Joanne is the best and her shop has so many wonderful things! I always stop in and walk out with…read morefun things!

You go to some stores for merchandise and others for the Proprietor but at this wonderful store in…read morethe center of Roslindale Square - you get the very best of both. This store is just a wonderful experience. A rare thing in today's commodity marketing. Every item is personally curated by Joanne from eclectic books, her handmade slippers, delicious gourmet food items, jewelry to larger one-of-a-kind pieces from her travels. And everything comes with a story of depth and delight. And who does not love a great storyteller. Come to this store for its fabulous collection of gifts and for a fun chat with Joanne where you know you will leave with both a great find and a story.

I am so glad that accommodating does not mean that the kids can do whatever they want. That the…read morepencil points are no longer put in the erasers! Yes I understand that they cannot watch all the kids but it was very distressing using the needed erasers!

I did a class in early November and have been reaching out to ask how to pick up my pieces and…read morethere has been no response to my voicemails and emails.

As a former volunteer, I got to go to the pre- opening new thrift store at More Than Words. They…read moreare still selling books but have added gently used clothing for women, men and children and some shoes and bags. They also have some lovely household items including decorative pieces. I'm hard to fit but still found a gem and also found a perfect JCrew shirt for my husband. The place is beautifully organized and pricing - except for the highest end items- is uniform and easily displayed and very reasonable. I highly recommend this hidden gem!

More Than Words is a nonprofit bookstore that sells new and used books while supporting young…read morepeople ages 16-24 who are system-involved, including youth from foster care, court-involved backgrounds, housing insecurity, and more. The young people help run the store, learn job skills, and work toward personal and career goals--and it truly shows in the care and pride behind the space. The shop itself is small but mighty. I walked out with four excellent-condition used books (three of which had already been on my TBR list) and somehow also added two cookbooks because... no regrets. Everything was very affordable, and it felt good knowing my purchase was directly supporting youth in the local community. If you're near one of their locations (I believe there's another in the Boston area), I highly recommend stopping in or checking out their online storefront. Great books, great prices, and an even greater mission--absolutely worth supporting.

I was talking with my sister when I entered the store. We made eye contact with the two sales…read moreassociates but were not greeted (this is only relevant since the 2 people that entered after us a few minutes later were also talking but were greeted). We browsed the store for a while, it has many cute things probably typical prices for a small "boutique" style store. We were not asked if we needed help with anything nor were we acknowledged until my sister asked for help. They sounded happy to assist once she asked and were very nice when she paid for the product.

Avery has a great selection of gifts along with excellent ideas and help from the owners.read more

My daughter was asking for a simple silver ring after her friend showed up with a snake ring at…read moreschool. She was looking at some rings online but I was unsure about the quality and I always prefer to support local business. First we stopped by a different store in the center and they did not have any good quality rings so we kept going down mass Avenue towards the Heights until we got to the Artful Heart. I remembered from buying a sun hat at their old location that they had a good selection of jewelry. The location is about the same size as the old location. Maybe a tiny bit smaller. I would not necessarily call it a gallery, although they do have some pieces of art. It specializes in costume jewelry and small gifts. Lots of the jewelry is not quite my style, but my daughter was able to find a simple silver heart knot ring for about $25. While we were in the store, the person behind the desk was very friendly and sweet. One of my favorite songs came on the radio and it turns out it is one of her favorite as well and she has seen them live. Bottom line is that I would recommend the Artful Heart Gallery as a good local shop for purchasing gifts for people who like jewelry (including yourself!).

The Artful Heart is the successor to whatever gift shop previously occupied this space. I've been…read morepeering in the window at the "opening soon" sign for several weeks and finally as I wandered by today with another in tow, they were open! According to the owner, they've been open for more more or less 3 days. Both she and the other two ladies running the shop (one was her daughter?) were extremely pleasant and helpful, and invited us to their "grand opening" cocktail party on Friday. I don't know if I'll go, but if you read this in time and want to check them out... I am sure you are invited too. The goods are a mixture of OOAK art, art prints, unique 'gifty' things, scarves, pottery, and lots of jewellery. The concept behind the store seems to be a mixture of showcasing local artists and selling regular but unique goods. It's a little Etsy-ish, although I don't think you'll find anything as outrageous or weird here as you would on Etsy. I did not look at or enquire about the prices of the art, but everything else seemed to be roughly in the $20-$100 price range depending on the item... for instance, I bought a necklace that cost about $60, but a similar but less elaborate version of the necklace (pendant only) was somewhere around $20. The store reminds me a little bit of Firefly Moon, but with a better location and a slightly better selection (not to condemn FM in any way- they are a lovely store as well). My first impression is that I like them and I hope they flourish in Arlington Center.

My son attended Puddlestompers for two weeks three summers in a row. He really enjoyed the program,…read moreand always found friends among the young campers. The staff was professional, kind, and very responsive to questions.

This summer was our family's first experience with Puddlestompers. We were very excited for a…read morenature-focused camp and hoped for a high-quality, memorable experience based on the strong reviews and the program's cost. However, on the second day, my son told us that his favorite part of camp was getting to watch Wild Kratts. I was surprised to hear that screen time was being used at a camp advertised around outdoor exploration, so I emailed the staff. They responded quickly, apologized, and assured me it would not happen again. What happened next was far more concerning. The following day, my son was unusually quiet and reluctant to talk about camp. When I gently asked what was wrong, he eventually told me, "My teachers said we can't watch TV anymore because you and Papa told them we can't. Next time I won't tell you." I was shocked and heartbroken. A private concern raised by parents should never be communicated to a group of children in a way that identifies one child or makes that child feel responsible for a change. Regardless of exactly how the message was delivered (I'll never know), my son came away believing that being honest with his parents had caused a problem for everyone, and that he should keep things from us in the future. I suppose the silver lining is that we used this experience to have an important conversation with our son about trust and reassured him that he can always tell us what happens when he is away from home. Still, that is a lesson we should not have had to repair after camp. Since sharing our experience with other parents, I have learned that children watching television at Puddlestompers is not unusual. We are not opposed to screen time, in fact we love watching Wild Kratts at home. I just didn't expect it to be part of a summer camp that promotes an outdoor, nature-filled experience. Other than this incident, my son loved his time there. I'm sharing this so prospective families can ask clear questions about screen use and how the camp handles parent concerns before enrolling.

Ritual Arts is an absolute gem in Allston! It's a peaceful and sacred space that keeps our magical…read morecommunity grounded in the neighborhood. From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with the scent of sweet incense and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Ritual Arts curates a beautiful collection of local art and a host of unique and mystical items, from meteor remnants that came to Earth 4.5 billion years ago to hiddenite gemstones from Pakistan that "encourage spiritual growth from the heart outwards." The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and eager to help whether you're a longtime patron or a first-time visitor. I especially appreciated their attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure I found exactly what I was looking for. Every visit feels inspiring, and Ritual Arts consistently exceeds my expectations. I always find something beautiful and magical to gift others or bring home for myself! I highly recommend stopping by--they make shopping a joyful experience!

I've shopped here quite a few times and have ALWAYS gotten top-tier customer service. This shop is…read morevery welcoming with a great variety of items for your craft, I highly recommend it.

My friend and I had a great time there! We did the 2-hour open studio. The owner was friendly and…read moreextremely helpful in assisting us with our paintings. The studio was really cozy, plus she helped us take pictures afterwards. I will definitely come back soon!