I can't tell you how much I dread wifey saying things like "we need a new towel rail for the…read morebathroom" or "the bathroom needs new silicone" or "have you fixed the iron maiden in the dungeon yet?" It means I'm going to have to go to some sort of home wares place and explain to the people that I need "a thingy to fix the broken whatsit and do you have them in tartan?" These places are all the same and rarely any fun. Imagine my surprise then when I wondered into Home Store... It is big and bright and stuffed with cool stuff like pasta makers and gimmiky stuff like soda can carousels ... A lot of tat but a lot of cool kitchen gadgets as well. I honestly enjoyed my 30 mins wandering around looking for towel rails - now, there is yet another sentence I never thought I'd write.

Love this store it has everything, it is like an Irish Bed Bath and Beyond! I also love that this…read morestore has half price sales every month!

I love the TV ads for B&Q at the moment. It bigs up the fact that it has experienced staff that can…read moreattend to your every DIY need. "I was a plumber for 22 years," says one bloke in an orange vest, smiling through gritted teeth, "I had me own van, me own business, it's all gone now," he fails to add. "I spent 10 years working as a decorator," says another, failing to mention "before you bastards came and showed people how to do it themselves". However, if you do want to do it yourself, then this is the warehouse to come to. Huge and sprawling, it's a haven for blokes who want to get out of the house, families at a loose end and those with actual pressing DIY needs. Although you are as likely to find a teenager as a fella with 30 years experience wandering the shop floor, you usually can find the advice you need.

As we've been doing a lot of DIY lately I was like a kid in a candy store when I first entered B&Q…read more It's massive and they have a huge selection of paint. They also had a large selection of skirting boards and the only place I could find the right sized ones I need to cover some holes that were bashed in the wall while removing the old ones, while still being thin enough to match the door frames. Some stuff is really cheap compared to the likes of Woodies but other things are really expensive which confused me. For example No More Nails is nearly twice as expensive but their own brand roller sets are way cheaper at 3 euro, bargain. They also don't have an Irish website which I found annoying, I'd like to check prices before I make a trip out.

We came to look at boxes, cos... um... we are a little obsessed with boxes…read more We sated ourselves with a plastic basket for our hat collection and a wheeled storage box with clip on lid for our canoeing gear. It's perfect and will replace the rubbish one we've been putting up with for the last six years. My husband remarked how Homebase was much much better value than Woodies for some storage drawers he needed for work recently. 15 EUR v 40 EUR. Mad difference. We wandered around all the departments and we picked up a few more bits that have been on my long term shopping list. I picked up a lovely small cactus for 2.60 EUR. It's fairly impressive and large. It seems to cover all the bases for your home and garden. And they've boxes. So many wonderful boxes.

This shop, although to my dismay has been there almost 2 years, is a real find for a whole array of…read morehousehold goods, DIY, and especially electrical goods! The problem is it is not easy to find...it is located through a lane way off the Main Street, at the entrance to Celbridge Hire and right beside Gimini Hair. The proprietor told me Kildare County Council will not allow him to advertise his shop with a sign on the Main Street so he has to rely on word of mouth! Yesterday, I was able to purchase a whole lot of different light bulbs for various light fittings, even one for my freezer...and might I add at an extremely reasonable rate. All you Celbridge people, do call to this amazing little shop for all your electrical needs and other household items!

A lovely little gift shop with a collection of cheepish jewellery (newbridge and that ilk), nice…read morephoto frames (who the heck buys these as gifts?) and handbags. Yup, I think 99% of the clientèle here are female, it's all a bit frilly for my liking with a surprisingly large amount of candles for sale. The only bit I really liked is the newest addition to the shop, some Nicolas Mosse pottery which I have a bit of a soft spot for.

If you looking for the perfect gift store this is it, snuggled on a backstreet close to Blackrock…read morethis shop is a great place to shop for curios and presents gifts or otherwise. It never fails to dissapoint whether shopping for a newborn or a gift for your mother in law.. you name it, great find and deserves the creedo. I bought the most beautiful snow glo in there which my daughter has cherised since.. Love it truly.

What a unique little shop…read more. Nestled away on the top floor of Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, a distinctly Dublin man owns a shop has houses only the most distinct Japanese goodies. According to Ciaran (said owner!), the shop is older than me. Obviously I did my make up well that day... But seriously, this place has been here for years and years - I'm sure I've walked by it a million times and never noticed it. Until today! Pretty unassuming from the outside - not much branding - and a strange name for a Japanese shop (do they have cacti in Japan?!), you only really understand the worth of the place, when you step inside. Even then, a quick once-over won't do either. Skimming won't do the detail on each individual piece justice. Take your time and have a proper look. In here, you will find original Japanese board games, kimonos, jewelry, pictures, hair decorations, stationary, all imported straight from the Land of the Rising Sun. Now don't get me wrong, there are some 'cheaper' items - Hello Kitty earrings, plastic hair clips etc, but if you really look, you can unearth some really lovely stuff. Merchandising isn't the strong point here, but look past it, and it'll be worth it. One thing though - be prepared for a chat! The owner is a really lovely, wholly interesting man. He is married to a Japanese woman (you were waiting for the link, weren't you?!), and has spent many years traveling all over the world. He has many riotous stories to tell, and tell them he will. But sure what's wrong with that! It's a nice change from the "How's your day going?" "Much more shopping to do?" type of banality so often encountered every where else.

I spent hours in Copenhagen looking for quirky light bulbs. I found them in many bars and cafes but…read morenot in any shops. Well, the Scandinavians might actually order them from CEF on Abbey St. They have a lovely little selection of vintage style bulbs with screw and twist end, in tinted or regular glass. At a very reasonable price. And the staff are so friendly! CEF also sell light switches and other bits and pieces for your home. When I grow up and buy a house, this will be my supplier of all things lights- related.

Not happy I never got 10% off my first order!! I emailed woodies to no reply. !!!!!!!!!!!read more

What a wonderful group of people working in Woodie's/Sandyford. Callie/Jen/the garden section with…read moresuch knowledge. The new guy on the tills. Just a joyous experience with happy, kind and helpful staff. You take the time to look after your customers so well. Anne