As a kid I used to go to the local Grand & Toy to pick up some Prisma Colors and other must-have supplies for art class. Oh, if only I knew then what I know now about where to get the most rockin' paints, pastels, sketch books and other art supplies in town.

Fast fashion is on seemingly every streetcorner now, luring in burgeoning fashion fiends with their easy, affordable, one-season wares. Sure, it's cheap, but it creates legions of pseudo-style-bots clad in boilerplate, fall-apart fashion. Barf! Fashion originals usually have some vintage in the mix. Here in Toronto, we're lucky enough to have some of the best vintage clothing stores around that are (mostly) snob-free, and filled with built-to-last, one-of-a-kind items (and sans that thrift-store stench).

Eating rice pasta, spelt pancakes or gluten free chocolate cake may not be on most people's culinary to-do lists. But for those with a wheat intolerance or celiac disease, finding places in Toronto to get a safe, tasty meal with items like this on the menu is not a task taken lightly.

Luckily, there are now more wheat and gluten free options than ever. There are a couple of web sites that make the search for wheat and gluten free foods a little easier. Two to check out are Gluten Free Ontario and Toronto Celiac. And there are a number of specialty food purveyors like Molly B's, Gluten-Free Toronto and Goodbye Gluten that do custom orders or bake stuff available at health food stores across the city.

Toronto, perhaps more than any city in the world, is blessed with an abundance of great roti. It's a fixture at street festivals, big events like Pride and Caribana and is almost a competitive sport in neighbourhoods like Parkdale and parts of Scarborough.

For those who indulge, the question of who makes the best roti in Toronto is taken very seriously and allegiances run deep and often divided between a certain East-Indian variety to the more common Caribbean styles.

The guy who compares apples to oranges is missing the point, but he's less doomed than the guy who tries to price compare oranges to themselves. Down that path lies madness. Oxford has 10 oranges for $4.99, College Fruit Market has 12 for the same. Mona sells them 2 for $1. You can get 4 yellow peppers for $2 at Valley Farm, or 3 for $2 at Maple.

But if you nickel and dime over fruit you'll never enjoy it, and it's one of the city's great accessible pleasures. By drawing passers-by in to have a closer look at the cherries, corn, or mangosteens, fruit and veg markets create the tasty streetlife we dream about in our off-grey offices. Look for the shady awnings and stacks of fresh peaches, and bite into some colour on your way home.

Except for a brief blip around the holidays, most mail is a grating medley of flyers, junkmail and bills. But mixed in with my recycling-to-be the other day was a thank you card from my friend's little girl (Hi Bridget!).

Getting unexpected, genuine post in the mail is like finding a $20 in your shorts' pocket when you bring your summer wardrobe back out. There's the heart-fluttering "what's this?" moment, as it puts lustre on an ordinary day.

Plus the underrated fun of actual card shopping. Where you can build a narrative around what the proprietor seems to think you'll be doing while you write your note. Maybe writing letters awakens your inner need to own soaps shaped like ducks. Develop a hankering for decorative ceramic tiles? Roger's Chocolates? Inspirational fridge magnets about changing the world? An apron that says "Will Cook for Sex"?

I might open a store that sells greeting cards, pulled pork, and cat toys. I genuinely think I could get away with it.