Love love love this little gem!…read more Great options for babies, toddlers and small kids. They Have a few lines I haven't seen before and can always find great shoes and coats which isn't always east. I love giving gifts from here because I can always find something I know will be unique. Also, they embroider now! I'm a big fan and will back soon and often!

Highland Park has a surprising number of baby and kid stores. I stopped here since I was looking…read morefor a coming-home outfit. There's a carousel outside the store on the sidewalk, which I think is kind of an adorable touch! The employees didn't notice at first that I had even come in... they greeted me when I wandered into the other room. The shop is large and clean and carries mostly baby clothes but has a few other items. They have a larger gender-neutral selection than another store I was at but still somewhat surprised by how heavily stores/manufacturers are still leaning into pink and blues for kids, or gendered cuts (ruffles, bows, etc.). I did see a few gender-neutral sorts of items but either had the item already or decided against it. I would probably not make a special trip to Highland Park to shop here, but that's not really a knock on this store because I don't know of any store that I'd head out to the suburbs for. Parking can be tricky because this is essentially downtown Highland Park, and you'll really only find street parking. However, the Metra station is only a couple blocks away. If you're looking for baby clothes you'll certainly find something here because they definitely have plenty of cute things.

This store has an extensive inventory with everything one could need for a baby. The customer…read moreservice is great! It's so wonderful to support a family owned business and it is one of best designed stores I have ever seen.

Looking for a new car seat for my preschooler, we came to Twinkle Twinkle. I haven't shopped at…read morethis one, but had been to the Belmont location a few times and I knew the HP location was larger. And it was; it's a really lovely store, very clean and easy to shop, not feeling overly cluttered or anything. But their service is... hmmm. We weren't actually helped--or greeted, even--until I finally went up to the register after several minutes of wandering without finding anything useful. (If either of the women at the register were helping another customer, it was only one of them, because the other woman led us to some items when I told her what I was seeking.) As for their selection, it was surprisingly bad. Or maybe it was just the salesmanship? I told the woman what I needed, and my daughter's height and weight since that has bearing on what options would be suitable. She showed me a Cybex 360-degree seat. And ONLY the Cybex. I told her that my daughter was only about 5 pounds before she'd hit the rear-facing limit on that seat--she'd outgrow the RF specs before the spring. That means that the feature she was so enthusiastically touting would be irrelevant in a few months' time, and definitely not worth the extra several hundred dollars. But when I asked if they had any others she had literally nothing else to show me. I asked about the seat I currently have and she said oh yeah, we have a couple in the back. I wasn't really feeling confident in the store or the salesperson, so I said I'd think about it. A store this size and... all they carry are infant seats, but for one convertible and one booster (without a five point harness, if I recall correctly, so of no use to me at this time)? Or actually they do have more than one convertible seat, but you have to know to ask about it since they don't have it on the floor or even hint that they have other car seats besides the most expensive in the store. Overall, I didn't feel that they wanted to help me. Instead, it seemed she was trying to sell me the most expensive seat possible instead of listen to my concerns (that the seat's main draw wouldn't be used in a few months) and help me to identify something that fit my needs. Combined, that made me wholly uninterested in spending any money here, so I went somewhere else to make my purchase.

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!

Little Peach is part of Peachtree Place, apparently, which I think means they're under the same…read moreownership because they aren't physically connected in any way--I couldn't find a way to get from one to the other without going outside and entering in another area of the shopping center. The staff here said hi as I entered and then gave me the freedom to browse. Anyway, it's a lovely little store with some really nice things. It's not just a clothing store, which I appreciate. They do have clothing, but when I was here most of the merchandise was non-clothing; books, toys, games, and so on. The prices weren't super out of line with other children's stores around. The clothing is more on the expensive end--they don't really seem to sell mid-range stuff here. But it's high quality children's clothing (but do check labels--I've been to some children's stores where dry clean is recommended and that's not something I can justify for children's clothing, though I do forget to check the labels). I stopped in to see if I could find something for my friend's son for his birthday, but didn't find something that jumped out on me at this trip. I am not in Northfield very often, so it's not a shop that would be a place that I would just pop by. But if you're looking for something special or a nice gift it would be a good place to take a look.

A really neat girls boutique with all the latest trendy things that girls wanna get these days…read more Sticker, fashion, trinkets, glamour girlz is a great local business that's been around for 11 years. They do parties as well. Plenty of free street parking in highland park, just about 1-2 blocks east of the Metra tracks.

Since Covid, I have been sending my grandkids (who live in Europe) fun boxes of gifts since I can't…read morevisit them. I stopped in Glamour Girlz on "Black Friday" and I was amazed. There were SO MANY possibilities. Twenty minutes later I walked out with a huge bag of goodies for them... even some item for the grandson! I was so happy I could give my dollars to a local business. They have so many fun unique gifts that I will be back again and again! I even saw a cool mask holder chain I bought for myself. The owner was so helpful as I strolled through the store, giving me great ideas for the next box! I can't wait until they open this one with all the fun goodies!

Great selection and excellent service. I'm not a huge fan of the overly girl signs for sale ("Girl:…read moreA Giggle Covered in Glitter") or the messages they perpetuate, but I know there's a market for that. C'est la vie. They do carry SweatyBands, my favorite headbands in the world. And the owner is incredibly nice. I make this a regular stop when shopping for my husband's goddaughter who is 12.

