GINA "Gearing up for the Holidays" H.'s Profile

You walk in the door and immediately you are overwhelmed with the fumes from the row of generators lined up neatly in the middle aisle.  ICK...they lost a star straight away for that.  It permeated the entire store and I can't understand how they can all work there with the stench of gas.  Not only is it disgusting but its also unhealthy.

The pluses this place has going for it is that the staff are very helpful and friendly, everything is organized and neat.  They have a great deal on Saturdays that all tools are 50% off.  

Only one thing caught my eye which was a laptop to replace the one I currently have which is my back up to the house computer.  But the prices weren't great.  I would have to pay someone to "clean" it and then upload all of my programs and really, who knows what you are buying with a used computer.   Pass.

Saturday morning after a night of in-house drinking with friends who ended up staying over and NOBODY wanted to be on stove duty and more especially clean up duty.

"Come on"...sez I
"Shoes and t-shirts on and lets get ourselves up to Hollywood Beach".

Five of us pile into the one car and off we go. Two hours on the parking meter should be enough.

Dander down the boardwalk amazed at the number of people up and about...until I realize that (a) not EVERYONE was out drinking the night before and didn't need the past two hours to pry their tongue (which has become a block of cement overnight) loose from the top of their mouth and (b) damn its a great day out!! Its a priceless South Florida beach day

Well...it IS 10 am and the rest of the world has been up a while.

By some gravitational GPS signaling in the guys we ended up at Little Venice (or maybe it was on account of their display outside which proclaimed $4.95 for two eggs, two pancakes and two slices of meat (choose from ham, sausage or bacon).

We had a lovely waitress. She was all go, all action and happy to be working. How often do you see that nowadays?

Coffees all round, a carafe of OJ please. Some water, actually make that LOTS of water. Orders in.

O I LOVE IT...a flask of coffee is brought to the table together with a dish of creamer. I HEART THIS PLACE NOW...no trying to flag a waitress down for coffee or refills.

Sitting enjoying the ocean breeze, having a laugh, cracking jokes.
"whats the hardest thing about being a roller blader"
Dunno, what?
"telling your ma and da your gay"
and then watching the guy in the gold rollerblades roll by in his lycra black and red outfit and everyone laughing hysterically without anyone uttering a word.

Orders out and by golly everything is great!!! 2 Poached eggs, pancakes and sausage links for me, came with home fries and I LOVE how they put the eggs in a wee dish so the slobber doesn't get on everything else. One order of pancakes and home fries between my two kids. Hubby had scramblers with ham and the pancakes and a side of toast. Our friend had two poached eggs with home fries and a side of toast. There was too much food.

Sitting outside, on the beachfront, eating breakfast. How decadent. Its like being on vacation.

oh and the check?
we were laughing. and joking.."I'm never coming here again"...DAMN the check was $36 before tip!!!

I've been coming to this one for on and off about 10 years.  I first used to bring my oldest kid here for kids meals as a Saturday treat and then we would hit up the toy department in WalMart next door or go sit on Hallandale Beach and eat our food.  We have been back on and off since and every time the place and the service have been the same though getting marginally worse.

Today I was making a run to the Farmer's Market in Hallandale and wanted to pop into WalMart for some juice boxes for the kids lunches and as my littlest guy was with me and claiming starvation, I decided to stop here for a kids meal.

My first intention was to get a drive through but after seeing the line of cars backed up decided to go inside instead.   We waited a minute or two for someone to come and take our order and then waited about 5 mins for the food.  That was OK.  Everything was hot.

The area by the soda machine was all sloppy and messy with spills all over the place and ketchup and paper bits.  Tables were unwiped the entire time we were there (come on...the customers pretty much do all the work for you guys by dumping the trash in the bin).  The floor was unswept and had french fry cups and papers all over.  The staff seems frazzled as if there are not enough staff on hand at any given time.  People were waiting impatiently for their food and some were starting to raise their voices.

I felt so sorry for the girls working the cash register who were taking the brunt of the unhappiness of the customers.  I wouldn't normally review a fast food place but this one has consistently been like this for the past couple of times I've been.

This place is enormous and great fun to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon with kids (especially the big grown men type of kids like my husband and his friend).

This past Saturday we arrived just in time for my husband and his good friend to get their photo taken with Santa for free in a little grotto they have set up in the boat area for Christmas time (check with the store for the free photo time because its not all day nor every day).  Its great.  They have little tables and chairs for the kids to draw and make pictures with crayons and stamps.  They have some model trains running on displays and they have two little mini target shooting booths set up.  All of this coupled with the already existing huge fish tank and a pretty cool outdoors themed toy department makes it a great place to bring kids.  They also have a full size target practice game set up year around beside the gun range.

