I don't know what's going on with the people working at this Paper Source, but they seriously need…read morea crash course in basic manners. My friends and I walked in just to shop -- not to get eye rolls and attitude for being excited over literal stuffed animals. Every question we asked was met with snark, and the employees acted like helping customers was beneath them. It felt like we were interrupting their day just by being there. Sorry for trying to buy cute jelly cats at your store? The whole vibe was unwelcoming and rude from start to finish. We ended up leaving because no one deserves to be treated like that over stationery and wrapping paper. Save yourself the headache -- shop literally anywhere else. Paper Source should be embarrassed to have staff that rude representing their brand.

me and my friends went into paper source to look at the jelly cats that they have on display and…read morefor sale and we were picking them up and looking at them and one of the lady workers came up to us and said "you're really supposed to keep those on the shelf" and we were like sorry, and we were walking around and looking at them and she was following us and scanning us and we were really upset. We wanted to buy jelly cats and then she asked "well are you going to buy one" and we walked out of the store upset.

I decided on a whim to take a glass blowing class here and it was very fun and interesting. Lots…read moreof laughs and I got to take home some water globes. I would definitely recommend this. Thanks!

We had my daughter's 6th birthday party here last week. It…read morewas easy to book online. I also phoned them many times with different questions and they were patient and helpful. It was nice that we could bring any food and drinks we wanted, even some Champagne and hard seltzer for parents. Cheers to that :) Also, it was nice to have the party at a room separated from the main store. Besides the pottery painting I added cupcakes decorating activity and it was a success. All kids loved it of course! A week after the party, I received a text message that all our pottery was ready and thats so nice too, much quicker than expected. I definitely recommend this place! We'll be back for sure.

"For here Am I sitting in a tin can…read moreFar above the world Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do" Au contraire, Major Tom! There is so very much to do at Playoddity! Activity sets, classes, sets for the family. It is a bit confusing as this is a large open space. Lots of fun items.

Amazing, one of a kind concept. Very unique interior and products for special gift or if you are…read morelooking for something to do with your kids. Everyone at the store is super friendly and helpful. I also heard the birthday parties are awesome, we plan to schedule one for April.

Friendly staff. Nice selection of hand made items. Lady working said if you see something you…read morewant but in another color, let them know- most everything can be customized. Reasonable prices for gifts and art.

Craft Collective is the perfect location to pick up a unique item for yourself or a friend or…read morefamily member. I've been there many times and never leave empty handed. With a wide variety of items from many different crafters, there seems to be something for everyone! The staff and owners are all friendly and helpful in creating gift ideas.

II had an extremely disappointing experience with the French Finesse Class…read more The class was to feature Grilled Salmon with Caper Sauce, Grilled Vegetables, and Parisian "Gnocchi." We made the grilled salmon and vegetables, but the so-called "gnocchi" was a disaster. This was extremely disappointing because I was the most excited about making the gnocchi. Instead of making a more traditional gnocchi like you would picture (little dumpling pillows), we ended up with a soupy mess of polenta mixed with milk, butter, and French cheeses. The instructor told us that this polenta mixture would typically be baked in a pan and then cut in little squares like gnocchi (or at least that's what I understood), but in class we just let the mixture cool off and ate it as it is. It was basically eating polenta cheese goop - disgusting, and nothing like the gnocchi I pictured. First of all, the class description should have clearly specified what type of gnocchi we'd be making and if the class would not finish the entire recipe (note: writing "Parisian gnocchi" for the class is not sufficient because just by a google search there are different ways of making it). It's misleading not to clarify this in the description. It makes me wonder about the rest of their classes and what else they mislead people on. Secondly, the class was advertised to run from 6:30 PM to 9 PM. However, we finished (and I mean completely finished like by the time we finished eating everything) by 8 PM. It felt like they were rushing us out. They started cleaning up and doing dishes while we were still sitting at the table. It made us feel like they wanted us out as quickly as possible. If the class had actually run the full time as promised, we could have spent that extra hour finishing the gnocchi properly. Or we could have done the gnocchi first and while it was baking, cook the grilled salmon and vegetables. And that definitely could have been possible (I mean, come on). Instead, we were left with a below average dish and a rushed experience. Overall, this class was a huge letdown. The misleading description, poor quality of food, and the rushed environment made for a frustrating experience. I wouldn't recommend this class to anyone. And with the price I paid, I felt robbed. I do not know how they think this can be okay. To be clear, I would give the staff and my experience cooking everything else 5 stars. But the gnocchi and rushed experience really completely destroyed this entire thing for me.

