I don't like sharing my favourite things but I must for the sake of charity…read more....... The Mustard Tree Op Shop is the best op shop I have ever been too, what can I say it's the place I go to relax and chill out. The prices for clothes range from $1 to winter coats being $5. Glassware, bric a brac, bed linen, furniture, kids toys, books, records and more are all at great prices you won't find another op shop so cheap. Outside of furniture and vintage items there is nothing there over $10. The cafe on the premises serves excellent food and drinks at great prices, and you get to sit down at vintage 50's dining table and chairs surrounded by the fantastic upcycled products that have been made by a member there out of donated items. What can I say once you go there you will definitely go back with friends.

Located in a large Warehouse,this Op Shop takes the cake for selection, prices, location, parking…read moreand the best prices in Lilydale. Staffed by volunteers the organisation seeks to raise funds for the homeless, unemployed and those in the Yarra Valley area who need a helping hand. Adult clothing is $1:00 a piece and children's clothes 50c. Heaps of bic a brac, books, furniture, electrical goods which have been tested and tagged, There is a fenced off play area for children to keep them amused and busy while their parent's shop. On site cafe sells sandwiches, slices, soup and specialty items. Make a mean double espresso and serve the usual range of soft drinks and tea. On top of all that, they generally play decent music to keep you humming along while you shop.

My friend was looking for unique souvenirs to bring back to the US and found exactly what he wanted…read morehere. There are hundreds of spices for all occasions and you can buy as much as you need. The clerk helped him pick out a few Australian native spice mixes and we got several little baggies of them ranging from 20g to 40g. The bags even have a description of the spices and how to use them. I'm sure the recipients of these gifts will appreciate them. This is a cool place to hang out and discover some spices and funky gifts. It is dangerous though; it's very easy to spend a lot of money very quickly.

Never have I wished more for smell-a-vision as I have writing this review. A Melbourne friend…read moreposted on an Instagram photo that while I was in town I couldn't leave without visiting this spice merchant. Perhaps it was my inner-Catholic guilt but I couldn't leave our day on Lygon Street and surrounds without stopping in. Thank goodness because this is any home cook and food lovers heaven. Walking in, it is a olfactory feast. Subtle scents of spice lure you from the door and once you enter it's a veritable feast for your imagination. "Oh I could cook this with that!?". All the bulk spice holds are organised into loose leaf teas, salts, herbs and more. Each spice, herb or tea comes with a short blurb on it's history and what could use it for. You can purchase small bags by the gram or in jars (stored above the bulk holds). I was honestly surprised by the value. Being a specialty store I had primed myself for prices far more than the average $7.95 for most of the spices within the jars. The challenge was limiting myself for what I would take back to Brisbane with me. There is a customer scale to check and trust me (there's a 20g minimum when buying most in the smaller paper packets, which if you're into packaging might be the thing to send you over the edge) you'll be surprised at how much you've scooped in to a bag and how fast that .70-$1.90 per gram adds up. And the decadent experience doesn't stop once you're at the counter. Your purchase is simply and sophisticatedly packaged in a sturdy brown paper bag, adorned with their branded sticker and gently handed to you for safe travels home. Dangerous to discover there's online ordering...

It is nice to see variety in the block arcade and this cool spice store was a great addition; I am…read moresure you could find cheaper, but they offer many, many interesting options and if you are only 'sampling' prices will only be a few dollars... The staff are terrific and helpful, always appreciated; yet happy to let you browse undisturbed for the most part; a really interesting way to spend 15-20 minutes in the heart if the city.

On a recent trip to Melbourne, Gewurzhaus was my absolute highlight!…read moreI loved the selection of beautiful herb blends, gorgeous spice mixes, absolutely stunningly aromatic teas and the delight of so many salts!!! I went a little bit outrageous with the amount of purchases, but have not regretted a cent as they have all proven to be delicious and great quality. The service was brilliant, very attentive and answered all my queries - offered great suggestions for uses of the various smelly-yums and gave out scrumptious free tea. Now, I like to think of myself as a bit of a tea guru and I have to say that their Heavenly Lucky Tea is one of the best I have ever had!!!! Luckily they sell online, as I am almost out :)

Huge store - Check Cheap - Check…read moreKitchenware - Check Bike accessories - check Costumes - Check Boxes - Check Toiletries - Check Fixings and fittings - Check Pet products - Check Water fountains - Check Decorations - Check Presents - Check Scarves and socks- Check T-shirts - Check Keyrings - Check Things you'll never use - Check Cards with naked ladies - Check Kids' toys - Check Picture frames - Check Garden ornaments - Check Tools - Check Storage containers - Check Much more - Check

I honestly can't think of single thing that can't be found at Hot Potatoes. This place has…read moreeverything you could ever possibly need (along with everything that you don't and never will...) Moving into a new place? The cutlery and glassware are amazingly cheap and the quality is surprisingly impressive. The pots and pans hold up well and the cleaning materials do the job. In a last minute pre-costume party panic? Hot Potatoes will come to the rescue once more. With top hats in an array of colours, novelty wigs, masks and outfits. They've got everything covered.

