Mimi & Lena

I have been here several times and it is always a fun and enjoyable experience. Definitely a different atmosphere here than you will find in chain stores such as you would find in the mall. The clothes are feminine and girly, but tasteful. I really like the fabrics and the styles, although the prices are a bit high. That is to be expected though, from a boutique store.

The staff has always been friendly, even on the occasions I have been there for a while and not ended up purchasing anything.

If you like nice clothes for you, it is a great place to visit and to buy if your wallet allows!

Grasshopper

We went to this store for the first time the other day and it was such a treat! It is a small little store, but packed full of fun things for children - including books, toys, clothes, shoes and all kinds of accessories such as diaper bags, bibs, etc.

Everything seems to be made from nice materials - the clothing is beautiful although on the spendy side as boutique clothing is. The toys are mostly wooden, very educational - lots of fun music instruments, puzzles, etc. My kids had so much fun browsing here!

This is in the fun and funky Alberta area which is starting to be more and more spruced up. There are several restaurants and other fun stores within walking distance as well, so you can make a day out of it!

PROS: Great quality items for kids, small feel, friendly staff
CONS: Small space, so a little hard to move around in with kids

McLoughlin House

This is a fun place to visit with your kids to learn a little bit more about Oregon's past. The house is fun to explore and there are lots of items and descriptions inside that help paint the picture of what life in Oregon was like in olden days. It is especially interesting for school-age children as you are able to learn more about some of the historical people and events covered in school. My toddler was less interested, but my daughter really enjoyed our visit.

DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital SE

Although a bit on the spendy side, when your pet is sick at all hours of the night, this is where you want to bring him/her and it is worth every penny.

Dove Lewis offers 24 hour emergency veterinary care for animals and are very well trained to handle pretty much any pet emergency. They have a large, well-trained staff and are comforting and reassuring to the owners, as well as forthcoming with information.

I visited here with my former neighbor and her dog when he began having trouble breathing during the night and she was so impressed with the care she and her pet received. When she took her dog (who turned out to have a treatable virus) to her regular vet, he gave her choice a thumbs up and said that he always refers people to them when he needs to and has never had any complaints about care received.

PROS: Open 24 hours, knowledgeable and caring staff
CONS: Cost

Milagros Boutique

Milagros sells both new and used clothing and accessories for moms and kids, with a particular emphasis on earth-friendly and what they call "fairly-made" products. They have things that are different than what you might find in most baby stores, which is very refreshing. Their selection of slings and other easy -to-use baby carriers in particular is quite impressive.

In addition to locally made items such as wooden toys, clothing items, soap, etc., they also offer lots of information for families on topics such as attachment parenting, cloth-diapering, breastfeeding, etc. It definitely has a "crunchy" feel, but is very friendly and a really wonderful place to give your business to.

PROS: Family friendly feel, environmentally conscious items
CONS: Small store, although they are expanding and growing!

Tigard Playschool

One of my daughters good friends attends this preschool and both she and her parents love the interaction this type of preschool provides between parents, students and teacher. It is a very cooperative feeling, and the parents are very motivated to help keep costs down and be very involved in the goings-on at this school.

There is a certified teacher in charge, but parents help out in most other aspects. My daughter's friend has thrived in this environment and her little brother will be attending also as soon as he is old enough.

PROS: Cooperative learning between parents, teacher and children
CONS: Significant time involvement required, so not for every family

City Liquidators

This is an interesting store, not only for finding bargains on furniture, organizational items and other materials for your home or office, but also just to browse. They have an amazing selection of things "grabbed" from businesses that are going out of business and want to liquidate what assets they have. The savings gets passed on to buyers and it results in a very odd mix of things available to purchase. Each time I have gone I have found different things.

It's a bit hard to find something specific if you are looking for it, but a great place to wander the aisles and pick up lots of things that you never knew you needed!

PROS: Lots to pick from, interesting choices
CONS: A bit overwhelming, hard to find specific items

Garden Home Community Library

This small little branch of the library is housed in the Garden Home Community center and it has some of the "charm" that neighborhood libraries used to have back in the day. There is not a large selection of materials available, but it is quiet and easy to find what you are looking for if they have it. It gets less traffic than the other branchces which is nice if you want some peace and quiet and a cozy spot to relax and read or browse.

They do have internet access here though and the staff are very friendly, and can help you order materials from another branch if you want to have them delivered.

PROS: Small, old-time library feel
CONS: Not a huge selection, have to order materials from other branches

New Renaissance Bookshop

I was actually pleasantly surprised on my visit to New Renaissance Bookshop. New Age is not really my thing, but I went with a friend of mine, pretty much expecting to be turned off. It was actually very interesting and I enjoyed myself browsing through the store. Yes, it is very new age, but it has books and gifts covering a wide range of topics and the atmosphere is definitely relaxing.

They also host a range of events - classes, forums, weekened senimars, etc. - there is information on those available in the store.

If you are at all interested in New Age or mysticism or culture that is a little bit "outside the box" you would enjoy a visit to this store. The prices are a little high, but not out of line with what you find in NW Portland

Oregon Sports Hall-Fame Museum

This little museum is not very well known - it is one of the hidden gems of Portland - but it is well worth a visit even if you are not a huge sports fan. I am not a sports nut, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself here. I had no idea how many famous athletes were from Oregon (or had connections to the state).

It is fun for kids, but also for adults. There are lots of hands-on, interactive exhibits to see, touch and listen to. It is located downtown, so you can stop by as part of a walking tour of downtown, or plan a special visit just to see the museum. Either way, you should check it out if you haven't already.