San Marcos, TX Outlet Malls

Every time I shop in San Marcos, I have a fabulous time. Why? There are 2 huge outlet malls, Prime and Tanger, right next to each other with some of my favorite outlets (ie, BCBG, Lucky, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Bahama, Crate and Barrel, Janie and Jack, just to name a few...). Plus, it's a few hours away, so I have to make an overnighter of it...a chance to get away. I have never come home disappointed.

My favorite shops:

My daughter, Meredith, shopping at Tommy Hilfiger in her new Papaya shirt.

The "loot" after we returned home.

Here's what I got at BCBG.

The shirt's original price was $108.




Jasmine Vanilla Aromatherapy Soap from Bath & Body...probably what heaven smells like.

The pricetag on my 12 oz bottle at home shows $6.00. These are 25oz each.





My salad plate supply at home had dwindled to 5 due to various child-precipitated breakages. These coordinate nicely with what I already have.

These Banana Republic tops retailed originally for $45 and $35. I also got a leather belt for $4. Score!

My daughter, Claire, in her new outfit from Janie and Jack, a children's clothing store with the most adorable clothes!

I guess I have a thing for red Kenneth Cole shoes.

These Lucky jeans fit perfectly and are so comfortable. They were marked down from $128.

Tips:

• Know your budget. This may be a repeat, but it's so key, especially when taking a big shopping trip like this, on a weekend FULL of great deals. I could have easily dropped 2 or 3 times what I had planned.
• Take care of your bags. This is mostly a note to self. I bought a couple of things for my daughter at Tommy Hilfiger. I noticed she had fallen asleep in the stroller, so I knelt down to adjust her blanket. That's when I set my bag down on the floor, and it wasn't until I got home that I realized it was missing. Here's the happy ending: I called the store, they found the bag, and they are shipping it to me (gratis) today. Talk about customer service! I will definitely shop there again.