Skintight fashions are back, and so are girdles. Of course, nobody is calling them girdles this time around because it sounds so confining and old-fashioned. Nancy Ganz, for instance, calls her line of flab-control garments Bodyslimmers, and her newest item is designed for those clingy jersey one-shouldered dresses. The slip/bra/girdle contraption promises to smooth bulges, trim the torso and give a boost to the bustline, all for $39 at Macy's and other department stores.

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Photo: My Little Hideaway indoor playhouses are made of painted cardboard that folds flat to tuck under the bed when not in use.