Day 15 - Bayberry Lane

Bayberry Lane is a gift and home decor shop that specializes in Island and Canadian made products - such as candles, framed prints, jewelry, accessories and so much more. When I stopped in to visit Bayberry Lane, I met Roxann the General Manager and she showed me around the shop showcasing their unique Island products. Bayberry Lane is locally owned and also has a summer location in Cavendish.

My Downtown Wish List includes:

wooden bowl set handcrafted by Allan Pridham of Alberton

Sea Splash products hand made in Tignish

PEI calendars, postcards and bookmarks designed by John Morris @jmweb

Island made starfish mugs by Michael Stanley Pottery

cheese board, spoon rest and serving plate made from recycled bottles 

 by Rita and Mack MacDonald of Souris

Drop by Bayberry Lane at 156 Richmond Street on Victoria Row. There is only a few more days of #MyDowntownWishList - Pic, Post and Win today :)

Day 14 - Luxrider Leather Crafts

I had the pleasure of meeting Henry and Amy Li today. They immigrated to Canada last year and opened Luxrider Leather Crafts in December 2014. This was the first time I visited their specialty shop, and I was very impressed by the high quality of their products and the variety of items they offered. Luxrider specializes in leather jackets, vests, chaps, bags, riding boots, shoes, belts, gloves, and motorcycle goods.

My Downtown Wish List includes:

gorgeous messenger bag

men’s shoes – great gift idea :)

 wallets in a variety of styles and colours

 love this jacket

driving gloves 

Luxrider is located at 138 Richmond Street on Victoria Row. You can also visit their website and Facebook page. Drop in to see Henry and Amy, and pick out your favourite items for your #MyDowntownWishList – you may just win what you wish for!

Day 13 - Comic Hunter

One of the great things about doing this blog is that it gives me the opportunity to visit shops I may not have thought to visit in the past. I've never been to “Comic Hunter” before because I don’t read or collect comic books, but curiosity got to me this week while walking down Queen Street. I decided to go inside for the first time. What a surprise when I walked through their doors - I was greeted by the friendliness of Sue, the warm smell of incense, and calm music playing in the background.

Comic Hunter does have wall-to-wall comic books as expected (even Archie comics), but so much more. I encourage you to drop by to see for yourself. Comic Hunter is located at 181 Queen Street and you can find out more via their website, Facebook and Twitter. They also host pre-release and release events, as well as Friday Night Magic and casual play nights. Check out their blog for details regarding upcoming events.

My Downtown Wish List includes:

comic books - great gift ideas

unique book selection

a variety of incense 

so many games...

I loved meeting Sue, she was so warm and welcoming. This is what she does in her spare time – she makes yarn :) Sue has had many requests to buy her high-quality yarn and she mentioned she is considering selling it in the store in the future. Sue and her husband Jeff (who I met previously at a #PEITweetUp) own the Comic Hunter. I left the shop with a box of meditation incense and I will definitely go back again in the future :)

Tomorrow begins another week of #MyDowntownWishList - tag what you wish for and you could be the next winner. Good luck!

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UPDATE: 

On December 17th, @TheComicHunter tweeted that they are now selling Sue's beautiful hand spun yarn :)

Day 12 - Grand Senses

Grand Senses – an Aveda spa, salon and boutique opened in the spring of 2015 in downtown Charlottetown. I met the amazing Virginia MacIsaac, General Manager at the Chamber of Commerce Holiday Mixer and within moments of speaking to her, I couldn’t wait to go visit Grand Senses for the first time!

When Tracy and I went to see Virginia, we were greeted with a cup of delicious Aveda comforting tea. She took us on a tour of the luxurious spa, salon and boutique. The spa was beautifully designed, impeccably clean, and it was radiating with zen. We couldn’t help but feel relaxed after walking through the doors of Grand Senses. We also had the opportunity to meet a few of her talented team members.  Each Aveda service offers a finishing touch, such as a makeup touch-up or a hand massage. We opted for the hand massage; I had not realized how tight the muscles in my hands were, the massage felt unbelievable.

