Hannah Palmer had a problem and she turned to South Orange – Maplewood’s Swap Meet SOMA for a creative solution. Palmer, who lives in South Orange, has an 18-month-old son, two step-daughters, 8 and 6, and she’s expecting another soon. Therein lies the problem: Palmer experienced a pregnancy craving for a Costco muffin.
“I honestly don’t know why I was craving the muffins so badly,” says Palmer. “I haven’t had a Costco muffin in probably seven years, but pregnancy cravings don’t always make sense and I spent three days thinking about the muffins before I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to ask for help.”
Swap Meet SOMA is the brainchild of South Orange’s Kristen Tyler. The idea is that locals can buy, sell, give away, and barter anything from cars to kitchenware. The “original” Swap Meet has given rise to a number of smaller groups, including one called “Lounge.” A common give-away is unopened food, usually because the donor’s family decided it wasn’t to their taste. In recent days, popcorn, soda, and even a spiral ham have been shared across the towns. But muffins have never previously been offered or requested.
Palmer moved to New Jersey from Seattle three years ago. “I love Milk Money, Words, and we go to many of the parks in both towns — often doing picnics with sandwiches from Ashley Marketplace,” says Palmer. “We all love Grid Iron Waffles, and the duck pond.” However, none of those places had the right muffins.
Palmer posted her problem on the Swap Meet SOMA page, and received sympathy and suggestions galore. And, even better, the pregnant mom received the perfect muffins. “I received muffins from two swappers – Alison Brown and Nicole Kleinbaum.”
Craving satisfied with Swap Meet SOMA to the rescue!
