Putting Edge

Rated this place:

60 Interchange Way, Thornhill, ON

Mini golf course: This place is a glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course. Very fun to take anyone at any age, but my little cousins LOVED it. Tip: Wear lots of white, and bring someone who bleached their teeth to see if it glows (let me know if it works).

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• mini golf course

Frechette Lawncare

Rated this place:

75a Heale Ave, Scarborough, ON, M1N3X9

Lawncare service: Sometimes you're just too busy to care for your lawn, and then the leaves keep piling until you have to act....by calling these guys. They were okay, they did a good job and were pretty reliable.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• lawncare service

Huh Ltd

Rated this place:

847 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J1G4

Boutique: The owner, Linh, was extremely nice and helpful while I searched for a very specific type of dress. Her little black dress design was the perfect fit for the event that I wanted to go to -- a mixture of classy, just a hint of sexy, and demure. I'm definitely going back for more!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Boutique

Southern Accent Cajun & Creole

Rated this place:

595 Markham St, Toronto, ON, M6G2L7

Restaurant with resident psychic: Haven't you heard? They have a psychic who gives readings there every night, apparently. I came here with my bf for summerlicious and wasn't fortunate enough to get my prediction, but there's always next time. Cajun food + doom=a night to remember ;)

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• restaurant with resident psychic

Impressive Printing

Rated this place:

94 Cannon Street West, Unit #1, Hamilton, ON

Brochures and letterhead: After several years of being their customer, Impressive Printing in Hamilton has always left me satisfied with the result. They're affordable, and the service is amazing, especially Randy and Ryan. You can go to them for anything, whether it's a brochure, letterheads, business cards, or even specialty products! I even went to their Oakville location and they were outstanding!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• brochures and letterhead

Vancouver Aquarium

Rated this place:

845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC, V6G 3E2

Place to spot cute critters: The otters were adorable, and my friends and I loved running between the exhibitions and the special shows. Very neat underwater views of the tanks.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• place to spot cute critters

A-1 It's My Party

Rated this place:

423 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON, M4K1P1

Costume store: They've got loads of wigs, costumes that are silly (or sometimes skanky, if you prefer), and cool masks year-round, not just for Halloween. The people there always have a smile and are extremely helpful. You can also do one-stop shopping for decorations while you're there, so it's win-win-win.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• costume store

Big Carrot Natural Food Market

Rated this place:

348 Danforth Ave #209, Toronto, ON, M4K1N8

Natural food store: It's not just for the eco-conscious and organic/vegan-minded. The staff also gives great service.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Natural Food Store

Godiva Chocolatier Inc

Rated this place:

100 City Centre Dr, Mississauga, ON, L5B2C9

Gift for all occasions: There is an almost-universal love for chocolate, it's the gift that keeps on giving (especially if you get to try a couple of samples!). Seriously though, this place is great to get a gift for that person who's so hard to shop for (e.g. distant relative, coworker, you name it).

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• gift for all occasions

Pickle Barrel Restaurant & Catering

Rated this place:

2300 Yonge St. (Yonge-Eglinton Centre), Toronto, ON, M4P1E4

Healthy takeout: Their selection is great to take home, and one of my favourite dishes is the salmon edamame salsa!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• healthy takeout

Conviction (formerly Thuet Bistro Bakery)

Rated this place:

609 King St. W., Toronto, ON, M5V 1M1

Sweet indulgence: I heard that this was the source for these amazing almond croissants that I am now addicted to at another store. They are better than Michel's Baguettes because they are stuffed with sweet filling that you just know is specialty baking. I tracked them down and found that this fine dining place has a separate section that works as a bakery and smells like heaven. Climb the stairs and check it out!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Sweet Indulgence

Sambuca Grill Inc

Rated this place:

21 Baldwin St., Toronto, ON, M5T 1L1

Organic food: This place is great, but not all of their dishes are organic. I ordered a set course dinner for around $22 (plus tax and tip) and the main entrée was organic Ontario rack of lamb. The portions were huge and delicious! I also hear that they have organic salads...

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Organic food

Cupcake

Rated this place:

1168 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC, V6G 2M9

Cupcake shop: The last time I went here was ages ago and yet it still haunts me to this day. It is the cutest shop I have ever been in. Seriously. Not only is it completely pink with little cupcakes and decorated mini-cakes lining the shelves and window displays, but they even sell those little figurines that you can put on top of your baked goodies! I bought a miniature rubber ducky for 50 cents (or something). Awww!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Cupcake shop

Chatelet

Rated this place:

717 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M6J1E6

Home accessories: This store, dedicated to all things Frenchy (and therefore, classy), is filled with beautiful and delicate pieces, from glass mini-chandeliers suspended in the ceiling to armoires and bed frames. I bought white pillow cases embroidered in cursive writing saying "I'd rather be in Paris."

