Kin in the East Village is the kind of shop you walk into and immediately slow down because there's…read moreso much to take in. The whole space feels warm and intentional soft lighting, crystals lining the staircase, art, jewelry, and the cutest little displays tucked into every corner. It's cozy without feeling cluttered, and everything feels really thoughtfully curated. I loved how it has a mix of things Including unique gifts, cards, home pieces, and little spiritual/wellness touches that make it feel a bit magical. You can tell it's one of those shops where every item was chosen with purpose, not just to fill shelves. It's also just a really calming space to be in. I found myself wandering slowly, picking things up, and actually enjoying browsing instead of rushing through. If you're walking around the East Village, this is 100% a place you have to pop into even just for the vibe. Definitely one of those spots you'll keep thinking about after you leave

Really loved visiting Kin in Des Moines. My coworkers and I had aura photos done. I've had mine in…read morethe past and it was yellow both times. On this day I had a white aura! Highly recommend the experience. Ken is such a cool store with an amazing selection of tarot, and Oracle cards. Lots of crystals, jewelry, and cool metaphysical items. The staff was really kind and helpful.

Heat Of Iowa is a cute store filled with many great gifts for yourself or others…read more Located on a bustling street filled with shops, this place offers a lot. Home decor, trinkets, chocolate cow patties and homemade fudge fill the room. My friend purchased a beautiful wooden cutting board in the shape of Iowa. The woman working did her job but wasn't too friendly. That's ok, it did not change our experience.

Best-in-class service! They immediately jumped at the opportunity to support our team, who were in…read moretown for a conference, with very little notice. Despite the tight timeline, they delivered adorable and highly functional snack boxes for 13 people with an impressive same-day turnaround. The boxes were thoughtfully put together and made a huge impact--truly a highlight of our team's day. Everything was executed seamlessly and with great attention to detail. We really appreciated the responsiveness, creativity, and care that went into making this happen!

I'm sad about how this store is now compared to even a few years ago. This store used to be focused…read moreon learning and items for teachers. There is maybe one row of actual teaching supplies and the rest of the store is now not even books, but cheap toys like slime and other miscellaneous items like that. They also remodeled sometime in the last 6 years or so because it's now dark and gray with just fluorescent lights. The shelves are pretty empty. Overall, I'm sad that this store has had to pivot so hard from what they were to stay open.

I was super impressed with the Learning Post. They have things for every interest and hobby--art,…read morescience, math, make believe, crafts, reading, you name it! My kids could spend hours in this place. This is the perfect spot to find a unique gift for someone, or to find an obscure toy that the big box stores don't carry. Staff is super friendly and helpful, and they remained patient even when the place was packed with busy people. I scored a Mad Libs book that I've never seen anywhere else. Love it!

I'm so glad we stopped by to visit this fantastic business in the East Village!…read more There is an excellent selection of greeting cards, writing tools, notebooks, potential gifts, and stationery with good pricing in a terrific setting. The store feels good. We met Karen, a warm staffer with excellent customer service who knew the store well. I'm looking forward to my next visit!

Favorite Stationary Studio!! For so many reasons it's not…read morefunny!! I get so many compliments on the nature of the cards I buy there, that my family and friends say they love!!

