Back to School GIVEAWAY + Updates at The Mall at Prince Georges = Awesome!

It’s almost back to school time! These mornings, my youngest enjoys vigorously crossing the days off the wall calendar as we inch towards the first day of the new school year. For her, it’s an exercise in destruction. For me, it’s a countdown to how many days before I can drink my coffee while it’s still hot. It’s the little things, people. 😃

Speaking of not so little things, it appears that my young man has gone through a couple of growth spurts this summer. I did, too; in solidarity…. 😉 So when the Mall at Prince George’s (MPG) invited me to check out their latest renovations and hear about upcoming events while conquering our back to school shopping, I thought: perfect timing!

Here’s the latest: The MPG is getting a makeover! When all is complete in 2018, here’s how things will look as you walk towards the mall:

Don’t you dig how modern and pedestrian-friendly it all looks? 👏 Inside, the food court will be renovated, storefronts are being updated as are the areas for folks to sit and relax as their respective better halves shop for that one last thing…again!

New Stores! 

Drumroll, please: In addition to the H&M that opened last year, there’s now a brand spankin’ new Footaction with Flight 23 store (Michael Jordan fans rejoice!) and Nike Kicks Lounge, a fabulously fragrant Bath and Body Works (including a White Barn Candle nestled inside), an updated Old Navy and a new Macy’s Backstage will soon open their doors! A refreshed Lane Bryant will reopen its doors in 2018. And….wait for it….DSW and ULTA Beauty are slated to open Spring of 2018. Whoop, whoop!

To kick things off, I signed up for the MPG’s rewards program PREIT Perks, where you get $10 back for every $250 you spend at the mall (including at the food court) – because, really: When someone offers you money for spending money, you take it. 😆

We first made our way to JC Penney, where there are tons of deals to be had, i.e. backpacks for $7; T-shirts & shorts for $5; running pants and this cool hoodie that he insisted on trying on immediately. Looking good, my man! They also apparently have an entire Disney section. While I’m trying my best to resist that scene right now, my wee one already knows all the words to Let It Go so in the moment when I may need to do just that, it’s good to know this spot exists.   

Strong like bull.

Next, we stopped by the new Bath & Body Works so that mamma could pick up some new lotions – love their aromatherapy line!  H&M had some pretty sweet deals as well as fun, cool, aspiring skateboarder-y styles that you don’t find elsewhere. They also have a fun baby section, with items like this sweet Ramones onesie. Not gonna find that at Carter’s.😄 Macy’s & Old Navy had plenty to choose from, as well as great deals on school uniforms.

So, as you can see, our back to school shopping at the MPG was a tremendous success! We learned all the latest good news about what’s happening there and we got all of our back to school shopping done in one afternoon!  🙂

The Look of Success! 🙂

MPG & Our Local Community

On a more serious note, even with the fabulous updates happening at the Mall at Prince George’s, my family and I have enjoyed shopping there through the years not just because of its variety and convenience, but also because of the work that the MPG does to support our local community. As the mother of child at a local public school, I especially appreciate their support of the Prince George’s County Public Schools, be it through their hosting of the PGCPS Countywide Art Exhibit (one of my faves!) or through their support for the Stuff-A-Bus event, which helps send students back to school with a backpack of supplies for the school year. On that note, be sure to check out the MPG’s Events Page for fun activities like this Saturday’s Back to School Kids Fair (12-3pm), complete with a strolling magician, DJ Supaman, Kids’ Safety Touch-a-Firetruck fun & more!

[8/22, 5pm, UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]Two lucky Route One Fun readers will each receive a $40 MPG gift card to shop to their heart’s content thanks to the MPG! To enter, simply (1) register for PREIT Perks here and (2) enter a comment below sharing the name of your favorite place to shop at the MPG! This giveaway will run through 5pm on Tuesday, August 22nd. Winners will be chosen at random. The giveaway is nontransferable and winners must be able to pick up their gift cards at the MPG.  Happy shopping!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Mall at Prince Georges. The observations, opinions and humor, however, are strictly my own!