Thank you to the Mall at UTC Sarasota for sponsoring this post about Shopping for last-minute gifts and Christmas traditions.
Each holiday season my family purchases special Christmas ornaments for one another, shops wish lists, and visits the special Santa Display inside of the local mall.
This year we decided to add some new activities to the Holiday mix and also visit “Experience the Ice Palace” featuring Disney Frozen with Santa at The Mall at University Town Center UTC in Sarasota.
Of course, we could not shop on an empty stomach so we stopped to eat “Dunch” at The Cheesecake Factory.
Since it was the middle of the afternoon we were able to get right in, and I had a delicious Salmon, Hubby had a huge Italian Sandwich, and the kiddos all had Mac and Cheese.
Does the sign at Banana Republic sum up the way you are feeling right now? Well my hubby took this photo because he does that every year.
However, there is no need to dismay since Taubman Centers have plenty of gift ideas along with great sales for the season.
And speaking of gifts, hubby was able to find that special ornament he was looking for at the “Rudolph and Me” Kiosk.
The kids and I in turn found the special athletic related gift we were searching for at Champs Sports. They are super excited to give their gifts to their Dad.
I happened to be on a mission for matching PJ’s for Christmas Morning, so I headed over to shop for the kids at Gymboree.
As you can see by their display, they have a variety of styles to choose from that go up to size 12.
The store was running an awesome sale, so I was able to purchase 3 matching Gingerbread Nutcracker Pajamas for around $30 dollars.
These sets are absolutely adorable and I can’t wait to see my kiddos around the tree on Christmas morning. I plan on making this a new Holiday Tradition going forward.
There was still time before we needed to head over to see Santa, so the kiddos got to play in the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Kids Play Area.
This section is really neat with all the crawling obstacles and Medical/ Tropical related decor.
This was a first time experience for my 2 boys and all three had a great time playing together.
For the adults, it was nice to have a moment to sit while my husband and I each took turns sneaking off to do a little shopping.
After that, it was time for the main event at the “Experience the Ice Palace” featuring Disney Frozen.
We got there about 15 minutes before it opened, and families were already lined up. The attendants kept it moving, so we were inside not to long after we got there.
My kids were excited about visiting this display, but my daughter was totally thrilled since she is into “Frozen”.
Inside they have interactive sections like what Elsa’s Ice feels like and “Are you as tall as Sven and Olaf”. The coolest part for my kids of course was the falling snow inside the dome and getting to meet Santa.
Are you finished shopping for this Holiday Season? Any missing items from your wish list that you will be looking for after Christmas?
We took care of our last-minute shopping and now we get to wrap, bake, and CELEBRATE.
To learn more about the The Mall at University Town Center and its holiday hours visit mallatutc.com. You can also check them out on Facebook at facebook.com/MallatUTC and Twitter at twitter.com/univtownctr for special events and offers!
Giveaway Details!
Thanks to the UTC Mall, one (1) lucky Frugal and Fun Mom reader will receive a University Town Center $100 American Express Gift Card! This is redeemable at Taubman Centers Nationwide and anywhere AMEX is accepted.
To enter, simply follow the directions via the Rafflecopter Form Below.
Happy Holidays!
FFM
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