Can remember coming here as a kid for lollies with my parents. A bit pricy, but the range is…read moreawesome; especially the jelly belly range along the back wall.

Witchety grubs, jaffas, gobstoppers, jubes, jelly babies, musk sticks...oh how this shop brought…read moreback memories of the days before cellulite and muffin top. Guilt stopped me from going crazy in here and scooping up bag after bag full of childhood favourites. Just seeing the big glass bottle full of Jaffas (which I've always hated) reminded me of the last time I ate them - when I was a teenager a boy I fancied took me to the movies and we ended up getting into a Jaffa fight. Ah, the romance... But adult restraint took over and I just left with an old fave of mine and my mother's - a bag of musk sticks. Let the cavities begin...

Mrs Flannery's is worth travelling some distance for if you're after organic, completely natural…read morefoods or anything gluten, dairy, etc free. They have a huge range of stock, including fresh organic fruit and vegetables, cold goods and supplements in a surprisingly large store. The assistants are friendly and knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions you might have. I go in for their supply of 'Lentilicious,' one of the many locally produced products for healthy living they have in store and their organic fair trade coffee. Even if you aren't sold on organic foods, its a great place to find healthy, nutritious food stuff.

As far as health and organic food stores go, Mrs Flannery's in Taringa is one of the best ones I…read morehave been to. This mainly due to the size allowing them to really fill up the place with a wide variety of goods. I am used to health food stores being the size of boutiques, not much larger than and average sized bedroom kind of thing. Surprisingly, 'Mrs Flannery's' is the size of a small IGA or your local food store. It has a few aisles like the ones you find at the Supermarket! Here you will find, organic cereal, wide range of nuts and whole grains as well as natural household and beauty products. I am fond of their peanut butter which is literally grounded peanuts with no additives, preservatives and flavourings. Of course shopping here is not as cheap as the local supermarket but you feel so good about yourself for being so healthy after shopping here. I obviously would not do my entire groceries here as that would burn a hole in my pocket though. 'Mrs Flannery's' is a must for anyone into natural health and organic foods who lives around the 'Taringa' area. You will not be disappointed by the range this place has to offer.

When I first lay eyes on the UQ Lolly shop, I felt like I was in a sugary heaven. The wall was…read morelined with self serve lolly dispensers filled with everything from jelly beans, to those banana lollies, chocolate sprinkles, and honeycomb. Venturing further, I found a section dedicated to American Candy. Spotting the Reese's Buttercups I could no longer resist and had to empty my wallet (even thought the import price makes them a little on the expensive side). They also stock Australian favourites like sherbet, Eucalyptus drops, Tim Tams and the like. But my oh my, it was the American Candy that had me hooked and returning to the Lolly Shop at the detriment of both my wallet and my wasteline. The shop also stocks a few basics, like cup noodles, chips, etc. and a range of drinks and ice-cream. As well as this they stock a few basic student needs like tissues, sunscreen, bug spray, panadol and the like. Situated in the Student Union Complex at the University of QLD St Lucia Campus, the Lolly shop is a favourite of many. They also have these amazing chocolate covered coffee beans. They uses to be in the same area as the rest of the self serve but after being ravaged by crazed studying students, you need to ask for them from behind the counter. There will be a line up here during busy periods (you can see the peaks between lectures as students stock up) but the lines move pretty quickly. As I have been writing this I have finished off two Reese's and think I will need to return to the Lolly Shop again in the near future.

Curse the Lolly Shop! It's a very intelligently placed sugar den that lures me in EVERY time. On…read morethe way to the ferry, on the way from the ferry, on the way to lectures, on the way from lectures... Lollies serve several life purposes. You just can't go past getting a bag of clinkers and sitting at the bustop eating them until you hit a yellow or green one (why are they mostly always pink?). It's an excellent time taker-upperer. The bag o' lollies is also a great tool for making friends in lectures. "Hey, you want a chocolate coated strawberry?" (the ones who say "no", obviously have poor taste and aren't worthy of being your mate anyhow). They charge you per the kilogram for the sugar treats. You can usually walk out with a decent sugar pile for around $2-$5. You can also get handy things like cookies, gum, mi gorengs and other useful student supplies there. My only complaint might be that the staff are often super surly. They don't say hello or use their manners. Maybe they're suffering from a constant sugar crash. Who knows. All I know is that you have to suffer their service to get to the lollies, and we all know that nothing, NOTHING should stand in the way of a student and their brain food.

