The first-ever dedicated Christmas pop-up shop of Hidden Treasures Thrift Store was supposed to stay open all season long in St. Anthony.

Instead, due to unprecedented demand for the discounted holiday merchandise, the pop-up will close at the end of the shopping day on Saturday, just 13 days after it opened to long lines and live television coverage.

“We were not expecting sales to be what they were — really massive,” said store manager Jens Paulson.

Customers can continue to shop for holiday items at the regular Hidden Treasures Thrift Store that is located across the parking lot from the pop-up shop in this suburban strip mall — and it appears plenty of us are looking for thrifty deals this holiday season.

Here are a few thrifty, vintage and secondhand alternatives for celebrating Black Friday and beyond, including more about Hidden Treasures. This is the second part of our series on thrifting in the St. Paul area; the first article, a thrifting tips guide, ran Sunday, Nov. 23.

Hidden Treasures: A Christmas pop-up store

On Nov. 17, Jay Parker was in line at 4:45 a.m. outside Hidden Treasures Thrift Store ahead of its annual Christmas sale, which was so big this year that it required a second retail space for a pop-up shop across the parking lot at St. Anthony Village Shopping Center.

First in line, Parker was eventually joined by about 150 others, waiting at both the main store and the pop-up shop.

The lines continued indoors.

“I waited two hours to check out,” Parker said.

He sounded jolly about it a day later, as he returned to the pop-up store to shop some more (the Columbia Heights man personally collects items and also sells merchandise).

“It was really fun,” Parker said of waiting in line on opening day, “because you chit-chat with people the whole time.”

That camaraderie is part of the thrifting experience that regulars enjoy at this nonprofit thrift store.

“We’ve been doing Christmas for 17 years now and it’s always been something like a Black Friday event for us,” Paulson said. “People look forward to it and many expect to wait in line for about an hour to check out, because it’s the one day a year where it’s like, Christmas chaos.”

The Christmas chaos was especially chaotic (in a good way) on opening day, perhaps because the annual sale was delayed a bit this year, plus it came with extensive live television coverage by Fox 9 Morning News. Also, could it be that more of us are hunting for more deals these days, in the face of inflation, tariffs, government shutdowns and other societal pressures?

“We’ve seen an uptick in general customer counts over the last year,” Paulson says.

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The Christmas merchandise for customers is substantial here in particular because, unlike many local thrift stores, it accepts holiday-related donations year-round instead of a limited window of time in the fall.

A day after opening, the customers still had plenty of merchandise to choose from, ranging from $2 ornaments to $5 holiday puzzles to $14.99 trees. There was also garland, wreaths, Nativity sets, Christmas sweaters, mugs, books, tins and much, much more.

As for Parker, his find on Nov. 18 from the pop-up shop was a red filial ornament for $3.

“It’s always nice to add something new to my collection,” he said.

Hidden Treasures Thrift Store: The Christmas pop-up store, located at 2912 Pentagon Drive in St. Anthony, will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The main store, located at 2915 Pentagon Drive, is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Closed on Sundays. Info at hiddentreasuresmn.org.

Goodwill: A 35% off coupon

Kim Schulz, senior director of retail stores at Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, was on hand at the Woodbury location this week as staff worked on preparing the thrift store for the holiday shopping weekend ahead.

With 44 stores located across Minnesota, each one has its own unique curation thanks to donations that come in fresh daily.

“There’ll be Black Friday deals in the stores, but because we’re donated, we’re not like a typical retailer — one store is not going to have the same as another store,” Schulz said. “But every store will be running special promotions on gifts, games, things like that.”

There is also a new perk available.

“We have a new VIP rewards program,” Schulz says. “It’s a rewards loyalty program and on Black Friday, our VIP rewards members get 35 percent off their purchase on the donated, already low-price goods.”

Goodwill: Multiple locations throughout the metro; will be open regular hours on Black Friday. Learn about the new Goodwill VIP program and sign up at goodwilleasterseals.org/signup.

Celebrating a small business in St. Paul

While big-box stores often advertise early doorbusters for electronics and other big-ticket items, Rebecca Sansone of The Mustache Cat on Lexington at Randolph in St. Paul is offering up a more serene experience this shopping weekend for her small home goods shop that specializes in curated vintage pieces and modern products.

It’s a nice change of pace for Sansone as well as her customers.

“Before The Mustache Cat, I worked for a large online retailer and I specifically did promotions for them,” Sansone says. “My world revolved around Black Friday and Cyber Monday and all of that insanity. And so when I opened my own business, I had to do a little soul searching around what I wanted this weekend to look like for my small business, and how I wanted it to feel.”

