What is in the water lately? No, seriously. From friends to family members it seems the, "I'm…read morepregnant!" conversation is being had every other day. And with that comes two eventualities: baby showers and Savvy Aunty duties. Social norms dictate that one must bring gifts to said baby showers and Savvy Aunty duties just mean that you get to buy the things for no reason other than to be the "cool" Aunty. Either way, both of these eventualities lead me to stores like Eeni Meeni Miini Moh. Previously only located on James Street, the Toowong Village renovations have meant there's space for this dedicated kids boutique (from newborn to about 5ish by the look of the clothes on display) to call the Inner-West home. I stopped in recently on a mission for gifts for a friend's upcoming baby shower and was greeted by a range of neatly organised clothes for girls on one side and young gents on the other. In between are shelves of cool trinkets, games and other accessories. It is on the higher price point and certainly not at your Kmart $3 onesie level. That said, for a keepsake gift such as a blanket or for a stylish "spoil your niece/nephew" gift, then here is just where you need to be shopping.

When I'm looking for something special for my girls Duck Duck Goose never disappoints. With a…read moregreat selection of designer brands the options range from pretty to cool and trendy. It's always my first port of call for a gift for a new baby or birthday presents for kids parties. Gorgeous books and toys and so many beautiful gift ideas. I NEVER leave empty handed. I wish we had a Duck Duck Goose on my side of town!!

From the owner: Duck Duck Goose children's boutique in Ascot is where fashion savvy mums shop for original designer…read moreclothing, shoes, accessories, toys, books and more. Located on Lancaster Road in a little row of shops, Duck Duck Goose's twin rooms are full of fabulous fashion for babies and tiny tots to teens including Australian labels like Zimmerman, Munster Kids, Taksi and Tutu Du Monde - exquisite handcrafted, hand-dyed dresses by Andrea Rembeck (who designed for Collette Dinnegan and Fleur Wood before starting her own label). Fashionable footwear for little feet includes Salt Water sandals, an American cult classic for more than seventy years, and Australian owned Walnut; while stunning sterling silver jewellery by Jane Maria Phillips and bright beaded bracelets by Cat Hammill make a perfect gift for tweens and teens. Other great gift ideas include Penny Scallan backpacks and lunch boxes for little boys and girls and Flatout sheepskin teddy bears for bubs. As far as toys go, there's soft toys, wooden toys and retro-style tin toys; as well as traditional toys like spinning tops and jack-in-the-box. Otherwise, there's educational games, marbles, juggling balls and plenty of puzzles. Or for a unique, one-of-a-kind gift - handcrafted Indian head dresses.

I walked into this place, not because I've got kids, but because I thought the window display of…read moreheadless children on a deserted sail boat was quite frankly, hilarious in a kind of disturbed kind of way. When I walked in, I got that "I could get pregnant just by being here" vibe. The fact that one of the staff was heavily pregnant didn't ease my anxiety. It's the type of establishment for people who enjoy dressing their toddlers like young adults (think Suri Cruise). A pair of ballet jiffies for your beloved small person is going to cost you around about $60. There's quite a large variety, from your heavily glittered rubber sandles (circa 1990), to almost corporate looking flatties. There are cutesy summer dresses for girls, and very conservative 'I'm pretending to be dad on his way to work' clothes for boys. The accessories are cute. I even found myself posing in front of a mirror holding a suitcase that was painted and shaped like a watermelon. They had some pretty sweet toys too, like a movable wooden dinosaur for example. They had all the kind of cool, hip kids toys that you want to buy for yourself. Honestly, I'm the kind of person who believes that kids are best dressed in rags, in pillowcases, or potato sacks, even cardboard boxes, as long as they're having fun. The freedom to do that lessens the older you get. The best thing about the cardboard box? It's free. If you do find anything in here you like, expect to pay through the nose for it.