One of my most favourite stores in Brisbane, the Oxfam shop is a wonderful, ethical stop on your…read morenext shopping trip. The store is run by volunteers and all of the profits from sales within the store supports Oxfam's charity endeavours both locally and globally. In store you'll find a huge range of beautiful handcrafted items from across the globe, fair trade coffee and treats, a range of books including children's titles and cookbooks, beautiful home wares, toys, various apparel items, gift cards that support numerous causes (the 'Oxfam Unwrapped' range and tax deductible), jewellery, and Cd's. You will always find something unique and original here. The prices in store range from fairly cheap to moderately expensive, but it's well worth it.

I love, love the stuff Oxfam Shop carries, and I appreciate the fact that they do fair trade and…read moresome of the items are handmade. I was fortunate to be the recipient of a gift certificate to Oxfam, and after going in a couple times (and leaving empty handed), I finally picked out a "secret" jewerlly box (the secret is in how to unlock/lock it). It's a beautifully carved wooden box, with velvet lining the inside. The staff here has always been pleasant and I didn't feel any sort of urgency in this small shop.

I was looking for an Easter basket to send my daughters and came across NF Confectionery. The 6…read moresmall cellophane bags of chocolates were pretty and a plush bunny was part of the $99 box. It was delivered on time and the company was great to deal with. I felt it was pricey for what we got, hence 4 stars.

A life without chocolate isn't really an option is it? And why would you want it to be? But, if you…read moreare going to indulge every now and then wouldn't you rather it be the best of the best? Yeah, me too. Thankfully, New Farm Confectionary has graduated from their market stalls to a fully-fledged and beautifully subway tiled shop opposite Chouquette in New Farm. Conveniently located in the same complex as New Farm Cinemas, their salted caramels make a grand movie snack. All the chocolates are made from hand and as such stock can vary at any given time. But when you take your first bite of the dark chocolate honeycomb you'll understand why it's worth the price tag and wait.

There are so many franchised bingsu places offering the same flavours but with different…read morepresentations. However, Nominom stands out just a bit more with its attention to detail. With 8 flavours and counting, you can choose your authentic korean bingsu flavours like injeolmi (soybean), misugaru (mixed grain), matcha and black sesame or your western flare of Nutella brownie, Oreo & chocolate. Each bingsu is crafted behind the scenes and looks magnificent when it is carried out! The portions are very generous and to devour a bingsu bowl, you need at least 2 to 3 people. Also, I love how the owners have great attention to detail. They freeze the bowls before piling the shaved ice and toppings on it. The shaved ice remains cold and powdery during the consumption duration and not a melted mess like other bingsu shops. The average price of the bingsu ranges from 14 to 15.5 AUD. My favourites are ranked from top to bottom: 1) misugaru with red bean, almond flakes and mochi 2) black sesame with red bean, mochi and a blanket of grinded black sesame powder on top of the shaved ice 3) matcha: scoop of tangy matcha froyo, red bean and a generous blanket of matcha powder on top of the fluffy shaved ice A side of milk is served to drizzle into the bingsu. Don't forget to eat your toppings or create a well in the bingsu because the milk will not absorb into the bingsu! Seating is limited! So for large groups, prefer to wait or walk a couple of circles to active your tummy for some delicious bingsu

NEWS FLASH: BRISBANE IN FROYO EXPLOSION…read more It seems January 2013 marks the month Brisbane opened its arms and embraced the FroYo trend that's been so prolific abroad. Similarly, it seems just as some of my fiercely dedicated froyo friends have overdosed to a point of no return, I'm launching into an all-consuming rose-coloured-glasses love for FroYo. Yep, I'm *that* late to the band wagon. Nominom (pink branding) is the second froyo chain to swing their doors open and share their self-serve frozen yoghurt goodness with Brisbane punters. Unlike it's friend up the road, Noggi (green branding), Nominom is DIY service. It was a rather non-conventional late lunch but who was I to argue with their twee bubblegum pink branding? Your path to FroYo enlightenment at Nominom is the standard self-service routine: + Pick your cup (one size - large), fill it with as many flavoured frozen yoghurts that you think you can handle (they'll be rotating their flavours and when I stopped by there was original, chocolate, blueberry, taro, green tea and a few others) + Shuffle along to the toppings station. They've set their toppings out into good (fruit), treats (candy, jelly bubbles and biscuits) and cereals. + Your final destination: weigh-in and cash register. The moment of truth to see just how well you've decked out your FroYo cup. I had put chocolate and green tea with watermelon and blueberries and it came to $6.38 for what I'd guess was about 300grams. They're running a 50% offer for the opening week so for $3.15 I was ready to take my cup of froyo home. The flavours of the yoghurt didn't pack as much punch as I'd want. The yoghurt could have been a little more tart and the flavours more pronounced. This is 100% personal preference, but I like the idea of being able to select the size of cup I'd like rather than a one size fits all and maybe this is something they'll introduce as they find their groove. It's great to see Brisbane embracing a new "food trend" and I hope people love it for a long time, not just a good time.