Mmmm. JoJos.
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I like the Apple Blossoms, but Iām even more drawn to the Rustic Apple Tart which is seasonal for the fall.
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I see these posts and really want to go to TJ and get some, but the TJ locations have the WORST parking lots. They named the 10 worst parking lots in Denver I think 4 of them were TJ, and 2 were Total Wine stores. Yes, the ones nearest me and I can verify they are terrible lots.
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No problem for me since I take the subway. Can you park elsewhere and walk over? Do you have some kind of wheeled cart?
Really a first world problem. The TJās closest is about 6-8 miles and there is parking on the street too, but it is near a hospital center so lots of medical offices and sort of a new apartment area (they tore down another hospital and built apartments and a movie theater so lots of foot traffic). There is another TJ the other direction, closer to my daughterās, and it has a parking lot but it is always crowded too. Oh, I have a hard life. Iām just used to shopping in my own neighborhood. But those apple tarts look good.
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LOL, my dream for a while was to move to a small town nearby that has a small local grocery store within walking distance of the in-town homes. I would know I had āmade itā when I could purchase a cute little cart like this and wheel my groceries home as needed. There are SO many cute little carts out there! Is yours insulated?
Alas, we bought our new to us home and moved and I do go to that little grocery store now and then but we are not living in the little town and I have to drive there! So no cute little cart for me! 
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DS and I spent a summer in a corporate apartment while DH was on a long-term engagement in Manhattan. I got a cart like this one for shopping at the nearby grocery:
I felt so ācitified,ā but I like @oldmom4896ās colorful one.
We lived in a highrise in downtown Chicago sans car for several years after our marriage. We just marketed every few days at a downtown bodega and carried the bag or two back to the apartment. We also had a White Hen Pantry on the first level of our building and ran a monthly tab for ordering groceries up to our apartment. Those were the days.
As for TJās parking lots, they ARE the worst, usually waaaay too tiny for the store/location. However, a couple of years ago, TJās built a stand-alone store in the middle of a huge outdoor shopping mall parking lot in our town surrounded by an ocean of parking. What were they thinking?
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No, itās a cheapo from a bargain store. I put my big insulated green Costco bag inside.
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I live across the street from Trader Joeās so I only ever walk to shop there. The parking lot at every Trader Joeās I have been to in Southern California has been terrible!
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I have never seen a parking lot at TJ that was not a zoo. Ours is the pits because it is shared by TJ, Whole Foods, and Nordstrom Rack! I go shopping there at odd times to avoid parking lot nightmares but even then it is a challenge.
This oldie sums it up well:
https://mimipond.typepad.com/mimi_pond/2009/01/my-cartoon-about-trader-joes-parking-lots.html
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Our TJs parking lot is fine. I never have much trouble there, but the Whole Amazon Foods is cray cray.
Am I the only one who did not like pumpkin spice Joe Joes or those pumpkin shaped chocolate mousse things? Bleah to both.
I like the elote corn & nuts mix in a can. It has pepitas in it so thereās the pumpkin connection.
We have five TJ within a 15-20 min drive. Most of the parking lots are fine, with the exception of those in shopping centers with lousy parking to begin with.
Our Costco parking, on the other hand, is a nightmare.
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I think Iāve posted this before, but itās always appropriate:
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Oh my. Now I am feeling truly privileged! Our TJoes is only 1 mile from home. I can (and have when I donāt need more than a bag), walked. I know the hours to avoid, and rarely see a crazy parking lot. Of course we exchange this for no coffee shops within walking distance.
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This is unfair! 5!!! We are in an urban mid-sized city and the closest is an hour away. 
This is the closest TJ - the circled parking is for one hour and where most shoppers go and it can get busy. But obviously thereās a huge parking lot adjacent so easy to find a space. Well, maybe not easy on Sundays when the nearby Rock Church has mass services. But then there are signs limiting such parking to the top of the lot. I never go on Sundays! Sometimes I park halfway between TJ and the Vons grocery on the right end of this stretch.
There are three other TJās within 15 miles with busier parking (but not impossible).
The closest Trader Joeās is an hour and 10 min from me. The next closest is 1 1/2 hours away. It is a special treat for me to shop there!
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We have 2 trader Joes within a short drive of our house (supposedly it is a big plus in terms of selling your house if you live close to trader joes lol). We donāt buy their pre done food much, but there are certain things we love there:
-Spinach Kale yogurt dip
-Their natural peanut butter
-their organic mayonaise
-Their gluten free muffins ( the chocolate or the blueberry ones)
-The raspberry danis that comes in the white paper package (it is made in the midwest I think).
They are okay for produce and the like, but we have some really good supermarkets that are cheaper and often better quality.
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