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Get in the cart and join Kulap as she gently rolls through the aisles of Marshalls and T.J. Maxx. She unpacks everything she bought at her favorite bargain stores for the holidays (totally unsponsored by the way). All inspired by her maiden voyage to the Marshalls by the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Let this episode sprinkle some fairy dust on your next shopping trip.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

SuChin Pak, Kulap Vilaysack

Kulap Vilaysack  00:05

Oh, jingle bells, jingle auntie’s way ho,ho,ho carters. It’s your favorite top heavy auntie Kuku, here to deliver a extra special, extra sewed Happy Friday. This will probably be a love letter to Marshalls. And this is not paid, absolutely not paid. The closest connection I have to marshals is, of course, being dear friends with former spokesperson spokes lady, Jessica St Clair, and Jessica and I share just the love, just the love, as Casey would say, of hitting the racks. But first I’m going to take you back to an episode that I mentioned in a prior episode. I’m speaking of getting vertigo again. Now, everybody gather on the fire. Gather around the hearth, the fireplace, if you’ll recall, last Christmas Eve, I had a weird, I guess, a beginning of my vertigo journey, and the goal this year is to not end up in the ER, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Please, let’s all put our intentions and our sights and our hopes that auntie Kuku, does not have an accidental or real code blue this year. Let’s take us back a little bit. We’re still well into Q4 but about October 16, I was just sitting with Emmy. She was watching TV. I was lying down in front of her. I turned to look at her, and the room spins. And I wasn’t stressed at that time, granted, Scott had just left for, like, hopefully, the last leg of a CBB tour, but I was feeling really good, actually, and then, uh oh, the room is spinning. I’m solo parenting with M, Uh oh. This is a problem. I slowly get up and go and text Alyssa, my youngest sister, Alyssa, the legend Alyssa, feel I suck, to see if she could come help me with the baby. And she did, and it didn’t last for that long, thankfully, but I did feel a little off. And then, while my sister was staying with me, she told tales of a of a Marshalls that I hadn’t been to yet. And I know why I haven’t been to because it’s the one that is right by the Hollywood Walk of Stars, the the right across the street from grumman’s Chinese the Hollywood proper Marshalls. Why would anyone go there? I said to her, I forget why she said, But she said it was a really good Marshalls. And even though I was recovering from a vertigo episode, one that I hadn’t had since the beginning of last year. I said, Let’s go tomorrow. And we did. We went right away. I felt this was a mistake, as the hubbub of the various tourists and the really hard scrabble of. A Mickey Mouse figure walk past me with schmutz and dirt on its knees and elbows were weaving and bobbing because we couldn’t find parking. We ended up parking in that weird Hollywood and Highland structure and walking across and it’s just, it’s, it feels what like wild energy. It feels chaotic, even on a weekday, even on an afternoon, a Thursday afternoon, as it were, I should have been writing. I had other things to do. But how could one right when one is recovering from vertigo? And then we enter the Marshalls, and it’s on the second floor, and we go up the escalators, and once we reach the top of the escalators, friends, it was calm. It was serene. That marshals above the fracas that is Hollywood Boulevard has amazing windows, wide windows, half moon windows that create a beautiful natural light that floods the entire store. It’s tidy up there. It’s open up there. It felt like home. And so that began the season for me, the seasons of Marshalls, where it’s just, it’s pure sport. It’s picking fruit, it’s looking for deals, it hits, sort of whatever pleasure center that is not in your pants but is in your head. I digress. I don’t think I have enough time to share everything that I’ve purchased. Now, you guys are thinking, Kulap, rich lady behavior. And yes, absolutely, but I like a good deal. And I’m looking at things and I’m thinking, do I need it? Do I want it? Does it spark joy? I’m strategizing. There are things that I’m leaving behind. Okay, I’m not taking everything, all right? I want to see what’s there. Okay, I’m not, it’s not sport, if you just like, you know, take your hand and shovel everything into your cart, although I will say when it comes to Marshalls, TJ, Maxx home goods, if you’re considering something and you’re looking at and going, Hey, maybe I’ll come back for it. That’s stupid. That’s dumb, put in your cart and make the decision as you’re shopping, consider it, mull it over. Don’t forget the line is so long for the checkout that’s when you can think about it, and that’s when you can check it out your cart and wedge it between the weird candies that are in that checkout line. Sorry, I don’t pardon me. I guess I got lost in that thought. Okay, I’m just gonna tell you some of the stuff that I have purchased in Marshalls. Okay, number one, this is so important, wrapping paper, and not only wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift bags. The best gift bags, I’m sorry. F, target for this. F, Amazon, in terms of prices, selection and quality, get yourself to Marshalls. This year I got a gorgeous Disney vintage kind of vibe, premium, heavyweight gift wrap up 100 square feet. It’s got Minnie Mouse and Daisy and they’re just frolicking in a pink background, ice skating and tobogganing vibe. Okay, Mickey’s on here too. Got a little bit of holly. This is gonna be for all of Emmy’s gifts. It’s gonna be for my sister in law, Jamie. I also got, I’m really excited about this. Guys. I don’t know if you know that starlet and pop star Jessica Simpson, she has a home line, and she’s making gift wrap. She’s lent her name to gift wrap, and I got a no shed glitter gift wrap. It’s got adhesive dots inside the roll. It looks so gorgeous, guys, 100 square feet, grid lines on the reverse, continuous roll. I’m saying. What I’m trying to say is that this is high level shit.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  13:41

