Let’s Talk about Why I Love Woodland Mall
When I was a teenager I loved shopping at the mall on the weekends. Little did I know that the mall would become a mainstay in my life as a mom. When Everson was two-years-old, we moved back to Michigan and I found out I was pregnant again. I was really sick and my mom helped me a TON with babysitting.
She started talking about Woodland Mall and how much fun Everson had at the play area there. They called it the “Run, Jump, Climb and Play” because quite literally he could do all those things there. Once I was feeling a bit better, I began taking him to Woodland Mall myself and I quickly became a little bit obsessed.
You might be reading this thinking “is she really talking about the shopping mall right now” in this day of Amazon Prime and free shipping returns? Why yes, my friends, I am. I’ve become convinced that Woodland Mall is under-utilized by my fellow West Michigan mamas. In fact, one of my friends recently told me she hasn’t been to the mall once in the entire past year! If you can relate to her, keep reading for the 5 reasons Woodland Mall makes my #momlife better.
Reason #1
It may be 2018, but trying clothes on before buying them is still really helpful.
Becoming a mom is full of perks like interrupted sleep and spit-up drenched clothing, but one of the real highlights is the postpartum body. You might get down to your pre-pregnancy weight or “goal weight,” but your body is never quite the same. I’ve heard many women say this and I know from personal experience how true this can be.
Shopping in person at the mall has been SO helpful for me to figure out what size clothing fits me best and what styles are flattering for me. And I know, I know, sitting in your pajamas on the couch while online shopping is an awesome convenience. I’m not anti-online shopping and I love free two-day shipping, but I hate dealing with shipping returns. Even the free “no hassle” returns are a big hassle in my opinion.
Reason #2
What do Starbucks, breakfast food and disinfectant have in common? I present you with Woodland Mall’s kid’s play area.
Woodland Mall’s play area is my favorite indoor play place in West Michigan. If you’ve never been there before, you should know this play area would make Ron Swanson very proud (it’s comprised of giant breakfast food items). In fact, there is even a bacon slide. What’s better or more American than a bacon slide?
What’s more, this play area is located right next to a Starbucks. Friends, I repeat S-T-A-R-B-U-C-K-S. I literally love few things more than getting myself an iced coffee, then sitting down to watch my children play. This probably relates to my frequent google search: “how to parent your kids while sitting on the couch.” Don’t judge me…you know you love doing nothing, too.
I also love how clean this play area is. I don’t know if you can relate, but I’m a borderline germaphobe and indoor play areas can kind of freak me out. The Woodland Mall play area is cleaned (sanitized) every single day. That’s right. Their amazing cleaning crew is in there to wash away all those nasty kid germs every day. (Pro Tip: I’ve been told they clean around 2pm and after they close each day, so first thing in the morning and 2:30 pm are probably the cleanest times of day for kids to play there.)
Reason #3
At Woodland, you can crush your errands in a kid-friendly way.
When I need to buy someone a birthday gift or I need a new pair of jeans, Woodland Mall is my go-to place. I also love that I can get other miscellaneous errands done, like iPhone repairs (thanks, Apple!) or even getting my eyebrows done. My friend Lauren recommended New York Thread to me and they are great!
No matter what errand we have to do at the mall, there’s always a nice built-in incentive of visiting the play area after I make my necessary stops. If there’s not time for the play area, sometimes my boys simply play on the $1 car rides for a bit or we grab a quick snack from the food court on our way out.
Reason # 4
The play area isn’t the only fun thing for kids at the mall!
Have you ever taken your kids to a Storytime at Barnes & Noble? They have the CUTEST area for story time and it’s offered every Friday at 10:30 am and Saturday at 11 am.
What I especially appreciate is that their children’s Storytime always features a specific theme that you can see online beforehand. Following a few stories, they offer a little coloring activity in line with that week’s theme. The Storytime reader has always been lively and engaging every time we’ve been.
They also do holiday-themed Storytimes and occasionally offer special events, like this one (a Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration) in early March.
I also recently learned that the Apple store offers a variety of free classes, activities and workshops. Some of these classes are for kids, such as their various Kids Hour programs (e.g. Book Club, Sphero Maze Challenge, Making Movies Together, etc.). You can check out all their daily programming, by going to https://www.apple.com/today/ and selecting the Woodland Mall location.
Reason #5
Date Nights and Girls Nights are easy to do at Woodland!
What’s more classic for a date night or GNO than going out for dinner and a movie? The Celebration! Cinema theatre at Woodland has $5 tickets (YES PLEASE!) and there are several dining options right next to the theatre.
In fact, I’m partnering up with Woodland Mall to host a mom’s night out NEXT WEEK and I’m brimming over with excitement for this chance to hang out with you all!
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 28th from 7-9 pm at Bar Louie!
I want YOU to join us at Bar Louie for a great night of conversation, lots of laughs and making some new friends!
Click here to read all the details and register to claim your free ticket.
(Pssst! Woodland Mall is generously giving away a free drink coupon to everyone who signs up (or is already in) their PREIT Perks program.)
I can’t wait to hang out with you, friends! Please share this event (thmnightout.eventbrite.com) and RSVP if you can make it!
After reading this post, I’m sure you can easily tell why Woodland Mall makes my #momlife better in so many ways. Did I convince you to head to the mall for a fun (and practical) outing with your kids? I sure hope so!
XO,
Peg
Peg Theobald 