Shopping (and saving money!) in Sydney

Sydney, Australia is a great destination for travel. Secluded beaches, tranquil coves, and beach resorts nestle close to bustling metropolitan centers. Love nature? Ride the scenic skyway over the blue mountains, stroll the Royal Botanic Gardens, take in the Sydney Aquarium, and Taronga Park Zoo. Interested in culture? Visit the Sydney Opera House, over a dozen museums, the Art Gallery of NSW, and open historic homes.

And of course, shopping ... The Queen Victoria Building, described by Pierre Cardin as "the most beautiful shopping centre in the world" is an outstanding representation of Byzantine architecture housing over 200 shops which offer some of the most unique shopping in Sydney and marvelous historical displays of British royalty, including a clock that displays a moving tableau of kings and queens every hour, ending with the beheading of Charles I. This singlular shopping experience is in itself a major attraction in Sydney.

Other shopping experiences include Harbourside, which is located on the water's edge of Darling Harbour, and has a magnificent view of the city skyline. Harbourside's extensive shopping venue includes a wide variety of of boutiques, jewellery stores and speciality stores, a majority of which specialize in quality Australian made merchandise. DFS Galleria is a leading destination for international travelers seeking the world's finest brands, and offers a luxurious shopping experience and incomparable services. Market City provides a fantastic array of fashion, jewelry, beauty, gift, and souvenir stores and also offers premiums and discounts. If your stay includes the weekend, you can also visit a number of local markets, the largest of which is probably Paddy's Market which is in Market City and is open from Thursday through Sunday.

While staying in Sydney, money saved on travel and accommodations can be used for shopping, so search for Cheap Hotels in Sydney for discounted rates below those offered when contacting the hotels directly. Search for rooms by location ... if you are interested in shopping at Harbourside, find a great deal on Sydney Hotels in Darling Harbour. Prices start at AUD 120, but if you prefer a little extra luxury, the Star City Hotel is a 5-star hotel offered from AUD 195. If your trip involves travel to other cities within Australia, be sure to check links for other cities as well as accommodations in Sydney. Look for last minute deals as well as year round discounts at each of the hotels featured, and view photos of each hotel and peruse a list of hotel amenities in order to find exactly the right accommodations for your taste, needs, and budget.

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Finishing touches for home interiors

Last month we featured a site bringing you distinctive touches for home exteriors. This month we'd like to suggest to you a site that offers unique and outstanding finishing touches for your home interior. From lamps, ceiling fans and lighting products to doorwear, kitchen and bath, and ventilation products, Farreys.com offers a wide range of creative and tasteful selections to complement and highlight your home's decor, whether you are building or remodeling.

We found some lovely Tiffany torchieres that would provide the perfect uplighting accent with a feminine yet sophisticated touch. We also found some classical brass coach pendant lamps for outdoor lighting that were especially appealing to us for traditional homes. Another favorite was the funky transitional style table lamp in Kichler's Eclections collection. There are products to appeal to any taste and budget.

Farrey's carries a huge selection of manufacturers, which virtually guarantees that shoppers will find whatever they are seeking, however diverse their tastes may be. The site conveniently offers searches by manufacturer brand, style, type, finish, or price range. You can also browse collections whether you seek chandeliers, floor lamps, desk or table lamps, or even landscape lighting.

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Searching for the Unexpected

Sometimes you need something a little different. I wanted to buy a gift for a friend who likes to cook, and we don't really have any intriguing kitchen stores in this area. Besides, even if we did, she could always go there and buy it for herself. I wanted something ... totally unexpected. And I don't have a lot of money to spend. I thought online should be the perfect place to browse for a gift, so I searched for a likely chefs site.

I clicked on the button for "store" and then "bakeware" -- there were lots of other categories, but my friend loves to bake. She decorates the most gorgeous cakes and should really consider doing it professionally. But ... how to find something she would love but didn't already have? And for an affordable price? Well, speaking of price, the items were searchable by price (a great feature we like to see in any shopping website) so I just clicked on "less than $9.99" to see what I could find. Not that I wouldn't be willing to spend $15 or so, but I might as well take a look. I didn't have to go very far down the page to spot it. The perfect gift for my friend. Unexpected, thoughtful, and funny, all rolled into one.

Are you ready for this? It's the Hostess Twinkie Cookbook! I didn't know there WAS such a thing, and probably she doesn't either. Not that she generally uses Hostess Twinkies for a main ingredient but ... you know, this is exactly what I was looking for. Something fun and unexpected (she's a very whimsical person) that takes into account her personal interests (cooking). It may end up being more of joke gift than something truly useful, but you never know. She's a daring type, so she's probably willing to experiment with a few recipes. Who knows, I could be enjoying Twinkie Cuisine the next time I pay her a visit!

All this just to say that ... online browsing can be a great jumping-off point when you don't know what to get someone for a gift, but you'd really like it to be original and creative and let them know you are thinking of them. And in this case, fun. The variety of products offered online is far greater than what could be found locally (especially in MY locally!) and online browsing offers a great savings of time as well as gas. So just remember, when you can't figure out WHAT to buy that person who is so hard to buy for, choose a likely-looking website and browse to your heart's content. You will probably discover something totally unique!

Viva la Twinkie!

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