I do not recommend this cooking class. The teacher explained nothing about what we were cooking,…read morenothing about the cuisine, the culture, what ingredients are typically used in the dish, why they're used, etc. We chopped common ingredients and put them together in a pan on an electric stove. The recipe looked like it was printed out from google, there just wasn't any thought put into the class. Nothing unique about the dish nothing out of the ordinary, nothing interesting. The food came out fine, nothing to write home about and certainly something that could be whipped up at home. I thankfully used a gift card otherwise, paying $200 for two people for that experience would have been outrageous. I would say it's a nice night out of an activity with drinking but you pay more for drinks, better off at a nice restaurant. Highly do not recommend this class if you're looking for an actual cooking class and a teacher who actually enjoys what they do/cook.

This was the one place in town that I was able to find Long Grove postcards! There were plenty of…read moreother goodies too, including lots of fun kitchenware and holiday items (a room full of Christmas and Halloween stuff for those of you who can't wait!) The lady working the counter was laid back & very personable, and laughed when my boyfriend pulled out a guitar that was sitting to the side of a display fixture and started strumming it; she said it's her boss's but he doesn't mind if people play it, and she's amazed how many people come in and do so as they're wandering around! A large shop with eclectic wares and good service; stop in when you're in town.

Great store, great owner!! Love to stop and see all of the new collections!!…read more I've bought the best garden flag stands here.

Instructors are not trained very well in accommodating their beginner students. 0 stars.read more

My husband was there on May 8 and posed for the students and for Frankie Johnson Frankie's is the…read moreowner so hers was amazing but all of the students got him spot on! Frankie is obviously a wonderful teacher! Very, very happy! Good job with your students they captured him perfectly!!!

We had a blast yesterday with the kids. I took my two year old and my eight year old here for…read moreSunday funday. It's been awhile since I've been there. But it definitely did not disappointed. The starting range to paint a blank ceramic is about 6 bucks, the cost does go up depending on the size, and or character. I saw some larger items for 22 bucks. This was a fun way to get out of the house, do something fun, creative, and expressive. Once your blank ceramic is purchased, they have multiple paint stations available. They provide the paint, the paint brushes, cups of water, and a plastic apron to cover your clothes. My eight year old loved the idea of the different colors. My two year old decided to mix all of her paint colors together. (We are working on her artistic skills) They also have really good deals on party packages and an exclusive party room. Apparently they make slim, paper art, canvases, and spray paint/graffiti art. The host was super nice, friendly, and informative. The kids enjoyed themselves and we will definitely be back.

Crisis averted. The…read moreplan for my teen's birthday fell apart with less than 72 hours notice, when the company we booked cancelled. Aside from being problematic, my daughter hadn't had a "good" birthday in the past few years - Covid, passing of a beloved pet, etc. this was supposed to be the redemption. In my panic, I posted to a local mom's group in desperation. Enter Robin and the Painted Penguin. That day I was super busy at work and couldn't respond to her message, but we connected in the evening, and she went above and beyond for us. My daughter and her friends made amazing art and had a great time. I was blown away by the variety and fun of the business (I kind of was a little jealous of the options they had). On top of all of this, Robin was fun, engaging, and genuinely helpful. TL;DR: 10/10 absolutely recommend, will go again.

Love this place. It's a great local craft place to shop. The team there always has lots of great…read moreinfo and will answer all your crafty questions. They have great make and takes on a regular basis. Love stopping in for the garage sale events they put on a few times a year

We drove from the city to come to this store. To our surprise is was awesome! They have about the…read moresame prices as online stores. They have some really nice paper and Brian is amazing with customer service. He told us about expos and how they work. Definitely will come here again and again. Nice store and nice people!

Hear ye, hear ye! Ye Olde Alpaca Shoppe is a funne activity as an adulte or kid!…read more Who wouldn't want to pet soft fuzzy alpacas? I sent a text as requested from their website to make an appointment for a tour and while it took a few days to respond back to me, we were able to book on a convenient day for us. In addition to the alpacas, there are rabbits, pot bellied pigs, horses, ducks, cows, and goats just to name a few of the farm folk that live here. The two young assistants that gave us the tour were very experienced and mature beyond their years. They had a lot of knowledge about each animal. If you wish to browse at the gift store, there's a lot of alpaca wool clothing, accessories, and stuffies for sale. They also sell their wares at local farmer's markets so check them out if you are interested in alpaca wool items. The cost of admission is very reasonable at $10 per person. If you are a fan of petting zoos and alpacas this is your place!

Love Alpacas?! Come visit SafeHouse Farm Alpacas! The farm is located in Barrington, IL. Just less…read morethan an hour from Chicago! The kids had such a wonderful time getting to know all the farm animals! Linda, the owner, was very personable and passionate on what she does. This was a very fun and educational visit for all of us! The kids loved feeding hay to all the Alpacas, donkey, ponies, horses, and goats! Farm visits are by appointment only! This is great because the hour at the farm is yours to explore with your family. And not to mention all the fun photos you'll get to take with all the animals! Before you leave, don't forget to purchase a dozen fresh farm eggs! We can't wait to visit again!