Tips For Holiday Shopping With Toddlers!

*This post was created in partnership with Westfield Annapolis. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow The Mama Notes to create original content and stay in business! 

When given the option I’ll always opt to shop by myself — but with our schedule I often don’t have a choice and have to get shopping and errands done with Piper. In the past two years I’ve learned a lot of tricks and ways to make it as less stressful as possible and with the height of the holiday season upon us I thought I’d share a few tips for hitting the mall with a toddler in tow. I have a pretty regular ‘circuit’ (Zara, J.Crew, Loft, Hana Andersson, Nordstrom, H&M) at our mall, Westfield Annapolis that I probably visit every month (that’s what happens when you’re a blogger!) but since I’ve been trying to get my holiday shopping done before December 1st, Piper and I have made several trips the past few weeks!

Picking out ornaments for family members at Pottery Barn

Westfield has several services that really make shopping convenient for parents — from the kid friendly bathrooms with mini toilets + sinks (Piper thinks these are amazing) to the concierge which will hold your bags while you shop, I can look forward to our shopping trips despite the craziness of the holiday season! They also have the kid play area which offers a great break from the stroller (just don’t walk by unless you plan on letting your little one out) and KidCare if you need babysitting. And of course there’s Santa, the train ride and valet parking !

Santa has arrived at the mall and will be there until 12/24! You can see his full schedule and reserve a spot in line here.

Here are my tips for holiday shopping with a toddler….let them loose to burn off some steam (crawling on displays optional) JK.. keep scrolling!

• Prep your stroller and your bags. I always bring our big stroller, despite not being able to navigate smaller stores well it gives me more space for my ‘stuff”. I never a bring a purse to the mall, instead I put my wallet, keys & phone in the diaper bag and stick it under the stroller. I also pack water for both of us, snacks and a few random toys that Piper hasn’t played with recently so they are “new” to her if I need to entertain her.
• Have rewards. I always, always have a reward for good behavior when I bring Piper with me to the mall, whether it’s  going to look at the fish tank, running around in the kid play area, riding the train or, most recently getting to visit Santa. I’ll plan these things throughout the trip and one for the end.
• Plan your trip. I always visit the stores that I need to most urgently first in case Piper loses steam and we need to leave early. I always try to set a time limit, realizing that 2 hours is her MAX at the mall. I always like to let her get out of the stroller throughout our trip BUT always have something in mind to coax her back in again — such as going to pick out a present for someone (she loves this idea), getting to run around in the kid zone, or having a snack so she’ll not put up a fuss about getting back into the stroller.
• Involve your kids in the shopping! This is the most fun part for me, instead of just pushing Piper around I try to let her participate and engage her in what we are shopping for and doing. I like to let her out of the stroller and when she asks I try to let her. The other day we were cruising through a shoe store and she wanted to try on shoes so I happily obliged. I like to let her pick out her own things or have an opinion when we are shopping for her, too!
• Snacks. Lots of snacks. I pack a full bag full of Piper’s favorites that aren’t messy — a cup full of pretzel sticks or small crackers, Nibbly Finger bars and pouches are our go-tos.
• Store your bags. Westfield Annapolis has an amazing concierge right in front of Nordstrom where you can check your shopping bags — this is a must when you have a stroller and only 2 hands.
• Have a treat at the end of your visit. This really helps Piper last at the mall — when we have something to look forward to at the end of our visit! We’ve had lunches at the Nordstrom Cafe (their kids mac + cheese is amazing) or milk + cake pops from Starbucks.

Zara is our favorite spot for kids clothes!

Hanna Anderson has the BEST PJs — especially the holiday ones this time of year.