Kid to Kid

“Kid to Kid” Recycled Children’s Goods
1201 W. Arbrook (1 block east of Cooper, across street from The Parks Mall)
Mon-Sat 9am-8pm; Sun 12-6
(817) 468 1995
kidtokid.com

Located on W. Arbrook, one block east of S. Cooper.

A large variety of gently-worn clothes, many name brands.

Too sweet! Pretty petticoats and wings for your angel.

Whether you’re looking for kids’ clothes, toys, shoes, school uniforms, baby equipment…heck, even maternity wear…you can buy or sell it (and save lots of money) by visiting Kid to Kid.

It’s a common quandary for parents: your child quickly outgrows his/her clothes or toys. Why not sell it to Kid-to-Kid in exchange for cash or store credit? You can buy a new outfit or pair of shoes in the correct size and pay less than what you would pay at the shopping mall.  And these are brand name items.

But Kid to Kid has so much more than clothes for re-sale (including cute little petticoats and leotards and angel wings!).

A wide variety of toys and equipment was in better condition than I expected. During my visit, here are some examples of gently used equipment including: high chairs (e.g., Evenflo, $44.99), potty chairs ($9.99), bathtubs ($5.99 to $11.99), strollers, bouncers, baby swings (Graco $44.99), car seats ($59.99) and booster seats.

I was happy to see so such a large selection of shoes for retail (kids’ feet grow way too quickly to keep paying retail prices!!!!). And I was really glad to see that we can buy (and sell) maternity wear. What a great idea! My old maternity clothes sat in the back of a closet until my cousin got pregnant and needed to borrow them. Hand-me-downs are fine, but not as cool as cash!

Here’s something really important: this location of Kid to Kid boasts a huge section for SCHOOL UNIFORMS available YEAR-ROUND!!!!!

Parents from across Texas come here specifically to buy school uniforms. According to store owner, Debbie, customers have come in the summer from Lubbock and Abilene to buy uniforms which, apparently, are often not available year-round. It’s also common for parents from North Texas cities like Crowley or Kennedale or DeSoto to shop at her store for school uniforms.

Debbie also said that her Arlington store has been the #1 performer among all 75 Kid-to-Kid franchises world-wide (including Portugal) for six consecutive years, thanks in part to the large selection of school uniforms.

Yes, the store carries new items, too (we wouldn’t want a used pacifier!!!). And gift certificates are available. Why not give that as a gift for a baby shower or other type of gift? Then the mom-to-be of child could get a lot more items for a reduced price.

So bottom line overall for clothes/toy/equipments: If you’re selling or buying (or both), stop by Kid to Kid to see how much money you can earn/save.

If you’re looking to sell, call ahead (817 468-1995) to schedule an appointment. A computer program helps the store appraise your kids’ stuff. The amount of money is determined by the brand, style, condition, and demand for the items. You can go for cash, but if you opt for store credit you get up to 20% more.

Any clothing you sell should be freshly laundered and pressed with no stains or holes or missing buttons. Toys and baby equipment should be clean and in good working order.

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MAJESTIC GRAND SLAM GIFT SHOP @ RANGERS BALLPARK

MAJESTIC GRAND SLAM GIFT SHOP @ RANGERS BALLPARK

1000 Ballpark Way (inside Rangers Ballpark, faces Randol Mill Road)

10am-5pm, non-game day; 10am to end-of-game during Rangers game day

(817) 273-5001

 

Anything-and-everything Rangers can be found here.

A large selection of women’s apparel is available.

Hamilton, Kinsler and Young jerseys are hot sellers.

My nephew loves decorating his room with baseball memorabilia. There’s a big selection here.

 

 

Located inside Rangers Ballpark and open year-round, this is the best place to buy Rangers and other major league team’s collectibles in North Texas.  If you need a new Josh Hamilton jersey or Ian Kinsler t-shirt — maybe a new red Texas cap to wear during “Rangers Red Outs” — here’s where you can get outfitted for the baseball season.  And if there’s a baseball fan in your life, you’ve found the #1 shopping spot to find the perfect gift for him/her.  If it’s anything Texas Rangers or baseball, you’ll find it here.

 

A really unique gift idea is a customized Louisville slugger or customized jersey. 

 

There is an on-site machine with a laser engraver to customize bats.  The full-size customized bat is $60 and can be made within an hour of purchase.  The store promises a ‘same-hour turnaround’. You can also customize a mini-bat for $22.

 

Grand Slam Gift Shop also has a heat press machine to customize authentic jerseys.  You can also customize replica jerseys.  Prices start around $65 and go up from there.

 

I talked with one of the store managers, Randy, about the variety of merchandise and memorabilia available.   Apparently it’s not just Rangers fans looking for a souvenir to take home after a game.  Many out-of-town fans visit the shop throughout the year.