In addition to the weekend shopping, the holiday cheer will include a gratitude tree to add to and shoppers will receive a Black Friday discount if they donate items for the store’s food drive on Friday (to benefit the Nine Lives nonprofit thrift store’s community pantry).

For Small Business Saturday, there will also be an instant camera photo booth, hot chocolate, treats and other promotions.

“I try to have it be a little bit of a celebration of the community that we try to build here in St. Paul and the shop and all that good stuff and a little bit of a thank you for our customers,” Sansone says.

The Mustache Cat: The store, located at 500 Lexington Parkway S. in St. Paul (near Trader Joe’s), will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday (Black Friday discount with food drive donation), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday (with a Small Business Saturday celebration) and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Info at themustachecat.com.

Post-thrifting celebration

The Eagles Club Jingle Bar, the first ever for the St. Paul Eagles Club #33, came together with vintage and secondhand items. It is located at 287 Maria Ave. in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood of St. Paul. (Kristin Smith / St. Paul Eagles Club #33)

A new jingle bar is sparkling in St. Paul in a familiar spot: The St. Paul Eagles Club, #33, on Maria Avenue in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood.

In the secondhand spirit of the day, it makes a great way to toast your vintage and thrifted finds this holiday season (with options including the Gin Jingle cocktail for $6).

It came about thanks to the all-volunteer crew behind this longtime establishment.

“Many of us have visited jingle bars in years past and thought it could be a really fun way to get more people in the door at our club,” says Stephanie Harr, club secretary.

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The club members wanted to match the aesthetic of the club, a brick building that is more than 100 years old.

“It’s very ‘dive bar-ish,’ nothing fancy,” Harr says. “We just thought it could be really fun to get it all dressed up for the holidays.”

They got to work, finding treasures everywhere from the building’s attic to member’s basements to Buy Nothing groups on Facebook to thrift stores.

The result is magical, like a Hallmark movie with extra garland and twinkly lights, and true holiday inspiration for the secondhand shopper. Cheers!

The Eagles Club Jingle Bar: The St. Paul Eagles Club #33, 287 Maria Ave. is located in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood of St. Paul and is run by volunteers. It is open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Info/specials at Eagles33.com.

By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY and RIO YAMAT, Associated Press

After spending two college semesters in northern Thailand, Sarah Jongsma found herself back home in the rural Nevada town where she grew up, surrounded by everything familiar yet feeling strangely out of place.

“It caught me off guard,” she said. “I didn’t know what was going on.”

Only later, after a summer studying in India and while preparing to go to France for another semester abroad, did Jongsma understand what she had been feeling: reverse culture shock.

The 22-year-old’s experience shows that studying abroad can be challenging in unexpected ways. Experts say that’s why students need to study up on not only safety precautions and cultural differences, but also the emotional shifts that may come with leaving home — and returning to it.

Planning for low points and potential disappointments, experts say, can help students focus on making the most of a trip that is exciting, challenging and life-changing.

“The value and purpose of studying abroad is to learn about the rest of the world as well as learn about yourself. In fact, it is the juxtaposition of having your assumptions tested that you can gain from studying abroad and helps you understand yourself even better,” said Bill Bull, vice president of risk management for the Council on International Educational Exchange, which facilitates high school, college and faculty study-abroad programs.

Here are some tips that experts and students recommend for anyone heading off to learn in a foreign country:

FILE – A Chinese tourist poses at Tha Phae Gate in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, Jan. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Wichai Thaprieo, File)

Before you travel

Along with having an up-to-date passport and a visa, if their host country requires one, students need to be aware of potential risks and cultural expectations based on their ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation and religion.

Many countries do not recognize same-sex unions, so experts suggest being careful of open interactions with a partner of the same sex. Women may face cultural expectations around dress or hair, or find it hard to obtain birth control or feminine hygiene products they didn’t think to bring with them.

“Make plans for what you will do when things go wrong, because things can go wrong and things will go wrong,” said Bull, who recommends connecting with students who studied abroad, as well as their parents, for advice they wished they’d had. “It doesn’t mean it has to be the end of your experience. It just means that you need to be ready to manage it.”

Some study-abroad programs offer basic health coverage, but students should consider medical evacuation insurance and check whether any of their regular prescribed medications are illegal abroad. The U.S. Department of State also recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free safety and security alert service for U.S. citizens.

Advance research also is important for students still thinking about whether to apply for a study-abroad program.

Financial and academic planning are equally important, as they are among the biggest barriers for students seeking to study abroad, said Phoebe Stears-Macauley, a Germany and Spain program advisor for the University Studies Abroad Consortium, which offers study-abroad programs for university students.

