It's here again. For some it's the dreaded Christmas and for other it's sheer joy, but whatever senses it stirs in us, we cannot lose sight of the fact that it's the ultimate season for shopping.

Pink Armoire, two doors away from Books on the Green, has very elegant gifts and it's a real Aladdin's cave– you just don't know what you will find inside. For example, the sassy ladies 'Divas' by Ayelet Lalor, and very elegant Britt Brollys in leopard skin, an all-round fashion statement.

Handmade Mannequins, seem to be a big trend, they're colourful and would suit a nice dresser to keep the necklaces in order. Funky staplers, hole punches and scissors, interesting sewing kits, perhaps nice gifts for a teacher. They stock beautiful 100% rich thick cotton pyjamas in serene shades of dusty pinks, blues and browns, which would make anyone a beautiful gift.

In Sandymount Pharmacy I found an entire L'Occitane stand. I am amazed at the extensive range of products on offer. As there was a chair beside the remedies, I pulled up and tested anything that was testable or scent-able! There are L'Occitane gift boxes made up, so you can choose from a variety of products suitable for men and women.

They have some nice kiddie gifts like Simpson 's body wash and flannel, Simpson's travel mug with keyring and Spider Man toothbrush and holder. They also have an array of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Then I wandered into Books on the Green. They have a section of local memorabilia for instance, 'Foxrock & Cabinteely', 'The Great White Fair– Herbert Park Exhibition 1907', 'North Dublin– from the Liffey to Balbriggan', 'Hidden Streams– new history of Dunlaoghaire/ Rathdow ', 'Dublin by Day, 366 days of Dublin history'.

Two books that really jumped out at me were 'A Social & Natural History of Sandymount, Irishtown and Ringsend' and 'Stealing Sunlight', a book about growing up in Irishtown, by Angeline Blain. Proprietor Brian also carries a good range of the 'Feckin' collection and some locally- painted prints on offer too.

And then I arrived at Mira Mira. Wow, a real hive of activity here. I was amazed and overwhelmed by the variety of items of offer. I was delighted to see a large selection of Burton's Bees from cleansers, toners and citrus and ginger root body wash. They also stock a brand Pangea Organics-Edocentric bodycare. They have a wonderful kiddies section with loads of soft toys from large hobby horses to ragdolls and a nice clothes section with a colourful array of baby suits and leggings.

They also have a wonderful range of candles and stock the Max Benjamin brand. I was also impressed to see the coffee and and green tea selections on offer.

I then rambled into McAuliffes Chemist. They are well-stocked for the yuletide season with the must-haves from Les Essentials by Clarins, catering for skincare to men and women. They have a large array of Burberry fragrances, Planet Earth bathrobes and bodycare and a lovely selection of room scents from Bahoma.

After a long day window shopping I decided to pop into the newly- opened pub Mulligans for a nice hot cappuccino.

To get really into the spirit, I visited Murtagh's Hardware and DIY shop to buy their fabulous decorations for my big tree I'm planning for Christmas. Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and enjoy the great shopping offers in Sandymount.