Nook & Nest is a cute little gift store on Main Street in Ames. Compared to other downtowns in…read moreIowa, Ames is in pretty good shape with this store, Dog Eared Books, Cafe Diem (coffee), Oak Lane Candle, a couple decent restaurants and bars, and other businesses lining the boulevard. There's free parking in the lot next to the railroad tracks, so wandering around is a pretty easy and pleasant proposition. Although Nook & Nest features an interesting selection of home goods, I was drawn to the paper, including notebooks and cards from Moglea of Des Moines, and various other brands that would fill anyone's greeting card, writing, listing, habit tracking, and/or planning needs. I'm now stocked up for awhile (and with more than I really need), but when I return to Ames in a few months, who knows?

Located in downtown Ames, this place is a really good place to visit if you are looking for a gift,…read moregreeting cards, home furniture, or a unique item. I have visited twice, and found fun stuff both times, including some great cards that I have not seen elsewhere. The customer service is kind and never pushy, and their buyer has impeccable taste. I do like the layout of the store, as you're not cramped at all, a store that has plenty of space if you're browsing and not quite sure what direction that you're headed. I am grateful for Jamie Nessa's guidance on my last visit.

It smells so wonderful here!!! It's not really over powering like what I expected because…read moreeverything is sealed, but you still can smell each item to find your top scent. This outlet has amazing deals! 12 for $8 on their votives or wax melts and 50% -75% off holiday which was awesome! The store is very well laid out with prices and discounts clearly marked. Staff is super friendly and will check things for you or make a recommendation! They also offer a Military discount on top of already low prices which made bargain shopping even better!

Absolute perfection with listening skills, cheerfulness, order accuracy, and artistic flair to…read morecustomize a funeral arrangement on short notice with an out of state customer. Katie is a conssumate professional whom I would want to hire if I could. --MB in Nashville [10/17/25]

Very nice service, exactly what you want. Reasonable pricing. They do in-town delivery anywhere!read more

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!

Located in the middle of Ames' Main Street shopping district, we thoroughly enjoyed our initial…read morevisit to Life Distilled, a modern day apothecary on the NW corner of Kellogg and Main. Lots of natural light and big windows make for a comfortable feel, and the staff was incredibly kind and not pushy. They took "Iowa Nice" to another level, making the visit fun and informative. Options include all natural fragrances, artwork, cards, flowers, bracelets, stickers, earrings, plants, and items for the home. The service was spot on with a high level of knowledge and kindness. They have in-store events, and it is just a feel-good store to visit.

From the owner: At Life Distilled we believe everyone deserves options for all-natural health and wellness. By…read moreusing the highest quality essential oils to blend rollers and more we make it easy to support a busy and all-natural lifestyle. If we can help you please call or visit our store.

Looking for a fun holiday gift for a close friend, I turned to Ames' Five Below because I knew they…read morehad a vast array of options to draw from, making the task something that could get completed. Thanks to Taylor and Leah, I got several terrific prank gifts because of their awareness of the store and excellent sense of humor. I am grateful to both, especially Taylor, for her creativity and demeanor with my task.

Such a cute store! It has EVERYTHING. We're from Cedar Rapids and stopped here because we saw this…read moreshop on Yelp. It's a big space with LOTS of things to look at: seasonal, furniture, wall decor, candles, towels, clothing, jewelry, trinkets, baby items, art...this store has SO many gift options. I bought some things for myself and some for others. I will definitely be back again soon! So happy to see so many local vendors supported in this shop.

A true Ankeny classic with excellent gift selection and the most fun, welcoming staff around.read more

Enjoyed some time at this small business on Main Street today. We ended up getting some coffee and…read morethe forest berry sorbet which was all very yummy. They also have a lot of different and unique merchandise for sale outside of the ice cream and beverages like jewelry, games, puzzles, decorations, snacks, small gifts etc. I would definitely recommend checking it out!

The lemon ice cream was amazing! Nice owners and gift shop too…read more My husband loved their signature Marmalade Moon ice cream . All ice cream made from scratch