just charge it honey!

there are many activities my mom and i enjoy together: watching college basketball, watching college football, netflix binges on crime dramas and shopping. it's our cardio. more specifically, bargain shopping.

when she came to visit me on her first solo trip to los angeles we decided to check out the outlets at camarillo. we figured a nice chat on the drive there, 2 hours of shopping, some lunch, and be back in time for dinner and some tv shows. 9 hours later the back of my jeep was filled and we were trying to find a restaurant to feed our hangry selves.

i swear we left stuff for other shoppers

just bring it all at once

4 years later, we've got the process figured out. we don't hit every store, we know what we're looking for and make sure to hit the pretzel shop before heading to the next block of stores. this year clocked in at 6 hours and a less full back seat, but it was still a productive trip. maybe going the weekend after memorial day was the problem as pickings were slim. but i did manage some scores.

shops on my hit list for this trip were:

adidas
converse
kate spade
lucky jeans
niemans
nike
nordstrom rack
polo
saks of 5th
splendid
vans

here's how we faired...

this was a total score for me: nike free cross bionic 1.0. i discovered i needed a little different shoe for the self challenge. something with a little more range of movement than my brooks running shoes. this wasn't the pair i'd planned to buy but after trying them on, it's like a hug for your feet.

i chose some classic grey lace ups. they were about $12 less than in store/zappos but b/c of the buy 1 get 1 sale, i also picked out these cute star wars trainers for a friends little boys birthday next month. this was a good place to buy the vans no show socks as well, they were half price. i picked up some black to wear with my black leather slip ons.

we always go into wedgewood just to look, but i ended up coming away with these beautiful gordon ramsay bread street dinnerware (avail tho not at outlet price from amazon). i've had a plain white set from crate and barrel for 6 years and i've grown a little bored of the stark white. they also had a decorative lip that seemed cool but has managed to chip off a little too easily. these new dishes have a smooth finish inside and a textured finish on the outside. plus, i seem to have a thing for grey. can't wait to post some food photos with more color!

i also purchased a polo shirt that my mom is going to return back home. i bought the slim fit rather than the classic and there's a polo outlet store closer to her house than mine. i'll make a note to get the correct cut next time, they always have plenty in stock.

so not as big a haul as years past, but still respectable. mom lucked out at talbots like always.


tell me:

do you have any outlet trips or annual shopping sprees?