Mother/Daughter Shopping Day at Carlsbad Premium Outlets

Recently my daughters and I were offered to opportunity to go on a mother-daughter shopping trip at the Carlsbad Premium Outlets here in Southern California.  The idea was that the girls would "style" me for Mother's Day.

Now I get a lot of offers via this blog, and I tend to turn down the majority of them.  This, however?  This was too fun to pass up!  I love spending time with my girls and it's something that's become difficult as they get older, more social, and more active.  

The girls were on board too—really on board, as a matter of fact—except, sadly, my fifteen-year-old was not able to join us when the time finally came.  (That biology test wasn't going to study for itself.  Sigh.)

So, off to Carlsbad I went with one very enthusiastic eleven-year-old stylist in tow.  In fact, that's her below, posing with what would become the centerpiece of our adventure: a simple black dress from the Ann Taylor Outlet.  

Once we found that, we were off and running.  Our goal:  to accessorize the dress with items found at the mall.

Our next stop was a few steps away at the Nine West Outlet where we spotted this little number:

In the end we agreed that a) this shoe is super cool! but b) it didn't quite "go" with the dress and c) I was entirely likely to hurt myself if I tried to walk in it.  That being the case we moved on to the Bass Outlet where I fell in love with these beautiful, ruby red, wedge sandals.  (Super-comfortable, and far less likely to result in a broken leg.)

Fortunately they got the thumbs up from my stylist who had the final say in all of my purchases.  If she said no, I listened.  (Which is why I might be returning solo some time in the near future! ;)

From there it was off to Ralph Lauren where we bought this simple pair of gold hoops.  I haven't worn anything bigger than a stud earring in years.  It was fun to be taken out of my comfort zone and I have to say that I just love these earrings!

Our search for the perfect bag was unsuccessful.  Don't get me wrong, this place is purse heaven what with Kate Spade, Kipling, Dooney & Bourke and so many more all under the same roof; we just didn't focus our energy on that part of the outfit.  So while there were a few contenders at Fossil and Coach (see below) we ultimately left them behind.  

Also left behind were these gorgeous enamel bracelets from Kate Spade.  (But if anyone would like to buy one for me, I will not complain!  Aren't they pretty?)

The bracelets remind me that I did make one additional purchase at Ann Taylor: the necklace you see below.  I loved it so much that I put it on as soon as we stopped for lunch at Ruby's Diner (where my daughter snapped this picture).

Now I don't know if you've even been to Ruby's but they have some delicious looking milkshakes.  And I was entirely prepared to buy one for my patient little companion except she had something else in mind: Godiva! (She's no dummy...)

After browsing the selection she finally settled upon a chocolate covered strawberry.  (So I had to have one too.  Yum!)

Our final purchase was made at Bare Minerals.  I've never used their products but have always been curious about them, and a mom-focused shopping trip seemed like the perfect occasion to go in and have a professional show me how it's done.

Ladies (moms!) can I take a moment to say how great this was?  Honestly, how often do we take time out to pamper ourselves?  If you answered, "rarely," (or "never") or even if you didn't, you might want to take advantage of the Carlsbad Premium Outlets Mother's Day festivities:  From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 7th guests can treat mom to a fun, fashion-focused experience where shoppers will enjoy activities such as makeup application tutorials, bra fitting sessions, a cooking demo, jewelry cleaning/inspections, a "we love mom" photo booth, and much more!

While I had foundation expertly applied, my daughter had fun taking snaps around the shop.  (Turns out tween girls can take selfies using any kind of device, even a DSLR!)

Despite having fun with photography, both of us were feeling a little tired by this point.  So after a quick stop at the Crate and Barrel Outlet (where my daughter took a rest on the furniture) we wrapped up our retail adventure and headed for home.

Once there I laid out my swag (where it got my fifteen-year-old's seal of approval).

And now I have an outfit for Mother's Day!  Thanks so much to the Carlsbad Premium Outlets!  (Although they sponsored this post, the opinions expressed are completely my own.)