You’re a listener, you know that Casey rose Wilson and Santa Paul Scheer are big Spode heads. They love Spode, and they have gotten me into it. So I find myself looking at these boat items, because I know that they’re high value items in my circle, right? I got two, four packs of Christmas tree stemless wine glasses, and I’ve seen these before. Both Casey and Santa paulshare Have them this, I believe, is little different. Of course, it has the sort of gold metallic at the lip of it has the signature Spode Christmas tree. But the ones that I got has this party vibe to it. It’s like, it’s got, like, black. And green dot pattern around the spaw tree that kind of gives like a confetti, confetti vibe. And I got a four pack. It’s 24,99 and I got two sets, of these stemless wine set of four. And I also got some paper plates, some paper party plates that are shaped like rounded off stars that have the signature Spode Christmas tree, which, you know, there was a little bit like, am I getting this for Casey or or am I getting it for me? I’m sorry, Casey, I got it for me. I got two packs for me. Speaking of Casey, Casey’s vibe. Christmas vibe is sort of a, I would say, a mix. It’s kitchens combined with sort of vintage Santa vibes. And we both just love Christopher radco, shiny, bright. And you know, y’all know Christopher radco, it ain’t cheap, unless you get your ass to Marshalls. I got 16 glass Christmas tree clusters. I haven’t seen these before. This isn’t gonna go on my mini tree. I believe that is usually on my island, which hits sort of phase two of Christmas. It doesn’t go up until after Thanksgiving. I also got some very beautiful, shiny, bright, a collection of nine that are all metallic, with silver background with gold, white and bronze striping that will go on the hero tree, because that’s that vibe. Remember, guys, what’s mine? What’s my vibe? Gilded woodland. That’s right. I just want to remind you, because sometimes you forget another clutch item that I like to get at Marshall’s is gift card boxes. They’re just really adorable boxes that, you know, I like to put in gift cards for my gardeners and for my post office worker, and so these, this one that I got this year is especially beautiful, gilded with Christmas trees, but there’s a lot of pink bow accents, and I’m noticing a lot of bows this year, my sister again, the legend Alyssa Vilaysack. She her vibe this year, major bows. She got the already viral sensation with the Christian Siriano bow tree topper that is metallic and sparkly. She grabbed that right, that Hollywood Oasis marshals that I was talking about my sister is on top of whatever’s going on with Hello Kitty, and she found a really sought after Hello Kitty ceramic, adorable teapot that already is on The resale market is going for triple what she bought. So we are absolutely related her, and I, I’m so proud of her, I feel like I walk so she could run. What other fun things? Okay, Martha Stewart, we’re always looking at what’s up with Martha Stewart Homes at Marshall. You know, usually it’s pretty good stuff. It’s and this year, the thing that I like from Martha Stewart home holiday are these candles, which, they’re kind of large candles with the tops of it are trees, and there’s I got one that is the the container looks like sort of white birch, and then it’s a white candle with like five Christmas trees that are on top of it in wax. And then the wick comes through the trees guys, they’re adorable. And then I got two similar ones with brown containers, so they’re slightly smaller, with