Nestled in the great area of Valley Junction. This fun place is bright and full of smiles. Parking…read moreis like any place in Valley Junction. Street parking is available, or you can find a lot close by. You almost get knocked back when you walk in the door with all the smell. That is to be expected when you are making smelly things. LOL Happily they have coffee beans to help your nose along the way. Our friend set up the appointment for a Thursday evening. We got there on time minus one. It was just a girls night out of 4. We confirmed with the staff that we were not going to hold up anyone if we started late. There was no worry. Lots of room and time. The staff was great and walked us through the steps. You get to pick out your vessel. If you don't want a candle they also have room spray and diffuser options. Then you pick out your 4 favorite smells. Our 4th showed up around this time and we chilled while she got caught up. There was 2 candles and 2 room sprays being made. Our instructor was great help. We all started with the same basics. You get a little tray with all your needed items. She helps you combine 2 of your 4 scents that you liked. We giggled as we "huffed" the scents to make sure that was what we wanted. Then you get to color your sticker for your item. The sticker on your vessel will allow you to bring it back for discounted refills. With the room spray she brings out the distilled water and witch hazel. She walked us through the proportions to put into our bottles. Then to complete with the water and witch hazel. Simple and easy. It was ready to take home. A few extra steps for the candles. You put in the wicks, the mixing of the oils smells into the wax. It gets mixed and then it has to sit and get picked up the next day. Overall its a simple process but there are so many smells to choose from that are offered at the store. It was a fun girls evening activity. If you do a candle it can be $20 and up depending on your vessel. The room spray was just at $19. So you can have this fun without breaking the bank or go crazy and get multiple options.

We planned a great day of bachelorlette party adventures and Candle Bar was our first stop…read more Unfortunately there was a miscommunication with our reservation and we didn't get to participate. I, the bride got to make a beautiful candle for free and we were provided with gift cards to use when we are able to travel back to town. I enjoyed this experience even though it wasn't ideal that my bridal party didn't get to participate and we would love to come back and get to experience it together next time!

What a cute new place! There are tons of different workshops and it is an extremely welcoming…read moreenvironment. With memberships and individual classes and open crafting hours, there are definitely tons of options for seasoned crafters! If you're a beginner like me, you may want to work on a few projects on your own before you sign up for a workshop or watch a few tutorials before you go. I have been to three and definitely felt frustrated and confused most of the time, but that's because I am a true beginner crafter! I think those who have a little art background would really enjoy themselves, and maybe I'll try again in the future when I have more experience!

Although I'm not crafty, I agreed to give The Glitter Factory a try. We grabbed our tween girls and…read morebought the 2 hour unlimited package. Mosaic art, painting, vision boards, and clay are just a few of the stations. We had a great time. Left with many art pieces to display at home. Fun time without a mess at home.

Cute name and cute clothes. I was in Ankeny and wanted to find a gift for a friend. Clothes that…read moreyou can't find at chain stores. Something original and with personality. I found that and more at this store. When I walked in I was immediately in awe and knew this was exactly what I was looking for. I will admit, I was almost certain that prices would be over the top, but that's not the case at all. The prices were more than reasonable for these original pieces and some made right here in Iowa! I believe the clothes size ranged from newborn to at least toddler, maybe a bit bigger, I didn't inquire. Besides clothes they had other fun gifts as well. I encourage you to support small businesses and this one is a definite must if you have a child or any children in your life.

Adorable clothes. Great for gifts even if you don't have a little one in your daily life. Awesome…read moreowners and service!

Wonderful unique baby items that you won't find in the baby section of big box stores. When I'm…read moreshopping for a baby shower, I like to buy something different that you don't see all the time. This place is perfect for gift buying! Friendly and super helpful lady behind the counter gave me several great recommendations of some of their more popular items. The FREE gift wrapping (in gift bag with tissue paper and a bow) is a HUGE plus! I love not having to worry about the hassle of having to wrap the gift. I will definitely be back to this place anytime I need to find the perfect baby gift!

Swell is a very good shop. But my wife and I couldn't take three steps in the door before an…read moreemployee started talking, and it was just word vomit.. about the weather, about her son's baseball team, etc. We literally just walked in the door. I was trying to check out a diaper bag, and she just talked and talked and talked. I couldn't even look at it. The next product I looked at? Same exact thing. Look, I love small shops that are passionate about their products, but you gotta let the customers shop a little. I don't need to know every detail about every product I pick up. The prices are a little high, but not unreasonable. And they seem to be top-notch products. So you'll get good stuff. This is a good shop, but the employees can be extremely over-bearing and honestly, my wife and I didn't even want to buy anything... we just wanted out of there.