Fantasy Time at Mall of Milennia

Have you been a good girl lately?  Here's a quick but amazing birthday or holiday trip to Mall of Milennia that will fill your trunk with loot but cost less than a single Luis Vuitton bag.

Start at Tiffanys. Head to the back wall for a stunning pair of sunglasses. These big Rachel Zoe style shades are on billboards all over America; and they are more gorgeous in person if that's possible.

Next stop, Victoria's Secret.  Buy the newest featured bra and panties in a gorgeous but totally impractical color or print (leopard anyone?.) Feel glamorous and sexy. 

Then Brighton. Buy a great small bag for city travel, art shows or evening wear or a black or tortoise silver-trimmed hair bangle. Whatever catches your eye. Something for everyone and it's all pretty and reasonably priced. The customer service is great. Btw Brighton will send you a new purse if yours breaks, even years later.

Now for another highlight, an American fave and my new cheap chic obsession. Michael Kors. You must have the fabulous big gold watch featured in VOGUE and everywhere else. It comes in several sizes and styles, so you can pick the one that works best for you. Then, shoes. For about hundred dollars, you'll get a Jimmy Choo- like high. Take the stylists recommendation and be daring! 

Note: Don't buy purses at MK. They are boring. You'll do better at Bloomingdales or Neiman Marcus if you like names on your purses.

If you have time, also at Neiman Marcus, get a Trish McEvoy makeover. You'll look pretty, natural and ten years younger. Plus, you'll have a pretty makeup planner that holds the whole look to take home. Makeup planners make your life easy and your man happy, especially when space is at a premium like on a cruise.

If your date or sponsor is a good cook, humor him with a stop at Williams Sonoma to savor the seasonal offerings and buy him a spatula or something.  If he's not a cook, the espresso machines at Bloomies are a cool diversion.

Top off a great trip to Mall of Milennia with a Starbucks stop or maybe some Godiva or Lindt chocolate. Now that's a sweet day.

Love Pandora? Get the look for less at Mall at Milennia

Check out Landau near the food court at Mall at Millennia for great "like the real thing" versions of your fave designer jewelry.

Ambrosia is Landau's new Pandora-style collection. All frequent customers received a mailing that a $75 dollar bracelet is on sale for 20 something dollars.  

Landau gets new styles all the time, so their clearance items are usually fresh styles!  If you hit on a good day, there will be bowls of earrings marked down to less than $10.  When you wear them, you will get compliments all day long.

Like Tiffany Celebration rings?  Landau has a collection that is so good that it fools the jewelers.  Seriously, I get compliments in jewelry departments all the time!  The key is to use the CLEAR stones.  Ask one of the great managers there for her ideas on the best combos. That's what I do.  

On the same note, there is a great table full of affordable bracelets designed to wear as multiples. You can do a David Yurman style or just express yourself!

If you have an event, bring in the dress you just scored at Mall of Milennia!  Landau will hook up up with a whole ensemble to go with it for a fraction of what you'd pay elsewhere.  They'll "style" you. It's fun!

Celebration

Looking for a stress-free, low cost wonderful afternoon near Disney?  Celebration fits the bill.

Celebration is Disney's charming anywhere USA town that was built from the ground up in the mid-80's.  People came from all over the country to be in a lottery just for the chance to purchase a home in the town. The idea (a dream of Walt's) was that this would be a place where children could ride their bikes safely, a bit of a utopia.  Disney is no longer involved but Celebration thrives as a gorgeous town with a lovely lake-front city center and golf course. It's quite large with its own high school.

For children, there is a wonderful outdoor fountain to play in (like the one at the Marketplace but smaller), a lakefront walk (great for strollers), good casual restaurants with outdoor seating and a fun bakery. You can grab a latte at Starbucks or relax on their outdoor patio before you stroll the shops on the main street.

There is a large Columbia restaurant in Celebration.  A very popular standby based in Ybor city in Tampa, you can enjoy a leisurely Spanish-Cuban meal here... It's fun and different, kid friendly.  Great for large groups.

Celebration dresses up for the holidays and has "snow" once a week. It's a kind of soap bubble concoction that comes down on cue to absolutely enchant the kids.  Drive around and look at the lights in the neighborhoods... it's magical!

Mall at Milennia for Kidz!

Welcome to Orlando's premiere shopping destination, Mall at Milennia. Think it's too fancy for kids? Think again. There's enough to keep them happily entertained for hours. Without lines or gate charges!

Park near the Mall at Milennia food court upstairs or Neiman Marcus downstairs.  Why?  Great fountains in both places!  Plus the best central locations with lots of spaces. Don't make the usual visitor mistake and park by Macys, which is always bustling, but stuck at the end of the less interesting and upscale side of Mall of Milennia.

Upstairs by the doors in the center of Mall at Milennia, there is a large outdoor fountain and then, voila, you are in a huge food court. There are immense, clean bathrooms on your left with changing tables and room for strollers. Plus full length mirrors that are fun for toddlers to watch themselves in!  If older kids or men are waiting for the rest of the family, they can sit on comfy benches outside the restrooms and play with their cell phones.

