Courtney here again from A Life from Scratch to bring you another local shopping adventure in our Barrington Shops with C series, yippee! This time we are featuring the lovely Deer Park Town Center, also known as “my home away from home”. I’ve been shopping here for years, so I was so excited when the opportunity came up to share my day of Deer Park Town Center holiday shopping with 365 Barrington.
You guys, it has been SO much fun getting out to the stores and actually seeing the festive merchandise everyone has to offer! I know there is a time and a place for online shopping, I’m with you, but it was really inspiring to get out and walk the shops. Stuff came up that I would have never known about otherwise. I feel like, when you shop online (and maybe this is just me), you are shopping for a specific item. When you actually walk the stores, you can’t help but get inspired by all the options. I know that can be a dangerous thing! But it can also lead to some really great gift giving ideas that you may have not known about.
Ok then, let’s get shopping. I started my day at Paper Source, which has way beyond just paper products. Lots of fun gift ideas in this store, and the wrapping paper! I was dying over the cuteness. So fun.
Next up, I checked out Lululemon for my sister in law’s fiancé. They have awesome casual wear for guys. And if you need a great gift idea for women, the Define Jacket from Lululemon is EVERYTHING! Fits so great and comes in a variety of colors. I own two but definitely wouldn’t be upset about a third. (Hint, hint). Be sure to size up though as they run very small. Trust me on this one.
From there I wandered over to Sephora, a beauty lovers paradise! So many awesome gift ideas at this store. The rollerball perfumes make the best stocking stuffers. Face masks are also a very nice and luxurious gift. I especially love the Fresh brand, the smells (and results) are amazing! A fun gift idea for a great girlfriend, your sister, or even a teacher. What a treat.
Pottery Barn was next. I was really excited to check it out as I haven’t been in this store in ages. I was hoping a fun gift idea would pop out and sure enough right when I walked in I saw these darling mini trees. Would be SO cute as a hostess gift. I picked up one for my mother in law. There was also plenty of fun festive plaid prints and holiday decor including some really unique ornaments. Nice job, Pottery Barn.
From there I entered the ‘danger zone’ as I like to call it. The whole Anthropologie/J Crew/Williams Sonoma section. I have to have a serious talk with myself before I enter these stores, especially during this time of the year. Tis the season of giving to others, not to ones self. So I entered strong and, I’m happy to report, left with only gifts for others. Score. I found some darling little soaps at Anthropologie which would make a great hostess gift. I also got to play dress up a bit as they had the most beautiful holiday dresses on sale. The red jumper was amazing and fit like a glove. If you need something festive, these are lovely options!
From there I wandered over to Barnes and Nobles (love!) to pick up the most loved book, A Gentleman in Moscow. Have you heard of this book? Read it? It’s supposed to be EVERYTHING. Over 6,000+ 4.5 star reviews on Amazon. Wow. And it was so validated, the store was sold out! I spoke with the manager about it and she has just gotten fifteen copies in on Sunday. I was there Tuesday, and they were gone. So needless to say, if there is that person you just can’t figure out. This might be your gift.
At this point I had gotten a lot of shopping in so naturally I was pretty hungry. I had a power bowl with salmon at California Pizza Kitchen, it was so fresh and healthy and delicious. Hit the spot.
Over at J Crew I picked up a cute tee and noticed the lovely earrings they had on display. So many fun colors and options, I can’t think of one girl that wouldn’t like a pair of these. (Pick me, pick me!)
After that it was time to go home and survey the damage. I had so much fun holiday shopping the Deer Park Town Center and I so hope you enjoyed following along! Hopefully a gift idea or two popped out at you and if not, hopefully you were at least inspired to go out and hit the shops. Remember, shopping locally helps our beautiful community.
Want more? You can experience my whole Deer Park Town Center shopping trip in person as it unfolded by watching the video below or on the 365 Barrington Instagram page. Just check out their ‘featured stories.’ And be sure you’re following along with 365 Barrington on Instagram for more local shopping adventures to come!
Please feel free to help us celebrate where Barrington shops! Simply add #BarringtonShops or #BarringtonShopswithC to photos of your shopping adventures around town and we’ll share with our community of readers as a reminder to shop locally whenver possible. Ho ho ho everyone!
About Deer Park Town Center
Located at the corner of Rand Road and Long Grove Road in Deer Park, Illinois, Deer Park Town Center is an open-air lifestyle center offering leisurely amenities in addition to some of the best shopping and dining in Illinois. Deer Park Town Center features over 70 of the most exclusive shops and restaurants in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Stores include Apple, Crate & Barrel, Barnes & Noble, Sephora, Gap, lululemon athletica, Pottery Barn, and more. Entertainment includes Century Theatres. Park in front of your favorite store and spend an hour or a day shopping and dining, or catch a movie at Century Theatres. CLICK HERE to follow Deer Park Town Center on Facebook and learn more at ShopDeerParkTownCenter.com.