I'm not a mum but I'm a pretty hands-on auntie. My niece and nephew go around all day long in…read moreK-mart wear. Sometimes a designer brand may sneak into their wardrobe as a gift from a well meaning family friend but when it comes to their clothes, like most kids, they don't care what they wear. Seed is filled with lovely, matching, well tailored clothes for kids without any practical application. Kids below five spit up. They spill things. They roll around in mud. Unless the fabric is completely stain free, it doesn't matter how well tailored the outfit is. Added to this, kids grow at an exponential rate making the price of a shirt or a pair of shorts from Seeds ridiculously expensive as they'll outgrow it within a few months. Seed is the sort of shop I would visit to buy a special gift for a family friend's daughter or son but my own niece and nephew will be stuck in their uncool K-mart clothes for a few more years to come.

New kid on the block Glory Box might be New Farm's youngest clothing store, but it has all the…read moremakings of an old faithful. I entered mainly to escape the midday heat, but I stayed for the sequins, the taffeta, and the gorgeous pre-loved shoes. Vintage fanatics will have a field day rifling through the well stocked hangers and with service this friendly, why not? The website isn't live just yet, but I was promised by shop owner Amy that it was coming soon. Take advantage of this brand new store's youthful energy and duck in after your next New Farm brunch date.

This shop is such a cute place full of all sorts on bomboniere's and has been family run since…read more1984. They stock a lot of bomboniere's suitable for big Italian weddings and they of course stock the sugared almonds. I came here one day just to browse on my way home and left with some sugar almonds to munch on and a couple of different bomboniere pieces that I just wanted to put on display around the house. Although my purchase is not a normal purchase for a store like this, you can't help but want to buy something for yourself or for someone. Sorrento Bomboniere offer a wide selection of different bombonieres suitable for a range of occasions including birthdays and Christian ceremonies. They stock some beautiful Christening gowns for babies, which are all hand-made in Brisbane. If you're planning an Italian wedding or needing bomboniere's for other celebrations make sure you have a look at this gorgeous little store and ask for Connie. She was so helpful on my last visit.

From the owner: Special wear for little people for all occasions…read more Christening - Baptism - Naming Day - Flower girl - Page boy - Gifts - Candles - Favors - Sugared Almonds

This funky boutique is a great place to purchase items from established as well as up and coming…read moreAustralian designers. It's a charming little store, with brightly coloured clothing covering the walls, posters on the door and a chalkboard featuring random scribblings. Part of the window display incorporates a small amount of fake turf and a miniature white picket fence encasing a few of the store's items. It's a rather odd idea which somehow matches the shop perfectly. Don't Tell Fannie reminds me a lot of Mombasa in its younger days, when their shops were smaller and more unique.

There's so many of these types of boutiques that have sprung up around Brisbane in the last 10 or…read moreso years so I find it hard to get excited any more. The stock here is the usual - an "eclectic mix of young designers" (and yes, they stock House of Harlow 1960 jewellery, yawn) but I didn't think there was anything extraordinary in there. The one thing that did catch my eye, though (and not in a good way), was the rail with a cardboard sign saying "Emerging Designers". Or something like that. And the reason it grabbed my attention was because hanging up front, centre stage, was quite possibly the ugliest dress I've ever seen. Layer upon layer of stiff, immovable tulle stuck to a strapless dress with 'Head in the Clouds' emblazoned on it in sequins. Not cool, not edgy, just ugly. And it most definitely should never have emerged from that particular emerging designer's head. If there weren't so many boutiques like this already in Brissie, I'd love it, but it needs to do something a little more unique to get my loyalty.

Moo and Bear is a gorgeous store at Morningside. They have clothing for kids and mums but in actual…read morefact, they have something for everyone and a lot of unique pieces you might not find anywhere else. They have clothing, ladies shoes, decorations, jewelry, ornaments and children's clothing and babies accessories. On any given day, you will likely find a bunch of women admiring the various knick knacks throughout the store. They had the most beautiful patched handbag that I was highly tempted to buy.