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Avoiding Salesmen

January 10th, 2010

In most cities, the mall is a one stop store for every need and many times, even if you want to catch a movie. But this is another way Tyler differs from most cities. Tyler’s small mall is without many things, for an example a toy store. Yes, they may have stores with toys, and even have the new addition of “Build-A-Bear”, but what about the old toy stores that I got so excited about as a child?

But this is the least of annoying things about the Broadway Square Mall. I can not stand walking through the mall and getting stopped by salesmen; or getting yelled at across half of the mall. “No eye contact, No eye contact” I keep telling myself. This idea that, maybe, if I act like I don’t see them then they will leave me alone, it’s a nice idea but it never really works. I think it is so funny how they give you such a guilt trip that you don’t use their product. But my personal favorite is when they are selling hair straightener and they ask you if you ever used one and your hair is so straight.

Walking through the mall gets frustrating having to dive into stores to avoid the salesmen. They sale everything, from hair products, gifts, jewelry, clothes, hair removal products, and even massages, and much more.

The mall is starting to redesign the interior of the building. They try to make the shopping experience more comfortable by putting comfortable chairs and couches in the middle of the mall. This is great for the husbands of the serious shoppers in Tyler. Another great thing about the new improvements is the new bathrooms. You use to walk down a long dirty hallway to find an old dirty bathroom with one folding changing table nailed to the wall. Now they have cleaned it up and even added a family bathroom with small toilets for your potty-training toddler.

The mall in Tyler has most of the normal stores such as Old Navy, JC Penny’s, Sears, Dillard’s. Many of my favorite stores are in the Broadway Square Mall, such as Icings, Old Navy, Children’s Place and many more. I do like many of the stores in the mall, both times that I found out that I was pregnant my first stop was the store Motherhood. I love their designer maternity clothes and their styles that show off that baby bump. My very favorite thing to shop for is clothes for little girls! Even though I’ve said a lot of negative about the Tyler mall they still do have great stores for my shopping needs. Children’s Place is a great place to find new and stylish children’s clothes. They have clothes for all types of weather and occasions according to the season of the year. The mall has many other stores that carry children clothes, but Children’s Place is dedicated to children with cheaper prices than other stores.

When I was a child and my family did not know where to eat, we would go to the mall’s food court. We would have the exciting options of Chinese food, Italian, fast food and much more. Now the food court has been limited to a couple restaurants. They still have the Chick-fil-a restaurant tucked away in the back of the mall. For some reason I can not enjoy the large crowds in the small restaurant. As you walk through the mall your mouth will begin to water from the sweet smell of the famous Pretzel Time.

When walking through the mall be warned to walk quickly passed the small stands with loud salesmen and women. Theywill  try to sell you over-priced cell phone covers and tell you that your upper lip needs waxing, so you will try their product. These sales guys may also tell you that you need their hand cream to make sure your children do not get all the sicknesses that you carry. As you are leaving do not forget to stop by the guy’s stand that sales over-sized shirts with pictures of Obama and Michael Jackson. You may also want to pick up the strange skull jewelry for your every piercing need at the gothic fashion store Hot Topic.

A new development in the mall is not about a store or a restaurant, but the security. You can’t help but think of the famous Paul Blart, as the security guard rolls by you. Nothing says intimidation like a segway. I guess they felt like they could stop more fights that way or that they could get from the cookie store to the Dip and Dots stand quicker. Whatever the reason, I don’t know about you, but I feel safer. Especially when I have to maneuver my two child stroller out of the way before getting run over.

So as you shop avoiding is the key. Avoid the crowds, the sales men, and avoid being run over by the man on wheels enjoying his power trip.

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.

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.