Great local toy store! The owner and her daughter were very friendly and helpful. I bought a…read morelight-up gaming controller for my wall, and it was a good value for the price and great quality. They have lots of nice toys and gifts, and they'll even wrap them for you. Overall, great service and a great shopping experience. Would definitely recommend!

I was very disappointed with my experience. The payout offered for gently used items was so low…read morethat it honestly wasn't worth the time or effort to bring everything in. Stores that buy used items like this just aren't worth it if you're hoping to get a reasonable return. For example, if you paid around $300 for a bassinet that's still in excellent condition, you may only be offered around $20 for it. The store may then resell it for $50 to $75. While I understand these businesses need to make a profit, the amount offered to sellers felt far too low to make it worthwhile. In my opinion, you're better off selling your items yourself through a local marketplace or giving them to a family in need. At least that way you'll either receive a fairer price or know your items are helping someone else. Unfortunately, I won't be selling here again.

Learning Express has been a great gift shop for kids for years. And yet it still is…read more I come here to get lots of gifts for the "little" people in my family. Especially around the holidays, this store is a gem because it's never congested like Toys R Us can be sometimes and the staff are personable, kind, and actually knowledgeable about the items they sell. Sometimes you'll be even lucky to find someone working at Toys R Us! Now, the selection here in comparison to Toys R Us is definitely different. This is a smaller store and therefore, much less incapable to hold the excess of toys that are able to be held by the larger chains. Plus, any independent business is smaller so service can be supreme, and so that they can actually survive. I hope there never becomes a day when all the small, independent stores are gone, because having this place around makes Christmas and birthday shopping very easy and much less hectic. Organized, not overpriced and ideal for any parent to do shopping for their kids or gifting for others at. While this probably should be a five star review, the Newton location does seem to always have a little more of exactly the stuff I'm looking for... and for that only, minus one star. I will continue to patronize them. 4 stars.

I absolutely love this location. They have a huge selection of toys and is super organized. The…read moreowner and manger are so nice and helpful. If you have kids into fidget toys and Squishmallows, Needham LE is the place to go!

The Paper Store has more than 100 stores across the U.S. The Paper Store offers an ever-changing…read morecollection of products, spanning fashion, beauty essentials, home décor, jewelry, and more. There are top brands like Stanley, Jellycat, the trending Dubai Chocolate Bar, and so much more. As being a member of the Paper Store Perks, I received an offer of 20% off total purchase for my birthday. The offer was valid in-store and online for a whole month and it excluded some brand names like Air & Anchor, Birkenstock, Bogg Bags, Bombas, Cotopaxi, Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, Jellycat, kate spade NEW YORK, Owala, sale and clearance, and gift cards. I was able to use it for Lavender Wildflowers Boxed Everyday Note Cards. I continued browsing the website and saw some Jellycats that were sold out on the official Jellycats website. I was so happy to get the Little Pup Bag Charm and Amuseable Birthday Cake Plush! There were options for delivery or in-store pickup. Some Jellycats were not available for shipping and only the free pick up in store option. With that option, I was able to select which store to pickup. I submitted my order at 9:36am and at 10:35am, I received an email that my order is ready for pickup. The order has to be picked up within 5 days or the product will be returned to inventory. The Paper Store is located in Legacy Place. There are plenty of parking spots and Legacy Place has many other businesses. I browsed the store and asked a staff member where I could find the Dubai Bars. The staff member informed me they were at the checkout counter. I picked up 2 Dubai Bars ($25.00 each) for friends and a Dubai Birthday Cake ($25.00) for myself. I also informed them that I had an order to pickup. The staff member asked me for my name and brought my online order to me. After picking up my order, I received an email saying thank you for picking up your order.

I always have a great time walking around The Paper Store. This goes for any of their locations…read more They have fun gifty trinkets, clothing, puzzles, games, toys, drink ware, gadgets, jewelry, the list goes on. It's particularly fun to come here around the holidays because they have a ton of good stuff for your house or to gift somebody, but it's always staged (and organized) nicely too. I came in for a journal and some pens to get as a birthday present for my friend and I could've spent another hour walking around looking at all the other stuff they had out. Super speedy checkout. No line, was in and out in no time.

Great variety of activities When you can go and n a get…read morepresents for a few children. That is so helpful and easy Popular toys are available. Lego s. Etc.

Oh what a wonderful place this is! It's a true gem in JP and the whole city of Boston, really. The…read moreselection is terrific- for a small footprint they're packed with toys for infants through adults, from bath toys to books to art and science kits, Lego, puzzles, games, dress-ups, sports activities, just allllllll the things. The front displays are so well done and the space is really inviting. There's a bathroom with changing table that is family friendly and means if you're in JP with kids you have a place to "stop and go right away" (a little Daniel Tiger reference for the parents). They gift wrap and sell balloons, so it is THE spot for birthdays and holidays. If you become a member, you get sweet discounts, and the 5th Sunday of the month also has special bonuses. Best of all, there's a sign in the window with 2 different names on it every day, and if one of those names is yours, big prize! Even if we aren't planning a trip to Boing, it's always a treat to check the names. The people who work at this store are friendly and really knowledgeable. You go in and say "I need to get a 7yo girl a $15 gift and she's into horses" and you've got 3 options off the bat. I've never had a gift from Boing go wrong, but even if it did, they do gift receipts! After Halloween, you can also donate candy and get credit to use in the store- perfect for kids who are allergic to half their candy and otherwise feel pretty glum with their trick or treat haul. Definitely worth a visit to shop or browse, there's something fun for everyone!

