Beanstalk is the kind of toy store I wish is around when I was a kid. They carry a variety of toys…read moreand educational activity games. The store is clean and organized and I must mention the friendly staff on duty this past Saturday morning who offered to put a ribbon on a stuffed animal I purchased. There are plenty of street parking in front and around the store. It's a unique treasure for kids of all ages. Instead purchasing toys from of big box stores or Amazon, give Beanstalk a try!

This is an adorable toy store for the under 10 set. I am not in company with many youngsters…read moretheseadays, but I imagine this store is the kind of place they'd love. There's a train track that runs above the store with a train toddling along. I saw moms sitting on the floor while their kids explored. I was looking for newborn stuff, the store is more geared to toddlers and up, although lots of baby gear here too. I didn't stay long as I was looking for infant stuff but I imagine I'll be back when said newborn gets a little older.

Toys, Clothes, books and more for children! Great place to shop for gifts. The store has so much…read morein it that you really do have a difficult time figuring out what to buy. The display window is really big and packed with so much-- not a real attraction to customers.

To begin with, I'm not a Lego person. I can appreciate it, but it's not my thing. My husband,…read morehowever, is. We don't have kids, but in the de Taylor household, I have to watch where I step, because there may be a Lego underfoot. Accordingly, my husband asked if we could stop by Brick Loot on the way home from Beyond the Cheddar Curtain, and I'm a team player. It's a pretty adorable store. The owner's dad** said that he has three main things that the store does. First, there's a monthly loot box for subscribers. Secondly, they sell lighting kits for legos. Finally, they sell legos themselves. It's not a huge shop, so it's not an alternative for going to the lego store. However, they have a lot of clever kits that I think the owner or the owner's dad put together, as well as the light kits and various spare parts. It's definitely a neat place to go for a lego enthusiast. The only thing I'd suggest is getting a "partner's chair" for when a partner comes along for the ride. However, I imagine that would also inspire inattentive parents to sit down and let their kids run wild, so perhaps that's not a good idea after all! ** The owner's dad was very clear that his 12 year old son was the owner and brain behind the operation, which I find pretty adorable too.

Their light kits are made in China, very poor quality. The one I received had multiple issues,…read moreincluding one which made the install not possible. Customer "support" tried to blame me for it, refusing to send a replacement or refund. Will be contacting my bank to dispute this charge.

On the hunt for a stroller and car seat, which is an annoying task when preparing for a baby. But…read moreGalt & Buy Buy Baby are the two stores that I've heard of that carry a variety of strollers to compare, so off I went. This store isn't that large, though I don't know how it compares to other locations. They did have several strollers, all of the more expensive variety: Bugaboo, Uppababy, Cybex, etc.; you won't find a Graco or Chicco stroller here. I did appreciate that the woman showed me how to reverse the stroller, switch out the seat for the bassinet, and a variety of other features of the stroller. As I walked around she also told me about a couple of the gliders I was testing out, and showed me how simply one of the strollers worked with the carseat adapter. The employees here don't work on commission and that was good to hear, and were friendly enough making sure that I knew they were around if I needed help and then explaining things to me. She told me that if you purchase from them, they'll have someone put together the stroller, set up the car seat, crib and so on depending upon what you purchase. The cribs they had seemed to be of good quality and I'd like to take a closer look at them on another visit to some Galt location, since I know I'll probably make one.

This place has everything a first time parent--or any parent could want!! It's one of the few…read moreremaining brick and mortar stores that parents can come to and experience items and products first hand. We had a TON of questions and Chris was so patient with us, answering all of them--and offering up helpful tips and relevant recommendations. Something special about Galt is when you purchase a stroller or car seat from them, they offer complimentary installation and setup. One less thing for a parent to worry about! We ended up choosing the Uppa Baby Vista stroller and Nuna Pipa car seat! Chris even followed up with an email after our visit--an extremely nice touch!

As someone who loves to read (admittedly on my kindle) the lack of bookstores in this world saddens…read moreme. I was so excited to see that this new Barnes and Noble complete with a lovely Starbucks Cafe opened up here in Northbrook. It also filled the need for the Starbucks that closed in this shopping center a year or so ago. I've stopped in a few times for a caffeine fix and to browse the book selection. I also took my son here one day to look for books and the person who works here did an amazing job of finding him 4-5 books to take to camp. Perhaps too good of a job because he said they were so good that he finished them within days and then had nothing to read. Everytime I stop in I think it's also the perfect spot to get work done or even for my kids to study with friends. Overall, a great addition to this shopping area. Happy reading!

The selection at this Barnes and Noble is good. The value…read moreat this Barnes and Noble is definitely lower than other locations. The service isn't good. This was my second time going to this Barnes and Noble and had a positive experience here. But when I went there today my experience wasn't great. And hence this review. I waited and waited for a staff person to come by the computer station where I could place an order for a couple of books to be delivered to my house and no one came. I have never had to wait that long at a Barnes and Noble for this kind of service. Go to another location if you can.

What a sweet little gem in our community! I wandered in on a weekday afternoon while my husband was…read morefinishing up his eye exam next door. I wasn't sure I was going to buy anything - I'm generally on the lookout for gifts for the kidlets in our lives. The store is bright and easy to navigate. The displays seemed to be arranged by age, which was really helpful as I looked at things for four kids ranging from two to thirteen. And because the emphasis is on screen-free play and interactive play, I knew I would get the parents' seal of approval on anything I picked out. If I can get their faces away from a phone or Nintendo Switch, even for 30 minutes, I'll be aunt of the year! The staff were warm and friendly, asking me a few times if I needed any help. Before I knew it, I had some holiday gifts selected for the littlest friends in my life. They'll be pleased with the crayon rings and books and fidget toys, and I can be pleased that I was able to support a local shop in our community. I'm looking forward to coming back as the kids' interests and ages change. And, let's be honest, I had as much fun there as I expect the kids will.

This store so incredible. The variety and selection are unparalleled and they cover such a wide…read morerange of ages. They have a great eye for bringing in high quality, interesting and unique things. We are so lucky to have a store like this in our community. It was my first time visiting today and I will be back many, many more times!

This store was cute. I was greeted by multiple staff members when I entered. But I'm surprised how…read moredifficult it is in 2023 to find gender-neutral clothing. This shop didn't really seem to have much that was gender neutral, at least not for newborns. Even if I knew the sex of my baby I don't believe that there are specific colors for gender so I am not interested in having a closet full of just blue or pink things or otherwise gendered things. A couple of the staff greeted me but that was it. I wandered around and didn't really find much that piqued my interest. Parking is all on the street, and this is maybe just on the outskirts of the more active downtown area of Highland Park, so I imagine it can be difficult to park here (I think I had to circle the block once to find a spot that opened up). It's only a few blocks from Highland Park's Metra stop so that could be convenient if you need to make your way here.

It's been a while since I had to purchase a baby gift so I don't really know what's in anymore but…read moreI knew I could find an appropriate gift for a newborn here. They are very friendly and I found really adorable items for both genders for sizes tiny to toddlers. There were personalized blankets, hats, etc but I wasn't sure of the spelling so I went for an adorable onesie with tacos and guacs and a teeny tiny rainbow tutu which will be great for photos (imho). It is a little pricey but this is high quality and OOAK merch that will be appreciated. Also wrapped for me, a plus!

Oh, this place is fun. You can find any Hello Kitty item you want here, with the possible exception…read moreof a volkswagen beetle! My girlfriend loves Too Cool, and I think I better take her back there soon before she has a Hello Kitty withdrawal symptoms!