The other night, I spent some time at Barnes & Noble with several other Denver bloggers, checking out the massive variety of Christmas gifts available and learning all about DISCOVERY WEEKEND, a special 3-day event to kick off the holiday shopping season, happening this Friday through Sunday at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide. Discovery Weekend is designed to help customers find the perfect gift for everyone on their list, and their gift selection goes WAY beyond books – I was wowed by the extensive selection of toys, games, collectibles, and gadgetry, not to mention Barnes & Noble’s NOOK® reading and entertainment devices.
As I toured the store, I found one completely cool gift after another – seriously, no matter what you geek out over, Barnes & Noble has gifts and collectibles you are looking for – from Minecraft to Breaking Bad to Sons of Anarchy. From Portlandia to My Little Pony to The Walking Dead. They have records on vinyl, they have an impressive selection of electronics, they have more LEGO stuff than most toy stores I’ve been in, and they have the funkiest, most hilarious stocking stuffers I have ever seen. It’s like Pinterest and Hulu collided, resulting in a fangirl’s shopping paradise. Here are some of the fabulous things I came across.
And here is what I absolutely could not leave the store without…my kids are going to LOVE this…
MINECRAFT COOKIE CUTTERS! OMG!
Speaking of things that are completely amazeballs, I can’t say enough good things about the Samsung Galaxy Tab® 4 NOOK® 7.0 that is available at a smokin’ great price during Discovery Weekend. It features a 7″ screen, 1280 x 800 Pixel Resolution, 8GB on-board memory with expandable memory space, Front 1.3 MP camera and Rear 3 MP camera. How do I know all this, you might ask??? Dude, I WON THIS VERY NOOK AT MY FABULOUS AURORA BARNES & NOBLE!
WHAT?!
And here is my very first book, just purchased today! So rad. (I love Mindy Kaling!)
While I am reading Mindy Kaling’s hilarious book, you should go check out all the fantastic stuff going on at Barnes & Noble.
Here are some of the scheduled activities for Discovery Weekend:
Friday, November 21st
7:00 p.m. – Linkee® Trivia Tournament
For those who like their quiz games simple, fast and fun, Linkee is the shout-out game with a twist. Players don’t win by answering the questions, but by guessing the link between the answers. (Recommended for ages 14 and up)
Saturday, November 22nd
10:00 a.m. – Create With ArtFolds™
Customers are invited to transform a book or card into a piece of art using the ArtFolds technique. Customers are encouraged to arrive early – in fact, it was mentioned to us that interested customers should CALL AHEAD and make sure they have adequate materials – as space and supplies are limited. (Recommended for ages 13 and up)
11:00 a.m. – Learn to Draw Like Mo Willems – Storytime & Activity
Children will enjoy a reading of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, then learn how to draw the beloved Pigeon with instructions created by the award-winning author and illustrator. (Recommended for children ages 4 and up)
1:00 p.m. – Puppet Making & Holiday Sing-Along
Young ones are invited to create a puppet and sing with their newfound puppet friends. Customers are encouraged to arrive early, as space and supplies are limited. (Recommended for children ages 4 and up)
7:00 p.m. – Holiday Fluxx® Game Night
Customers are invited to get introduced to this unexpected holiday card game with ever-changing rules – even the object of the game changes as often as players draw a card or say “Go”! (Recommended for ages 12 and up)
Sunday, November 23rd
1:00 p.m. – Snowmen at Night – Storytime, Crafts & Activities
Kids will enjoy a reading of this winter tale that follows the secret life of snowmen at night, then create one to bring home. (Recommended for ages 4 and up)
In addition to all the family fun and activities, more than 100 author appearances are scheduled at local Barnes & Noble Stores, including Red Hot Chili Peppers front man and bestselling author Anthony Kiedis, and David Mushegain, who celebrate the band’s fans in Fandemonium (November 21, New York City), musician Lisa Loeb, performing songs from her new songbook, Lisa Loeb’s Songs for Movin’ and Shakin’: The Air Band Song and Other Toe-Tapping Tunes (November 22, Calabasas, CA), and Bill Nye “The Science Guy” and author of Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation (November 22, Paramus, NJ).
AND, you can buy fresh-baked S’MORES COOKIES for only a DOLLAR in the Cafe for one hour during these times:
Friday: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: 2:30 p.m.
Dude, go for the cookies if nothing else. They’re as big as your face. And if you wear an ugly Christmas sweater and snap a picture of yourself at Barnes & Noble, you can enter to win some amazing gifts! Share your pictures on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using the hashtag #BNSweaterContest.
Can I cram any more information into this post? I don’t think I can, except to say I LOVE Barnes & Noble. I was chatting with the super awesome staff at my local store (Aurora, CO represent!) and I told them I love how friendly and fun everyone is, and how they seem like they genuinely enjoy working there. Every one of them told me that it isn’t an act – they love what they do, they love books, and they love getting people excited about reading. How can you not want to support that? Yay books!
Baked Potato Soup