Lawrence Books

Rated this place:

3591 41st Ave W, Vancouver, BC, V6N3E7

Crowded With Treasure: This book is a bit out of my way, but when I'm in the neighborhood I love to stop in. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and a huge selection - I bought some great old pulp fiction paperbacks last time I was there and they were reasonably priced.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• used books
• vintage paperbacks
• pulp fiction
• detective novels

Main Street

Rated this place:

Vancouver, BC

Shopping Street or Pub Crawl (Or both): There is a wide variety of stores - perfect street to find a unique gift or buy myself some clothes... There's also a great variety of resaurant/pubs along this strip if you fancy a pub crawl. Start off with a fancy rum drink and some Jah Dip at the Reef and work your way down Main: There's good spots on both sides all the way down to Broadway, so pace yourself...

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• shopping street

It's All Fun & Games

Rated this place:

1308 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC, V5L3X6

Gifts for Anyone Really: This toy store on Commercial Drive has a lot of games, toys, and arts and craft supplies packed in to one smaller sized store. They seem to carry toy brands that are not in your average big box toy store so you can find something special. My daughter and I love to look in the windows on our way to the park. Its all fun and games until she wants to go inside, because you can bet I'll end up buying something!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Toys
• games

Beehive Hair Lounge

Rated this place:

4385 Main Street , Vancouver, BC, V5V3R1

Hair salon: The staff are living proof that you can be cool AND friendly at the same time. The location is fun - I love to get my hair done and then celebrate at the Reef with some fancy rum drinks afterwards. Also now they have a spa so I can get my eyebrows done - one stop shopping, perfect for busy moms!

Kids Market

Rated this place:

1496 Cartwright Street (Granville Island), Vancouver, BC, V6H3Y5

The Adventure Zone at Granville Island: You can book your birthday party online at adventurezone.ca - $14.95 per kid includes food (not cake). They also have an art package and an afterhours package that look fun. Adults will enjoy playing the arcade games, too - they have some great old-fashioned games. My favorite is the surfing one!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Toys
• birthday parties

Dandelion Kids

Rated this place:

1206 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC

So Many Things! : I love this store - it's not big but everything in it is amazing. Can be a bit pricey but it's great if you are looking for that special gift for a first birthday or something. On the plus side, you get the high quality that you are paying for. Examples of items to fall in love with: a little cowgirl costume (pink leather vest and skirt with tassles) or a set of wooden pastries in a fancy box for the classiest tea party ever!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Toys
• children's clothing

Croatian Cultural Ctr

Rated this place:

3250 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC, V5N4E4

Bellies to Babies Celebration: Formerly known as Vancouver's biggest baby shower - this is an annual Vancouver event. This year it's at the Croatian Cultural Centre on May 3 2009. According to their site it's a "unique opportunity for new and expectant parents and grandparents to explore and shop for trendy baby fashions, décor and so much more! Community resources and support services will be on hand to answer questions for new and expecting parents." belliestobabiescelebration.com Pre-registration at their site required if you want to go! Great place to learn about various services/products/choices associated with parenting and also lots of shopping -

Richards On Richards Cabaret

Rated this place:

1036 Richards St, Vancouver, BC, V6B3E1

Best Live Venue (Rock): This is my favorite place to see my favorite bands - smaller than the Commodore and a great 2nd level so you can see the band from anywhere in the bar. The bathrooms are often disgusting but that's expected at any authentic rock venue isn't it? Most recently saw Art Bergmann play there and it was amazing. This venue is closing down in the next year so enjoy it while you can. See Full Post

Characters Fine Books & Coffee

Rated this place:

8419 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, V6P4Z9

If You're In the Neighborhood... : This place is a book store on one side and a pretty busy coffee shop on the other side. I've never eaten there or tried their coffee but I've bought a lot of books there and it's Salt Spring coffee so it's got to be good... They have a very wide selection of paperbacks and they also always seem to have an interesting array of hard cover and old editions. I love the old kids books - I found a Dr. Seuss collection and also a beautiful copy of the 3 Musketeers...

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• used books
• childrens books

The Railway Club

Rated this place:

579 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, V6B 1Y4

Never Off Track - (get it? track...railway-): On the rare occasion that I am out on the town I often end up here. I also use to enjoy meeting friends for drinks here in the afternoon... There's always something good going on here but if you don't like the band, the bar is so long and narrow you can sit far enough away that you can't even hear them. I've performed on stage here several times over the last decade, too, and it's amazing for it's longevity. So many other places are gone but the Railway chugs along... The picture I've posted is of me playing whilst preggers with my daughter Lucy in 2007... See Full Post

Playland Amusement Park

Rated this place:

2901 East Hastings Street , EastVancouver, BC, V5K 5J1

Fright Nights (Oct), Playland (Spring/Summer): The fright nights are actually really scary - so scary I don't think this fraidy cat is going to ever go back! Playland is always a fun evening for all ages - I like losing my money at over/under and when I feel really brave I go into the batting cages (more scary then the roller coaster if you ask me!)

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Haunted houses

Nearly Famous Music Festival Nov 13 -16

Rated this place:

Vancouver

Music festival: 4 days - 10 venues - 70 bands and the wristbands are cheap. Stop beating yourself up about not supporting local bands and drink away your guilt next weekend at venues all over town. And I'm not just saying that because my own band, Mink Valley is playing on Nov 15 at the Media Club (shameless plug, couldn't help myself...)

