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Bath and Body Works Tyler Texas

January 10th, 2010

As you walk through the Broadway square mall in Tyler you can not help but smell the joyful scents pouring from Bath and Body Works.

When you have to buy a gift for that woman that you have no idea what to get her, Bath and Body Works is the best place to shop. I know that it is always hard to know what type of scent that people like. Every woman seems to have their own taste. But they have everything for everyone’s personal liking, candles, soap, lotions, Anti-bacterial, body spray, perfumes, and much more.

If you are anything like me, you don’t like leaving the house without a bottle of anti-bacterial. But the thing I hate is the smell. Bath and Body Works has found an answer for this frustrating problem that has been bothering women for years; Scented anti-bacterial. It kills germs and the only smell that stays is the pleasant smells, such as, jasmine, cherry blossom, lemon, or vanilla.

You can always find great deals for gift packages, and sale items. If you do not know what someone likes, give them a little of each scent. Mix and match fun items, jasmine scented body spray, cucumber melon candles, vanilla lotions and lemon hand anti-bacterial. You can find so many different ideas for gifts online and in the store. There are so many more gifts than just a bar of soap or candle. There are even potted plants and gardening gift ideas on the Bath and body Works website; including the futuristic item, “Garden in a bag”. You can choose between the “Happy Birthday!” Viola Mix or the “thinking of you” Pansy. You can not go wrong with chocolate. A Godiva candle and truffles make the perfect gifts. You can shop for the perfect “fun gift” such as cute and comfortable house slippers, or warm bath robes, or soft blankets. But do not over look the classic gifts that make Bath and Body Works so popular for so many years, such as the Signature Collection Classics Body Lotions. Try out the exciting smells, like Pink Grapefruit, Creamy Coconut, Cool Citrus, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, or Coco Cabana, and many more.

You can create a relaxing spa at your home. Get candles and relaxing room fragrances to set the calming mood. Bath and Body Work has great Aromatherapy massage oil. You can choose the best oil for your moods; Sleep- Lavender Chamomile and Lavender Vanilla, Stress Relief- Eucalyptus Spearmint and Tranquil Mint, or Sensuality- Jasmine Vanilla. You can complete a nice massage with the True Blue Spa Roller Ball Massager, or the 5-prong Massager by Bath & Body Works Accessories. You can give yourself a perfect home done manicure or pedicure with great kits, and True Blue Spa accessories. True Blue has such accessories such as nail buffers, hand lotions, manicure scrub, and the “Beauty Queen Waves Moisturizing Gel Gloves”. Aromatherapy has hand creams for your mood, such as energy and a stress relief. Look for great facial items brands such as, Patricia Wexler M.D. Dermatology, Murad Skin Care Kits, Zeno Acne Clearing Device, and Sara Happ. After a relaxing night cuddle up in a comfortable robe and warm slippers.

Check out their website on a regular basis to keep up with the great sale prices or you can go into the store. Ask a Tyler TX sales associate how to get on the e-mail list. Bath & Body Works sends coupons and alters you of sales in store and online.

Smarteze Tutoring Service

January 8th, 2010

smartezeSmarteze Tutoring Services is located near the loop by 155 South. Started by Kris Hampton, the program offers a variety of services and subjects for students who require assistance by a Tyler tutoring instructor.

Owner and director, Ms. Hampton is certified in a number of developmental programs for children. Her tutoring service runs from pre-k through adult education and specializes in providing one on one help to students with a variety of learning styles. The program focuses on building study skills, and critical reasoning. Smarteze keeps several highly qualified tutors available, with specialties in numerous areas of expertise.

The purpose of the program is to teach the Tyler student how to study and develops a love of learning and scholarship. There is also a physical education component which helps improve the student’s coordination and motor skills. For more information, go to www.smartezetutoring.com or call (903) 330-8469. Their office can be found at 3550 West Way St., Suite B, Tyler TX 75703

You can visit their Facebook page here: Smarteze Tutoring on Facebook

Baby Shopping Showdown

January 8th, 2010

As a mom of two young girls the shopping experience can become stressful. The Tyler Texas area, being so spread out, is inconvenient, to say the least, for the mother on the go. Second hand stores, to high priced brand names, to big chains, we have what you are looking for, you just have to know where to look.

As a second hand store “Mommy and me” is a hot spot for hot prices. You can get a cute out fit for a dollar, but you might want to stop and get some club soda to get out the old spit up stains. If you are willing to dig deep you can get your moneys worth. I have found outfits that were not torn or faded, or just out of date. Although the employees that work there are always helpful and polite, and answer any questions you might have. I do love a personal touch to a store and its services. If you do decide to shop “Mommy and me” expect to find great conversation and great prices but not the cleanest or nicest hand-me-downs.
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If the name on the tag is more important than the price on the tag, shop “Snug as a Bug”. Honestly, I don’t understand why you should pay $50 for a pair of shoes that your kids will wear for three months, but maybe that’s just my opinion. There is more than just clothes at this quaint corner store, your child’s room could be filled with beauty and value. From furniture, to curtains, to diaper bags, they have it all. Though I love the style and look of the “Snug as a Bug” products, the prices are not worth my time.

