When this shopping plaza got renovated a few years ago, I was fearful it would become as popular as…read moreWestfield Garden City. This would be bad for two reasons. Firstly, at the time I was working in a pharmacy here so the last thing I wanted was more customers without an increase to my wage. Secondly, I loved being able to do my grocery shopping or even browse for gifts peacefully and without the queues. Thankfully, the renovations did not lead to a huge influx of customers, merely making the entire shopping experience more pleasant with its new, clean fit out and better car park facilities. For all your practical shopping requirements, there's a Woolworths, Target Terry White Chemist, post office and a medical centre. There's also a JP available here on Wednesday afternoons between 4pm -6pm. The shopping centre does lack specialty shops so it's not a great place to buy gifts. However this is a great place to take your kids because they have a lot of those toddler rides that take $1 or $2 coins. I learnt the hard way that toddlers just like to play in these things. They don't necessarily care for the ride. Having inserted $2 into a small car, I was a bit disappointed that my nephew was just as happy to chug along pretending to drive and didn't even notice when the time expired and the car had stopped vibrating. Keep this shopping plaza in mind the next time you need to run errands or around the Christmas season when you just want to avoid the crowds.

We all know a factory outlet tend to be cheaper than buying from a department store and Sheridan at…read moreMt Gravatt is no different. You can buy Sheridan towels and bed linen at Myers, David Jones or Harvey Norman but you could save up to 50% on the same item if you buy from the Sheridan outlet at Mt Gravatt. Plus there's the bonus of easy parking at the Mt Gravatt homemaker centre and the Sheridan outlet stock a wider range of products. The easy going staff don't even seem to mind me burrowing my face in their soft Egyptian cotton towels. If you have zero tolerance for using scratchy, faded towels after bathing, then the Sheridan outlet is the place to go at least once a year to maintain a fluffy supply without blowing your budget.

If you're tired of screaming children, stalking drivers for a car park or fighting the crowds at…read moreWoolworths, then consider bypassing Westfield Garden City and heading across the road to The Village the next time you need to do the household shopping. The Village is a small shopping complex with a three level car park, medical centre, pharmacy, Coles, Bossy Hair and all your basic amenities. It's fast, fuss-free shopping. This is the place I go if I've forgotten an ingredient in the middle of cooking. It's so easy to get a park directly outside Coles and get out again within ten minutes. Plus this place has a hold on my heart that cannot be supplanted for another 7km radius. It is home to Baskin and Robbins with its classic pralines'n cream. The next closest B and R is at Greenslopes on Logan Road. For coffee drinkers, there's a decent Coffee Club here. This Coffee Club is a great meeting place for mums with young kids as there's plenty of space for prams and a relaxed atmosphere. For all you gym junkies, there's also the 24 hour gym Jetts in the complex. With something for everyone at this shopping mall, who needs Westfield Garden City anymore?

From the owner: The Village Upper Mount Gravatt gives you hassle free shopping with plenty of parking.read more

Its not really that often that something like a chemist is exciting or worth really talking about…read more I do make one exception to this rule however and that is for the Chemist Warehouse in Mt Gravatt. I cant see why people would go to any other chemist or well being shop to be honest. Everything that i have found is cheaper at Chemist Warehouse and they have deals all the time. I picked up a whole box of paracetamol for 1 dollar and Colgate tooth paste for 2 dollars. Apart from the basics and the toiletries they also have a huge range of supplements and dietary products that are all cheaper than at the usual retail outlets. They also have a pretty big perfume section that is again been discounted quite dramatically. They do have nights where things that are already cheap are discounted by a further 10 percent and even serve light snacks and beverages on these nights. I think another reason why i like Chemist Warehouse is the fact that it proves that medication and supplements do not need to cost an arm and a leg.