 

“We get a number of fans from other cities and a number of fans touring the Ballpark,” said Randy.  “We sell much more than Rangers merchandise.  Of the collectible memorabilia from former players, the Nolan Ryan items are the most popular.  We also sell a lot of women’s and children’s apparel.  For the families, we sell lots of foam fingers and lots of baseballs and bobbleheads”.

 

I was surprised by the huge selection for women & kids.  There’s a whole wall with nothing but pink Rangers shirts/shorts/sweats.  The children’s apparel section is huge; even sizes for infants are available (and too cute!!!).

 

For the bigger boys & girls, prices range from $20 for a Josh Hamilton youth t-shirt to $72 for a Michael Young youth replica jersey.  I have a feeling my nephew will soon be begging for an Elvis Andrus jersey (he’s the rookie shortstop and the new popular guy on the team).

 

But you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to satisfy the kids.  Player pennants are $6; mini-bats are $8; Josh Hamilton decals are $10; Rangers Mardi Gras beads are $9. 

 

Of course if you’re looking for something bigger and of greater value, the adult-size Nolan Ryan autographed jersey will set you back $600.

 

So whether you’re looking to spend a couple of bucks on a Rangers bumper sticker or set of trading cards….or a hundred bucks on a new Rangers jersey of your favorite player…you’ll find it here.

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ASHER’S GOURMET SHOPPE

ASHER’S GOURMET SHOPPE

3114  S. Cooper St. (between Arkansas & Mayfield)

Mon-Fri 10am-6:30pm; Sat 10am-5:30pm; Closed Sundays

(817) 468-9411

Located on the west side of Cooper Street, between Arkansas and Mayfield

All sorts of dishes and serving pieces, fancy or casual, is available.

A great place to shop for gifts for the hard-to-buy-for person.

 

Every gadget you could ever want for your kitchen…every set of plates or serving sets or glasses you could ever need for your dining room or kitchen….I think we’ve found it all in one place at Asher’s Gourmet Shoppe on S. Cooper Street.  This is a panacea for anybody who loves to cook or just wants to freshen-up the dining room/kitchen area. 

 

Cookware, bakeware, cutlery, tea sets, small appliances, kitchen accessories…you’ll find them here.

 

Whether you’re into cake decorating or outdoor grilling; if fondue or margarita machines are your preference; shoot, maybe you are into the wood-fired oven….you can find it here at Asher’s.

 

As for the dinnerware, Asher’s is an authorized dealer of Royal Worcester and Spode.  There is Royal Patrician from Staffordshire, England.  And if you prefer casual rather than formal, there’s a whole row of dinner ware/kitchen ware with Texas/Southwestern themes.

 

There is also a section for gourmet foods including soup mixes, cake mixes, preserves, margarita mixes, coffees and teas, extra virgin olive oil, etc.    A large selection of wine racks and wine openers are available.  Heck, the back wall is covered with a selection of aprons. 

 

What I especially love are the sets/appliances that I can use with my kids.  The little ice cream makers and sno-cone makers are perfect for them.  My husband was more interested in the grill accessories.

 

This is a great place to shop for gifts, and I don’t just mean gifts for wedding showers or house-warmings.  Eating is something each one of us does at least three times a day (not counting all the fun little snacks in-between meals). 

 

You know how it’s hard to buy something for “the person who has everything”?  Well, I thought I knew my way around the kitchen, but there were gizmos in here that I hadn’t seen before.  Now I have some fun ideas for gifts (not only for myself) but for family/friends who enjoy cooking or grilling (or just eating!!!).

 

You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to enjoy browsing through Asher’s.  There’s something for everyone who has to muddle their way through the kitchen.  I’m not a gourmet chef by any stretch of the imagination (anyone who continually burns microwave popcorn can’t claim prowess in the kitchen), but I really enjoyed this store.  And there are great gift ideas, too.

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Taste of Europe — Russian Collectibles

TASTE OF EUROPE (Russian and Eastern European Gifts/Collectibles)

1901 W. Pioneer Parkway (between S. Fielder and S. Bowen)

(817) 275-5530

 

 

Religious icons from the Russian Orthodox Church are among the unique gifts and collectibles.

Store owner Mikhail, a native of Minsk, shows jewelry to Sandra from Wylie, TX.

Hundreds of sets of Russian Nesting Dolls are on display.

Tues-Thurs, 11am-7pm; Fri & Sat, 11am-9pm; Sun 11am-5pm; closed Mondays)

www.TasteofEurope.com

 

Russian antiques, collectibles and jewelry are abundant at Taste of Europe, probably the most unique shop in all of Arlington.  Mikhail, a native of Minsk, moved to the U.S. almost 30 years ago.  He’s opened this unique shop with treasures from Russia and Eastern Europe, from Russian nesting dolls to amber jewelry to beautifully painted Ukrainian eggs to Russan lacquer to books and children’s dolls/toys. 

