There are a lot of places on earth that make me happy.

My bedroom. It’s where I sleep. And where I cuddle with my husband while watching ‘The Big Bang Theory’ reruns.

My living room. I watch my kids play together and play next to each other. Many times, I join them.

My parents’ house. The yard, the view, the company.

And Trader Joe’s. I could start a blog that is strictly about things I love from Trader Joe’s.

They always have new goodies to try, so I would never run out of fun stuff to write about!

The only time I drink caffeinated coffee is when I get a sample at TJ’s, (that’s reason enough for me to visit). Their snack selection is endless and usually pretty healthy. Their frozen foods are the best I’ve had. They have a great produce section, with a lot of prepped options. And their prices are always surprising.

My kids love the samples and the suckers, assuming they find the hidden dolphin, of course. At our current store, it’s a dolphin (“Dewey the Dolphin,” to be exact). But every store has a different furry friend for the littles to find.

But, like all things, no one (or place), is perfect.Here is a list of things from my beloved TJ’s that my family has tried, tested, and thrown away (or at least never purchased again).

1. Prenatal vitamins

Ok. So maybe I’m the only one in the fam that got to try these. I started taking them when I was in the first trimester with my son. I threw up after taking them on more than one occasion. Morning sickness? Yes. But is it odd that I have never once thrown up a “Rainbow Lite” vitamin?

2. Cheddar Cheese

This may or may not be because I am a huge cheese snob and I’m obsessed with Tillamook. Otherwise, their cheese section is stellar. Feta, Parmesan, mozzarella, all great!(I put their feta on everything!!)

3. Meat

Their meat section, in my opinion, is lame. I’m not impressed with their prices and I have never found anything I ended up liking. When I need to get meat, I head to a different store, (unless it’s frozen).

4. Beauty/body products

I ran out of my normal deodorant last week, so I’ve been using the stuff I got at TJ’s. I won’t go into the smelly details, but by the time this post is up, I will have some good ol’ Mitchum in my possession.

5. Juice

Even though it is TJ’s, and they strive for healthier products, their juices still have way too much sugar. They have one type of reduced sugar version and it is really gross. My 2 year old even refused it, with conviction. I tried to power through it to avoid being wasteful, but I just couldn’t do it.

6. Sushi

Don’t do it. Seriously. We tried it last week. The rice does not resemble rice at all. It had congealed together to form a firm white wrap around the seaweed, crab, and cucumber. If you want sushi, learn from my mistake, go to a sushi restaurant.

7. Bread

We’ve tried pretty much every type of bread TJ’s has to offer. Every single one of them tastes, well, too healthy. Now, I appreciate a great tasting, healthy bread as much as anyone, but I don’t need flax, chia, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds all in one measly piece of bread. But that’s just me…and my entire family…

As I said earlier, TJ’s is one of my happy places. They have a fantastic produce section, a great variety of wine and liquor, delicious frozen and prepped meals, and snacks to die for. Honestly, the snacks alone keep us coming back. But nobody is perfect, including my favorite grocery store.

What is your least favorite thing from a Trader Joe’s? What’s your absolute favorite thing?

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