It was nice to see such a lovely little shop pop up in Birkenhead, since, let's face it, the…read moreshopping area itself is a bit down-at-heel. Crave and a few other little cutesy boutiques are giving this shopping centre a new spark of life, which is fantastic. From the outside the shop is very enticing, with a great mix of funky homewares and a few gift items thrown in the mix. My personal opinion is this shop is a bit over-priced though. I picked up a few items to see the price tag and almost immediately set them back down again. As cute as a box of stripey paper straws is, I'm not paying $12.50 for it. Perhaps if they got in a few reasonably priced options I'd be back.

Crave is a top quality home and gift store that is a new comer to the classic Birkenhead shops…read more Located at the corner of Mokoia Rd in Birkenhead, you will be in for a delightful shopping experience at this stylish boutique. They are award winning as of 2012 receiving a retail excellence award- so enough stated really. If you wondering what to buy a friend or family member who seems to have everything and anything. You might be lucky in finding a few special pieces in this original gift and home store. Stylish cushions and jewellery are my fave's here, because they have flair and style and standout with oomph! The staff are friendly and will help with your needs, all you need to do is call out. If you have found that perfect pressie they will also wrap it up to look gorgeous darling! A real shopping experience with class and sophistication.

I love Collected. It is possibly one of my favourite shops in terms of homewares, gifts and knick…read moreknacks. Plus everything is super bright that you'll just want to buy the whole shop! They stock Lindi King bracelets (which are all bright colours and come with different charms), wall art, gift cards, candles, home aromatherapy perfumes (the skull ones are amazing), children's gifts and toys, cushions, lampshades, and so much more! I love coming here when I need to buy presents for friends and family, plus staff are always super friendly and helpful and they offer colourful gift wrapping too!

I only just discovered this shop today and it was by accident! They are in the Bloc Building on…read moreNormanby Road (just across the road from the Normanby hotel). On the ground level is the Citta Design shop and then if you go upstairs you'll find the Collected. What a find it is! I wanted so much in the shop. And the really good part is there was some really nice stuff for around $20 or less such as dinner plates, various knick knacks, candles and other stuff made of awesome. There was so much I wanted to purchase. So once I have a bit more cash in the bank, I will definitely be back (come on pay day)!

I really love everything about this store. This is Australian designer Lisa Gorman's only store in…read moreNew Zealand and it sells some really gorgeous pieces of women's clothing. Gorman specialises in dresses, tops and trousers in really cool, funky prints. I think the great thing about it is that the clothing can really be worn by anyone of any age. Nothing in there is ever too short in the hem or low cut on the bust, which is perfect for older customers, but the cuts and patterns ensure that the clothes still look really trendy and hip enough for a younger crowd. My favourite things though are the shoes and boots. I've got a pair of little Chelsea boots from here and they are so comfortable and really well made from real suede. They have lasted for ages and I wear them all the time. The store itself is really spacious and is all wooden floors and walls, making it feel really organic, which complements the clothing perfectly. It feels very light and airy in there, so you can really browse for ages and the staff are always really friendly and give great advice as they clearly know the products inside out.

I absolutely love this store. Located on Nuffield St in trendy Newmarket, this store fits in…read moreperfectly. Everything in Gorman is beautiful. The boots are gorgeous - real leather, buckles, thick comfy heels - I was transfixed by them. Not to mention this great knitted clutch bag that was on display. And all that is before I even started flicking through the racks of clothes. How I wish I was a millionaire and could spend up large in Gorman!!! Every single garment was delightful; Gorman have managed to stock their store with items that are classic yet chic, fashionable and have a certain alternative, funky flare. This combination of styles means that Gorman is a shop that would appeal to a really wide age group. Both my mother and myself love their stock. It's just that great. The quality of the fabrics and the sewing means that even though items from Gorman may set you back a few hundred dollars, it's worth it. The garments and accessories you find in this store are the kind of pieces you can create multiple outfits around - they're staple pieces for your wardrobe, so spending a little more on them isn't too bad... Or so I tell myself! Bonus: One of the things that stands out the most about the stock in Gorman is the fabrics that have been used. They are amazing - really textured, bright and great quality - you'd feel like a million dollars in one of the pieces from this store.