If you park downstairs, walk to the right of Neiman Marcus, past the outside patio of Brio restaurant to the bank of doors and enter here. (Neiman Marcus is not kid friendly, despite the great service, it's just too quiet!) Inside these doors you'll find a gorgeous long fountain with a small bridge through it. There's lots of seating on the flat granite on the side of the fountain and kids are always running around. It's prime people watching, too.

If you have a little money to spend and aren't in a hurry, put your name on the waiting list at Cheesecake Factory. One person can stay and wait while the others do whatever. Kids of all ages LOVE this restaurant. The menu is extensive, the food is delicious and the desserts are amazing. It's noisy and fun, perfect for large multi-generational groups.

Brio is also bustling; and the food is very good. An upscale experience with an open kitchen, white tablecloths and attentive service at the same prices as Cheesecake factory. More bistro than Italian, there's also a nice bar here if someone wants to catch the game or just needs a break.  If you're a healthy eater, you'll find wonderful chicken (a house specialty), fish and salads here. Locals love Brio for casual meals. Sit outside if the weather is nice.

Past the downstairs fountain are stairs, elevators and escalators to the Mall at Milennia food court above. You'll find Starbucks upstairs and downstairs.

Upstairs, at the entrance to the Mall at Milennia food court are two VERY child-friendly, reasonably- priced restaurants, Panera Bread on the right and California Pizza Kitchen on the left.  Panera has great pastries and bagels, which they toast on request and sandwiches/soup. Plus very good coffee. California Pizza Kitchen has, well, pizza, and other good lunch or casual dinner fare.

Looking for free food to fill up hungry pre-teens? They'll love walking the Mall at Milennia food court to get free bourbon and sesame chicken samples. Sometimes they can get smoothies, cookies and garlic bread too! It's fun and filling.

For a quick sweet treat for all, hit the Lindt store inside the mall, just past the Mall at Milennia food court. With a great selection of individual pieces of chocolate and chocolate bars, satisfy everyone for a ridiculously small amount of money. Gift shopping? Snag a charming seasonal gift or cute wrapped item (Santa, Bunny, etc.) to add to a basket or wrapped package.

Mall at Milennia stores kids love

Here's a list to get you started. Add your faves.

Electronics
Game Stop for video games, FYE for popular culture items, including music, videos, posters, etc., the Apple store for... Apple, the Sony store for... Sony, Urban Outfitters for cheap accessories and room gear

Cool Clothes
Guess, Hollister, Bebe, Juicy Couture, Anthropology, Bloomingdales, Pink at the huge Victorias Secret, Urban Outfitters (again), Forever 21 (immense store!)

Miscellaneous
Williams Sonoma for kids that cook (and free samples), Museum Store for smart kids, Pottery Barn Kids, Brookstone

Special note
Dylan's Candy Bar in Bloomingdales (Ground Floor to right of inside mall entrance) is fun for everyone!

Kids LOVE Florida Mall

Going to Florida Mall with your Kids?

Drive around to the BACK of Florida Mall and park near Macy's. This is the newer, more upscale side of the mall.  It's also home to the nicer stores and the best attractions.

First and foremost, don't miss the M & M Store!  Kids love this. They will talk about it for weeks!

Then walk to Adrenalina to see locals surfing in the surf tank. Really, an actual surf tank in a store in the Florida Mall.  It's a great surf store, too, with a huge selection.

Looking for adorable all-American mini-prep clothes? Hit the large Abercrombie & Fitch Kids store. Make sure you go to the right one.... Florida Mall is so huge that there is a separate A & F store for teens too!

For young children and pre-teen girls, Build-A-Bear is a must see. There you can watch or participate in building a personalized stuffed bear or dog or rabbit or... whatever.  They are all adorable and a great keepsake from Orlando. You can build a cheerleading bear or a Yankees fan bear or... you get the idea.  They have tons of accessories, too. My fave is the mini-cell phone. Every bear needs one.

A highlight for the teenage girls (and their Moms) is Sephora. Make-up heaven with great cult brands like MakeUp Forever and Nars, plus upscale standbys like Dior and Chanel.  Makeovers are FREE. It is located is right next to the M & M Store in the new part of Florida Mall.

Hungry yet?  Or just need caffeine? Head to the middle of the mall for the Florida Mall food court.  It's international and fun with lots of great food choices, but- warning- it is noisy. Perfect for kids, awful for a date or a serious convo.

Near the food court, teen boys can check out Gamestop for the latest video games. 

Now for that latte, there is a Starbucks by the Florida Mall food court. Even better, there is a wonderful little Euro-cafe-stand attached to Nordstrom. Yummy, they have snacks and a few sandwiches too. There are also cute white tables in the mall there, so if your baby is sleeping quietly, you can relax in a quiet sunny spot in the AC. Or you can just let the tribe run around for a while, since there is plenty of space and it's a relatively quiet part of the mall.

For a sit-down lunch or dinner, try Buca de Beppo between Macys and Nordstrom. Famed for huge portions, it's very casual and fun for large groups. Not a date spot, but a fun time with good food.

Nordstrom also has a lovely undiscovered cafe on the second floor.  Food quality and service are very good. Children are welcome. You can even get a nice glass of wine.

Have fun in Florida Mall!