Getting out with my sister, Randi, and my mom, Dolores, is something that I really like to do. It doesn’t happen as often as I would want. Realizing that I was going to have some time off from work in early January seemed like the perfect time to get a “Girl’s Day Out” on the calendar. It was a week earlier than Mom’s birthday, but she was good to go with the flow. We decided to stay nearby and visit shops in Medina that are on or near the square. The day started off, however, in downtown Lodi.
This little shop opened just recently in downtown Lodi. Growing up in Lodi, I never appreciated the downtown square of the my home town. To me it had been a place I was stuck in. However, as a much older and hopefully more mature woman, I have grown to enjoy the fact that I came from a small town. A business like Second Look Books and Brews is one of the reasons. People can go in for a cup of coffee or if that isn’t your thing, you can get tea or hot chocolate or even warmed milk with flavoring and catch up with friends. Or grab a book off the shelf and leaf through it while you sip your drink in one of the comfortable chairs by the window or on the high-back bench in the corner of the shop. The owners, Val and Becca Boscaljon, make you feel welcome and like you’re a friend coming over for a cup of coffee and a chat.
This adorable little shop is located just down the street from the Medina Square (across from RiteAid). It is owned by Randi’s friend, Jeanine Maczko, and was our second stop on our girl’s day out. Randi had been posting picture’s from Jeanine’s shop for months and I was really excited to visit. The Heart and Soul Gift Boutique was filled with all kinds of interesting and unique items, plus things you would expect. Jeanine wasn’t in the shop the day we visited, but Linda, who was working there, explained some of the more unique items to us, like the shampoo bar of soap. While I didn’t purchase the shampoo, I was able to pick up a few items for gifts.
After visiting Heart and Soul, we moved the car from their parking lot to a public parking lot just north of the square. It was a beautiful day. The sun was out and though a little brisk, it wasn’t too cold to be walking in and out of shops. None of us had any particular shop we wanted to visit at this point. We were just going with whatever suited our fancies.
Woodsy’s Music
We grew up with music in the house. We were encouraged to learn how to play an instrument. My dad, Bud, plays the trumpet, Randi the clarinet and me the trombone. So it wasn’t necessarily unusual that we would go into a music shop. I was just planning on browsing around, but we happened upon a sale of sheet music of American tunes for the clarinet and trumpet. I joked and said, “too bad they don’t have one for a trombone, because then we could play together.” Well, it turned out they did! I bought the music books along with a ukulele chord chart for Randi. I should explain that Randi is very talented. Not only does she play the clarinet, but also the piano, guitar and is now learning the ukulele, hence the chord chart.
Ormandy’s Trains & Toys
Our next stop was probably done because our dad used to have trains in our basement. Ormandy’s Trains & Toys is wall to wall trains, items for trains and toys. While we didn’t have a need to purchase anything from there, we did have a chance to talk to Mr. Ormandy. He explained that he has been in the same location for 30 years. He shared he has seen a lot of changes in his time on the square in Medina. He also told us is birthday is coming up and that he shares it with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was an interesting conversation and nice to talk with him.
The Olive Tap
Having enjoyed my visit to Mott’s Oil and More on one of my Downtown Wooster visits, I was eager to visit The Olive Tap in Medina. I always enjoy tasting balsamic vinegar! The Olive Tap did not disappoint. We were able to sample the vinegar and oils as much as we wanted. Randi and I both found some things we were interested in purchasing and left the store quite happy. And ready for lunch!
Miss Molly’s Tea Room and Gift Shop
We decided that after The Oil Tap we really needed to get something to eat. Thankfully not only was Miss Molly’s Tea Room and Gift Shop down the street from where we were, it was also open — something you don’t fully appreciate until you realize a lot of places are closed on Mondays. Not only that, but Mom had always wanted to go to the Tea Room, so it was a bonus as it seemed a perfect way to celebrate her upcoming birthday.
Mom was able to get quiche, which is her favorite kind of lunch. Randi enjoyed the chicken salad croissant and I enjoyed the Cooper River Croissant (hot ham and cheese on a croissant). We also enjoyed their lemon tea bread and desserts. Mom and Randi shared the Turtle Cheesecake. I didn’t share my fudge brownie with a mousse like frosting. You might notice we didn’t have tea. Again, we’re not hot tea kind of girls, but you don’t have to be to partake at Miss Molly’s Tea Room. Although, if you do like tea, then you wouldn’t find a better place for lunch when you visit the Medina Square Shops.
Nibble Specialty Gourmet Gifts
I like stores with cooking things in them, not that I cook much, but it is always cool to see what is out there. What I wasn’t expecting was the bakery they had which included cannoli! I don’t like the pastry myself, but my husband, Bobby, who is originally from outside of Boston, grew up with them. I ended up getting him a couple of cannoli shells so that he could use the filling he had prepared already at home. I’m definitely going to have to take him back so he can get a fresh one. (I didn’t get one filled for him, as it would have ended up soggy by the time he got it. Definitely not the best way to eat a cannoli — or so I’m told.)
JK Gift Shop
Again, the cool thing about checking out little boutique shops is that you can find unique items. By the time we had gotten to JK Gift Shop, my hands were full. But that didn’t stop me from looking around. I’m glad I did because I found a pair of black pants that were “one size fits most” type of pants. As my unofficial uniform (for lack of a better word) consists of black pants, I am always looking for comfortable black pants. To confirm they would actually fit me, I asked the sales woman if I could try them on. Once I determined they fit, I happily purchased them.
The Raspberry and The Rose
Another really cool shop was The Raspberry and The Rose. It had mostly women’s clothes and jewelry, but different kinds of clothes that you can’t get at Target or Kohl’s. Plus they have a whole jewelry section with buttons, kind of like charms, that are interchangeable. I don’t recall ever seeing this before.
The Gardner’s Cottage
The last store we went to was The Gardner’s Cottage. It is a two level store with many home decor and gift ideas and some clothes, too. What I liked about the store is that it had an eclectic vibe to it.
So just a few things to mention if you are planning a trip to the Medina Square:
- First thing, don’t go on a Monday if you want to visit all the shops. There were several that weren’t open because it was Monday. It makes sense in hindsight, as the number of visitors on a Monday are probably not that large and the owners need to have a break sometime in a week! But it was disappointing to not be able to go into all of them.
- Be prepared to see things that you won’t typically see in a big box store. That is why it is cool to visit these type of stores. You can find something unusual or unique for yourself or a gift for someone else.
- Public Parking is for 3 hours. While we were parked for longer than that and thankfully did not get a ticket, I’m sure that had to do with it being a Monday. I would caution you to pay attention to your watch, as you may not be so fortunate on any other day of the week.
One other thing, it wasn’t until after we got home that we realized we missed getting pictures of all the places we visited. I guess that is what happens when we don’t bring Wendi’s Weekend Trips and Whatnot’s official photographer with us (aka my husband, Bobby). You’ll just have to visit the Square in Medina to have a look at all the places we failed to photograph.
