In my shopping obsessed mind, all shops have a category. Pumpkin Pie definitely comes into the…read morecategory of - beautiful clothes and toys for kids but strictly for gifts only. It's just too expensive for me to buy clothes for my own two kids there as they tend to rip, stain and generally ruin most things within a week. So if you A) need to buy a baby gift or B) have children who can be trusted to wear beautiful things, Pumpkin Pie is for you. It is filled with the cutest baby clothes and blankies, little soft teddies and clothes for older kids, up to the age of about 10. If you're into your labels you'll recognise Ducky Beau (my personal fave for little boys), Me Too and Lego. There are other ranges of similar price and style. Prices are high, but these are high end clothes for nippers. A t shirt will be around £25 and a dress about £45 but as with most high end shops, the sale is the time to shop. Time it right and you'll get a good choice of reduced stuff.

As a very excited auntie of a one year old I am immediately drawn to all these cute little…read morechildren's clothing stores. This one from the outside looks almost edible with its bright colours and very welcoming sign. Plus the big up to 70% off sign does nothing but lure me in. I love all the cute little dresses and outfits for the little girls but I'm auntie to a little boy. There are some really nice little boy outfits in here with the usual pirate, animal and car themes. I picked my nephew up a lovely little t shirt with a panda bear on the front for £12.00 and it had been reduced quite a lot in the sale. Non sale items are a little on the expensive side but it is Holywood after all. A lovely shop, I hope my sister has a girl next as I really want to go back and get some of the gorgeous girlie clothes.

Jacksons 38 is one of five (yes, you heard right) departments, if you like, all owned by Jacksons…read moreof Saintfield. Not a clue who this guy is, but he essentially owns half of the Main Street... As well as the main hardware / cookware store a few doors up, there is also a 'Lifestyle' stores few doors on up from that, which consists of a health food shop, a coffee shop and a home interiors shop. Phew! However, my trip was only to this sweet little boutique. Mainly consisting of ladies, gents and kids shoes, it is also a jewellery shop, an accessories shop (wallets, belts, scarves etc.), and a ladies clothes shop. Blinkin' heck. It's one of those shops that's a myriad of little rooms and sections that see to go on forever. There really is a beautiful selection, and the range of kid's school shoes rivals an actual shoe shop's range. The lady sales assistant was very pleasant and welcoming - cheery smiles galore. She was helpfully aiding a customer who was trying on shoes, but didn't neglect the others who were busy looking too. I must commend this Jackson fella on such a beautiful little shop. Highly recommended.

Conservatory Coffee, health food, boutiqueness…read moreHaiku perfection Visited here on a priest's recommendation to sip coffee with Michael W. Smith in the background and hoping to catch a nice Irish evangelical's eye... But even without those expectations being met (there's always next time), I think I've found my new favorite coffee shop in County Down. As you walk into Jackson's there is the boutique on the right, health food on the left, and straight to the back, nectar of the gods: COFFEE. Even further back, comfy couches and tables fill a beautiful, bright, glass conservatory facing out into the courtyard. Me and a friend sat until close (4:30 p.m.) sipping our coffee and admiring others fancy beverages and jealousy inducing desserts. While I have yet to witness it, I was told that the scones are as big as your head and full of fruity surprises. I couldn't ask for a better setting or cup of coffee to sip, sit, people watch, and/or work.

Having 4 nephews and soon to be 3 nieces it's sometimes tough to find an original present or…read moresomething I haven't got another one of them in the past. This year I thought I would wander off the well-worn High Street and in to St Georges Market to see if I could find something quirky and cool that would not only impress the little ones but also make my sisters smile. When I came across the Tee and Toast stall I immediately knew I had found what I was looking for, they have a range on kiddies clothes and accessories with locally inspired images and phrases (see my bib pic). The lady manning the stall was as bright and bubbly as the clothes on display and she helped me choose the 'Bout Ye Belfast' bib that's sure to get a chuckle form the latest member of my ever expanding family. They are based at St Georges Market on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday but also have an online store that I will be definitely be visiting for Christmas presents for the big and small members of the family. It's refreshing to see our local culture and landmarks being displayed in such a positive and humorous way.

This is a great clothes shop but a bit pricy. They clothes are good quality and wash well. Also a…read morebit different it you want something nice.

Great value haberdasherread more

This little stall towards the rear of St George's Market did give me a chuckle I must admit. It…read morestocks a full range of baby accoutrements, many with an odd range of tongue-in slogans. I was browsing for a few things one Saturday when I realised I do have a new little cousin. I've never purchased 'baby things' before so I thought it couldn't really do any harm trying this place just to see what they had. The woman running the stall was very friendly, one of those people who wouldn't mind just chatting about anything and everything. Now I really don't know what babies and young children wear, and more importantly what size fits them. I can visualise a baby but when it comes to actually fitting it for a clothes I'm at a loss. I had a look a few things they had. The usual baby-grows, velour with various animals and colloquial sayings but I noticed a little red coat which I must say did look very dapper. It was £30 which seemed reasonable but alas my budget didn't stretch quite that far at the time. I'm thinking of going back next week though and picking it up. I just need to see if my little cousin will fit into such a thing.