 The lovely waiting area

 massage chairs while you wait for your Grand Senses experience

where the spa magic happens

 after your service you can relax in the infrared sauna

I spent 30 minutes in the aqua therapy massage bed, a unique “dry water massage”. This was an out-of-body experience, I felt so relaxed and at peace after this experience. I can’t wait to go back!

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My Downtown Wish List includes:

Breath in Be Well – Chakra balancing mist

comforting tea

blue oil balancing concentrate

travel size favourites

holiday gift sets

I highly recommend you visit Grand Senses located at 123 Grafton Street. You can also pair champagne from the Holman Grand Hotel with a spa package or work with Grand Senses to develop your own dream package. To find out more you can visit their website, Facebook and Twitter.

#DowntownWishList is giving away more $100 prepaid MasterCards from Monday to Friday. Don't miss out!

Day 11 - Courtside Sneakers

Courtside Sneakers is a sneaker boutique specializing in basketball & retro footwear.  Nathan Clark (young entrepreneur/owner) opened his first store in Charlottetown, and has since expanded to Halifax and Moncton locations.  Today was my first time at Courtside Sneakers and I was very impressed with their selection of shoes and the friendliness of the employee that helped me – I definitely had that one-on-one, personal shopping experience that their website promises.

Courtside Sneakers offers many exclusive brands and styles that you won’t find at any other footwear stores in Atlantic Canada. 

My Downtown Wish List includes:

Jason Markk essential shoe care kit

Nike toques

Nike Lunarfly 306 'China QS'

another Nike toque :)

a wide selection of Nike shoes in bright colours

Courtside Sneakers is located at 155 Queen Street, with their unique signage CRTSD SNKRS (without the vowels). You can also check out their website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Christmas wishes do come true. Post a picture from your Downtown Wish List on social media, including the hashtag #MyDowntownWishList and the name of the store. Enter for a chance to win a $100 pre-paid Mastercard to make your purchase.

Day 10 - Cool As A Moose

“Cool As A Moose” opened in Charlottetown in May 2015 - specializing in cozy apparel, gifts, souvenirs and sunglasses. They also have Canadian locations in Banff, Whistler, Quebec City and two stores in Halifax.

The Cudmore family has over 100 years of customer service experience, with Henderson & Cudmore opening its doors in Charlottetown in 1914. They have a long standing family rule that no customer should enter their store without being welcomed within 10 seconds. This past week, I went into "Cool As A Moose" three times to “test” this rule, and all three times I was greeted immediately. In my opinion, small gestures such as a warm hello really make a difference and show that the employees care about their customers.

Hermie the store mascot all decked out for the holidays!

My Downtown Wish List includes:

cozy plaid slippers 

a bag full of gemstones

fun furry toques

If you didn’t like the Cow Chips from Day 9, you’ll love the Moose Chips ;)

“Cool As A Moose” is located at 156 Queen Street in Downtown Charlottetown. You can also find out more via their website and Facebook page.

Hard to believe the second week of #MyDowntownWishList is complete, however there are two more weeks to go. The more photos you share from your downtown shopping experience, the more chances you have to win :)

Day 9 - Cows

Cows began making ice cream back in 1983 and their secret recipe dates back to the time of Anne of Green Gables. Two years later, Cows began designing fun uniforms for their employees. As a result, the customers not only wanted to buy the ice cream, they wanted to buy the staff clothing as well. Cows decided to introduce a line of T-shirts and sweatshirts, which featured the colourful images of outstanding designers. The images became extremely popular and further products (caps, mugs, towels, sleepwear, etc.) were added to the Cows retail mix.

Cows was previously named "Best Ice Cream in Canada" and was also selected as "Best Ice Cream in the World"! Once you taste it, I am confident that you will agree ;)

My Downtown Wish List includes:

moo chews, cow pies, half moons and cow smoooches :)

 the gift of cozy novelty mittens - doubles as hand puppets ;)

a wide selection of cow-themed t-shirts

A mix of salty and sweet - cow chips are lovely :)

Cows is open year round, and is located at 150 Queen Street. You can also visit their website, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. 

Another #MyDowntownWishList winner was randomly chosen today - the more photos you share from your downtown shopping experience, the more chances you have to win :)