“Meet with your academic advisors, talk through the classes you will take and how those will transfer back, and meet with your financial aid office,” she said.

While a lot of the preparation and precautions are about practical needs, experts and students say it’s just as much about setting realistic expectations.

FILE – A woman jogs at the Marly le Roi garden west of Paris, Nov. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

When Jongsma left for the Thai city of Chiang Mai in 2023, it was her first time traveling internationally and being away from her parents.

“When you’re getting ready to leave, you get really focused on your own personal goals and how you’re going to meet them,” she said. “I don’t think you realize that when you get there, you’ll miss your community a lot.”

Homesickness may feel even sharper around holidays like Thanksgiving, especially for students who have not spent them away from family before. Jongsma suggests bringing small reminders of home with you and keeping a journal. She also packed a small portable printer for her summer studies in Bengaluru, India, in case she wanted to print out pictures of family and friends.

While abroad

Once students arrive at their destination, experts suggest slowing down and observing their surroundings. A common regret Stears-Macauley said she hears from returning students, especially those who studied in Europe, is that they spent every weekend traveling and not getting to know their host city.

Bull advises students to think about why they are studying abroad in the first place and what they hope to get from the experience. Choosing to be present in the moment instead of constantly taking photos can make the time far more meaningful and yield cultural clues that help you fit in, he said.

“Anyone can go be a tourist,” Bull said. “You want to notice what’s going on around you. You want to look at what people are wearing and what they’re not wearing. You want to see, do people stop at the red lights or do they cross anyway?”

Programs can last anywhere from a few weeks to more than a year, and students may face mental health challenges such as loneliness, depression or language-related anxiety. Many programs offer on-site support, but experts say students should have a plan in place before those symptoms occur.

For Dominic Motter, who spent a semester in London in 2023, familiar routines helped when homesickness struck. Like Jongsma, Motter’s trip abroad was his first time away from family and friends for an extended period of time, and he was surprised when confronted with the feeling of homesickness.

“I’d never known that feeling before,” he said.

An avid runner, Motter would jog in the park whenever he felt overwhelmed, a simple ritual from back home that helped him feel more grounded. He also found comfort in decorating his room, both with items from home and new souvenirs from his travels. At the end of the day, he said it helped him feel like he was “coming home.”

“Instead of it feeling like a temporary dorm room or hotel room,” he said, it put him in the mindset that “this is now my new home.”

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Upon return

Experts say many students returning home are going through a transition and may struggle with reverse culture shock without realizing it.

“You’ve had this transformative experience. You’ve changed and grown so much, and you come back to the place where you were before and it’s all different because you’re so different,” Stears-Macauley said. She suggests joining local international clubs or alumni associations from the foreign school you attended to find support.

Students can also prepare by answering the following questions, Bull said: How will you contextualize your experience? What aspects are most important to share? Which details are suitable for brief conversations, and which are better saved for deeper conversations with people who want to understand what made the experience meaningful?

For Jongsma, it helped to create new experiences in a familiar place — even something as simple as checking out a new museum, she said. Motter, who spent his first few weeks wishing he were back in London, said it helped to talk with the friends he’d made there because they actually understood what he was feeling.

As he put it: “It’ll eventually feel like home again.”

Mumphrey reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Yamat reported from Las Vegas.

The father of a 6-year-old Washington County boy pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge in connection with a utility vehicle rollover crash that left another young boy seriously injured.

On Jan. 6, 2024, Samuel Kelley’s son drove two visiting boys in the Kelley family’s Polaris Ranger 500 utility vehicle in the 9000 block of Lansing Avenue North near Grant. As the child was driving, the vehicle rolled onto its right side and pinned one of the young boys underneath. The boy was found unconscious and seriously injured, according to authorities.

“I let my son operate an ATV with two other kids with him, that he shouldn’t have been operating due to his age,” Kelley said during the hearing.

Child drivers

Around 8:30 a.m. Jan. 6, a Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputy found Kelley, 56, kneeling on the ground next to the UTV. The upper cage of the UTV was pinning down the boy’s neck, and the 1,065-pound UTV’s body pinned down his legs. The boy’s “face was turning blue, likely due to lack of oxygen,” according to the criminal complaint.

The boy was taken to the hospital with a bruised lung, broken leg and was put into a medically induced coma. He was discharged Jan. 15, 2024, according to the complaint.

Both parents of the young driver, Samuel and Katie Kelley, were charged last December in Washington County District Court with one felony count of child endangerment.

On Wednesday, Kelley said that though his wife was home at the time, he was the sole adult responsible for the care of all three 6-year-old boys and that no other adults were responsible for the incident.

