This little gem was here for about two years before i even noticed it existed. Motherwell isn't…read moreexactly a Mecca of shopping excitement, but this little place is a welcome addition to an otherwise uninspiring experience. I went in one day looking for a card when i happened to be passing. It is down next to a sunbed shop, a housing office and a pub so i imagine it doesn't get too much passing trade. It is so cut inside; bright, white and airy and smelling of all the gorgeous goodies on the shelves. I spotted loads of things i liked. Cute little teapots, Arran Aromatic style toiletries, wicker baskets, glittery gift tags and a gorgeous wee range of baby things. There are a few really unusual wedding gift ideas and other gifts for all occasions including birthdays, christenings and engagements. I bought a friend's baby a little ceramic letter 'J' for his bedroom door, adorned with a cute mouse in a Green jumper and she loved it. It was a really unusual thing to find! I also ordered a handmade ceramic glittery name plaque for a little girls first birthday, which i had personalised and ready for me to collect in two weeks. They even have a Yankee Candle stand, which i adore! The staff are lovely, inviting and very helpful and they always seem to have time to chat. This is a mother-daughter business and their passion for the place really shines through. Lovely little shop perfect for all occasions, and Motherwell's saving grace! Gorgeous gifts

I love the big displays they often have in here, usually LEGO related, and their supermarket-style…read more"3 for 2" offers are great as well. Nice big shop with plenty of variety in store, and room to play on the toys... I mean "make sure they're suitable for the kids". It can be a little scruffy at times, but I guess that's the price you pay for running a business that attracts young children!

Toys R Us really is a toy emporium! I don't think there is another store quite like it in the UK…read moreand the store on Helen Street is exceptionally huge! If you are looking for a toy and Toys R Us doesn't sell it, it probably doesn't exist! The store is divided into toys for girls, boys, babies and preschool children. There is also the games wall where you'll find all manner of board games and jigsaws. I am a big fan of the construction wall which consists of a plethora of lego and meccano type toys which would keep kids and adults amused for hours! There are also multimedia toys such as Wii and PS3 games and Hannah Montana TV sets. I love the Universe of Imagination section in Toys R Us also which contains learning toys such as leapfrog computers and arts and crafts. Toys R Us also has a good selection of kids and adults bikes which they can build for you in the shop. Although most of the Babies R Us stand alone stores have closed down the Toys R Us store on Helen Street contains a Babies R Us department within it. This sells cots, buggies, breast pumps, all sorts! Be warned, if you take your kids into this store they may never let you leave!

A 5 star newsagents? It does exist, and it's here in Glasgow…read more Thanks to Kelly R's tip the other day, I found out they sell Frankie magazine here (thanks again Kelly!). Frankie is an Australian magazine which I was totally addicted to, back in the day. I didn't know it was even sold in the UK so when I saw the tip I screamed (I'm not kidding), and visited Barrett as soon as I could. As I scanned the shelves, and scanned them some more, I came to the crushing realisation that they didn't seem to have it. The girl behind the counter was super helpful, looking it up on the system for me and chatting to me about the magazine. Sadly, it had sold out already but she offered to take my name so that for all future copies, they'll have one for me. How's that for customer service?! She was super helpful and friendly, and I really appreciate that she offered to go that extra mile for me. Even though I don't live close to Barrett, I'll be heading here for all my magazine needs in the future.

I love these places…read more Glasgow Convenience Stores You can tell when you enter one of these that you are back in Scotland. Askit powders by the register and Irn Bru in the fridge. This one is great and I used to drop by on my walk to work. It carries a variety papers, bottled waters, loads of gingers, and all of the miscellany that I would require during my day. Sometimes, it is not the big things that remind you of a place. You can take an immense amount of pleasure in the small things.

A spacious shop with a good range of magazines and newspapers. There are also various provisions,…read morefresh snacks, cold drinks and large racks of confectionery. You can play the lottery too and there's a free cashpoint outside. The friendly lady who was serving in there yesterday afternoon could not have been nicer. She pointed out some current special offers which I would otherwise have missed and then gave me some excellent travel directions to another town where I was heading next!