What an unfortunate event happened to TARGET A FEW DAYS AGO, was shopping and found all the…read morerefrigerators EMPTY! I know the prices are high but to have EMPTY REFRIGERATORS, till I asked one of the Managers in the area. According to him the store lost power NOT TARGETS FAULT BUT NATIONAL GRID! So, they estimated that 1/4 of a MILLION DOLLARS OF MEATS and all other refrigerator items were thrown in the dumpster! What's extremely disturbing is that some of the public was trying to salvage some of that food!!! With many people suffering from Food INSECURITY ALL WAS DISPOSED! TARGETS REASON: LIABILITY! Why don't they have anyone that wanted to salvage the waste to sign waivers or donate what was sealed and vacuum packed! Just cause it was 6 hours without refrigeration I'm sure it was still healthy to eat and feed just think what A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS OF FOOD COULD HAVE BEEN SUPER BENEFICIAL! Sorry to hear this from actual Target employees and they feel the same way! What a tremendous WASTE! If they took it upon themselves to forgo LIABILITY FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THOSE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET! The Public should know that Yes Target does not want to harm anyone BUT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN HEROS TO ALL OF THERE FOOD TO DONATION CENTERS AND THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS! I personally very heart broken to hear of such waste!

Store shelves are still not fully restocked when I visited this year in Sep 2024. I went in for…read morebottled water and had literally only one of two 24-packs to select from (and it was this weird ionized water stuff)... pass. Even going to grab some other supplies and the shelves were messy and needed to get sorted in menswear. Staffers in short supply. They still do have plastic bags, though. Good thing is found some randomly marked down toys on one of the end caps. Totally unnecessary purchase, but at 75% off, it was a reasonable deal.

I ordered a Sonny Baby online from the CouCou Boston website and was very happy with what I…read morereceived. Initially, I had an issue with UPS's shipping and CouCou's customer service was so helpful and so responsive. You will be in good hands shopping at CouCou whether online or in-person. Great customer service and I love my purchase!

Getting misty-eyed as a write this. I'm a divorced mother of two and I have the kids for Christmas…read moreEve and Christmas (and I'm hosting Christmas Day). Very happy about this but slightly overwhelmed. The one thing hanging over my head was the kids stockings. For them, the stockings are even more exciting than the big, wrapped presents. The thought of rifling through all the junk on Amazon or fighting the crowds at Target was daunting. Enter Astrid, the owner of CouCou, which recently moved from the South End to the hip WinSmith Studios in Norwood. I contacted her and she immediately responded with 'you got it. I'll take pictures of what I gather for each child and you can tell me if I need to make adjustments.'. She's also wrapping each gift and on top of that using one paper for my daughter and another paper for my son. We all shop on Amazon for the convenience but my god, how nice is the personal touch. A holiday PSA moment to SHOP SMALL. God bless you, Astrid- youre my Christmas miracle.

If you're a teacher, you likely already know about this place and have been here numerous times. I…read morereally like this place, even though I have no children and teach college students. I tend to shop here for educational items for relatives and friends' children. The staff is very friendly and patient, even when you have no idea what you are looking for. The store is well lit and well organized, so you know relatively quickly whether the item is available. The have undoubtedly the best selection of educational materials for all ages of any store around. That said, they are rather pricey and it is easy to blow through whatever budget you may have had walking in. I would suggest shopping here last, as many things can be found at Target, Amazon, and other outlets. If there is something in particular, especially harder to find educational aids, then this is your place. Just prepare to spend accordingly.

So I do a lot of shopping for my classroom.... and I buy much too much stuff, and have a lot in…read morestorage, but I always will end up using it at some point. Lakeshore is a really good place for the items that are rare. Special board games, art supplies, and even classroom decor (no where sells that stuff anymore!) have huge presences throughout this place. Lots of variety, very colorful store in general (it actually is too bright in here sometimes), and lots of unique and innovative products that aren't found in any other store. I definitely get more for a buck at WB Mason, and probably shop there three times as much as here, but this is the place I get things that are fun, useful, and normally for activities that are memorable for kids. Staff are always friendly and definitely search out the clearance tags here, they are a goldmine! Make sure to bring the 20% off coupons they send out and are sometimes on their website. In closing, great place for teachers to shop for any classes from Kindergarten - Grade 8. Don't expect the lowest prices, and I would never suggest buying crayons or pencils here. They will be lots cheaper online or at Staples down the street. 4 stars for Lakeshore. Located in Newton on Needham Street (technically, it's on Industrial Place). Exit 19A off Rt. 128, turn right at the HomeGoods (Industrial Place) and the store is the last storefront on the right side of that side street.