Arazzo is Mum & I's go to for gifts. They stock a beautiful range of candles, gorgeous body…read morelotions, silk scarves, jewellery, cookbooks and more. But the best thing about this small shop is that they turn over their stock at lightning speed, which means for a regular like me there's always something new to fawn over. It's obviously as popular with the other Milford locs as it is with our family. The other fabulous thing about Arazzo is that, compared to many other independent home decor stores, it's affordable. I love candles and so they have become somewhat of a price indicator for me and at $40 (they have quite a range), Arazzo's are an absolute steal! Try their beautiful handmade ones from Devonport. I forget the brand name but they come in a stylish black and white box and are stunning. They also currently have some fabulous christmas decorations, which the owner tell me are flying out the door. Cute wee reindeer and fairy lights galore - it certainly put me in a festive mood!

If you're a nick-nacker or you like trinkets or bargains or sifting through budget bins for that…read moresomething special - you must visit The Furniture Store. Don't be mislead by its name as there's much more than just furniture there. What you will find are cool canvases with inspirational sayings to hang on your walls, clever gifts for all kinds of people and for lack of a better word - bits and bobs. So if you're ever stuck on a present idea or feel like buying something to brighten up your bedroom, make The Furniture Store one of your first stops!

From the owner: New Zealand's most diverse owner operated gift and home ware destination found online. Here you…read morewill find uniquely wonderful gifts for all your family and friends (and maybe a little something for yourself). Plus, an extensive range of furniture and home accessories to suit all tastes and décor styles.

Walking into this store off the street, I was immediately assaulted by an amalgamation of bright…read morecolors and neons, wood and rustic pieces of furniture and home-wares that really tickled my fancy, I must say. If I had a sunny little villa in the Bahamas or something, this is the stuff I would like to fill it with, as it was I already have a few wish list pieces for my inner city apartment. There is this hot pink paper mâché stags head that I may have just given my heart too! I am such a hussy, whenever the next great little furniture store comes along, I just can't help myself. While the prices in here are a little out of my price range, it is the perfect antidote for a little daytime dreaming! Not just furniture there are also island like clothing items, tog coverups and poncho like things ( alright I'm not really sure what they are) and awesome accessories, like a skull bracelet I saw, and a matching neon necklace, which weren't actually as expensive as the other things in the shop (think like $39ish)

Bright pink table, hot pink stool, coloured skull ornaments and candles. That's what I saw from…read moreoutside and that's why I shot straight in! This is such a funky furniture shop I think if you decked your whole house out with purchases from here your place would be magazine photo shoot worthy! The furniture wasn't really in my price range I was disappointed to discover. But I will keep the shop in mind and I know I will be in for the odd piece when I can afford it! There were also some funky clothes down the back. I got particularly excited by a gorgeous full length playsuit before I discovered its sale price was still in the hundreds. What a pity... I was eager to see myself wearing it!

Collect Living is a hidden gem on the Shore. The staff are…read morevery helpful and they stock a nice selection of items that are different from the usual brands. I particularly like the linen sheeting in natural colours - seems a bit warmer than cotton for winter. The owner is great - I recently bought a great sideboard which required a bit of logistics to get out of the shop and to pick up. She was very accommodating even coming in to open the shop on Sunday so we could load into our wagon. If you need something for that special little gift they have merino throws in good colours and a selection of jewellery and silk scarves. Definitely worth a visit

Like a moth to a flame, I was drawn into Living Lights. It's a beautiful candle store with a…read moregorgeous assortment of different colours and designs. There are a few things I LOVE about Living Lights. Firstly it's all Kiwi owned and manufactured. There are no 'made in china' stickers to be seen. All the candles are designed and created in Golden Bay. Secondly, the smell! It really is divine. When I mentioned this to the lady in the store she told me that their 'Soy' candle held onto aroma more than usual wax, hence the glorious scents. These candles are big and bright. The bulb shape ones are my favourite and would make a funky centre piece for the table or mantel. For around $40 they also make an excellent gift. Living Lights is really a gorgeous store and I think has given a whole new life to the humble candle.

Want to buy a gift for somebody and have absolutely no idea what to get them? Flying Saucers could…read morehold the answer. Every time I walk into this shop I find something that I could not have imagined there was a use for, but not in the way of the $2 shop, something kind of cool and funky that people won't look at you funny if you give it to them. There are also always the old staples like smellies, jewellery etc. The only thing is that everything costs about double what you think it will. If you spend $40, the gift recipient is likely to think you spend $20; $100 and they will likely think $50 etc. So it will be an expensive gift-giving excersize.

I find the the Bunnings Warehouse staff really helpful when you go in with a DIY problem. From…read morepainting to gardening they have guys (mostly) who are willing to give you the time to sort out a solution. I really like their garden section - not just for plants but also a really good range of pots, mixes and things like stones etc.

I love Bunnings. Do you remember, as a kid, that fresh paper smell whenever you got a new…read morestationary order at school? I get that feeling whenever i step into Bunnings. First of all unless you're a die hard expert, you do a cursory exploration of no more than five minutes before asking someone. Yes it's a practically a man cave and asking for directions is against a creed, but in this case it will get you to the goodies faster. The staff are so helpful, you can interrupt anyone and they just smile at you and don't show the levels of frustration associated with constant interruptions. I had to return something recently and it took around 20 seconds to arrange. Bunnings in Glenfield has great parking and is really well located, the place is clean and they almost always have a mass of checkout staff to ensure you can use more of your day. If you're looking for DIY this is the place