This post is brought to you by Taubman Centers. All opinions are my own.
When it comes to holiday shopping, I am the queen of procrastination. Normally I would be a little anxious with less than 4 days until Christmas, but with the new University Town Center mall in Sarasota, I know that all of my shopping can be done in one place.
This past weekend I took my daughter to UTC for some last minute holiday shopping. I admit I was a little nervous about the crowds (and parking!), but the experience turned out much better than I expected. Even though the mall was busy, the layout of UTC makes it easy to navigate without feeling congested.
Our first stop was to Macy’s where my daughter wanted to drop off her wish list for Santa in the big red mailbox. I love this promotion because Macy’s donates $1 to Make-A-Wish for every letter received!
Then it was on to a few of my favorite stores to check out the deals and buy a few last minute gifts, including Crate & Barrel, Bath & Body Works, Sephora, Anthropologie, and THE NEW H&M!!
This was our first time at the new H&M since it opened earlier this month. I am very familiar with the brand and couldn’t be more excited that there’s now a store locally. I always find great deals and this visit was no exception! I found 2 gorgeous tops on clearance for $15 each…one I will wear on Christmas and the other I’m saving for a trip to NYC next month.
My only disappointment with the new H&M is the kids department: I was told they’re not carrying sizes larger than 7-8 due to lack of space (my daughter is a 10-12). There are other stores she can shop at, but I love the style & value of H&M for women and men.
After shopping a little more and picking up a very important Christmas gift for my mom (I can’t divulge in case she reads this!), we had a pretzel & lemonade at Auntie Anne’s and made our way to the center of the mall to see Disney’s FROZEN Ice Palace.
I was truly impressed with the size and scope of the experience, which brings families through the snowy world of FROZEN with fun elements and activities before getting their picture taken with Santa. There’s also a little kiosk at the end where you can buy FROZEN merchandise! I know I would have been in awe if we had anything even close to this when I was growing up— Do you remember when it was just Santa sitting in a chair with candy canes?
My daughter, who is a fan of FROZEN, thought the ice palace was amazing … I just wonder how they’re going to top this next year!? Definitely a must-see for kids this season!
The line was quite long the first time we passed by (but it was well managed), and when we returned Santa was on break. Be sure to check the schedule on the UTC website, including holiday mall hours, before making plans for pictures. Also, photos with Santa will be available on Christmas Eve from 10am-6pm with a break from 1pm-2pm.
By this time we had been at the mall for a few hours and were tiring out. I had promised my daughter a new outfit for Christmas so we made one more quick run through Macy’s. She found some adorable patterned jeggings that were on sale for 40% off! Before UTC, I hadn’t shopped in store at a Macy’s in forever, but now that it’s here I am rediscovering all of their great sales! I love the convenience of UTC and each time I visit I stumble upon something new— UTC has made holiday shopping fun again!
Be sure to visit www.mallatutc.com for the full list of stores, hours, events and more at University Town Center in Sarasota, Florida!
