Last week Lincoln and I were invited to a preview of the new Boscov’s store at the Westfield Meriden Mall to get a tour and do some shopping before they opened to the public on Saturday. (That means they’re open RIGHT NOW. You should go.)

We met up with a handful of other local bloggers to check out the store. If you haven’t heard of Boscov’s before, they’re a family-run department store founded in 1914 in Pennsylvania but now they have locations from Maryland to Connecticut. They’re similar to Belk or Dillards or Bon-Ton, none of which we have around here, so the next closest thing is probably Macys or Kohls. But I’m not a huge fan of either of those stores. I’m always worried I’m missing out on a coupon code, or rewards dollars, or some sort of secret friends and family sale that would give me half off. At Boscov’s, they don’t do any of that. Stuff is always on sale, no coupons.

And the sales are really good. All the kid’s Carters stuff was 60% off the tags. I bought Evan a high-performance winter coat for $9.99. There were racks and racks of holiday dresses for Caroline for under ten bucks. They also had a candy counter and a toy department, which is where I almost lost Linc, because he was SO excited about the stuffed animals.

The staff was also incredible. They were very friendly and even though the store wasn’t even open yet they gave great directions. We also met not one, but TWO Mr. Boscovs. Albert, the original founder’s son and his nephew Jim Boscov, who is the current CEO. Jim told the ladies at the candy counter to give us all the samples we wanted. I like Jim.

They make their own fudge. It was delicious.

That’s the excellent Mr. Jim Boscov.

Linc and I did a ton of shopping. Boscov’s had everything from blinds to Barbies, an eyewear department, appliances, all the kinds of clothes and more. Some of my favorites were accessories (because who doesn’t love trying on hats?) and the seasonal departments (I would have spent all day looking at Christmas decorations if I hadn’t been afraid the baby on my back was going to smash something).

I wish I had bought that sweater dress behind me. Isn’t that a great color?

Their dressing rooms had TWO awesome things: first, that seat where I could strap Linc while I tried stuff on. GENIUS. And second, the kind of magic mirrors that make you look thinner. They also made a great spot to nurse a tired baby who couldn’t focus with all the people walking around.

One of the other things that makes Boscov’s a great addition to the area is their community outreach. On the day I visited, they had sold early shopping passes for $5 and every single one of those dollars went to charity. They sell those passes as fundraisers for local organizations all the time, you can check out details here for the Meriden store. The store also has an auditorium room built into their space that they allow the community to use during the year. When their spokesperson was talking about Boscov’s involvement with the local area, you could really tell that it was a passionate part of their business.

It was a pleasure to be invited and such a treat to get to shop without three kids in tow. There was an unfortunate incident with one of my tires (stupid tires!) in the parking lot so Linc and I had a little extra shopping time while we waited for a repair. I had no idea the Westfield Meriden Mall was such a great shopping spot. Plus also their kid’s play area was Linc-sized. He could have played for another two hours if I’d let him.

Now I’m going to go finish off my box of fudge while wearing my bus stop slippers*. Thanks again Boscov’s for the great day!

*slippers I wear to the bus stop. Ain’t nobody got time for shoes.

I was invited to the new #BoscovsMeriden store as a member of the Connecticut Bloggers group. I received a store gift card to spend during my visit but no additional compensation was included. All opinions, words and photographs are my own. 

*Giveaway is now closed!*

Back in December, I vowed that as soon as the crazy that was Caroline’s birthday/Christmas was over, I was going to buckle down and find ways to save money. And then, like magic, I got an email in my inbox asking if I’d be interested in reading and giving away a copy of a new book on how to live a happy, abundant life for less. Hey world, next week I want to buckle down and win the lottery! Unfortunately, life doesn’t work like that. Fortunately, I did get a copy of The Good Life for Less written by MomAdvice.com founder Amy Allen Clark.

The Good Life for Less ranges in advice from saving money at the grocery store to designing a cute and eye catching frame wall for your house. I really enjoyed the chapters on setting a cleaning schedule (something I’ve always struggled with) and on saving money during the holidays by remembering that the memories are more important than the stuff.  Obviously there were a lot of tips aimed at moms but none of it would be bad for anyone – everyone has a friend getting married or knows someone with a new baby and could use a creative gift idea.

In my opinion, the best part of the book is the plethora of recipes in the middle. I know that these days you can find recipes for almost anything on the internet but having them all together in one place is so nice. Amy covers everything from how to make your own Bisquick mix to what to do with frozen fish to Rainbow Cupcakes baked in mini mason jars (who doesn’t love things in jars?!) One of my favorite tips was to make your own mixes for things like pancakes, cookies and bread in large batches, then keep them in sealed and labeled bags in the pantry so you can whip up whatever you need quickly and at a fraction of the cost of buying all the mixes premade. She also inspired me to dig my bread maker out and give homemade bread another try (“try” is a good word for now, but I’m going to work on it).

I know from my description it sounds very common-sensey. Maybe some of it is. But reading it all written out in The Good Life for Less in a light, conversational style made following the smart and practical advice much easier. It’s not a hard read and you’re definitely going to want to stop at various points to go do that thing you just read right now! It’s a great idea! Do it quick! And then your good life is a little bit better.

The publisher sent me an extra copy of The Good Life for Less (an actual hard copy I’ve hidden from my children so it’s still in excellent shape) to give to one of my readers. If you’re interested, leave a comment on this post. You can tell me something you do to create a good life for less (or you can just tell me my hair looks pretty today – I’m not picky). I’ll pick a random winner next Friday!

You can read more about Amy Allen Clark and her book on her website here, including where and how to buy a hard copy or the e-book version. I was sent a free copy of the book but no other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.

And the winner is…#16!

Congrats to manda, who was commenter #16! I’ll email you to get your address and put your book in the mail ASAP!