This store has pretty much anything you would want for fishing, hiking, shooting, camping and possibly  much every other sport as well as a lot of items for cooking outdoors and other outdoor recreation activities and games.  This weekend a turkey frying demonstration was going on at the front door and they were cutting up the turkey for tasting and it was out of control delicious and juicy.

They have a HUGE array of boats on display (this takes about a half hour at least for us to get through).  Prices are reasonable, some things like the clothing I think a little expensive but then everything goes on sale eventually and they DO have great sales - this weekend a turkey fryer with a stand and all the accoutrements was on sale for half price (about $50) and the peanut oil for frying was also on sale.  Saw lots of people stocking up.

Upstairs they have a little gun range and an archery range and the staff were very friendly to everyone we saw coming in while we sat a while and watched.

Next door and adjoining is The Islamorada Fish Company - I haven't eaten there but its always packed when we go shopping.  Outside there they sell food items and candles and kitsch.    On the weekends they have a hotdog and burger  and soda table set up outside on the sidewalk.  

I love Bass Pro - its always like a festive occasion when we go here, the staff are lovely and friendly and helpful and there is always so much to see.

I LOVE Crate and Barrel

My husband and I call it Cart'n'Barrel - I guess it comes from living in Dublin Ireland for years and shopping on Moore Street where everything was sold from a cart or a barrel.

For Crate and Barrel stores, this one is the biggest I've ever seen.

I so love Crate and Barrel...they have such cool innovative glassware for serving cocktails and at a great price where you don't feel like you have to charge your guests a deposit at your most rowdy parties for fear they will break your fine Baccarat. The glassware here is totally affordable.

I love cocktails.

The furniture department is out of control!! For those of you who shopped in Crate and Barrel in Aventura Mall...this is going to blow you away.

I reckon they have pretty much EVERYTHING in their catalog on display in the store.

I just need to win the Lotto in order to totally refurbish my house.

Beware of the wall of Furranimals who will RAURRR you when you least expect it.

While I'm delighted to see a toy store finally back at Aventura Mall, albeit for the Holiday Season alone, this store is TEENCY TINY and lacking in the powerhouse toys that kids will want on their gift list.   To me its primarily geared toward people who are buying for their grandchildren, cousins, nephews and nieces and have no idea what they want and are buying for the sake of buying.  There was nothing that my kids have on their small but powerful priced Santa list here.

I can only IMAGINE the mayham come the crazy shopping days with the tiny aisles and scant two cash registers.

I'll be doing my holiday toy shopping at another ToysRUs location or at Target or Walmart.  

Great for while you are in the Mall and wanting to get it all done at once.  Don't come here expecting bargains or anything you won't find at the nearest big box Toys R Us.

I dreamt a wonderful dream.

I dreamt I was transported by magic carpet from my mundane Yelp Saturday Night Staying In Club to a tropical island oasis.  I was greeted by a beautiful smiling vision who's name was Miriam.  "Behold your entry key" she said...and I stuck it on my boob.

My fellow voyagers and I entered through the portal and were amazed at what treasures were to be seen in front of our eyes.

A pink/orange moon overshone the entire land.  A castle afire with no-one coming to its aid.  Beautiful people flitted hither and yon, the excitement filled the air.  Truly something spectacular was underway.

Sweet nectar of the gods in the guise of mortal liquors and Champagne and beer in vast unlimited quantities.  Divine morsels of delectable offerings from the restaurant gods of Miami to entice our palates.  The music of kings, the dancers of exquisite dances.  The luxurious treasures laid out before us, threading, jewels, massages, and skin coloring.  All for us, the chosen few, to satiate our mortal desires.  All with a backdrop of the mystical city of Miami glittering in the distance

I daren't wake up!! I clung mightily to my dream for a night and a day.  Work beckoned and I arose from my slumber....tired, yet energized and full of Yelp love.

Where George goes, Gina follows.
If you are a neat freak this place is not for you.

A mom and daughter run store. They found me an underskirt for a Sari which (a) FIT and (b) was a PERFECT match in color and was only $13. They were super happy to help and what Mom lacked in the language barrier, she more than made up for in enthusiasm. Spied some absolutely fabulous one off outfits here, which were obviously handmade for much much less than internet prices I have been seeing. The only thing is, they dig them out for you from storage boxes. Not everything is on display so if you are one of those shy people who don't like to ask for help, you are SOL. But the ladies don't get offended or nasty if you say you don't like or don't want anything. Some of the clothes they showed me were stained and old, but me being used to thrift store shopping, dug into the boxes myself and came up with what I was looking for on my own. I think they were slightly overawed at the amount of attention they had gotten all of a sudden for their garments as another Yelper I know was there at the same time as me - totally random!! All thanks to George M's review. Ah, the power of Yelp for giving the local store a leg up!!

