I'm not gonna' lie...I was really sad when Toys 'R Us closed. I also know a lot of other parents…read morewho were sad right along with me. But, I get it...the prices were high and online shopping destroyed toy shopping in general. Now that my kids are older, I haven't thought much about toys, until tonight when I happened to be in Party City and decided to check out their brilliant new addition--Toy City! Walking past the Lego sets, I fully admit to getting choked up, wanting to take one home, but I moved on (because my kids are at that age where they would rather go get their teeth cleaned than spend time with me). Oh, I forgot to mention, Lego sets over $50 are 20% off. The good news, is if my kids decide they like me again, Toy City is here to stay at this location. Some other locations are short-term pop ups. The selection overall is nicely curated, and there's a little something for everyone, including older kiddos. You'll find a giant slime selection, bath toys for toddlers, lots of girly crafting kits like making bangles and quilting, Alex brand toys, sparkly plush pillows, and...OMG a Baby Alive! I had a Baby Alive when I was a toddler. For those parents who might not be digging the smaller selection of toys at Target and miss Toys 'R Us, you can thank me for this review. Your birthday party shopping just got a little bit easier. And, you can pick up wrapping paper while you're at it!

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.

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.

I can't say enough good things about Chris. She has been incredibly patient, informative and…read moredecisive in helping me choose the products that are the right fit for our family. I am the type of person that has a lot of questions and loves to research things, but also happy to hand over the reigns for things that I am not myself an expert in. Chris most definitely is and I am so grateful! The store has quality high end inventory and great customer service in that they will store until you're ready, build and deliver your stroller to you free of charge. I have already happily referred people to this business for their baby needs!

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 Barnes & Noble store was absolutely beautiful. The smell of freshly inked books hits you hard…read morewhen you walk in, and then you get to walk around in all their glory in a beautiful displays. It is new, modern, fresh and there are actually books in here (seriously a lot of the Barnes & Nobles have moved more in the toy direction). Well there are still a good amount of games, collectors items, etc. but it really is a true book store. I was surprised by the amount of manga they had in stock two dedicated sections. They even had a lot of hard to find ghibli merchandise. There's also a really nice cafe inside. We will definitely be back!

This is a gorgeous store. I told myself going in that I have enough books and was only going in to…read morelook but I dare you to go inside and not purchase anything. You could probably spend an hour in here going from section to section (store is one level but huge) and there are comfortable armchairs and a large cafe. Village Square has list several retailers over the years so it's nice to see some new stores here. I was sad when B&N closed the Deerfield store but this looks much nicer.

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!

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 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!

Great experience in the shop today! Picked up some new stuff and old stuff and the shop owner was…read moreterrific. The store had kids, grandparents and adults, they were selling tons of comics and Pokémon cards too. Owner was massively friendly to everyone in the store and I'll be coming back for sure.

Met the owner, Pete, who is a true comic man and a generous small business owner. He does a great…read morejob with his space and finds ways to get as many books into his store as possible. We made a trade and I sold him some really nice slabs that his customers will appreciate. Keeps things moving.

Great haircut & experience for my 4 year old granddaughter AND me…read more Quick, easy, cute! No tears..... and toy shopping incentive afterwards. Will definitely be back!

Love this KidSnips location! We have been taking our kids here since their first haircuts a little…read moreunder a decade ago, and they always do a great job and keep the kids very happy. Shout out to Becca, who has recently become my son's and my own go-to hairstylist. She may possibly give the most perfect adult men's haircut I've ever had, and is super friendly and kind. Thank you!