TJMaxx in Springfield

I have been anxiously awaiting the new TJMaxx in the Springfield Plaza in Springfield and it finally opened about a week ago.  I tried to get my fiance out of bed for the 8am opening, but we ended up getting there are 10.  We were greeted at the door and given reusable shopping bags that say "I <3 TJ."  Score!

The store was very nicely done.  They had a large selection of Tommy Hilfiger purses, and all of the linens were organized by color.  I was really impressed by the overall quality of the displays and the items. I am a tiny bit worried that it was a big show for the grand opening and the stock will decline in quality.  Only time will tell.  But for now, head over there and score some good deals.

We left with a screen cover for our new iPad and a toy for our dog. :)

Charming Charlie

A friend recently told me about Charming Charlie, an accessories store with a location in South Windsor.  She had said that it was organized by color and had handbags and all sorts of jewelry.  What she didn't say was how big it was.  It was easily 1500 square feet, if not more.  It was like Claire's on steroids and for adults.  Prices were very reasonable.  They had watches for under $20, scarves in the $10-$20 range, wallets and wristlets under $20 and tons more.  I managed to stick to my goal and only purchase holiday gifts for others, but I was definitely tempted.  I will be making a trip back sometime soon for some treats for myself.

Here are some pictures I tried to discretely take with my iPhone.

Turquoise!

Gold/Yellow

Purple

Charming Charlie is definitely worth the trip to South Windsor.  It is located at the Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk (500 Evergreen Way).  There is another location in West Hartford if that is more convenient for you.  

Yankee Candle Flagship Store

This past Sunday, we decided to make our inaugural trip to the Yankee Candle Flagship Store in South Deerfield, MA.  I was prepared for a madhouse, but they had the crowds under control.  I had envisioned the store having the complete collection of Yankee Candle scents in their many forms (candles, chapsticks, scented oils, car fresheners, etc.).  I was surprised to walk into a giant gift store, set up similar to IKEA.  The rooms and displays guided you through the complex.  It felt like you couldn't go in to look at one thing and if you were there to browse, you would be there for eternity.   I felt like we could never find the exit without passing by a room we hadn't entered.

They had Pandora bracelets and charms.

They had Vera Bradley.

They had an area with sports and motorcycle stuff, complete with lounge chairs and a TV.  Basically, an in-store man cave.

They had an old fashioned candy store, kitchen gadgets, stonewall kitchen food products, lake champlain chocolates, dog toys and more.

Oh, and they had candles.  Hundreds of thousands of candles.  They even had candles that you could dip yourself which was quite popular with the kids.

At the very end of our self-guided tour, we hit the room I had been waiting for: the sale room!  There was a selection of discontinued scents and "seconds" candles.  The large jar candles were $15 (typically $25), and the medium were $12 (typically $22).

When we finally made our way to the check out with some votive candles and some holiday gifts, we felt out of the loop.  Everyone had coupons.  Rookie mistake.  Find them here if you are planning a trip.

 

Pioneer Valley Flea Market

After our disappointing trip to Al's Diner last week, we headed to the Pioneer Valley Flea Market at 2200 Northampton Street in Holyoke.  Our friend was looking for small tables, we were just poking around.  We saw lots of paperback books, old bottles, VHS tapes, kitchenware and junk.  We didn't leave with anything but some good stories of the strange things we encountered.  Here are some highlights (good and bad):

Some people don't have booths inside

I think this guy sold fishing gear 

Old tools

One man's junk, another man's treasure

Tooth pullers

 Race car track

The snack bar decorated for the holidays

Yup, that hole is for exactly what you imagine

You can find everything, including the kitchen sink

"Knifes"

Cherub lamp

An old sled and some lighters

The Details:
Pioneer Valley Flea Market
2200 Northampton Street
Holyoke, MA

Sundays year round
7AM-4PM

Aldi Food Market

This past weekend, we did a little grocery shopping at Aldi in Springfield near the Eastfield Mall.  Neither of us had been before, but we had heard raving reviews from friends and family.  Our trip was successful.  We left with three large bags of groceries and spent $30.00.  I was exceptionally surprised at how clean the store was. 

Some things to know about Aldi before you go:

1.) You will need to put in a quarter deposit to get a shopping cart.  (Since you have to return your cart to get the quarter back, they don't have to hire people to collect the carts).

2.) They don't have name brands.  Almost everything in the store is a store brand.  

3.) You have to pay for bags.  Expect to pay 6 cents for a paper bag or 10 cents for plastic. (Or save the earth and bring reusable!)

4.) You have to bag your own groceries.  (Again, savings from hiring baggers translate to cheaper grocery costs). 

5.) They take a limited number of payment options.  I forget exactly what they were but they included Cash, Food Stamps and Debit/ATM.  Credit was not an option.

Because almost everything is store brand, and the store in Springfield is pretty small, they don't have a lot of reduced fat options for crackers, soups, etc.  The dairy products, such as yogurt and milk, do come in low-fat varieties.  Additionally, there were lots of healthy cereal options mimicking the name brands (FiberOne, SpecialK, etc.).  We mostly stocked up on the basics: crackers, cereal, pasta, granola bars, chips, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, frozen veggies, yogurt, cheese, seltzer water, and more!  If you need a very specific spice (though we did buy some spices too!), or ingredients for a complicated recipe, this is not the place to go.  If you want affordable groceries for everyday eating and snacking, definitely check it out!