I always go here just to see what they have even if i dont need anythin..the stuff is gorgiz i…read morelove the hats the most i always get a nice hat here for my daughter or anyone that i no thats had a baby They also do funky bibs with funny quotes which i got for my wee girl. They also do scocks outfits blankets..defo give it a wee visit

Oh wow. This is the kind of shop where your Mum says "Don't touch ANYTHING" (and mine probably…read morestill would given half the chance), and you're consistently pretrified of knocking into stands or attempting to pick up an ornament only for it to fall and break. And yes, I have been there and done that (not in this shop though, thank heavens). Mortification x 100. The walls are absolutely brimming with a huge array of gifts. The mind boggles at such variety, and in fact, I can't even remember what all was in Little Heart, but I think that's the beauty of it. I was in sheer awe and how much choice there was in such a teeny shop, but you literally have everything from goregous jewellery to fragrant candles to beautiful bags and accessories. I'm definitely popping back in for my sister's birthday, having heard the continous demands of "I want this" and "Oh, look at that", or indeed a simple "Oh my word!". Do pay a visit to this snug little shop, tucked away in Queen's Arcade. It truly is a hidden treasure.

Little Heart is a lovely little boutique shop in Queen's Arcade. It's great for birthday /…read moreChristmas / special occasion presents for any ladies in your life (I'm presuming most men wouldn't be too keen on most of the items in here, but I won't rule it out!) they sell a lovely range of jewellery, knick knacks, purses, teddies, note books, writing sets and so on. They also have a great range of kids toys and items. As mentioned previously, they sell the Pilgrim range (sometimes at great discount) and my personal favourites from the shop are the Sesame Street teddies, and the amazing new range of home ware which includes notepads with '1980s style laptop' written on them or coasters with 'elbows here' or 'protect the table!' etc. It totally appeals to my sense of humour. Take a wee peek in to this lovely little Aladdin's cave.

I love Excel but sadly can't often justify the prices to shop there. It's not that their stock is…read moreoverpriced, definitely not, but the labels they stock are high end - stuff like Diesel and Armani and VBD jeans. Beautiful clothes which will make you drool and for a special occasion good value for money. The good news is that twice a year Excel has a great sale, which starts at 25% off and ends up at 75% off which is when the real bargains are to be found. Of course it's a fine balancing act between waiting for the prices to go down and making sure they still have stock left in your size. What I also like is that the sales staff give you the same level of service whether you are a customer who buys there every week or are like me and go in twice a year for the sales. Excel stocks ladies, men's and children's clothes and as they have another branch in Newtownards, they will be only too glad to try to track down your size if they don't have it. Boys' Timberland clothes and shoes have been particularly good bargains for me so give it a go.

Zara has recently reopened after a major facelift. The old store was looking a little tattered so…read morethe revamp was more than welcome. So what's changed I hear you ask? Well the woman's section occupies the first 2 floors and then the kids and mens department is on level 2 which is the 3rd floor (hopefully that makes sense). In my opinion Zara is at the higher end of High Street fashion. I think Zara really comes in to it's own in the summer as most of their men's clothing is made from lighter materials. I really like Zara Men's clothing - it's great for smart casual gear and you won't see too many other people about town dressed in it. Their clothes seem to be of Mediterranean style and I'm not sure if a ginger pasty man like myself could pull off white linen trousers but I'm sure there's some Belfast folk who could. One thing I noticed about the new store is that is that it is impeccably well kept by the staff, there wasn't a garment out of place and there seemed to be plenty of staff on hand to offer help. Overall the refurb is great and it's nice to have a Zara store gracing Belfast's City Centre once again.

I really love my clothes and I've recently come to love Zara. It;s kind of sad as I can note a…read moremental graduation from the cutesy/hippy stuff of Miss Selfridges onto the cooler and slicker Topshop and now I'm in the limbo of being a young woman and beginning to dig Zaras sleek tailoring. I popped in here recently to get some clothes for an interview (the job will pay for these clothes I told myself- even though I didn't get it!). I had my eye on a pair of high waisted trousers with a peg leg and one of those fashiony knot belts. I got myself these for a bargain £30 and a crisp white classic shirt. The range of clothes in zara are great. They are more classic than following faddy trends which is commendable. There are some gorgeous dresses, shoes and bags but Zara really come up trumps for tailored suits and jackets. If you are going to an interview and want to impress, Zara is your (wo)man!