mall of America

Looking for the perfect gift to give the woman who has given you everything? I’ve often heard that the key to the perfect gift is to finding something that fits their personaility and hobbies. My mom loves to cook and therefore obviously loves Williams Sonoma. I found this classic cake stand (that turns into a punch bowl – cool, huh?) a few years ago, thrilled that I had found the perfect gift for my mom. It was a HUGE hit and is a staple of her kitchen – especially when she has her friends or company over. Whether you have cupcakes, tart, pie  or cake to present, this beautiful cake stand makes it a beautiful and yummy centerpiece!

Looking to hit the nail on the head for your mom this Mother’s Day? Pop into Williams Sonoma at Mall of America and pick up this fabulous cake stand for $35 today!

I love spring and summer in Minnesota because my favorite clothing items are dresses and sandals. Ladies – don’t you just love throwing on a comfortable dress and some flip flops on a warm summer day?

I was walking past Desigual and in an effort to step a bit out of my comfort zone, I popped in and happened upon this dress. It’s the perfect throw on and go type of dress. Love.

I dress my dad. While he has his limits (he refused to wear the polo with embroidered anchors all over it that I bought him from J.Crew last year), he’s pretty flexible and I think secretly loves the fact that I pick out his stylin’ threads. My latest shopping spree for him involved picking up some Levi’s and an American Apparel hooded sweatshirt and the perfect year round shoe…[drumroll please] the Clarks Desert Boot in Beeswax Leather. The style of this shoe allows for great versatility – you can wear it with jeans, shorts or even dress pants. The leather allows you to even wear them in the rain and snow! Clarks has made this timeless shoe for more than 60 years and it has yet to go out of style. This piece is a must-have for any man’s wardrobe!

Pick of the Week features a well-known baby toy – Sophie the Giraffe – this week from Hanna Andersson. I have very very few babies in my life and am widely known as a baby lover so when I heard that a close friend is due in October yesterday (congrats again Meghan!) it was the perfect excuse to spend some time roaming the baby stores here at Mall of America.  While there are a wide variety of stores to choose from when selecting a baby gift, Hanna Andersson has a great variety of toys, books and blankies on top of their wonderful organic cotton sleepers. I have heard from different mothers over the years that the best type of baby gifts to get are things for beyond the first few months. Newborns grow out of those itty bitty clothes so quickly that it’s nice to receive other things. Sophie is made of 100% natural rubber and food paint making it the perfect teething toy. The size allows babies to grab on easily and the spots are visually stimulating. Over all – it’s the toy that moms and babies both love!

P.S. Hanna is offering 20% off almost everything in the store now through April 22. Check with the store for details.

Easter may be over but that doesn’t mean my need for a sweet treat has retreated. While at PEEPS and Company for an early morning television news segment with KARE 11 previewing the store’s first Easter at the Mall, I had a chance to try my first dark chocolate Peepster. It is a small, poppable piece of dark chocolate filled with a marshmallow-flavored creme – absolutely incredible. So – now you have an excuse to visit the store. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Sometimes you happen upon a shoe and you just fall in love. It happened to me with these adorable Minnetonka Moccasin wedge sandals from Love from Minnesota (Level 3, West). This sandal is perfect for any tribal/geometric print skirt or dress that fills the stores as one of the season’s hottest trends.

You know those people who try to keep up with the trends? I’m totally one of “those” people. I pour over monthly magazines and catalogs to see what’s hot and try desperately to incorporate it into my wardrobe or beauty routine. I have loved the bright lip trend since its debut but never thought I could do it until my recent visit the MAC Cosmetics store. I stopped in to pick up my regular neutral and after a conversation with the make-up artist, she convinced me to try Speed Dial. Low and behold, it was the perfect shade of pink – not too bright, not too soft.

P.S. While the cost is $14.50, I got mine for free. How? MAC has an awesome recycling program called Back to MAC. If you bring in any six items of primary packaging from products they sell that you have used up, you get a free lipstick!

 **As of May 7, 2012, the Nivea vending machine has closed.

A Nivea lip balm vending machine? At Mall of America®? Sweet! That is exactly what my thought process was when I happened upon the machine while taking a lap around the Mall. Located across from the Holiday Station Store right inside the Level 1, West entrance to the Mall, this machine is quite eye-catching and let’s be honest, the $3 price tag can’t be beat. The wide variety and ease of use (yes, this vending machine does take credit cards) makes this a must for any chapped lipped Mall guest!

I was at Gap the other day, just browsing, when I came across this really cool display featuring t-shirts from a collaboration between Threadless and Gap. As I looked closer, I saw that two of the t-shirts designed for guys were done by Minnesota artists. The one featured above is done by Minnesota artist David Schwen. The t-shirts are so soft and appear to fit really well (a sales guy was wearing one!). The other cool thing – our Gap is a flagship store and these t-shirts are exclusive to our store. This means you can’t find them anywhere else in Minnesota but the Gap at Mall of America®. Stop in before they fly off the shelves!

Read more about the other featured Minnesota designer in this Star Tribune article.

The Girl Scouts will turn Mall of America® green this weekend with their exciting and fun weekend-long event celebrating their 100th anniversary, The Great Girl Gathering.  Beyond all of the great discounts Mall retailers will be offering (check out the long list here), Build-A-Bear Workshop is offering a limited edition 100 Anniversary Girl Scout bear with separate Daisy, Brownie and Junior uniforms. Isn’t that adorable? Remembering back to when I was a Brownie, I would have LOVED this bear. The really cool thing is that Build-A-Bear at Mall of America is getting these limited edition bears in-store before anyone else. Quantities are limited, so reserve your bear today by stopping in the store or calling 952-854-1164.