Before I developed my love for independant bookstores, Whitcoulls was my go-to for Christmas…read morepresents. A book (or board game, if I was feeling generous) for each family member and I was done. Despite being a chain, they've got a relatively good selection and the staff that i've interacted with seem to like and read a number of them, which is always a plus. Whitcoulls of course, also have stationery, magazines and a small selection of puzzles too. If you desperate for a gift, they're a one stop shop that's often open late but personally, now that we've got our own independent bookstore in Milford, The Booklover, I'd much rather support them and get a recommendation that's sure to wow!

I'm always a bit nostalgic when I come here; Whitcoulls was previously a Borders and I used to…read morespend my time waiting for the next train home sitting amongst their magazine section. It's still a great bookshop and I love how big it is (although I do wish their psychology section was a little bit bigger!). They've got some really comfy leather chairs through the book sections downstairs if you want to read a couple of chapters. I really like their art and design section here but their fiction section is massive. So massive in fact, that even the crimes and thrillers have their own section. Needless to say my partner and I came in recently for a birthday card and left with a wonderful birthday card among many other purchases after perusing the shelves- and that was just downstairs. Upstairs is home a huge children's section that includes toys and other tidbits, and a Gloria Jean's for parents who may need that pick-me-up or a book club meeting. Whitcoulls also stocks CD, DVD's, gift wrapping and greeting cards, arts and crafts and stationery goods. I enjoy the service here the most out of the Whitcoulls I've been to in Auckland, so I always try to make an effort to make the trip here.

One of my favourite places in Auckland, the Waiheke Community Art Gallery is truly special. It…read moreseems to capture everything that's magical about the Island in just four rooms. The last time I went was for the opening of the Off The Wall sculpture exhibition, and it was as stimulating and well put together as any exhibition I've seen. The Gallery always seems to attract and foster distinctly fresh perspectives, and the variety of pieces was terrific. One of the great things about this gallery is that it attracts a great mix of people too, from hippy creative types to some of the posher, newer residents of the Island. It always has a distinctly relaxed, island vibe so you don't need to feel out of place if you pop in from the beach in your jandals, but at the same time, there's plenty to be serious about in the quality of the art. I'll admit I have a weakness for art gallery shops and Waiheke is the best I know of - it's a tempting collection of jewellery, ceramics, paintings, prints, and small sculptural pieces.

While the name is "boutique", I didn't hold out much hope of this shop being very upmarket given…read morethe faded yellow signage outside. To my surprise, as I got closer I noticed the sign outside requesting Trelise Cooper, Annah Stretton etc, and curiosity got the better of me. When I walked inside I noticed that most of the stock looked to be of good quality and in good condition, but looked to me to be for the funky, older ladies of Birkenhead Point. Definitely catering more for the 50-somethings than people of my age. I had a chat with the shop assistant and their selling policy seems pretty fair, and equitable with most recycled clothing shops around town. They seem to be quite discerning with their choice of stock too.

You can either win or lose with a shop like this. You definitely need to be in the mood for some…read moresifting when you come into this small corner store. The racks are jam packed with clothes so there's not much room for maneuvering around inside. If there are other people in the store at the same time as you it can get a bit tricky making your way around. The racks are all colour co-ordinated so you can at least rule out any items you wouldn't want based on colour. But that's about all you can do to help your hunt. Once you've established where you're going to start sifting, sifting is all you can do. I came here last week and pillaged through many of the racks. I tried a few things on and did come away with a gorgeous top. It was a beautiful soft heavy fabric and was the most brilliant blue-ish colour. I also tried on a red dress, which I decided I didn't want to pay $40 for. The shop assistant told me to come check in again as they lower the prices of unsold items after about six weeks. I will certainly be doing so!