Don't think this is just a beautiful shop to buy beautiful things for your mum. There's is…read moresomething for everyone here and you'll be surprised by all the unexpected cool stuff you just might want to get for yourself. The lady who runs Kinder Arts is lovely and treats her customers like old friends. The things she chooses to sell are just gorgeous and often you won't see them anywhere else - there's a range of silk velvet handbags in gemstone colours and various shapes that are so stunning I used one for my wedding. There's artworks, jewellery, fashion accessories (a lot of GREAT handbags, I LOVE bags), homewares, toys, even garden features and statuary. There's gift ideas big and small and nothing is ridiculously overpriced as is so often the case in these kinds of boutiques. I particularly love the Kiwiana bent to a lot of the products and the artworks are a really affordable way to put something beautiful on your walls. It's the kind of shop where even the kids like coming. Aside from the toys and other kids' stuff, my boys always talk about how cool the giant wooden spiral tower (for marbles) at the back is. And they are always welcome to play with it even if things get a little bit noisy and overexcited. Nice.

Even though this store is aimed toward older women, I often find myself returning to browse (the…read morestore not the older women). Kinder Arts easily entices me with busy crowded window displays, where every colour jostles for attention and recognition. This gift store has scarves and jewellery for your grandmother but also children's gifts. They have an outdoor retreat full of water features and concrete statues. The have mass-produced art done by some poor Indonesians depicting everything from Tintin pop art to Renaissance inspired canvases. Kinder Art has an eye boggling amount of knickknacks and gifts, with constantly rotated displays. As they are open most weekends, it is a nice store to waste away a lazy Sunday.

Decent quality kids clothes at great prices. Look out for their mid and end of season sales as they…read moreslash their already cheap prices. On my last visit I scored a pair of black skinny jeans for my toddler for $8.49!! I'm not a huge fan of a lot of their t-shirt designs but they have a fantastic range of basics for babies and a huge selection of cute socks and bibs.

Look Sharp is the kind of shop that makes me want to cry. It's stuffed with impulse-buys and…read moreplastic, plastic, plastic junk as far as the eye can see. I can understand why people get excited about it though- there's so much cheap stuff and it does all have a purpose...it's just that the purpose is usually one day of being a St Paddy's day costume or a party decoration, and then being chucked. I get even more moralistic when I think of the wages the people are paid who make this stuff that. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I never buy anything plastic or made in a developing country. I just don't want to see a whole shop full of the stuff. It brings me down.

One of the most useful and chaotic stores I've ever been in, Look Sharp Store does what other…read moredollar stores try (and fail) to do. It's clean, well laid out and easy to find whatever you're in the market for - from costumes to dress socks, candles to key rings, Look Sharp has it all... and it's cheap! Many times I've rushed to this store for that last minute item that will make a costume or decorated room really pop - I can't even count the number of times I've flipped on the hazard lights, parked in a place that really annoys the taxi drivers and run in to grab streamers, beer-drinking hats, striped armbands or paint. Seriously, anything silly and frivolous you could ever want is under this roof.

I spent $100 the last time I was at Pumpkin Patch and suffered no buyer's remorse whatsoever- I…read morecall that successful shopping! I was buying a few items for my 3 year old cousin who was going back to Australia the next day. Pumpkin Patch has an amazing range of clothes for infants to pre-teens and they're always on trend. On this particular shopping trip, I bought a combination of sale items and new season lines; when Pumpkin Patch has a sale, I can assure you it's a good one! Their clothes can be a bit pricey for some, but for someone like me who is childless and doesn't buy these clothes often, it wasn't a huge issue. The clothes at Pumpkin Patch are well-made from what I can tell, and they're are constantly putting out new season items. While the girl's stuff is great, I think they've done and awesome job with boy's clothing- it's a little more hip now and they've done some great pieces, from plaid shirts to fold up jeans- everything is just way too cute! They also do great maternity clothes which are spread out throughout the store- definitely worth a look for mums-to-be or a great baby shower gift! The staff here are excellent. The manager of the day greeted us initially and helped us look for sizes all over the store. She was so sweet and never too pushy. I spent a long time browsing so she was really patient with my mum and I. When we got to the counter a different staff member served us but she was just as friendly. These days its a bit of a stretch to be greeted in a store so I really enjoyed my experience here.

The lovely Korean ladies who work in this store are just bubbly and happy, and this surely brings…read moreme in from time to time just because of that. I usually will let my son out of the push chair to run around the store and look at all the goodies. I have purchased a few warm leggings in the past from this store during winter, and find that they have all sorts of toys and games to keep the small child entertained for a bit. One thing my little boy loves is Thomas the Tank engine, and they have a bunch of merchandise dedicated to the cheerful tank, which we usually pop in to buy or play with. A great store to look for gifts, and they have some fantastic preschool to primary bags and lunch bag's to purchase. I always walk out with something that's fun for the kid.