1305 S Baxter Avenue
Tyler TX, 75701
Phone: 903-593-3522
Building Blocks is a program designed to help parents with the things they need most –education about childcare, support as they step into their new family role and practical help with baby items and equipment.
Building Blocks offers workshops and training, one on one sessions with a personal mentor, and a huge resource of helpful books and videos on various aspects of childbirth and childcare. Once you sign up to be part of the program you can opt to earn points by attending and learning and these can be exchanged for diapers, baby clothes etc. Building Blocks will also help their clients find larger items like car seats, cribs and high chairs if needed.
Anyone can sign up for the Building Blocks program and they don’t need to have a referral. Building Blocks has a large amount of clients who are pregnant or new Moms but others with 3 or 4 kids. Some clients have difficult family circumstances and appreciate the counselling sessions at Building Blocks while others just want to learn as much as they can in order to be the best parent they can be. Many come because they want to take advantage of the incentive program and get help with baby items.
A ministry of Living Alternatives and staffed entirely by trained volunteers, Building Blocks provides all their services free of charge. They have some bilingual staff who will help those who speak Spanish as their mother tongue.
Building Blocks has links with a local maternity home, the Pregnancy Center and an adoption agency. They will provide information and advice about lots of other local services. They have a great community support base in Tyler so are able to provide nearly new items in their ‘shop’ plus some free diapers and wipes for each client with a baby.
Building Blocks is located opposite TJC. Parking is behind the Pregnancy Resource Center next door. It is currently open 2 days a week – Monday and Tuesday from 10 am but sessions with a personal mentors may be more flexible. Large group training sessions take place once a month and include topics such as breastfeeding and first aid, tips for a contented baby and discipline for the preschool child. A free lunch is provided.
The atmosphere at Building Blocks is warm and friendly, there is a playroom and playground for the children and the staff want to do all they can to help you in your parenting role. Call Aimee if you want to find out more.
Marshalls is a store where you can find designer outfits, gorgeous shoes and exciting finds for the home, all at low cost.
Marshalls is a little more upmarket than Ross Dress for Less but they are run on the same principle. They buy in overstocks, end of ranges etc. from famous brands or designer labels for low prices and they pass the savings on to the customer.
A tip for getting the most out of Marshalls is to shop there regularly. You may visit Marshalls on one occasion and find nothing and go again and find something for every member of the family. And if you see something you like – jump on it quickly, you can be sure that it won’t be there next time you visit.
The things I buy most at Marshalls are shoes and sportswear for a very particular teenage boy. Firstly – shoes. They have a wonderful selection of adult and kids shoes and some are on clearance (look on the back wall). Beware with sizing though – some are European makes and the sizing is different.
You can nearly always find trendy labels for teenagers at lower cost at Marshalls – probably on average 40% lower than usual price. Not all sizes may be available in each style, you just have to hope you’re lucky.
Marshalls also has nice sleepwear and lingerie and accessories like purses, belts, hats and scarfs. I like buying baby clothes for baby gifts from Marshalls – you can look really extravagant by buying ‘expensive’ labels when in reality you have paid no more than if you made your purchase at Kohls. There are toys and books too, with extra discounts on items out of season or things with damaged boxes. The home décor section is worth a look. They have bedding, lighting and artwork plus a great selection of photo frames.
Finally, I notice that a lot of people chose to buy their perfume and cosmetics at Marshalls. You can also find unusual food gifts including some items from Europe.
I hope you enjoy your trip to Marshalls and that you have some lucky finds!
1003 S Baxter Ave
Tyler 75701
Open M-F
Call for opening times.
903 592 4495
You can think about nothing else. What if I’m pregnant?
Maybe you have even taken a home test … and another and another. Are they really accurate anyway? You might be thinking – what is going to happen to me if I really am expecting a baby?
Don’t be terrified. There are people waiting to help you. Call the Pregnancy Resource Center in Tyler before you do anything else. You need someone to be on your side and help you process what is happening to you.
The Pregnancy Resource Center is in a little house opposite Tyler Junior College. Don’t be put off by the homey atmosphere and the fact that they give their services for free – these guys are professionals. Firstly they have lab-accurate pregnancy tests and can give you proof of pregnancy, an expected date of delivery and later, a sonogram. They also have access to all sorts of information to help you decide what you are going to do next.
The ladies at the Pregnancy Center will listen to you and discuss your personal circumstances. They will talk about your choices and can refer you to a local maternity home (Fatherheart) and an adoption agency (Loving Alternatives) should you want more information about these options. In addition they can tell you about the methods of abortion used to end pregnancies.
