What a super cool gift shop. You'll find it immediately as you turn off the Great River Road, to…read moreexplore the Village of Elsah. It's the first building you'll see. You can stop and shop as you enter, or go exploring and then as you are leaving, stop and shop. Either way, I can guarantee you'll find something to buy. Peace Works is a .Fair Trade & Charitable Market. Their mission is, promote peace by supporting those who make a difference. I bought some Grounds & Hounds Coffee. It's 100% Fair Trade Organic and 20% of all proceeds fund life saving animal rescue initiatives. I'm a big advocate for dog and cat rescue. They also had some amazing photographs and art works for sale. One really caught my eye and I may be going back to get it. I'm eyeing spaces in my house now. Other great items were their jewelry offerings and jelly & jams. I love a good jelly. Jelly is what makes your PBJ tasty. Julie the owner is very personable and her passion for what she does is obvious. Now that I have discovered Peace Works, I'll be returning to shop again.

If you need a unique gift, Honeybee is where you need to shop. It's a good mixture of new and…read morevintage merchandise. It is a great addition to E Broadway (Downtown Alton). I'll admit, I haven't bought a gift here. However, I have bought myself several new pairs of socks, a couple of Christmas ornaments and a candle or two. As you can see, any of those items would make a nice one. I apologize for no pictures, but was I so impressed while I shopped I just forgot. I'll go back and add photos at a later date. I also enjoyed talking with the owner, she is so bubbly and pro Alton.

Love this locally owned boutique! They have work from lots of local makers, it's beautifully laid…read moreout with a selection great for browsing. You'll spend more than 20min here. They have fancy chocolate, local food, dishes & silverware and ceramics. There's art for sale by local artists. They have plenty of jewelry to browse through. There's clothes and antiques too. Great spot!

OMG! I absolutely loved this store. It may be in a small country town, but you'd never know it. The…read moremerchandise is trendy and upscale. They have Nora Fleming and Hallmark cards, which are two of my favorite things. The customer service was excellent. The ladies working were so friendly and helpful. I need to also give a shout out to the young man pharmacist, who was patiently explaining a medicare plan to a customer. It was as if he were helping his own grandmother. Whenever I am in Sparta, I will stop by. I may even make a special trip to just shop here. Yep, I was that impressed with all their goodies.

DG Market is a Dollar General Store with a much larger grocery selection. I'd say it is…read moreapproximately 60% grocery and 40% your typical dollar store variety. The grocery area reminded me of a low-end Aldi's or a Ruler store. They did have many name brands and then a good variety of generic brands that you most likely never heard of. Be sure to know your prices, many items I saw were not priced cheaper then your typical Target or Schnucks. I did great buying school supplies for a local charity. I was able to get a lot more here, than at the local office supply or Target stores. Also, being a greeting card junkie I was able to snag up several good cards on the cheap. A cheap card makes up for the expensive postage. I also got a package of 8 cute blank note cards for a $1. That is mind blowing. For a discount store, it was well organized and clean. There was no clutter blocking the aisles. Associates on the floor were helpful, one guided me to the correct aisle for the school supplies. When checking out, the cashier was friendly and did his job well. Trying to be politically correct, he was a special needs individual and I was happy to see DG was giving him an opportunity to work. That got them the 4th Star.

What a great local garden shop! I picked up herbs, tomatoes and peppers. Service was amazing and…read morevery helpful. They have plenty of cute pots and garden decorations. Saw some cool succulents too. We just moved to Alton and I have a feeling this will be my go to spot!

THIS IS WHERE YOU GO FOR YOUR PLANTS AND GARDEN NEEDS!…read more Came here to get my MIL yellow petunias for her garden. She specifically wanted these, and my husband told me about this local garden shop. It did not disappoint. First off- this place is more than plants. There is yard and garden decor and needs, along with an array of flowers and plants. I know nothing about flowers and plants, told Will- Employee/Brother of Owner- what I needed.....and cannot say enough positive things about the experience! Will was patient, helpful, and so knowledgeable! He set me up with not 1, not 2 but 8 yellow petunia plants for my MIL! They were beautiful and my MIL loved them! The prices are so reasonable, the quality is fantastic, and the customer service phenomenal! SUPPORT A FAMILY-OWNED LOCAL BUSINESS AND GO HERE!

When you move from a 990 square foot house to a 2100 square foot house, you need a lot of new…read morefurniture. To fill all of this extra space, it was a no-brainer for me to come back to NFHF. Especially now, since I had moved to the Alton area, it was a logical choice. I'll be honest, I did shop some of the local chains, but they could not match the quality and prices I found here at NFHF. When I moved to Godfrey, I gained a great room, formal dining room, breakfast nook and a second bedroom. So you can see why I needed lots of furniture. The entire staff knew me by the time I was done with all my selections. I'd get dimensions and go home to measure, making sure it would fit. Then I'd take pictures to text to friends and family, to help when I could not decide between two items. All the staff was so patient and helpful with me. I could not have asked for any better customer service. Here's a breakdown on what I purchased: Dinning Room - A bar cabinet and Sideboard Great Room - Sofa, Coffee Table and Comfy Chair Breakfast Nook - Drop-leaf Table and Two Chairs My Bedroom - Nightstand to Match my Bedroom Set I bought 10 years ago. Second Bedroom - Wood & Iron Bed-frame - Queen Size Front Porch - Unfinished Chair to paint orange Having a larger bedroom in the master suite, I was excited to see that they still offered the same set that I purchased 10 years ago. I was able to finally purchase the nightstand. It was a wise move to select a traditional style that stays in fashion in home furnishings. All my guest who have visited my new home, love my new Bar Cabinet. They all comment how unique and different it is from the regular bars you see at other major retailers. What has blown most of my guest away the most is the upholstered items I purchased. My friends and family from the Alton area had no idea, that NFHF had upholstered items, they just knew them for their quality wood furniture. One of them has gone in and purchased a sofa for themselves. My personal favorite items that I purchased are the drop-leaf table and chairs for the breakfast nook and the chair I bought for the front porch. I love relaxing in my breakfast nook and the orange chair on the front porch, is a great eye-catcher for people to find my new home. If you are in need of quality solid wood furniture or some upholstered items, I recommend checking this place out. New Frontier Home Furnishings has made my new house a home.

Was looking for a floor lamp. Visited a cpl local furniture stores only to be told they don't sell…read morelamps. Walked in to this store, and immediately I liked it. Was able to find a floor lamp in no time. They offer a lot of beautiful furniture and furnishings. Service was great, their store layout was nice. Shop local.

I went in today and the staff was very helpful. I did not know what I wanted and I described what…read moreI needed, and they payed very close attention to my needs. It is always nice to walk in and know that they are going to listen to what you need and not just sell you what they need to get off the shelf.

The staff is always courteous and helpful. They will recommend the best deals and help you find…read morewhat you're looking for.

I have ordered about 700 dollars in e juice from this place online it's always fast and they always…read moresend me little samples in the mail so I love this place the customer service is amazing and the process to order online is super simple. If you ask for a discount code they give it to you with out hesitation if that's not incredible I don't know what it is. In total they have saved me about 90 dollars so nuff' said. If you need a suggestion try pin up brand lanaaaaaaaaa