United Video has been my local video rental store for many years now. It was a weekend saviour for…read moremy siblings and after a long Saturday of sports; mum would bring us here and we'd go bonkers finding new movies to watch that night. Years later, I still love going there. They still have an awesome range of classic and old school movies should the mood ever strike, and they take up most of the store. I know almost nothing about gaming but they seem to have quite a large selection of games for most consoles (they've converted what used to be their massive new releases section years ago into the gaming area). You can also hire out Singstar mics and things like that- pretty good for that impromptu karaoke night in! United Video has really stepped their game up with their snacks though. On top of their ice cream freezer and fridges of drinks, they've got even more popcorn, chocolate and American candy available. It may be a little bit pricier than popping over to the supermarket, but its not a huge difference and extremely convenient if you're just keen to gab a couple DVDs and get straight home. I hope they start to extend their television season section- they've got some gems there already (Gilmore Girls, Friends, Alias) so I'm hoping they'll be adding a few more over time.

Look Sharp is the kind of shop that makes me want to cry. It's stuffed with impulse-buys and…read moreplastic, plastic, plastic junk as far as the eye can see. I can understand why people get excited about it though- there's so much cheap stuff and it does all have a purpose...it's just that the purpose is usually one day of being a St Paddy's day costume or a party decoration, and then being chucked. I get even more moralistic when I think of the wages the people are paid who make this stuff that. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I never buy anything plastic or made in a developing country. I just don't want to see a whole shop full of the stuff. It brings me down.

One of the most useful and chaotic stores I've ever been in, Look Sharp Store does what other…read moredollar stores try (and fail) to do. It's clean, well laid out and easy to find whatever you're in the market for - from costumes to dress socks, candles to key rings, Look Sharp has it all... and it's cheap! Many times I've rushed to this store for that last minute item that will make a costume or decorated room really pop - I can't even count the number of times I've flipped on the hazard lights, parked in a place that really annoys the taxi drivers and run in to grab streamers, beer-drinking hats, striped armbands or paint. Seriously, anything silly and frivolous you could ever want is under this roof.

Retreat is a fantastic little store located within the Rialto mall that is wall to wall candles,…read moreincense and oils. Retreat also have their own brand of soy candles that smell amazing, there are 15 scents of which you can buy in jars, tins, votives and tealights. I love the caramel, vanilla and coconut, French pear and fig and melon the most, there is nothing better than having spaces in your house that smell like dessert. One a service note, you are able to get your candle jars refilled by Retreat. They don't even have to be their jars either. The equivalent of a large Ecoya metro jar is $30 to buy and if you want a refill it is only $15, so any jar of yours around that size would be the same which is fantastic. They also have a candle personalisation service which are popular for weddings and dinner parties, they make nice guest gifts. The service here is always friendly too.

Mmmm this place smells sooooo good. I always like to stop in here and have a wee browse even if I'm…read morewell stocked with candles at home. I went there recently to buy some candles and walked away with the Coconut Lime soy candles (this was their fragrance of the week and it was a special price) and their French Pear candles. Both just make our place smell divine. The Coconut Lime one reminds me of a pina colada and the French Pear smells almost like a freshly baked apple pie. I bought their pack of 6 tea light candles and the cool thing about them is instead of the holder being metal like normal tea light candles, it's made out of a special polystyrene that doesn't melt under heat. This is very cool because when the soy wax melts the candle becomes transparent and in the dark the whole candle lights up, not just the flame at the top. I love this place, go there, give it a go!

Eum is quite a hit and miss shop with me - sometimes I find it is filled with great pieces that all…read morefit really nicely and hence stress me out terribly when I have to decide what to buy, but other times I find a lot of the stock just kind of cheap and tacky looking and not worth the price tag whatsoever. I do however think it is a good shop to just pop in to and have a look at whenever I have time going down High Street, as I never know what I might find. Unfortunately a lot of the stock is made from polyester, which is generally a big fat nein for me, but there are also a few things made out of slightly more breathable fabrics. The service is never overly friendly; I seem to get a 'hi' and thats about it whenever I walk in, but the merchandising is generally quite nice and usually is what lures me into the shop in the first place.