A Trip to Marshalls

Some people get paid to plug certain products or companies on their blogs.  Maybe one blessed day that will happen to me!  But for now it doesn’t matter what I say about any product, no one’s giving me one thin dime.  Sigh.  But anyway—I want to talk about a wonderful place, stipend or not, by the name of Marshalls.  Yes, the store.  The Marshalls in our town has a Home Goods section.  Together, they can lift the average shopper from her humdrum existence into a special, happy place.   They have shoes—interesting ones.  They have unusual food and coffee supplies.  They have some wonderful, inexpensive decorator pillows.  They have deeply discounted not your run-of-the-mill clothes.  They have fun dishware and picture frames and odd decorative items for your home.  Do you need some sheets or a bedspread?  They’ve got them.  How about a storage basket (with a lid)?  Yep—there are several styles to choose from.  Socks?—of course.  But what if you want a big, huge picture or mirror to hang on the living room wall?  Don’t be silly, there are aisles of them.  What are those big things hanging on racks against the back wall?  Duh—they’re obviously room-sized rugs.  Do they carry undergarments?   Yes.  Kids’ stuff?  Yes.  Dog beds?  Aye.  Dog toys and dishes?  Si, senorita.  Perfumes?  Oui.  Coats?  Ja. 

Today I stopped at Marshalls for two items.  Coffee and dog toys.  To my shock, the coffee supply was the smallest I’ve ever seen.  Definitely an anomaly.  But there were plenty of dog toys.  And because yesterday, Cambridge had been reduced to playing with a potato, a couple of toys seemed like a reasonable purchase.  But first the shoes had to been perused.  A nice pair of loafers to wear with jeans would be great.  Up and down the aisles I went, checking out one pair of cute shoes after another.  There were a bunch of ‘em, that’s for sure.  The right loafers didn’t appear, but some Minnetonka moccasins did.  I tried them on and walked around the store, contemplating  their purchase.  Ultimately I decided I could live without them and wandered over to the food section.  Granola, jams, chocolate, tea, cookies, and a plethora of other yummy things met my eyes.  Well, what was this?  A bag of bittersweet Swiss chocolate to melt for fondue?  Oh look, it found its way right into my hand!  Isn’t it wonderful that dark chocolate is good for your health? 

Walking past the dishware section, the thought came to mind that we needed a couple of bowls.  It’s been hard to find the right size for making microwave oatmeal.  The oatmeal overflows the sides as it’s cooking in the small bowls.  A bowl that’s too big is hard to eat from after the oatmeal is cooked.  But hey-ho!  There on the shelf were some bowls that looked to be just the right size!  (Kind of reminds you  of Goldilocks, doesn’t it?)  Two would do nicely.

On to doggie world.  Hmmmm, Cambridge needs a new ball.  Preferably one made of iron, so he can’t shred it a minute and a half.  OK, there weren’t any iron balls, but there were some that looked like they might withstand his mighty jaws for a day or two.  One package held two tennis balls “featuring a burst of mint to freshen your dog’s breath while you play fetch”—uh-huh—I won’t hold my breath on that one.  Well, actually, holding my breath might be a good idea….

Now it was time to look at pillows, wander through the clothes, and check out the perfumes.  I stopped at the swimsuits long enough for a tremendously unappetizing image of myself trying one on in the fitting room formed in my mind.  Note to self:  Eat wisely these winter months, they fly by oh too quickly….

Back in the housewares section, I found a clear container perfect for storing The Man’s walnuts. (Omega 3, you know-- Yeah, we’re all about healthy eating! sometimes)

Oh, I forgot about the furniture.  I’d buy one of their upholstered pieces for sure.  They have pretty good stuff most of the time.  The wooden furniture is more useful for inspiration.  A cute little red side table caught my eye today.  I wouldn’t buy it for $139, but I would pick up a piece like it for $10 at someone’s garage sale and paint it red!    

So much to see and think about when you're in Marshalls.  What a great store. 

Today's booty!