At the big chain stores, you can be sure to find good products at decent prices. “The Children’s Place” (Broadway Square Mall) and “Babies R Us” (Corner of Loop 323 and Donnybrook) are two of my personal favorite stores in Tyler. Its easy to find what you are looking for in the right sizes. No need to get stressed or have to dig, which is very convenient when you have to shop with small children. You can always expect new items determined by the season.
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The main frustration of shopping big chain stores is that the personal services are lacking, like the feeling everyone sees you and knows you need help but avoids you in hope that their shift will go by faster. I hate circling the store looking for someone to tell me if they have a 18 months size of the shirt I have been carrying around for ten minutes. The employees at these two stores are usually very helpful, but I have had times that I felt lost and frustrated. The shopping experience should be convenient and easy. When its all laid out or hung up on the RIGHT places its much more delightful to shop at those stores. You might even enjoy yourself! 

Though second hand stores such as “Mommy and Me” have great prices, and top name brands such as “Snug as a bug” have great value, I will stick with the big chain stores so that I can always be certain of convenience, prices, and value with no let downs

Motherhood

October 15th, 2009

If you visit Tyler’s Broadway Square Mall, walk into one of the most well-known maternity stores in the country, Motherhood. Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful times in woman life. Sometimes women don’t feel so beautiful. As your stomach grows and your hips spread, and you begin running into everything within a five foot radius, everyone smiles and complete strangers ask you to rub your stomach. Comfort becomes a thing of the past. But through it all at least you can look stylish.

Motherhood has beautiful dresses for each season. Find a cute jacket for those cold winter days or a fun summer dress for the hot summer afternoons here in East Texas. You could even get a cute dress to be able to doll up for a hot date. If you are trying to be comfortable, well, as comfortable as it gets, they have t-shirts and tank tops, find comfortable pants or cute jeans that emphasizes your baby bump. Find fun styles even when your twice your normal size!

After you have your baby Motherhood also has nursing bras and nursing tank tops to make feeding your baby easy as possible. You want to give the best for your child so let Motherhood help.

So if you are having a hard time find cute clothes while you are big and pregnant, come visit Motherhood and scope out the great sales. You can come find your style here and leave looking great and feeling great!

Broadway Square Mall: A Grown-Up’s Perspective

September 30th, 2009
Tyler Mall

Tyler TX Mall

As a kid growing up in Tyler TX, Broadway Square Mall was the coolest place in the world. Not only was it full of other kids, it had a video arcade right across from a pizza shop. If I wanted to, I could spend an entire Saturday hanging out with my friends in the Air Conditioning.

Today, kids still dominate Broadway Square Mall. Teenagers, anyway. What does Broadway Square Mall have for young Tylerites today? The usual suspects: A half-dozen jewelers, a food court, a radio shack across from a GNC, the obligatory Hallmark store, and the Preppy Tri-Fecta of Abercrombie, the Gap, and Old Navy. More notably, the mall is anchored on three sides by department giants Sears, JCPenney, and Dillards.

If you are looking for the typical comforts of a suburban mall, you’ve got it here. You’ve got your freshly baked pretzels, your frozen yogurt, your Santa stage, sitting idle for most of the year. If you like kiosks, you can renew your cell phone plan, buy a pair of sunglasses, and get your picture cartoon-ized in no time flat. There are lots of girlish stores to make ladies feel prettier: Body Shop, Talbot’s and Victoria’s Secret. And for the guys, there’s Finish Line, Foot Locker, and toys at Game Stop. The little kids can’t go arcading anymore, but they can manufacture a new best friend at the Build-A-Bear workshop.

Notably absent from Broadway Square mall is a movie theater. We thought that there was no coffee shop but we are wrong. There is now a Coffee Beanery franchise in there now, thank goodness! Other than that, this mall offers exactly what we’ve become accustom to at other identical suburban shopping centers: cookie cutter stores and over-inflated prices.

I stopped going to the mall years ago for three reasons. First, it’s crowded, especially around Christmas time. Second, I can almost always find merchandise elsewhere for cheaper. For example, I used to frequent the music store at the mall to buy CD’s, but now I just go to iTunes. But my primary reason for avoiding Broadway Square Mall is the fact that it seems to be dominated by young prima donnas.

This became clear to me when I was a senior in high school, leaving the music store with a Beatles CD in hand. My cousin and I were walking mindlessly toward the west exit when we passed a bandanna’d young man who was threatened by my trajectory. “Hey man. You’re walking too CLOSE to me.” He announced to everyone. “Did you hear me? I said you’re walking too CLOSE to me.” Another wanna-be gang banger trying to pick a fight. My cousin laughed and we walked out without honoring the gentleman with a response.

Fair or unfair, that picture still defines Broadway Square Mall for me. It is a place where young, bored teenagers walk circles for hours on end, loitering in store after store, trying to attract the opposite sex with either spaghetti straps or machismo. They are there not because they need something, but because they have nothing better to do.

Here’s the good news: If you need to go to Sears for a lawnmower, Dillards for a dress, or JCPenney’s for a Tony Romo game jersey, you can enter those store directly without ever entering the mall at all. And if, like me, you really want to run in and out only take advantage of Old Navy’s cheap T-shirt deals, try not to walk TOO CLOSE to anyone.