My sister, Rufina, has been my long time preferred shopping buddy. There are only a few girlfriends I can shop with (you know who you are), and my sister certainly tops that list. There is something sacred about the act of shopping, having the right shopping buddy is so important. Especially when it comes to being the voice of reason, “Do you really NEED that?”
Last week, I invited Rufina to help me out with my last minute Christmas shopping and also used this as an excuse for a nice Girls Day Out. We headed across the border to Walden Galleria for a full day of shopping and eating. I remember we used to drive to Buffalo all the time for some incredible savings before a lot of the US based stores opened up in Canada (rewind back to the days when Forever21, Bath and Body Works, and H&M were not around). It was always a treat to pick up items that were just not available in Canada and the prices always seemed to work out in our favor.
I haven’t been to Walden Galleria in years, I’m so glad that Natalie and Sarah from Walden Galleria invited us to spend the day with them, our shopping trip was a huge success! If you’ve got a few days off before the holidays, I recommend making your way down there (just a short 1.5 hour drive from Toronto) for some last minute deals and maybe pick up a few gifts for yourself!
A few noteworthy stores that we don’t have access to in Canada:
RUUM (last minute gifts for the kiddies) – an American Kid’s wear store providing the cutest clothing and accessories for kids. See the items that I snagged up for a children’s mitts and hat drive. They are so adorable and for a limited time, everything in their store is an extra 40% off.
Cortefiel (last minute gifts for the man or lady in your life) – a Spanish men’s and women’s wear store carrying an array of sophisticated fashion. During our visit to Cortefiel, the Manager and Assistant Manager, were so helpful and friendly. They gave us a hand in picking this black and white outfit. Stay tuned, I’ll be giving this outfit away to a lucky reader! They are also offering 40% off their entire store for a limited time only.
Promod (best for snagging up a holiday oufit) – a sister company of Cortefiel. Promod recently opened up at Walden Galleria. Suited for the trend setters, they carry the cutest holiday outfits and outwear.
Brookstone (gifts for those who are gadget and tech obsessed) – I always make time to stop by at Brookstone, especially when I’m in airports. They carry the best tech accessories and gadgets. I picked up some jars of Sand (very cool stuff, it’s like sand, but it’s not messy like sand!) and Hickies (shoe-lace replacement) for a local charity toy drive.
We took a break midday and grabbed some lunch at Bravo, which offered a great selection of lunch menu items. We had two soups, shared a full size salad and this Bravo Pasta for under $30.
I had the best Friday Girls Day with my sister, and also glad to say that I checked many items off my Christmas Shopping List. There were so many more stores and items we purchased, too many to share!
If you’re interested in visiting Walden Galleria before the holidays (or even after), here was our itinerary for the day to give you an idea of how much time to allocate for your drive down. Remember to disclose how much you purchased at customs! Lucky for us, Mr. Customs Officer was nice and let us go with flying colors. Telling the truth pays off.
