I decided to try a new local doctors surgery when my daughter was off school with a virus (she's generally very healthy so we don't have a specific GP). It's always a gamble seeing a doctor you've never met, but I was extremely happy with the service provided at Shoreline Doctors Surgery. The receptionist was warm and friendly, very polite and helpful. We waited no more than 5 minutes for our scheduled appointment, and the doctor we saw was very thorough and lovely. We'll definitely be going back.

I've always loved Valhalla ice-cream, the quality is second to none. But they really impressed me recently when I needed a birthday ice-cream cake on short notice (the venue we'd booked usually had Valhalla ice-cream cakes but had run out). I called in the morning the day before the birthday and was able to choose the flavours and have a personalised transfer on top as well. I picked it up a few hours later, complete with candles. I'll definitely be going back to Valhalla for ice-cream cakes!

Approximate cost: $30

I've been searching for a cat scratching tree for a while, and have been disappointed at how unstable and cheaply made a lot are, with expensive price tags! I found the perfect one at Animal Tuckerbox, but it was the customer service that impressed me most. They were willing to answer all my questions, arranged for the most convenient way to get it to my car, and even disassembled it for me when it wouldn't fit. And the cat tree I got was better than I'd hoped for for A LOT less than I expected. :-)

I bought several pieces of my daughter's school uniform through Stubbies Schoolwear online, and I'm thrilled with them. They arrived very quickly, are the excellent quality Stubbies are known for and were brilliantly priced. The regular prices are great, but I was fortunate enough to buy during a 30% off promotion with free shipping. I'll definitely be purchasing through this site again!

I've had the pleasure of taking my 5 year old daughter to Far Out Play Centre several times, for occasional play as well as birthday parties, and I've been impressed every time. The staff are always friendly and approachable, the play equipment is excellent, and the cafe serves yummy, reasonably priced food. Best of all, my daughter always has a blast!