Also spent a small fortune on Indian spices - coriander seeds, garam masala, Cumin Seeds and Fennel, Star Anise.

The store could do with a good spring cleaning, but people I know who cook Indian food go here for their spices and I have been meaning to hit this store up for a long time for that particular purpose.
I wanna know what's in all the freezers!!!

Had a dander around here today after brunch.  I always like the South Miami Art Festival because the artists are so excited about their work and will talk to you and enthuse about their work and there is always SOMETHING in every booth which catches my eye and begs to be questioned.  No kitsch here, this is for the most part, quality stuff - the like of which you won't find anywhere else.  With a little kid zone with face painting and bouncy house and a stage with live music its very much quite a neighborhood and family art fair for art lovers. I Love it.

I went into this with not a clue of what to expect but knowing that I just HAD to be a part of it.

We arrived at about 6:30 in Normandy Isle and thinking that I was about to be fleeced at least for parking was happily surprised to find that the city parking lot at Collins and 72nd Street was free. The first thing we did was to pick up the evening program, even though we had a printed out schedule with us. The program was broken down into easy to read maps showing where the bus stops were throughout the city and the locations of the various events - a lot of which I wasn't interested in as I was traveling with two people who at this stage of their lives have the attention span of a gnat.

We had arrived in time to see Pablo Cano's Musical Marionettes which were super cute but as we had arrived pretty late, we were sitting down the back and a certain little person in the group had a huffy fit because he couldn't see so good, so rather than suffer a meltdown we left early and went outside to the Huge titanic slide, where he then proceeded to have a panic attack and had to be rescued from the top of the Titanic.

OK, all the huffy fits and panics over and a stroll around the three unimpressive Artformz Giant's in the City we went back to have a sit down outside the North Shore Park Youth Center to have a look at the program when all of a sudden we hear the strains of orchestra and opera on the wind.

Walk over to the Band Shell on 73rd and Collins to find La Traviata in full swing to a packed auditorium. Not a seat to be found, hardly a noise in the place so we snuck along the back and sat ourselves down on the ground where we could see right up the centre aisle. I was surprised. The kids actually liked it. We took in the end of the first act and about half of the second act before they had had enough and wanted to get on the bus. Definitely this was the highlight of the evening. I was so jealous of the couple with the kid behind me who had a cooler on wheels out of which they pulled a bottle of wine and some nice snacks and some blankets for the kid to lay on the bench and snooze when it got too boring. There's foresight!!!! A totally great evening at the opera with dinner, for free and outdoors in the fresh air. COME ON PEOPLE!! Where in the world can you get that!!!!

Right outside the band-shell there was a bus waiting, no line, and so we hopped on and started off for South Beach and here is where I made my first mistake. I should never have gone so far south. My initial plan was to hit the Bass Museum and take in one of the piano recitals and have a look at the displays.

So we ended up on Ocean Drive at Dreamicus which was absolutely jam packed and hard to see. It was awfully windy and the sand was blowing everywhere but everyone was having fun and after a while the kids discovered the playground so of course a visit had to be made there.

Onto the Wolfsonian and the Art of Automobile Design. The kids tried their hand at drawing some auto designs which they hung on the wall. Lots of adults doing the same thing and me giggling at them being so serious about it. Downstairs and was whisked through the selections they had on display "JEEZ MOM //eye roll// ITS A TOASTER...LETS GO"..Then into the auditorium where the FLEA Ensemble were messing about with sound on their Mac's. Would have loved to have stayed a little longer but again...with kids, you have to take your moments where you can.

Across the street and walk back up toward Lincoln Road...and its "Mom, I'm tired". OK we'll get a bus. Hop on a Red Bull bus at Espanola Way going south deciding we will just go down there for the ride and head back up North toward the Bass because what is more cultural for kids than seeing what goes on in South Beach on a Sat. Nite at about 11 p.m.

At 5th Street - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

OK...I hear you say...But you didn't see anything!. OH YEAH...we did. Being able to expose my kids to live opera, for free, albeit for a scant 30-45 mins and to actually see them ENJOY it. It was worth it for me.

To see so many families and groups of people out together clutching their programs and EXCITED about something....was priceless.

Definitely the journey from 72nd Street to 10th Street took WAY longer than I expected, and the return journey was horribly long (not the fault of the organizers of course...typical Sat. Nite South Beach). But the bus saved my sanity and I actually enjoyed the bus more than anything...the people watching was fun.

If they do it again, I would really like to see the activities a little more grouped together - the busrides took a long time with traffic and I could hear people adjusting their schedule "oh its too late for this, now we should go to that". I would really have loved to see the Playground Theatre but they were on Lincoln Road while I was on 72nd Street.

Great Job Sleepless Night. Please do it again!!!