At the center there is also information about other Tyler support agencies for women and children. They also offer post-abortion counseling and can refer you for help if you struggling with grief over the loss of a baby through SIDS. They have information on WIC and Medicaid and sexually transmitted diseases.
Finally, should you be struggling with finances, the center can help with maternity and baby clothes and equipment through their sister organisation ‘Building Blocks’ which is right next door.
One of the things I love about the Pregnancy Center is that they are loving and non-judgemental. Many of the volunteers have made mistakes in their lives and are helping because of their own experiences. Be sure that you will be treated with care and respect and that even if you are now feeling despair at your circumstances – there is hope.
Tyler Hand Me Ups is located in Tyler Texas close to Tyler Junior College. The store is just a couple of lights down on your right in a little shopping area with another store surrounding that. Hand Me Ups is a used clothing sale where you can find lots of good deals for very low prices.
The clothes are in very good condition and many are name brands. A lot of the time the store runs lots of sales store wide anywhere from 20% – 25% off the original price. There have been many times where I found clothes for $2 or $4 per item on really cute kids clothes. Trust me I love clothes and shoes so I would not lead you astray when it comes to clothes.
Besides clothes you can find shoes and I have seen name brands there and again for a reasonable price. You can also find, purses there, belts and some jewelry. They even have perfume.
If you are looking for baby clothes, usually they have very cute items that you can find there for your children, teens or adults. If you have no money to spend on clothes, then they have an opportunity for you to where you can take your clothes there and they will sell it for you and you give them a percent and you make some also. It’s a win, win situation, I think.
Anyways the people there working are very friendly and always ready to help you find what you are looking for. You can also choose to be put on their mailing list. And anytime they have a sell or something going on they give you a notice and sometimes they send you a card with an extra 10% off. I am truly a fan of this place. I seem to be able to find great deals, nice clothes for a price that I can afford.
If buying clothes that are second hand does not bother you, I would go and check it out. There have been times that I found items that still had their tag on it. Either way you can have fun, just going and checking it out, just to see what they have. It won’t hurt going by and besides you actually might end up liking it and finding lots of new stuff for yourself or for others.
Just like any other place you probably have to go there more than once. What I mean by that is, if you go and don’t find anything to your liking, I would not give up. I would go back several times again before you decide that the place has nothing for you. Like I said in the beginning, I love it and it suits me, and my price range. But you will have to go see for yourself to see if you like it or not. Everybody likes to look nice and I don’t think too many people like to spend more than they have on clothes.
I am a girl and one that loves to be girly but don’t have lots of money to spend on it so I look for good deals and they seem to have it.
Tyler Ellis Merchandise is located off Rt 31 going towards Chandler and it is on your left side. It is a used clothing store where you can go and find pretty nice clothes for very reasonable prices.
Of course, not everything they have there will you like. Think of it more like a treasure hunt. I usually have to go there over and over several times. And sometimes I find something and at other times I don’t. But for the most part I enjoy going and looking anyways.
Just a couple of months ago I found a very nice wool jacket for $7 dollar or so. I love it and its very cozy. They have movies there for very cheap and Cd’s. They range from $3 to $5 dollars a piece. They have different ranges of other stuff, like couches, shoes, kitchen supplies, jewelry. The other stuff isn’t that great for the price but if you want some good clothes and jeans this place can be a money saver.
Baby clothes for teens and adults of all shapes and sizes are also available here. The people are very friendly and are always ready to help you find the things that you are looking for. Men if you are working in construction or anywhere outside and, you are looking for carpenter pants or overalls…this is the place where you will find some.
For Christmas I went there to find my husband some pants and they had plenty of them. So if you don’t mind taking the time to go out there and look through all their stuff then I would suggest you go and check it out. You never know exactly what you might find there.
To me its like a thrift place. The clothes seem to be in very good condition. Also, if you are looking for baby stuff like high chairs, a crib, or a car seat they will usually have these things. Hey sometimes they have these baby items and much more.
Everybody knows that money is hard to come by and every dime you save counts for something. I appreciate being able to go to stores like this, because it suits my budget and my style. Not to lead you astray I don’t always find something I like.
Sometimes I go home empty handed but for me it was still worth it because I got to leave the house and get a break from life and shop at the same time. You can’t beat that. We all know that with the way our economy is going we need all the help we can get on saving money.
So if wearing second hand clothes does not bother you. I would go and try it out and see if you can find something to your liking. The worst thing that could happen is that you go home empty handed.
