Nothing's too good for our newborn, which is why we're willing to spend a small fortune on small clothes that'll be good for a short amount of time--a few weeks, maybe a couple of months if we're lucky. This Lakewood store is the place to shop for those who want to pamper their Pampers-wearer: The racks are lined with beautiful import clothing (Petit Bateau, especially, which costs a fortune but lasts forever, or until Junior can hold his head up unassisted), the shelves are stacked with blankets so soft and sumptuous you'll fight the kiddo for 'em and the walls are decorated with the kinds of accessories and knickknacks you read about in those British baby magazines in which Damon Albarn and David Beckham are always pictured looking like the coolest dads that side of the Atlantic. Mostly we shop here so one day we can tell our boy, "We bought all your clothes at Bebe Grand, and look at the thanks we got." Guilt, it's priceless.

In college, we'd lock ourselves in the journalism department's darkroom, crank up the classic rock station and print black-and-white photos until the wee hours of the morning. While the other students were doing beer bongs, we were inhaling the sweet aroma of developer, toner and Photo-Flo. Nowadays, the cost of setting up a personal darkroom--and the recurring nightmare of our dog plundering the boxes of photo papers--is prohibitive. That's why we were glad to hear about Dallas Darkroom, a photo studio and darkroom that's open to the public. You can drop by to print some photos or develop a roll of B&W, or you can call to reserve the photo studio and lighting equipment (all at hourly rates). The staff also offers classes for beginners and advanced photography students.

Do they have the best prices, the best selection, the best trade-ins? We're too busy hunting down baddies in Max Payne to take the time for a survey. We just shop here. A lot. Why? Discounts and variety are part of the reason, but what we like best is the fact that the clerks are players, too. Want to know which of the latest half-dozen NFL games deserves your 50 bucks? Ask the guy behind the counter. Chances are he's played most of them, and when you're checking couch cushions for change to feed your gaming jones, that kind of firsthand advice is invaluable. They also stock new, used and refurbished consoles and a slew of accessories at their 90-plus metroplex stores, as well as DVDs, including the occasional rare anime feature. Become a member of their Game Informer club and earn another 10 percent discount over already marked-down prices. You might just save enough to buy the jumbo bag of Chee-tos.

Not since Annie Sprinkle and Tim Miller graced the stage at Kitchen Dog Theater has there been such an outpouring of LOVE for the bedroom behaviors of all sorts of alternative lifestyles. New Fine Arts East has the best a big city can offer in gay-porn videos, DVDs, magazines, lubes, toys, costumes and games. Look carefully for single servings of "video-head cleaner."

Not sure how so many brand-new, still-shrinkwrapped, kick-ass discs end up in the "used" bin at CD Source. And guess what? We don't really care. Even with Universal's recent decision to drop CD prices, you can't beat getting a $9 copy of the latest, say, Mary J. Blige disc the same week it's out. You can't. Seriously. Don't even try. Wait, what're you doing? What'd we just say? Don't make us get out of this chair. It won't be pretty.

This cool little hole-in-the-wall in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff sells quality cigars, vintage smoking accoutrements and what has to be the most complete selection of rare and select drinkable (as opposed to collectible) soda pop on the planet. Their brand list of cold drinks is waaay too long to repeat here, but it includes A&W Root Beer in rare longneck bottles, A.J. Stephens Root Beer and Birch Beer, Baron's Boot Hill Sassparilla, Big Red in the 10-ounce original heavy glass bottles, Blenheim Red Hot Ginger Ale, Frostie Blue Cream, Henry Weinhard's Orange & Cream and Vernors Ginger Ale in longneck glass. Did we mention Moxie Original Cola Elixir? And dozens and dozens more. It ain't cheap, but if it's the taste you crave, Ifs Ands & Butts is the deal.

Don't want to take our word on it? Fine, then take Allure magazine's, which recently named colorist J.T. Osgood one of the best colorists around. This is no surprise, as this tony, 'spensive (but worth it) salon in Snider Plaza has long been known as one of the best of its kind in town. As well, The Dallas Morning News' Alan Peppard recently named Bruce Osgood one of the 10 best-dressed men in Dallas. So you get to see that, too.

We have a friend who has tried out all the dating services. She is professional, mid-30s and has had a varied degree of success with each. Most of the time the dates turn out OK, sometimes not so much. But she and others we've talked to have nothing but good things to say about the hard-asses at It's Just Lunch. The service, which helps set up professionals on low-risk dates (lunch or early drinks after work, never dinner), does a lot of prescreening, which helps them know who needs to be matched up with whom. When you're payin' to find a mate, the least you can ask of the folks is to thoroughly grill the meat you might eat.

Taking a high school hockey team into the Players Bench is asking for trouble. As their eyes go wide and they take in their surroundings, it's likely that a few might begin to drool, and after a few seconds, all pretense of decorum is abandoned. Players race through the store trying on every piece of equipment that isn't stapled to a display dummy, and that's a lot of equipment to get thrown around. Players Bench, one of the largest hockey-equipment retailers in the Dallas area, can outfit entire teams in helmets, gloves, pants, jock straps...well, maybe not those, but the point is they have a plethora of equipment in different colors, sizes and brands. You want the new Easton Synergy? Forget the expensive rink pro shops and take a trip to Richardson to get the best equipment on the market for a great price.

Sure, there are places with more selection and places with cheaper prices. But for charm, service, and originality, this corner mainstay in East Dallas deserves some credit. Specializing in organics, it has a great selection of herbs and perennials, plus all the natural fertilizers and pest controls you need to unplug from the chemical factory . Many of its garden accessories are locally made, including its great heavyweight cedar arbors and trellises.