Melbourne shop love (& some delightful opshops too!!!)

Ok so I'm not much of a shopper anymore due to the kids usually playing up at the shops (one time forever etched in my brain, I lost Kobe for a few minutes as he was playing hide & seek & didn't tell me we were playing; enter mini breakdown, hysterical tears & some fellow lovely mum's who helped me find him in his hiding spot minutes later) & a house bursting at the seams with stuff.
However I did mark down a couple shops I just had to visit whilst in Melbourne & found some more interesting ones along the way & thought to share.

Let's start with the opshops, oh the thrill of the chase of a bargain!!!

City centre
*Shag- a mix of new edgy gear & retro vintage. I was left speechless at the window display & ready to move on in. (There are 2 in Melbourne the photo is of the window display at Shop 20, Centreway Arcade).
**Hunter gatherers- located upstairs in the Royal arcade. It's tiny but all the good stuff is on show & at decent prices. It's style is eclectic. I got a gorgeous block puzzle for Kobe for Christmas for $4. It's the sister shop to Brotherhood of St Laurence.
*Brotherhood of St Laurence- these op shops are gems & 20 shops are located across Melbourne. So worth any track down!!! I only had time to go the one in the basement of The Royal arcade.
*The Conscious closet- I found out about this preloved women's clothes shop upon return. Sniff sniff I didn't get there as it looks amazing! Plus they at offering 10% off this week as part of national op shop week, check out their Facebook page as to how to get 10% off.

Prahran
1.**Redcross  - hands down the best op shop I have been in all year. It's a tiny shop but full of designer boutique labels. I walked out with mint condition Witchery overalls (the ones in the header photo, love love. I wear them atleast 3 times a week) for $30. Located across the road from Prahran markets. The staff are so lovely too!!!
*Chapel street Bazaar- a curated treasure trove of vintage loveliness. You pay top price for top pieces. (Don't bring the kids as too many breakables).
*Uniting care mission- your typical opshop. 211 Chapel Street.


General shop love 
Prahran

3.*Shop neutral- my favourite Eco store ever!!! Located in the Prahran markets, it's filled with everything you need to live a life less of plastic. I bought a bamboo bottle brush scrubber, a bamboo veggie brush, Sienna nail polish & a stainless steel straw brush cleaner.
*Little Sweethearts (also located in Prahran markets)- lots of cutesy stuff for the kidlets.
*The nomad society- where all the beautiful homewares live.
Prahran is full of delightful shops & if we had more than a couple hours (Dylan needed a nap) I could of browsed happily in all of them.

City Centre
2. *Funkis- This shop which specialises in Swedish style clogs has been on my hitlist for years. I have always wanted a pair of clogs that will never outdate & it's an added bonus they use vegetable dye. I bought the classic low clog which is the comfiest shoes I own & I got zero blisters from walking in them (mostly pushing a pram) all day everyday.
*Jasper junior- it's slogan is "toy suppliers to Santa" & you better believe that as its true the moment you walk in the shop! All the best kids products in one shop. The girls costumes upstairs are oh so lovely. And I heart the educational DIY products like the mini power house science kit . I have bookmarked this for when Kobe is old enough.
*Rap- a boutique shop, I only took notice of the gorgeous baby & kids products. They do sell other things too.

I only bought a few things as much as I like browsing, Im careful to only buy things that I deem "forever items".

Happy Wednesday friends!
Grace

**I have numbered my top 3 shops to visit; Prahan Redcross, Funkis & Shop Neutral.

4 places to visit when in Adelaide

 

Luke & I just booked our first holiday (mid-year) sans Kobe bear & it made me remember the last time we went on holiday as a family. It was a few months back, Luke was in Adelaide for a work trip so Kobe & I tagged along on cheap flights with Jetstar. It was the flight from hell complete with angry guy infront of us yelling at me for hysterical kicking chair child of mine & don't get me started on the catty air stewardess. I couldn't wait to get off the plane & start the lovely calm trip that I had in my head (obviously forgetting about toddler routines & the comforts of home).  

 

 

We only had a couple hours to explore the botanical gardens (you really need a full day to make the most of the beautiful greenery this park boasts). Its free entry but take coins for street parking. There are a plenty of pergolas & archways covered with vines for silly photo ops:)

 

 

 

 The rose pavilion is picture perfect displaying many many many types of breeds of flowers. You feel like Alice in Wonderland walking thru the roses.

 

 

 

 

 The cactus & succulent gardens was my favourite. They seem to be the only plant other than weeds I can grow hee hee. Kobe ripped out the succulents I lovingly grew in our courtyard so one day soon I hope to start growing more pending lil boy with destructive tendencies.

 

 

 

One thing that I just had to do whilst in Adelaide was visit Maggie Beer farm. Long time lover of this self taught cook I was thrilled the whole hour drive to Barossa valley to visit the farm shop café.

 

 

 

 

 We ordered from the picnic style menu & the food came in cute picnic baskets. The view from the café was ah-mazing, we couldn't ask for more when we saw turtles (in their natural habitat) casually swimming in the turquoise coloured lake.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I am a hopeless cook so I skipped the cooking demonstration that her staff hold & we did the scenic walk instead. One thing to be wary of is it gets busy with tour buses. We went early to avoid the lunchtime rush.

 

 

 

 

 

I was also so very super excited that the Gilles St Market home to quirky fashion, one off vintage pieces & hand crafted goodies was on when we were there. I could almost move to Adelaide for this market.  

 

 

 

 

I was like a kid in a candy store running thru all the stalls while Luke entertained Kobe on the play equipment at the school where it was held. (What a bonus being held at a primary school, being kid friendly for die hard market loving mamas:)).

 

 

 

We wanted to stock up on fresh produce & no better place was the Adelaide central markets.

Conveniently located on Gouger street. We parked at the Gouger street carpark & caught the lift down, easy peasy lemon squeasy.

 

We went on a Saturday & it was extremely busy but no matter how large the crowd was, Kobe sniffed out the chocolate shop within 5 minutes. That boy ate so much chocolate freckles & smarties on our trip to last him several months. They were our bribes & I certainly paid for it when we got home trying to wean him off it (& failing). He still tells me "we need to to the shops to buy chocolate" when I tell him we ran out (he is too little to find my hidden stash in the pantry so what he doesn't know wont hurt him ha ha).

Travelling with kids is hard work & even though I am feeling extremely guilty about not taking Kobe to Bali later this year, I have to remind myself he was up from 6am-9pm for the 3 days whilst we were in Adelaide (which is a super long tired day) so its best leaving this fiesty ball of energy to his grandparents.

Happy Sunday!

Grace