three green Christmas trees on top, again, with the wick coming through the trees. I’m definitely gonna keep at least one, but I think it’s gonna be such a great hostess gift. I’m gonna go to parties. And you know, that’s such a nice thing to pop in and these, this is where I’m being slightly strategic. Is like, Are there good host parties? Sorry, host gifts for the parties that I’m going to. And I don’t know how many parties I’m going to I have, I know I’m going to at least two. Okay, so I just want to be prepared. Because, you know what we like to say. Jenny Yang got us to say this years ago on ads card, which is, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. Jingle, jangle. What else have I gotten? You know, this is much longer than, um, than I said it would be, and I don’t know if anyone else, this is one I don’t know if you’re still listening, and if you are, you’re my kind of person. And I love you. Hit now in Q4 and I love you. And the slower Q1 too. Oh, I love to get holiday hand soaps. Put that in my powder room. When you’re washing your hands. You get a little you like you to smell like Balsam fur. That’s what I want. The smell I think of Balsam fur. I think of forest, and maybe it’s because I have a bunch of Fake Plastic Trees, but I like to perfume my entire home like I’m in a Christmas tree. Lot one look is a glass tree, very classy, and one is actually It’s vanilla scented, but the glass is so pretty. Looks sort of like an antique vessel, glass vessel with a gold pump. Got those? What else did I get? Oh, you know, what does Rachel Zoe is she sold anywhere else but Marshalls? I see her as a a Marshalls exclusive, and I bought a, essentially, it’s a disco ball. It’s like a, I think it’s meant to be like a large disco ornament, but I’m gonna use it as disco ball for Emmy’s room, because Emmy is quite a dancer, and we like to do family dance parties at bedtime, and I think this will be both festive and fun for her. I got this kitchen aid set of two reversible drying mats. They’re Christmas trees. Because, you know, we’re I’m looking at this. I’m preparing myself for the day, and I’m knowing that we are going to be drying, washing and drying a lot of vegetables, washing and drying a lot of pots and pans that can only be hand wash. So this is about preparing. That’s only 10 bucks. That’s basically it, friends, I cannot express to you even what a hit that I received going through my treasures. Thank you for hearing me, I guess, or or even those who aren’t even listening. I want to give it up to those who aren’t even listening. I guess I’m just saying it feels good to be alive. Make sure you follow us at, @addtocartpod, follow auntie SuChin @suchinpak follow me @iamkulap and we’ll see you, hear you, love on you. Next Add to Cart.

 

CREDITS  22:37

There’s more Add to cart with Lemonada Premium subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content, like where we tell you about the last item we bought or returned, and why subscribe now in Apple podcasts. Add To Cart is a production of Lemonada Media. Our producers are Kegan Zema and Tiffany Bouy. Brian Castillo is our engineer. Theme music is by Wasahhbii and produced by La Made It and Oh So Familiar with additional music by APM music. Executive producers or Kulap Vilaysack, SuChin Pak, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Be sure to check out all the items we mentioned today on our Instagram at @AddToCartPod. Follow Add to Cart wherever you get your podcasts or listen ad free on Amazon music with your Prime membership.