by Megan Walsh

Hello FredParents and Happy Mother’s Day! In honor of this special holiday, shopping for yourself is in order. When does that happen, right?

I would love to know if you, just like me, shop for your own Mother’s Day gifts, let the hubby take care of it, or forego gifts all together?

I’m sure by now you have been hearing from friends, or maybe you read our FredParent April article, about the grand opening of Macy’s Backstage in the Macy’s department store at the Spotsylvania Towne Centre. Don’t ignore the hype, I promise, you will be pleased.

Essentially, Macy’s Backstage is a discounted “store-within-a store” experience with many items priced $19.99 and below. Think of similar brands to what you are accustomed to seeing in Macy’s but at 20 to 80 percent discounts off of traditional department stores. One shopper that I was fortunate enough to talk to, a woman in her early 50’s, said she had been to a store in Florida and hailed our Fredericksburg location for being so well organized. Currently, there are seventy Macy’s Backstage locations across the United States.

My two year old tagged along with me for the shopping experience, helping with all of the tough fashion decisions. She has a very small sum of patience for this sort of thing but was determined to help me find my Mother’s Day gifts.

Here are my five “self-shopping for Mother’s Day” tips from my Macy’s Backstage experience:

1 Do take your little one along and consider your child’s advice when making purchases (side note, I would recommend only bringing one child at a time, if you have multiple children) – the first piece of merchandise that my little one grabbed off the rack, I immediately tried to deflect with another selection. She made a second attempt however this time rather than squash her spirit, I said, “ok, let’s try it and Mom will have to see.” After all, isn’t being a Mom all about compromise? Letting our children have small victories while we manage the big picture. Ironically, my little one was right. Although, it was outside of my fashion comfort zone it did make it to the register. $19.99

 

2 Mimic your child’s spring fashion and find a cute denim jacket (don’t forget to buy a little something for the little one, too. At $19.99 for a 3-piece-set, I could totally swing it.) – I walked by one denim jacket in particular three times before I picked it up to try on in the dressing room. My little one tried on two fun denim combinations as well. One by 7 for all Mankind featuring a denim vest, pink long sleeve, and floral jeggings actually made it to the register while I went with my own version of the denim jacket which also made it into our shopping bag. $29.99.

3 Choose some fun earrings – I think having a fun pair or two of earrings is a spring/summer time MUST. I plan to rock those earrings on Mother’s Day, school meetings, or a casual work lunch. $7.99

4 Buy at least one pair of pants – Pants are something that I always seem to overlook when shopping. They take a little more thought and care to pick out but this fun pair will definitely help complete the outfit. $16.99

5 Don’t forget a cardigan – Wherever you are spending Mother’s Day 2018, I have a hunch that it will call for a cardigan. Whether you'll be visiting a winery, doing brunch, going to church, or attending a graduation - a cardigan is in order. Macy’s Backstage had some vibrant colors that I can’t wait to style with some classic pieces. My primary color cardigan selection was also toddler-approved. $19.99

Happy Mother’s Day, moms! I hope you get to experience Macy’s Backstage.

P.S. As we were leaving the dressing room my toddler sat herself down in the middle of Macy’s Backstage floor and had an epic tantrum. The reason you ask? She wanted me to buy her more shirts and look at the toys again. Simply put, the deals are that good that they are worth crying over.