The name is somewhat misleading. Yes, this is a gift shop, and a nice one at that. Although, I…read morewould be severely struggling to describe the merchandise in here as 'unique'. The gift range includes fairly bog standard teddy bears, helium balloons and cards. These are nice, not badly priced and will probably be suitable for any birthday token gift. Meanwhile, there are some more unusual gifts that cannot be purchased elsewhere locally such as silver photography frames, figurines and - my favourite - brightly painted money pot banks. Superb. Thus, this is a sweet little shop ideal for small gifts at decent prices. However, don't let the name fool you into thinking this is some little boutique like shops.

Found myself diving in here a few times before the cinema if I am struggling for time, where I…read morewould normally go to the Sainsburys round the corner. They have a great selection of sweets and crisps, with a relatively poor choice of soft drinks, by comparison. It's tight inside, with alot of other patrons also making a snappy purchase ahead of cinema time. A good shout for last-minute snacks and supplies you can stuff inside your coat pockets (after paying for them, of course).

Call me crazy for even having one, but this is by far my favourite Newsbox…read more And why, I hear you cry. Well... it's because it's right across the road from the Cineworld cinema. And, um, well... that's about as far as it goes. To its favour, though, it does have a smashing selection of sweets, crisps, and drinks. You even find the odd throwback sweetie showing up here. I don't know if they just find the odd old box out the bag or if they're on top of that sort of thing. All I know is that it's the only place I can find things like Squares (crisps), Vice Versas (Okay, that was 3 years ago, but still amazing!) and Crispy M&Ms. It's super convenient, it's very cheap, and they have everything I could ever want for my cinema-snacking needs. They also have a pretty good selection of magazines. Beautiful!

There's something about this instructive like name - Stop and Shop - that I find genuinely…read moreendearing as well as a little bit annoying. This is potentially the reason for me not entirely loving this little place. Yes, it has milk, papers and bog roll - the necessities no? But, it's nothing special. The stock is filled with all the basic run of the mill newsagent products. The prices and just as you'd expect to pay for these products in these products in a newsagent. Meanwhile, the staff offer mediocre greetings and services. So, it's alright if you want to pop in for one or two basics and this is the handiest place for it. Otherwise, I'd prefer to go elsewhere with a little bit more character and/or a wider range of stock including some more unusual items.

It's places like this shop that lend weight to the claim that 'Hyndland Street is the new Byres…read moreRoad'. Fifteen years ago Byres Road was full of individual wee shops like this; today it's all coffee emporiums and charity outlets. I discovered Owen Bissett when doing my Christmas shopping in December. It's not the sort of place that would normally attract me, but I was looking for a nice present for my sister, and their window display looked inviting, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I made that decision. The place is a veritable Aladdin's Cave of jewellery, bijoux, craft wares, designer knick-knacks and generally precious things (preeeeccccciouuusssss!). I soon found a lovely bracelet and necklace combo that my sister was delighted with, and would probably have ended up spending a lot more than I wanted to had not common sense kicked in. There's such a wide range of really unusual things in here, it is ideal if you're looking for that 'special gift' or just want a thing of beauty for yourself. I think my favourite items were the glass bowl sculptures with the natural wood stands - these large thick glass works appear to have been melted and poured onto driftwood or tree-branch tripods, so that they have flowed into the perfect shape for the support. I have no idea what I would use one for (and I couldn't afford one anyway), they were just lovely pieces of craftsmanship. A definite thumbs-up for the most original and unusual shop in Hyndland Street, if not the entire West End. Check it out - you're sure to find something you like.

I love, love, love this shop!…read more There are far too many beautiful things in stock, be it little trinkets, unique and interesting jewellery or gorgeous ornaments (and everything else in between), meaning that you'll be tempted to clear your bank account buying everything in sight! There's something here for all budgets, which is a bonus. I bought a gorgeous necklace for myself a while back that people always comment on, and it only cost £10. Regardless of price, you can be assured that whatever you buy will always be top quality. Owen's window displays are always eye-catching and well thought out; I defy you to walk past and not at least stop for a good look! Displays are changed regularly, which is a great way to showcase the wide range of what's on offer. I highly recommend liking the shop on Facebook too, as it's an extension of the window displays. The service is always fantastic, and everyone there is so knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. They'll point out things you might like or will leave you to browse the stock without being over-bearing. It's customer service done correctly, and it's refreshing to behold. It's a great place to go and treat yourself or a loved one, be it Christmas, birthdays or just for the sake of it. It's a truly unique store, and it's wonderful to see such a vibrant independent business thrive. I really can't sing the praises of this shop enough!