shopping spree: TJ Maxx!

I'm usually a last-minute holiday shopper, but with all the insanity of this holiday season, I was lucky enough to get a jump on my Christmas list at T.J. Maxx! I had SO much fun going shopping for all the important people in my life, and finding some pretty fabulous pieces for them (and me) at incredible prices. I told you guys I'd show you exactly what I got -- so here are my finds!

(For those of you in Houston, I went to the Richmond Ave T.J. Maxx, but I've heard amazing things about the River Oaks one as well -- and for you New Yorkers, the one in Chelsea is amazing!)

My budget was $200 to shop for great gifts (and maybe a few things for myself...) and it was a total success. The best thing about T.J. Maxx and Marshalls is that the inventory is different every time I go in -- which is why I feel so lucky to have snapped these up when I found them! I've made the mistake of waiting on an item thinking that it might go on clearance, and of course, when I check back a week or two later, they're gone. But with new items coming in all the time, there's always something to look forward to!

For the Fashionista:

Oh my gosh. This was absolutely my favorite section of the whole store, and frankly, where I spent most of my time. I died over this Theory leather jacket that was marked down from $750 to $299.

The craziest thing is that SO many of the price comparisons on fashion items actually understate the original retail price of the item -- I'm pretty sure that this LaRok mini retailed for much more than $120, especially because the jacket from the same collection started at $498.

But most importantly, it was super cute and absurdly fun for the holidays -- and who doesn't need a sequined mini at this time of the year? I certainly did (ok, yes, I started with buying myself a Christmas present, ugh)!

For Your Guy:

I found some amazing stuff for Chad too! Poor Chad always gets clothes around the holidays, which probably isn't the most exciting gift for a guy -- but I can never resist a change to restock his wardrobe. He loves polo shirts, and I was really excited that T.J. Maxx had a selection of several cute colors for $34.99 in all of the standard sizes -- actually, a much better selection than the Polo outlet we'd gone to in October, which had nothing in Chad's size!

But in addition to clothing gifts, I found some really cute (and slightly more fun) gifts too! For $99 (down from $150), they had desktop iPhone chargers and speakers! These are perfect for an office, home office, or any apartment! And speaking office equipment, what guy (or girl) couldn't use a mini putting green? $29.99, baby, and you just made someone's day.

For Friends:

One thing I'm always on the lookout for at this time of the year are good presents for hostesses! I love that December is such a social month, and even though we're newbies to Houston, Chad and I have been invited to several holiday parties per week lately!

I love bringing something for the kitchen rather than just a bottle of wine, and I found these gorgeous bottles of truffle and avocado oil and completely fell in love! Chocolates are always a great go-to, and I couldn't believe these little hors d'oeuvre plates were only $6.99! And best of all -- it's not Margarita mix, it's Texarita mix! Because everything's better in Texas, of course. :-)

For Kids:

We don't have kids yet, but I'm grateful to our friends who do around the holidays! Getting presents for babies and young kids is just plain FUN. Unlike friends and family, kids are actually pretty easy to please -- babies don't really know any better, so just pick out the most adorable thing you can find! And TJ Maxx has an amazing selection of toys for the older ones -- I found the original Candyland for $12.99! I kind of want to snap it up for our someday-kids. :-) And I know enough from my friends to know that Baby Einstein is Very Important and Not Cheap -- so wouldn't you rather snag it for $6 than for $9? Finally, I die over these little stuffed bears on clearance for TWO DOLLARS. Are you kidding me? Calvin and Coco's toys cost more than that!

...And speaking of which -- no shopping trip would be complete without picking up something for my little pooches. Coco is going to be fully mortified when I stuff her into this "I Believe in Santa" shirt. I can't wait. :-)

All in all...

$12.99 (Truffle Oil for foodie-est friends)

$3.99 (Texarita Mix for Chad's brother)

$10.98 (Lindt Chocolates -- two Boxes for Chad's and my parents)

$6.99 (Hors D'Oeuvre plates as a hostess present)

$15.98 (Picture Frames for my sister)

$8.99+$4.99+$7.99+$3.99 (Dog outfits and toys for Calvin and Coco)

$5.99+$2.00+$4.99+$3.50 (Baby onesies and stuffed animals)

$34.99 (Polo shirt for Chad)

$59.99 (Sequined miniskirt for me... I couldn't resist!)

And the grand total.... $187.36!

It would have been way less if I hadn't fallen obsessively in love with that mini -- but all in all, an amazingly successful trip! (And SO much less crowded than the Galleria at this time of the year!)