Why I Love Trader Joe’s

Rule #116: Treat yo’ self.

Why I Love Trader Joe’s | Jon Boy has been out of town all week for work, and to say that potty training isn’t going well would be a gross understatement. Between all the bodily fluids I’ve cleaned up and the temper tantrums galore, I needed to treat myself. And by myself, I mean myself and my sidekick, Little Miss Brookie Boo.

Trader Joe's

Now I don’t know about you, but my treat yo’ self time is ironically best spent at a grocery store. Especially a good one. I could spend hours going up-and-down the aisles, looking at all the fun and funky things those four walls have to offer. I’m a freak, and I know it. I let my Freak Flag fly high, y’all.

My favorite grocery store to stroll through to wash away the memories of accidents and “Oops Mama, I didn’t make it on time”s has to be Trader Joe’s. I’ve heard from SO many people that they think it’s expensive or filled with weird hippie food or that it’s just plain intimidating. Well, I’m here to dispel all of those myths my friends. Trader Joe’s is about to become your new TREAT YO’ SELF therapy center.

I did my darndest to get a picture to show everything I bought on my last treat yo’ self trip. Here’s rundown: 4 salad dressings, 6 bags of frozen cauliflower gnocchi, 3 bags of assorted frozen veggies, 3 premade salads, 6 bottles of wine, 4 different kinds of fresh, potted herbs, 3 potted plants, 3 hydrangea stems, hummus, cauliflower tabouleh, avocados, 2 hand soaps, pickles, organic blackberries, fresh sauerkraut, and a partridge in a pear tree (gotchya). All of this was UNDER $200!

Trader Joe's

I don’t know about you, but when I buy 6 bottles of wine, that skyrockets my grocery bill by at least $100. I’ve never bought wine from Trader Joe’s before, but thought I’d give it a chance since I’ve heard great things. I was NOT disappointed. I bought this Russian River Valley Chardonnay, and lemme tell you… it’s a Chard-on-YAY my friends! And shmello… it’s only $9.99!

Trader Joe's

We had this hummus over at our friends’ house a while back, and I think we ate the entire thing… and we owe them another… should’ve thought of that while I was there… Guess I need to go back! Ha! Anywho… this hummus is the bomb! It’s not super spicy, but has a ton of zippy flavor. I love it with some carrots or sweet potato chips!

Trader Joe's

I’m obsessed with Trader Joe’s salad dressings. We’ve always loved their Champagne Style Vinaigrette and their Green Goddess dressing (not pictured). I thought we’d try this Greek Feta Dressing and their fresh Green Goddess dressing this time. I’ve actually heard that pouring the Goddess dressing on chicken and roasting it is super yummy, so we may give that a go soon!

Trader Joe's

Anytime I can snag some fresh herbs on the cheap, Imma do it. I bought fresh mint, thyme, Italian parsley, and dill for $4 each! I can guarantee you that for the amount of herbs that are already grown (not even counting what will grow throughout the spring) would cost more at a regular grocery store. Definitely a great buy! I plan on placing these on our back patio where they’ll get some afternoon sun. They should last for at least 3 months.

Trader Joe's

We are pickle freaks. Like weirdos who have about 15 jars of pickled somethings in the fridge at any given time. Trader Joe’s has TONS of good pickled stuff. I decided to try these Bread + Butter Pickles this time and HOLY CRISPY, SWEET, TANGY DELICIOUSNESS I’m so glad I did!

Trader Joe's

I’m super excited to try this cauliflower tabbouleh. It gets old eating the same-ole-same-ole low carb stuff day after day. That’s another great thing about Trader Joe’s is that they have tons of premade salads and meals and sides and main dishes ready to go. It’s hard for me to restrain myself in their premade foods section. There’s so much to choose from and everything looks delicious!

I’m honestly skeptical about the frozen cauliflower mash, but I’m going to give ole Joe the benefit of the doubt. I’ll report my findings on Instagram most likely.

Trader Joe's

Speaking of cauliflower… I’ve heard RAVE reviews about this Cauliflower Gnocchi, so I had to (of course) buy 6 bags of it. It’s frozen, so I’m not worried about it spoiling. After I posted this picture on my Instagram stories, I had a ton of people reach out and say how much they love it! Everyone also said it’s best pan friend or sautéed instead of boiled, so that’s a great tip. I’m planning on using it with some plain old bolognese sauce and in my Parmesan Spring Pasta.

Also in this picture are some preseasoned, frozen veggies and a premade Mexican salad that I plan on devouring for lunch tomorrow!

Trader Joe's

If you can spy with your little eye the two hand soaps buried in that mountain of happy things, then you will see that they’re pretty large. I used the bathroom as soon as I got to the store (something about giving birth to two kids and driving for 30 minutes), and I used their grapefruit hand soap. Advertisement at its finest. I think each biggo bottle was $3.99 or something.

Corey eats blackberries… eh hem… Corey inhales blackberries at a rate that could likely be a world record. I can’t keep them in the house for more than a couple of days. There’s a huge carton of them buried under the mountain of happy things, but it was only $4. I almost bought 5 cartons of them, but I think that would have been overkill. And Corey’s cheeks wouldn’t be empty for about 3 days.

Trader Joe's

The floral section at Trader Joe’s is probably the main reason I look forward to my treat yo’ self time. I can’t tell you enough about the incredibly low prices at TJ’s! Those big, gorgeous hydrangeas were $5! I also snagged a couple of potted hyacinth goodies and another little cyclamen cutie.

Trader Joe's

I’m looking forward to cooking with all of my finds and reporting back on my faves! I must say that after my treat yo’ self session, I’m feeling much better. Now back to my regularly scheduled potty training session.

5 thoughts on “Why I Love Trader Joe’s”

  1. Vern suggests the Grand Reserve Merlot for $5.99. I also love Bombas. ‘Da Bomb. 3 servings/bag for 99centd and I heard they’re 1 Pt on WW, so that’s good for you! I’m a $1.49 daffodil gal. Some of my TJ go to items earlier tonight.

    Reply

Leave a Comment