Shopping Directory: Find All Your Favourite Shops

A shopping directory is a great place to find all your favourite shops on one handy Internet site. With direct links to a huge selection of shopping heavens, there is now no need to try and locate every shop's website on your own. A shopping directory is the perfect place for everyone who loves shopping.

I really like Shobby because it has such a great choice of shops to suit every taste. From fashion to arts and crafts, there really is something for everyone and they're all contained in one easy to use website. Shop to your heart's content!

Go Shopping Online & Save Money!

If you go shopping online there is a good chance you can find exactly what you were looking for on the high street but at a cheaper price. Shopping online means you can save money and find a great choice of items all at one site. Whereas you might have to travel up and down the high street in town to find the right item, if you shop online you can find it much more easily. Plus online stores don't have the same overheads that bricks and mortar stores do, so that's why you can find an item at a better price.

So, whatever it is you're looking for, you can be sure to find it when you go shopping online. Plus, with the World Wide Web you have unlimited access to international shops that will ship worldwide so you can have a totally unique item.

I would love to go shopping in America...

Wow, i have always wanted to go shopping in America. I was offered the chance to go and i had to turn it down because of the plane journey. Yes, more than 1 hour is far too long for me. :(

Shopping in America would be amazing - imagine all the shops!!! I think if i had my choice, i would go to New York and visit Macy's and Bloomingdales. New York has everything for the fashion victim, and if i could handle the flight i would definitely go shopping in America.

What Are Kitchen Essentials: What You Should Be Shopping For

Have you ever thought about what kitchen essentials you couldn't live without? Some people have only got a few bits in their kitchen and don't see the point of spending lots just to clutter up the kitchen area. Don't worry; you don't have to. Lets start with the kitchen essentials that everyone should have:

A good set of kitchen knives: There is nothing worse than trying to cut a loaf of bread with the bluntest knife possible, so invest in a decent set of knives for cutting meat, bread etc.

A wooden spoon: To stir soup on the stove or suchlike, you would be surprised just how important the humble wooden spoon can be. Tip: Never use metal cutlery for stirring foods in pans.

A decent working toaster: Make sure you have a toaster that can cook at least 4 slices of bread all at once - if you have kids then you will know this is a lifesaver in the mornings.

A decent kettle: Get a kettle that does the trick - the old ones can take ages to heat up and sometimes the lights can go on the blink so you don't know when it has boiled.

This should suffice for now; just realise that kitchen essentials is an important part of your home.

Shopping Locations: Where Is The Best?

There are so many places to shop in the UK that you can be left feeling a bit bemused about to where to try! If you live in a large city it can be hard to know where to start if you fancy a full day's shopping.

Having been round the UK shopping at various locations, i think the major cities such as Manchester, London, Birmingham and Edinburgh have great shopping to offer. If you're looking for quaint little boutiques, then head down the backstreets, where there are usually a few interesting boutiques tucked away in every city.

You may decide to just visit a smaller place, like a town. You can still find top high street names in UK towns, but they tend to be more selective and might not carry the full range of goods.

Have you visited a great shopping location in the UK? Share it with the rest of us!

Plus Size Clothing - Where To Shop? Be Fashion Savvy

I have a few friends that really struggle when it comes to going shopping and buying plus size clothing. Up until a few years ago, the choices were quite limited.

Naturally, there is the first choice for most plus size figures, which is Evans. Evans gives women the ability to feel sexy in the latest styles at a great price. I have been in a couple of times and been surprised at how great the choices are. I like the fact the sales staff are larger ladies themselves, which i would imagine makes the whole plus size clothing experience much more comfortable.

However, there is also Simply Be, which is a mail-order catalogue and online store offering clothing in sizes 14-32. If the thought of going into a high street store and choosing your fashions fills you with dread, then Simply Be is a great solution, because you can shop from the comfort of your own home. My friend hates going into Evans for the simple fact that everyone else looking for plus-size clothing will be in there too. Plus size clothing is still a relatively small market, and it's not like you can go to Topshop, then move onto Miss Selfridge of Warehouse if you don't find the right thing...you're just kind of stuck with one high street store, and i think many people feel obliged to buy from there because there are so few other options.

If you are a plus-size lady, be sure to check out eBay for some great bargains and some rather trendy options. Shopping worldwide will increase your chances of getting that perfect outfit.

I think it is a shame that there are so few options for buying plus size clothing, so shopping online might just be the key.

Need more great fashion? Just check out these sites below:

http://www.marisota.co.uk/

http://www.curvety.com/

http://www.curvydiva.co.uk/

Also, don't automatically walk by the familiar high street stores; Marks And Spencer offer a lovely plus size collection. Miss Selfridge have some styles that go up to size 16, which is great for those of us in need of clothing just that little bit bigger.

Gifts For Women - Jewllery at Christmas Is A Great Gift

I think shopping for men is hard, but i am starting to wonder if shopping for us females is actually the worst activity. As gifts for women go, I know we are quite selective about what we like, but there is so much choice out there surely there is going to be something that we will love?