What happened?

According to the complaint, the child who was driving said he and his friends decided to take the UTV out for a ride and went to get their helmets. On Wednesday, Kelley admitted to the court that, though he was aware of the age restrictions of operating the large vehicle, he allowed the boys to do so. He stated that he helped the boys get ready to ride, even buckling their helmets beforehand.

Kelley’s son told police he was “driving the UTV along a trail near the neighbor’s house when the UTV started spinning because of the fresh snow,” according to the complaint. “(He) stated that he let go and the UTV rolled onto its passenger side, pinning (the) victim underneath.”

According to the boy, the victim was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Neither adult present in the home supervised the boys while they operated the UTV, according to the complaint.

Kelley pleaded guilty to one felony count of child endangerment. In court on Wednesday, he verbally took responsibility for the incident. Judge Patrick Flanagan ordered that Kelley undergo a pre-sentence investigation ahead of his official sentencing on Feb. 24.

At sentencing, Kelley could face up to three years of probation. He would also have to complete an ATV safety course and complete 100 hours of community service.

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By Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service

While November is typically a month for going out to the movies, with new releases and awards season movies filling theater screens, there are also plenty of opportunities now to catch up with awards season movies at home. Here are several high-profile titles now available to stream or purchase that are worth your time.

Joel Edgerton stars in “Train Dreams.” (Netflix/Netflix/TNS)

Clint Bentley’s “Train Dreams” hits Netflix on Friday, and it’s well worth your time. The film, based on a novella by Denis Johnson, is co-written by Bentley and Greg Kwedar. The pair have previously collaborated on the films “Sing Sing” and “Jockey,” trading off directing duties. Joel Edgerton stars in this portrait of a life of an Oregon logger in the early 20th century that is, by turns, devastating, poignant and life-affirming. Stream it on Netflix starting Friday, Nov. 21.

Jacob Elordi as the Creature in “Frankenstein.” (Ken Woroner/Netflix/TNS)

Also on Netflix, if you haven’t yet caught up with Guillermo del Toro’s ravishing adaptation of “Frankenstein,” it’s worth the watch just for the costumes, sets and cinematography, but Jacob Elordi’s emotional performance as the Creature really is the beating heart of the film. Del Toro has always had a thing for monsters, so it’s no surprise that this book would be the perfect property for him to adapt.

From left, Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss and Imogen Poots in “Hedda.” (Parisa Taghizadeh/epktv/TNS)

On Prime Video, take in Nia DaCosta’s “Hedda,” an update of the Ibsen play, starring Tessa Thompson in the title role. Set in Jazz Age England, Thompson plays Hedda as a chaotic bisexual brat, manipulating everyone around her at a wild party she throws at her home with her husband. Nina Hoss and Imogen Poots co-star. Stream it on Prime Video.

Arriving on Prime Video on Thursday, Nov. 20, is the thorny, academia-set ethical thriller “After the Hunt,” starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield. Roberts plays a philosophy professor at Yale who gets caught in-between sexual assault allegations between two proteges. Luca Guadagnino directs with his usual verve. The film is a conversation starter for sure. Stream it on Prime Video starting Nov. 20.

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Two A24 films are also available to watch at home on premium VOD for a purchase price of $19.99. Dwayne Johnson stars as pioneering MMA fighter Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine, with Emily Blunt playing his girlfriend Dawn. The film follows Kerr’s career at the turn of the century (around 1999-2001) as he was competing in Japan, and navigating his turbulent relationship. The film is directed by Benny Safdie, and it’s a fascinatingly weird take on a sports movie.

Also available this week for purchase is Mary Bronstein’s searing motherhood anxiety attack on film, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Rose Byrne stars as a woman having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad couple of weeks, trying to care for her medically fragile child while a ceiling in her house has caved in, her husband is out of town, and everything else seems to be falling down around her. Byrne is riveting, and while the film is not for the faint of heart, it has just enough levity and relatability to really work. Purchase it for $19.99 to watch at home.

Finally, two urgent and harrowing documentaries are worth your attention. “The Perfect Neighbor” on Netflix, uses primarily police bodycam footage to map a dispute between neighbors in Florida that takes devastating turns. While deeply upsetting at times, it is a crucial and important film to watch. Stream it on Netflix.

On HBO Max, “The Alabama Solution” depicts the horrifying human rights violations happening in Alabama prisons right now, using cellphone footage from inside the prisons to depict the conditions, violence and drug issues plaguing prisons — the responsibility of which is laid directly at the government’s feet. No matter where you live, this is an important piece of investigative journalism and depiction of America’s prison problem. Stream it on HBO Max.

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