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• home accessories

Markville Shopping Ctr

Rated this place:

5000 Highway 7, Markham, ON, L3R4M9

Shoe repair: The service is quick, efficient, and honest. I was at the mall and my heel broke, so I limped to this place and sat there as the owner fixed my shoe. It took him 15 minutes and at the end (I ate ice cream while I waited with no shoes), he polished it and gave me a punch card so I can get a discount if I keep coming back as a customer. Later, when I brought my winter boots to be fixed, he was straight with me and honestly said that it could be fixed now but the glue may not hold for long after.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Shoe Repair

Ontario Place

Rated this place:

955 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON, M6K3B9

2 events-for-1 price date idea: The only entrance ticket you should buy is for the Chinese Lantern Festival, which not only allows you to see amazing displays and cool cultural performances (like a girl juggling chairs and a huge urn with her feet), but also includes entrance to the CNE. Buy the festival tickets in the day to get into the CNE and end the date with an evening at Ontario Place, where they also have food kiosks (ha! Mandarin!) if you crave Asian cuisine. ETA: I just found out it's free AFTER 6pm! Be forewarned!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• 2 events-for-1 price date idea

Yorkdale Shopping Centre

Rated this place:

1 Yorkdale Rd, North York, ON, M9M 1B9

Clothing alterations: I had less than two hours to get my stuff together for a huge event, and I just managed to find some nice dress pants. I was in a real hurry, but the pants were so long I needed them hemmed STAT. I came here and they made the measurements, let me leave the pants there so I can continue my errands and told me when to come back. I not only got all the stuff I needed taken care of, but the pants were ready and waiting. Extra points for letting me use debit.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Clothing Alterations

Canadian Tire

Rated this place:

2681 Danforth Av, Toronto, ON, M4C 1L4

Hardware store: Our Canadian Wal-Mart. They're pretty reliable for all the fix-it tools, though. I bought a new showerhead that was supposed to conserve water with these fancy settings and there haven't been any problems yet! *knock on wood*

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Hardware Store

Green Earth-CLOSED

Rated this place:

Pickering Town Centre, Pickering, ON, L1V1B8

Picture frame, Tiles: I am a sap, so of course, I'd fall for those picture frames with the special engravings for "family" or "mother" or "grandfather" and so on. I also saw some cool accordion panels that lets you put photos inside.

I noticed that they have garden tiles that look kinda cool (I dig products with etchings on them). Sometimes they've got those typical platitudes you see everywhere -- what's that phrase about dancing with no one watching or something? -- but they do have original stuff I've never heard before as well.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Tiles
• picture frame

Home Depot Canada The

Rated this place:

2555 Bristol Cir, Oakville, ON, L6H5W9

Paints: I don't really shop around for paints as much, but this place is great for colour choices. You can even use a computer program to make your choices and match up your complementary colours, with previews of how your room will look as an end-product. I believe that they also have a line of organic or eco-friendly paints by CIL.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• paints

Sears Canada Inc

Rated this place:

304 Toronto St S, Uxbridge, ON, L9P 1Y2

Linen store: It's not the most unique place to find bed linens, but I can't ignore the fact that they often have up to 40off on 200-, 300-, and sometimes 400-thread count sheetsets. I care less about brands like Martha Stewart as long as the sheets are soft and smooth!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Linen Store

Wal-Mart

Rated this place:

Hwy 10 & Hwy 403, Cooksville, ON

Home electronics: You can make fun of me for going here, but I was laughing when I managed to score a Nintendo Wii from the Scarborough Town Centre location. The things we buy for Mother's Day...

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• home electronics

Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)

Rated this place:

210 Princes' Blvd, Toronto, ON, M6K3C3

Linen store: It's not actually a store, but the bargains bazaar in the Direct Energy Centre is awesome for great quality bedding for affordable pricing. I still regret turning down a deal for a 400-thread count full-size sheet set for $60 and then seeing that the average price elsewhere ended up being at least $120 plus tax.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Linen Store

La Merceria

Rated this place:

506 Adelaide St. W, Toronto, ON, M5V 1T5

Mocha café, Quick food stop: They are not just a store, but a café as well. I ordered a mocha and instead of the usual syrup that I thought I would get, they MELTED a stick of chocolate in my drink and added a cinnamon stick for stirring! The couches and lounging area also look quite comfortable and relaxing. The owners are friendly and welcoming to their customers.

They've got the most delicious almond croissants I've ever tasted (flaky with powdered sugar and sweet filling) and the BEST empanadas. Make your choice from spinach and ricotta, beef, tuna, or chicken, and try their garlicy sauce.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Mocha café
• Quick food stop

Old Finch Road & Morningside Ave

Rated this place:

Old Finch Road & Morningside Ave, Scarborough, ON

Creepy, haunted urban legend: They say that there was a girl who haunts a bridge on Old Finch Road where she was murdered on her birthday, although there are many different versions of how she died. The stretch of pavement is made creepier because the further you drive down Old Finch Road from Scarborough towards Ajax, all you see are fields and farmland and nothing else to save you from the ghosts!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• creepy, haunted urban legend