Christmas Store Review - Molbak's, Woodinville, WA

While Molbak's isn't really a Christmas store, per say, it has so many Christmas decorations and holiday items that it deserves its own review!

LOCATION: I am not too familiar with the area, so take my thoughts on the area with a grain of salt! First, Woodinville seems like a super cute town. The town and the area around Molbak's reminds me of a picturesque Northwest town- very outdoorsy feeling. And bonus points- they have wineries! But, I will say, the traffic in Seattle and its suburbs can be horrendous. And I even live in a place that has pretty bad traffic.

MERCHANDISE: Wow, this store is amazing. And HUGE. The first thing I noticed after parking the car was the amazing smell of pine surrounding the entire store from the lot of Christmas trees outside, as Molbak's is primarily a nursery and gardening store. In addition to the trees, the shop sells 42 varieties of poinsettias. Who knew that many varieties even existed? But the store also has a large Christmas section, with decorations, lights, and ornaments. It seems like so many stores are limited to only ornaments- not here. They stock all types and kinds of holiday decorations. One of my favorite displays was a twist on the themed Christmas trees. Instead of a tree, the store hung up pine branches- it almost looked like an upside down Christmas tree. Then, they decorated the branches with fish and undersea ornaments. The end result looked like a coral reef! The one downside of the store- its not cheap.

ODDS AND ENDS: One of the best things about this store is its Garden Cafe. You can order lunch (and wine!) and sit among plants and flowers in the store's indoor garden. But beware, the line to eat gets long and it takes awhile for the cooks to prepare your food. But its a nice way to cap off a shopping trip (or gain sustenance for further browsing!). The store also allows you to bring your pets with you.

PURCHASED: I was pretty limited in my purchasing ability, since I only had a carry-on suitcase with me for the trip. But I did pick up two Christmas dog cookies as a holiday treat (no, not for me- for pets)!

OVERALL: To be honest, this store is completely overwhelming. But in a GOOD way! Plan to spend a lot of time in the store (and spend a lot of money)- and eat at the cafe!