Maria is amazing! She's been my only hairdresser for the last 6 months and I'm never going anywhere else again!

Apart from being an attentive hairdresser who actually knows her stuff and actually listens to what you want, she's one of those rare people who make everyone around her feel better. She just has a bright, uplifting effect on every one she meets.

It's appointment only for a one-on-one experience, and Maria books spaciously so there is never a wait and I never feel rushed. The salon is the front two rooms of her home and they've been professionally fitted out as you would expect from a high end salon. Must like red.

I noticed there's a corner of the salon set up especially for kids hair cuts, decked out with a fabulous butterfly themed mirror, murals and a toddler chairs - I asked about it and Maria said kids hair cuts are her specialty, she's a mum herself and has experience working in primary schools so it doesn't surprise me that she's really good at making a difficult task easy.

I have taken in pictures of new styles, asked her to match the blonde of this celeb or blowwave a certain way and it's all done wonderfully and exactly as asked.

I can't recommend this woman enough! Her prices are amazing, there's no website yet so you need to call and get a quote and the address.

Approximate cost: $50 for a cut, style and blowdry for long hair, Half head foils from $40! Kids haircuts from $10

They don't even make any of the ice cream! It's all bulk bought from a big company!! Apart from that it's all good - they've had to relocate due to the supermarket next door expanding - hope they reopen soon.

The Kinglake Pub buildings are really beautiful, the bistro has a gorgeous slab polished timber and metal bar and a huge open fireplace and there's an elegant paved courtyard with tree ferns. It'd be really lovely for a gathering or day out if you're travelling through the mountains.

The food is really average though. Well, it's standard pub fare - everything is served with chips or veg - food wise you'd get a tastier, cheaper meal at the Toolangi Tavern which is not much farther up the road. I wouldn't eat here again, just order drinks. Actually, it was hard to even eat here because they had a commercial radio station blaring ads..not a great atmosphere. Buildings are lovely though.

Approximate cost: $50 - $100

This place has been renamed and under new owners : http://www.womow.com.au/biz/Kinglake-Pub-Kinglake/

If you've got a sweet tooth it's super expensive to stop here. If you don't mind the cost it's a wonderful, bright, airy, clean bakery/cake shop with a mouth watering selection including 4 different types of vanilla slice, buns, donuts, mud cakes, mousse cups. Gourmet edge. My personal favourites are tiny tini tartlets in a mix of flavours. Think a thimble size lemon meringue pie! Very limited gluten free range and they don't have very many flavoured breads (rye, olive rosemary etc). Five stars for sweets though.

Approximate cost: $Coffee and cakes for two : $25

I met Maxine at the Hawthorn Craft market and started chatting. It turns out she actually owns the lavender farm, grows, cuts, distills and creates the products herself from scratch!

Her display table had everything from pet tonics to lavender carpet cleaner and handmade soap bars. I walked away with a small shampoo, small conditioner, a hand and body lotion and a little fragrance blend designed to help with my terrible sleeping problems. I even got a free bar of soap as a thank you! I haven't had a chance to try the soap but here's my review of the other goodies:

First the handbalm: Winner! I have always liked to have luxury handwash sets in my bathrooms, I've tried Aesop, Khiels, Molton Brown and this little Aussie made lotion is certainly comparable with the best of them. It's got a good quality pump lid with a swivel lock feature so there have never been any accidents travelling in my handbag, the formula doesn't have an overpowering scent, it soaks in and it's not greasy - I can still open jars and turn doorknobs after using it.

The shampoo and conditioner set is loaded with lavender oils so it's done wonders for my dry bottle blonde hair. I've certainly noticed more body and shine, just as I was assured I would. The purple colour in the shampoo also gives it a mild toning effect for all you blondes out there...
With my super curly hair I've needed to use copious amounts of the conditioner to get untangled but I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if you had wavy or straight hair. I also used the hand balm as a curl enhancer on wet hair - wonders! Added a natural amount of shine and keeps curls together and bouncy.

The Sleepy Time potion: My husband can hit the pillow and be snoring in ten minutes. I decided to give this a go. It's a chubby little bottle, a little fatter than a normal essential oil bottle and I was instructed to use for 12 days, dabbing some drops on the chest, under the chin and under the nose and I had to be able to smell it. I've kept using it for about 25 days now. Sleep is one of those things where your memories are just outside of reach so I can't tell you if I have been nodding off within 30 mins but I can certainly say I haven't been twiddling my thumbs past midnight like usual and I haven't needed to read or get up and work to tire myself out. I have however; made a conscious effort to control my thoughts, focus on sleeping and focus on deep breathing to smell the mixture. I've certainly noticed a more deep sleep and I feel warmer and strangely more drowsy. I'm definitely going to keep using it.

Highly recommended, for $27 it's worth it.

Approximate cost: $66: Shampoo and conditioner set $26, Hand lotion $13 and Sleepy time potion $27

I was at the Bendigo Square market this weekend and I was blown away by Ursula's knowledge! I have never really been into pearls that much and I was just browsing but by the end of her pearl talk I just had to buy something. I never knew freshwater mussels could be nucleated with 30 to 40 pearls at once, and all the new types...flameball pearls and keshi petal pearls, I mean WOW I always thought pearls were plain round and white! I've never seen the amazing colours and the shine was stunning!

I bought a pair of mauve flameball dangley drop earrings on beautiful swirly handmade wire hooks. They come with a lifetime guarantee, so far nothing has happened but I think it's impressive that apparently if it broke I can send it off to her and it'll be fixed and posted back to me at no cost. I wish my husband came with the same guarantee!

Approximate cost: $139