I call this the holiday season, but it seems like others might call it shopping season. From Black Friday to Christmas morning, every store in town is packed with people. I’m not much of a shopper, but I do love gifting friends and family with cool items each year. Plus, I have two nieces and a nephew to spoil now.
A few weeks ago I drove out to the General Store of Minnetonka to cross some stocking stuffers off my list. This suburban shopping destination is a 20,000 square foot space packed with holiday goodies and more. A family business, the General Store has been around since 1984.
Photos courtesy of general store of minnetonka
The first floor has holiday décor, funky retro toys, clever kitchen gadgets and more. There’s also a ton of Minnesota-themed gifts to share with out-of-town visitors. Perhaps a personalized Christmas tree ornament is the perfect gift for my sister in law? Maybe that set of grilling accessories should go to my dad? Of course, after coming up with ideas for family, I always start writing down a list of things I want from Santa.
Upstairs is my favorite space, as there’s cutesy gifts for girlfriends as well as jewelry and accessories for mom. But, best of all, there’s a ton of stuff for the kids. I got my four-year-old niece a sticker set, my two-year-old nephew a wind-up dinosaur and my baby niece some letters to place by her bedroom door (not that she can spell L-A-U-R-A). I even grabbed a few board books. Last year, I got the kids placemats and ornaments with their names on them and some activity books.
The great thing about the General Store is that there’s also a café right there. A bowl of soup and a popover is the perfect way to reenergize on a busy shopping day.
What are some of your favorite places for holiday shopping around town?
