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Twin Cities Mom Collective

I Am a Twin Cities Mom: Allison Kaplan

I Am a Twin Cities Moms: Allison Kaplan

Welcome to our newest series: I Am a Twin Cities Mom, where we will regularly feature some of our area’s inspiring mothers. Our next featured Mom is Allison Kaplan, Senior Editor of Shopping & Style at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, host of Shop Girls on myTalk107.1, a contributor to Fox 9 Morning Buzz, and creator of the independent guide to Mall of America, Ali Shops Mall of America at www.alishops.com.

I met Allison for coffee a couple of weeks back and this gal knows her shopping!  She’s warm and engaging along with a great spunk and spirit.  She is so knowledgeable on any and everything shopping in the Twin Cities.

 

I Am a Twin Cities Moms: Allison Kaplan

As senior editor of Shopping & Style for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Ali shops. All the time. An authority on retail and fashion, Ali’s writing has appeared in numerous publications including Lucky, ShopEtc.Delta Sky Magazine, Twin Cities Business, and the St. Paul Pioneer Press, where she was the shopping and style columnist for a decade prior to joining Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Ali hosts Shop Girls on myTalk107.1 every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is a frequent guest on other radio and television programs. Her Ali Shops blog at mspmag.com is a popular resource for shopping scoops and tips. A Minneapolis native and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism,  Ali owes her very existence to shopping—her parents met while working at Dayton’s. She grew up immersed in the retail world, commentating her first fashion show with her mom at age 6.

If we peeked in your purse right now, what would we find? MAC lipstick, glasses, a reporter’s notebook and Pilot G2 pens, granola bars, Yoda and Darth Vader figures.

Why do you call the Twin Cities home? I grew up here, I came back here, and now my mom won’t let me leave. Also, it’s the perfect mix of culture and nature. This is such a creative city—there’s always something going on here that makes me proud to call the Twin Cities home.

What’s been the greatest joy of motherhood? The cuddles. Every day I am blown away that these two amazing humans came out of my body.

What’s been the greatest challenge of motherhood? The guilt. Always feeling like you should be somewhere or doing something you’re not.

How do you hope your life influences and/or inspires other women? Gosh, I don’t know. I’m lucky to have a career I love, but I also get to be a room-mom at my kids’ elementary school. I guess if I’ve mastered anything, it’s the juggle (because it certainly isn’t crafts).


Twin Cities Favorites

Date Night: Bar La Grassa

Entertainment: Icehouse is great. Okay, truth: every time I’ve been there, it’s been for dinner and I’ve gone home to relieve the babysitter before the main act takes the stage. But it’s a really cool place!

Shopping (for YOU!): Now that’s hard! The North Loop is so exciting right now—so many exceptional stores have opened there in just the last couple of years, and there’s more to come!

Relaxation: Yoga. Oh, who am I kidding. Take me to a spa! I recently had the most amazing pedicure with reflexology at the new HAUS Salon North Loop. The extra 15-minute foot massage is worth EVERYTHING. 

Keep up with Twin Cities shopping news on my Ali Shops Blog at mspmag.com

Isn’t it fun to know the personal sides of local Moms of the Twin Cities? If you want to recommend another Mom you think should be featured here at TCMB, email us at info@twincitiesmomsblog.com.

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