See Full Post

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• music festival

St. David’s Church

Rated this place:

1525 Taylor Way, West Vancouver, BC

My First Masterpiece : Workshops offered at St James Church a few times a month - see www.myfirstmasterpiece.ca for scheduling. At $100-125 per child - it's a 2 hour workshop using pro products and the kids go home with a framed painting to take home. What a great gift for grandma if you can afford it. They will also come to you for parties of at least 3.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• kids activities
• craft
• birthdays

The Art Express

Rated this place:

Vancouver, BC

Art on Wheels: I see this fun bus parked in my neighborhood a lot. They come to you and lead your kids through a craft. Check out their website for details. Who wouldn't want to hitch a ride on this bus?

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• birthday parties
• kids
• crafts

Metrotown Centre

Rated this place:

4800 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC, V5H4J2

Build a Bear Workshop: Children of all ages adopt a bear - they get to warm up its heart, fill it with stuffing, comb it, and pick out an outfit. Very sweet and fun but can get a bit pricey... their website www.buildabear.com has a party calculator to help you budget. It's in the mall so there's the food fair for lunch or dinner (and what kid doesn't love a food fair?)

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• shopping
• birthday parties
• crarfs

Elizabeth Bakery

Rated this place:

1303 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC, V5L3X5

Cheap and Tasty: Elizabeth's Bakery is super close to two different playgrounds and parks (Grandview-Woodlands and Victoria) so it's a good place to pick up lunch. Their sandwiches aren't super fancy but they are fresh and cheap (under $4).

Frannie's Gourmet Deli

Rated this place:

325 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC, V6B2N4

Fried Egg Sandwich, Anyone?: These sandwiches aren't fancy but they are addictive - the husband and wife owners of this little deli restaurant make the food for you themselves with fresh ingredients and serve it with friendly chit chat. A great break from browsing all of the interesting shops in the area or after buying your sewing or craft stuff at Dressew around the corner. They also have simple but tasty breakfasts.

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

Granville Island Toy Co Ltd

Rated this place:

3298 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Fun Browsing: This location on Main Street is perfect if you don't feel like trying to find a parking spot at Granville Island. They have some pricey items to drool over but you can also get smaller stuff here without going broke. I love to buy stocking stuffers here - she is still wearing a wooden bead ladybug watch I got her last year. Great if you are looking for a special gift -

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Toys
• stocking stuffers
• games

La Grotta Del Formaggio Inc

Rated this place:

1791 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC, V5N4A4

Big Italian Style Sandwiches: This Italian grocery store and deli has the tastiest sandwiches on Commercial Drive. Often there is a line up to order, but it always goes very fast. Pick up some dolmathes from the deli as a sandwich sidekick and then take yourself to the bakery next door for dessert and a coffee.

Benny Foods Ltd

Rated this place:

598 Union St, Vancouver, BC, V6A2B8

Pick up a sandwich on your stroll: One of the most interesting neighborhoods to stroll around in is Strathcona - wander in after browsing around Chinatown or after playing at the nearby park. I love looking at all of the houses - it's fun to make up stories about who lives inside each one. Don't pass by Bennys without going in: it's a part of Vancouver history, been there for over 85 years which is quite a feat in our young city - it's a real neighborhood cornerstore run by the same family and they'll even make you a fresh sandwich (pretty cheap too, I think they are about $4.00?)

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Sandwiches
• Neighborhood
• cornerstore

Stanley Park Children's Zoo

Rated this place:

Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC

Darn those mini goats are cute!: Thanks to recent bylaw changes we Vancouverites can now keep chickens in our backyards but if you want to pet a goat or smooch a lama you gotta go here. They also have the biggest pig I've ever seen and lizards and snakes (your not allowed to touch the reptiles unfortunately).

Canada Safeway Ltd

Rated this place:

8555 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, V6P4Z9

Grilled Sandwiches: The deli section at Safeway will make you a grilled sandwich - they are reasonably priced and made from fresh ingredients. With locations all over the place, they are a convenient place to pop in and grab a meal on the go. Much better than the plastic wrapped pre-made sandwiches you will find at a chain convenience store or a gas station...

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• grilled sanwiches

Benny's Bagels

Rated this place:

2505 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V5M1Y4

Best Lox and Creamcheese Bagel I've Ever Had: We make a special trip to go to Benny's - I always have the same thing, it's the best version of salmon and cream cheese I've ever had and believe me I've tried this combo all over the place, including New York and Montreal. Not sure what they do different but I find myself craving the Benny's version. They have tables outside, a cozy seating area by a fireplace and also an upstairs seating area all in an easy natural style that hearkens back to the area's hippie days... Great place to stop and pick up an impromptu picnic on your way to the beach!

Vancouver Public Library

Rated this place:

1661 Napier Street, Vancouver, BC, V5L 4X4

Storytime for Kids: This is my local library - it's not as fancy as the one downtown but we like going here for story time and songs. They have a nice little corner where the kids can gather. Days and times change throughout the year so check with the library for current information. Also just a nice pit stop any day that you want to duck out of the rain or the hot sun for a few minutes. Great selection of kids CDs too.

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