 

By the way, there’s also a Russian delicatessen, restaurant and grocery mart in the same building as the store.  (see Taste of Europe restaurant review in restaurant portion of Arlington.org).

 

But who has time to eat when trying to pick out the perfect set of nesting dolls…or maybe I should go with the Santa Claus wood carvings.  There are Russian religious icons (Russian Orthodox, I think) that are really beautiful.

 

My mother-in-law would freak-out over the variety of amber jewelry.  There are also antique postcards and old Russian paper money. 

Flax dolls are a traditional gift, and there is also a selection of puppets. 

 

My personal favorites (besides the Santa carvings) are the nesting dolls and decorated eggs.  There are dozens (probably hundreds, I lost count) from which to choose.  And the selection of jewelry is not limited to amber; there is a good variety. 

 

For a really unique collectible, there are Russian military medals and military uniforms.  There are also replica jerseys for Russian hockey teams and soccer powerhouses like Dynamo.

 

Mikhail has also tailored part of his store for the Russian/Eastern Europeans who’ve relocated to Arlington/North Texas.  They can buy meat/cheese/veggies/desserts from the deli.  And the corner of the store that includes groceries also has Russian DVD’s, books and CD’s.

 

As for the grocery, there are Russian/Eastern European brands of tea, chocolates, bread mix, sauerkraut, black currant, etc.  Mikhail told me that one of his biggest sellers is the box of buckwheat because it’s hard for the Europeans/Russians to find that particular brand here in the U.S.  There are also different flavors of preserves to try.  Honestly, I couldn’t read the labels on some of the products (but the pictures on the labels looked good!).

 

What a treat to shop in this truly unique store.  If you’ve visited The State of Texas over the past 15 years, you may have seen some of Mikhail’s collectibles/gifts.  Take that small display and multiply it by 20 times, and that’s what you have here in this store.

 

I highly recommend stopping by Taste of Europe for a fun shopping experience that unlike anything else I’ve seen in North Texas.  You can sip Russian tea or eat chocolates (or a crepe from the restaurant) while picking out your favorite wood carving or set of nesting dolls.   I really loved this place! 

 

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The Popcorn Store

Service with a smile in a colorful setting.

THE POPCORN STORE

Lincoln Square Shopping Center

1500 N. Collins, Arlington 76011

The Popcorn Store features over 40 flavors of gourmet popcorn from top-selling flavors like ‘pickle’ and ‘buttery caramel’ to ‘garlic parmesan’, ‘pina colada’ and the new ‘hot wing sauce’. We stumbled upon The Popcorn Store after lunch at Birraporetti’s (it’s between Birraporetti’s and Petland at Lincoln Square Shopping Center on N. Collins, a half block south of I-30). You can sample every flavor, and I liked “Cinnamon Toast” the best, but we also bought a medium bag of the “Key Lime” flavor, too.

Other flavors included: jalapeno cheese, ranch, pizza, nacho, caramel, banana, bubble gum, coconut, cran-raspberry, marshmallow, cherry, honey, vanilla butternut, tangerine and tutti-frutti. There are many more, but that’s what I remember off the top of my head.

You can buy just bags of popcorn or the lithograph tins (almost every local sports team and college team in included among the decorator tins). The cheapest bag (just under half a gallon) ranges from $2.25 to $3.00. The X-Large bags (6 gallons) range from $17.50 to $27.00. The half-gallon tins start at $10.75 and range up to $43 for the XL (6 ½ gallons) tin. Refills for the tins range from $2.50 (1/2 gallon) to $24 (6 ½ gallon).

In addition to popcorn and sno-cones, they also serve “Popcorn Brittle” (peanuts) and “Alpine Brittle” (almonds) and “Popcorn Balls”. Those range in price from $7.50 to $9.50 per pound. And though we didn’t buy any this time around, next time I’m trying their ‘exclusive’ “Chocolate Cheesecake Popcorn” ($5.95 per pound). Can you imagine? Three of my favorite food groups in the same dessert: chocolate, cheesecake and popcorn!!

The store itself is brightly painted and colorful because all the decorated tins line the wall. Two delightful young women worked the counter. They encouraged us to sample as many flavors as we liked before deciding on our purchase. While we were sampling, a family arrived and bought a big bag of the pickle flavor (they’re obviously regular customers). Another person had bought “hot wing” as a gift for a teacher.

The girls who served us this afternoon said the company provides their gourmet popcorn to hotels like The Worthington and restaurants like Flying Saucer. Packing the popcorn in the tins is a really popular gift, they said. And Rangers fans will stop at The Popcorn Store to get popcorn to take to the game.

What you can’t take home with you, they’ll sell on-line or via phone orders. They ship anywhere in the US. You can order at www.eatmorepopcorn.com or by calling 1-866-460-0145.

The Popcorn Store is open Monday-Saturday, 10am–6pm.

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