The Real Thing Craft Centre Olinda was definitely not what I was expecting. Seeing the word 'craft'…read moreI immediately though 'oh yes, pipe cleaners, paint and scrapbooking supplies'... however this was definitely not what I found inside. Instead I walked into the first of five distinct areas, which was full of Christmas decorations and a nice big Christmas tree even though it was only September. That struck me as a little odd but I continued on. The next area had plates and garden decorations, which looked as though they might have been hand made though I couldn't be sure. There were a lot of delicate items and narrow walkways so I'd be careful bringing in prams or carrying big bags in here. The third section had a whole heap of touristy Australian objects like miniature koalas and even a few didgeridoos. My favourite items in this section were some brown mugs that had all manner of bizarre expressions on their 'faces'. At $18.50 I thought they were a little bit pricey but if they were hand made it seems to be quite a reasonable price. The next are had a heap of toy dolls and bears that sang songs when you pressed or pulled one of their body parts. These were being greatly enjoyed by a group of women who were laughing in delight at the range of songs the dolls were singing. The last area was home to large animal floor rugs, children's toys and more outdoor garden decorations. Despite it being nothing like what I thought it would be, the store itself was varied and interesting and I enjoyed exploring it.

Loved this place! We were in town on a tour (from a cruise). Stopped here and appreciated the…read morevariety of items, found some things that needed to travel with us and had a lovely conversation with the woman (owner?). Happy to have stopped there.

The Wantirna Mall Fruit Market is pretty darn decent. It is quite easily the busiest store in the…read moreMall, which says a lot. By busy I mean that it has ten to twenty customers almost all the time while most other stores in the Mall have one or two customers at the most at a time. I see a lot of people who turn up just to come to this shop and then go home without visiting anywhere else. Perhaps they are on a fruit mission- perhaps they just really love the service. (Did I mention the service here is great? It is.) The store is clean and there are plenty of fruit and veg piled up. The shop continues outside and is protected from the elements by the well-known shade cloth. There are plenty of decent prices but nothing to write home about. The main attractions to this shop are definitely the quality of the food and the friendly service and atmosphere. This is one shop where you are likely to be spoken to by other customers at least once. It's really nice actually.

Cheap bread $1.50 for white $2 for grain/wholemeal (and it's as good as the big brands), $2 milk,…read moreand veggies from the markets... seems to last weeks in the fridge and tastes amazing. Some organic or gluten free stuff a bit pricey, but their veggies and fruit are first rate and are cheaper most times than the majors also. Highly recommend... Friendly staff

If you approach Barkly Square Shopping Centre from Sydney Road going along Barkly Street, you'll…read morefind this oriental supermarket in the side walkway to Barkly Square. It isn't as well stocked as Asian supermarkets you might find in the city or in high Asian population suburbs like Glen Waverley, but I was so thankful when I found it because I was beginning to wonder where I would find oyster sauce and fish cakes in Brunswick (when I first moved in anyway...now there are a few shops like this one around). Aside from my aforementioned pantry essentials, these guys stock a nice selection of jasmine and green teas, and there's plenty to choose from by way of instant and pot noodles. In the refrigerated section, there are fresh noodles, tofu, egg custard buns, bean sprouts and lots of other good stuff. They even have some Japanese food items. I once spent a long time in the freezer section looking at the ingredients list on every single brand of frozen dim sum. It's not some strange fetish of mine; I was simply looking for some frozen dim sum (I think I was after har gow) that did not have MSG as an additive. Perhaps dim sum makers out there just don't make them without MSG, but Oriental Supermarket peeps...if you're reading this, perhaps you can look into this for me please?

Beautiful paper, boxes, candles, pens and books. I like coming here and wasting time, and seeing as…read moreI am a self-confessed stationary tragic - this little store is filled with little indulgences for yourself or prefect gifts for others. I particularly like the travel stationary with some gorgeous journals bound in a print with the map of the world ($26.95 for a large A5 journal). B Inspired also stocks a nice fragrance line called Tokyo Milk. My favourite is by far the Bee Perfume, which is really light and perfect for spring and a fairly reasonable price at $50. What is unfortunate is that the service is pretty ordinary. On my last visit I noticed a couple of ladies lining up at the counter while the sales assistant had her back to them and was stacking in the corner. I think that with stores like this, a first impression is everything and that if people aren't swayed by friendly service, then they may not buy anything at all. Service aside, B Inspired is great. In my dream world everyone needs beautiful journals and wrapping paper. I realize that this isn't the case for everyone, and so this store is perfect for stationary tragics, although I would recommend everyone having a look.