rubywoo

My fiance and I booked in for a couples spa package at Illuka - it included a massage, body scrub and wrap, facial, and spa session with chocolates and champagne.

It was fairly pricey, but we did have two therapists at our beck and call for two hours, and the attention to detail was fantastic. As it was a set package, the products had been chosen already for us (all chocolate scented), but I would have preferred to forgo the sickly-sweet chocolate and choose something more to my liking.

If you're after a once-off special treat, I'd recommend it!

This store has some gorgeous homewares. They also sell some true vintage clothing (I'm talking 1930s - 60s), which is priced at Melbourne vintage clothing prices, i.e. somewhat expensive if you're used to buying from the US. Nonetheless, it's refreshing to see real vintage around the traps.

They're currently having a sale in preparation for moving soon, so they didn't have quite the range they did on my last visit. I'm not sure if they're staying in the region or not... but I hope so!

We ate here a while back before seeing a movie. The diner is in a good spot – just a short walk off Chapel St, and plenty of parking outside.

I wasn't blown away by the décor – the 50s kitsch is laid on fairly thick, giving it a bit of a tacky feel. The booths are great, but the two-seater tables running down the centre of the diner aren't very private, and I felt like we were being watched by others as we ate.

The food was really great though – the bourbon burger was delish, and the fries… mmm! We wouldn't go out of our way to return (we live a fair way away) – it was more of a once-off treat, but if we were in the area again we'd probably drop in for some American fare.

I can only comment on the alterations side of Pearls and Roses, as I purchased my wedding dress elsewhere.

They charge $33 an hour for alterations, which is ridiculously reasonable (I was budgeting $300, but I didn't need even a third of that!). Turnaround time for my simple alterations was two weeks, and they're quite busy at this time of year.

The store is small but lovely - the change room is comparatively large, and has armchairs for your entourage. They also have a big range of accessories if you're still looking for shoes / hair clips / veils.

NOTE - Pearls and Roses is appointment only, and appointments seem to run in hour-long blocks.

We recently saw Jersey Boys here, which was just brilliant (go see it if you have the chance!).

It's a beautiful old theatre. Ticket prices here are somewhat steep, and don't expect much leg room at all (if you're on the end of a row, you'll need to stand up every time someone wants to get past you), but it was very comfortable and cool despite being 35 degrees outside.

The staff were lovely and very helpful in finding our seats also.

Oh, and ladies, best not drink too much wine at the bar! There are only a handful of ladies toilets - I ended up spending the whole intermission in the queue.

The team here was just fantastic when I bought my new Hyundai last year. I was allowed to take the car for as many test drives as I needed, their pricing was very competitive and they are always helpful. Initially there was a stuff-up in the billing of my car loan which left my bank account overdrawn, so they covered my bank fees for me.

The service centre is fantastic also – they always have my service finished ahead of time, and I feel that the prices are very reasonable. They also replaced several parts free of charge that were a known fault. The courtesy bus is great seeing as they're located a bit out of town, but sometimes it's almost quicker to walk into town than wait for a full busload of people.

They do sent a lot of snail mail though – asking your opinion about their customer service, reminding you they offer insurance etc. A little annoying, but not too bad!

It has been years since we went to Pizzaland, and boy am I regretting that! A group of 10 of us ate here a few weeks ago to farewell some friends moving interstate.

The interior looks like it hasn't been updated in decades, but the service was wonderful and the food... oh, the food! The menu is huge, and includes not only pizzas and pastas, but Turkish breads, souvlakis, and mains. They also have some imported Turkish beers for the boys to try.

I had the warm chicken salad which was delicious, and my partner had the steak, which was cooked to perfection (he's still raving about it!) And the best bit? It's really reasonably priced!