Cute baby/kid clothing alert!…read more Monica + Andy has expanded their Lincoln Park store with this adorably hip pop up in Northbrook Court. A clothing line designed to go from the hospital to the first play date, sizes range from preemie to size 6. From fabulous soft organic muslin blankets you can have monogrammed for $15, I couldn't help but fall in love the second I saw both my boys' names proudly displayed on their blanket display...go figure! Too bad my boys are all grown up now :-( Perfect Baby Gift Idea... For baby gifts, their Cuddle Boxes, starting at $51 and include a basic blanket and knotted hat. As far as their clothes, they feature a particular series of patterns on their clothing for a set amount of time and then switch it up. Kind of cool. The store is well organized and clothes are carefully curated and beautifully displayed. They have a great collection of boys clothing, which can be hard to find. Aside from clothing, they also have activities in the store. They have storytelling on Tuesdays by the Storybook Mom and are starting to offer mommy and kiddo yoga. Their Lincoln Park location has a host of classes and other offerings. I'm wishing Monica + Andy well, because their shop is beautiful and feels very niche and exclusive. Great customer service. Note: Dressing room has a baby changing table.

I discovered Monica & Andy a few months ago while walking past the Brookfield Place store. I bought…read morean outfit for my yet-to-be-born daughter, and loved how it fit and felt once she was born. So I decided to buy more items online this March, but due to the Corona Virus and other changes (I believe they switched warehouse), the items got delayed a few weeks. I wrote them, and they were quick to refund my purchase and nevertheless sent the items. These are hard times for retailers, so the gesture impressed me and was very touching. The clothes are beautiful and I plan to buy more and they will be my top of mind choice when looking for new items for my daughter. These details matter.

Suit shopping with young boys is no fun...for mom or the boys! Fortunately, Guys & Co makes it as…read morequick and painless as possible. I made an appointment online with Bonnie for my 7 and 10 year old sons to get suits for my daughter's upcoming bat mitzvah. The website says to make an appointment 6-8 weeks ahead of time so I was right within the time frame. While we had no trouble finding when we needed, I'm glad I have some extra time to get the boys alterations over the next few weeks- our next not so fun activity! We were in and out within 45 minutes and left with suits for the service, friday night service/dinner outfits and party outfits. The total for all came to approximately $1000, which I didn't think was too bad for the amount of clothes we left with (including belts and socks too). The boys looked oh so handsome in everything and we had plenty to choose from. Bonnie and team were super helpful in figuring out what fit them best. I kept thinking during it that it would have been a nightmare to do online since suit sizes run differently than normal clothes. They carry sizes 8 and up, which was perfect for my boys since my tall 7 year old wears a size 8. They also have a very large mens section so I may need to send my husband back one day! On this Saturday at 3:15pm we pretty much had the store to ourselves, which was helpful in making it a fast experience. The next time I'll be back will be in a few years when my 10 year old is making the bar mitzvah circuit and I wouldn't hesitate to look elsewhere based on the stellar experience.

This is a fantastic store. The owner made it easy to find my semi picky 11 and 13 year old boys…read moresuits they liked. Prices are reasonable and fair. The selection here is much better than any department store and worth the drive from the city for sure

I no longer have to worry that my 2nd child will soon be too big for me to shop at babydreams*…read morebecause they've opened a store for Toddlers appropriately named Toddler! They moved all the 2Ts over to Toddler and carry up to a size 6, which means I'm going to able to shop here for at least 3-4 more years (for both children). Hooray! They've been open only about a week and looks like many of their clothes are already flying off the shelves. I'm usually anti purchasing regular priced clothing for my kids since they outgrow (or ruin) everything so fast, but couldn't resist a bit of a shopping spree at Toddler. I started with the girl clothing for my 3 1/2 year old and picked up a bunch of colorful leggings and tunics that will be perfect for fall. They carry some great brands including ouch, nano and their very own comfortable yet cute daydreams line. Babydreams probably has some of the best boy clothing I've seen and Toddler is no exception. I'm a huge fan of Nano for my son so got some of that, as well as some of their great long sleeved t-shirts. I love that they have Chicago sports team and character (ex: batman) tees that are cute & stylish...not the cheesy ones you find in most stores. Everything is definitely pricey and I was a bit shocked on how much I spent when they rung me up, but it's super cute quality stuff that will last awhile (or at least a few months until they grow again...sigh). I prefer to shop without my kids, but probably not a bad place to bring them since they have a play kitchen setup for play. Welcome to the North Shore, Toddler! * http://www.yelp.com/biz/babydreams-highland-park?hrid=b2YSkN8gkq_fbRtWmg_t4w

I walked in with a picture and an idea--fairly well-developed. I needed t-shirts in a day's time…read more They looked at my request with an experienced eye, formatted and improved what I wanted, got my approval and delivered! The following day, the t-shirts got compliments galore. Can't get any better than that.

I remember being a kid, and one of my favorite stops was the t-shirt printing shop in the mall to…read moresee the latest transfers hanging all over the walls. I remember getting my most favorite shirt of all, a print of my super big crush as a kid--Shaun Cassidy. I can recall the smell of the heat press, and the excitement of the final product. It was a light blue shirt...see, just like yesterday? Around since 1977, HP Tops is your town t-shirt printing shop that has a space packed with garments and clothing blanks for all your printing needs...whether a Bar/Bat Mitzvah giveaway, a customized gift, or shirt for camp, this is your one stop shop. We needed a special shirt made, a simple black t-shirt with some lettering on it. We walked in, told the owner what we wanted, he arranged the letters perfectly on the heat press, and did the shirt on the spot in less than 15 minutes. All in all the total came to $21. Shirt cost + $.50 per letter. They have an online ordering system, but we were told it's better to come in to make sure it turns out okay. I personally suggest going in, because the customer service is off-the-charts fantastic, and the shop is a fun visit...even if you just want to browse and drum up a conversation. Nice to support local.