Not all of us have expensive tastes. There are many ladies gifts that don't break the bank and can still be the choicest of presents. So, for any men reading this, here are a few tips about what we want to see on Christmas morning:

Perfume: You can't really go wrong with perfume, and the perfect bottle will show true thought. If you are in town and she tests the latest perfume, you can then compliment her on the fragrance and keep it in mind for when it comes round to present buying time. She will no doubt think you have a great memory and genuinely care about her choice of cologne.

Pamper us: A really thoughtful gift for women is the special pampering day voucher you can get. A sensual massage to relieve the stresses and strains after the Christmas period will go down a treat, and is guaranteed to make her smile. Maybe buy her a full day health spa voucher? There are lots of options.

I tend to think buying clothing for women is a pretty dangerous territory for a guy. And lingerie is a bit of a no-no unless you've known her long enough to ensure she won't freak out and think you are tasteless. The same applies to clothes, unless she has actually told you in advance that she likes something. Never buy on a whim because it looks like "her sort of thing" - you will live to regret it! Returning a gift isn't fun for either of you - more hassle for her and the feeling of rejection for you.

Jewellery can be perfect gifts for women. A pretty necklace or bracelet is quiet sentimental and is perfect for dad to give to daughter or husband to give to wife.

Gifts For Men - Choices At Christmas

With Christmas approaching, you might be wondering about what gifts for men you should be buying. They are known for being quite "particular" about what they like and/or want, and i am sure you will agree it can be very hard knowing exactly what to buy and, more importantly, where to get it.

There's the traditional "socks" idea, but this sort of gift at Christmas has become almost laughable. Guys don't really want socks, but they are too polite to say anything when they open the present. And women don't really want to but socks for Xmas, but i think we just get a little stumped trying to think of anything else. Choosing for your dad is notoriously hard; at the end of the day, if they want something, they will inevitably just go and buy it, so there is little that you can do to compete with that. I say leave them to it, and choose gifts for men that are a bit quirky and unusual instead.

Example: don't head off to a nice expensive store to buy the latest designer sweater for your dad. He probably won't know his Primark from his Gucci, so leave the clothes buying and get something a little different.

Men love gadgets, so why not try and get something he could actually use, rather than something he feels obliged to wear.

I love www.boysstuff.co.uk, because they offer a great variety of gadgets for men that will easily keep him satisfied this Christmas.

www.Menkind.co.uk also offers a varied selection of boys toys, so you are sure to find something here for that hard to please man in your life.

Just because you don't necessarily have the most fashion-conscious male in your house, doesn't mean they don't deserve a Christmas gift that shows real thought. We all like to receive presents, no matter what age we are, so shop around to find the perfect gifts for men.

Out Of Town Shopping; Still Popular?

With so many shops crammed onto the high street these days, it is often quite refreshing to do some out of town shopping and maybe pick up a few bargains in the process.

It is logical to understand that out of town shopping will mean retailers have cheaper rates to pay for their premises. In a city, for example, shop area space and a great location can be limited, so that's when some retailers decide to open up out of town and take advantage of the benefits.

But what are the benefits for consumers? Well, it is an interesting question. Some people like the change of scenery; some like the fact there are a number of stores all under one roof or in a large outdoor shopping complex. There's also the benefit of free parking.

Naturally very popular with women, it is estimated that fashion stores account for 50% to 60% of out-of-town retail floor space. But will this last forever? My theory is no.

With the credit crunch hitting us hard, travelling to a shopping centre out of town is not a number one priority for many. Saving on spiralling petrol costs is of paramount importance these days for so many of us. Julia Finch, City Editor of the Guardian, recently researched the lack of interest in out of town shopping at the moment.

One benefit in the decline of out of town shopping is that it will help cut down on the number of people getting into their cars and using fuel, therefore being 'greener', which environmentalists will be pleased with. The decline in out of town shopping is naturally meaning that many more people are turning to shopping online. Shopping online can be done from the comfort of your armchair.

If shopping online doesn't appeal to you and you still want to get out there and share your love of shopping with a large shopping centre, then make sure you visit these out of town shopping centres:

• Bluewater, Kent
  
• Trafford Centre, Manchester
  
• Metro Centre, Gateshead
  
• Meadowhall, Sheffield
  
• Castle Meadows Retail Park, Nottingham
  
• East Midlands Designer Outlet, Mansfield
  
• McArthur Glen Designer Outlet, York
  
• Lakeside, Essex

Luxury Shopping

I love my brands, so if you fancy doing some luxury shopping then here is my guide of how best to indulge.

Luxury shopping can include clothing, fine dining, bespoke gifts...anything opulent and expensive. More and more people are desiring the finer things in life, but with the credit crunch in full swing, will this lifestyle last forever?

It is interesting to consider how some of us are feeling the pinch with the rising electric bills, gas bills and food prices, yet we are still dining out, taking holidays and buying 'nice' things. I guess this is where it all come down to priorities. If we gave up the leisure aspect of our lives then we would allow the credit crunch to fully take hold, and we don't want to let it do that. We need to feel like we still have some control over our money.

In the UK there are many luxury shopping destinations where we can indulge, with London being the obvious big city. Don't forget the Northerners though; they have a great selection to offer too.