When out shopping with my sisters, we decided to visit the famous Mall of America. My eldest sister announced that she was keen to look for a store specializing in children's clothing. I decided with my younger sister to do some shopping for clothes for ourselves, and she also wanted to buy something for her husband's 40th birthday. Upon arrival, we picked up a comprehensive directory that listed clothing stores for loads of different items of clothing.



We started off by visiting a store for kid's clothes for my older sister. She found some great items for her kids, at really low prices. We then opted for a coffee break at a little place just by the store, which also sold delicious cakes and pastries, in which we took great delight! Next stop was a high-fashion clothes store I was excited to visit. According to the map in the directory, it was on the second floor, and not too far from where we were, so I just couldn't resist. After admiring the entire stock, I came across this gorgeous silk shirt - purple and green, ideal for the summer. I went to the cash desk to buy it and was amazed at how low the price was! For such an original, stylish garment, I really couldn't believe it. We were all very happy with the range of shops, the prices, and how easy it was to find your way around. Next, we headed towards a golf shop for Thomas's birthday - fitting, given our husbands were playing golf together as we shopped! We spotted a great golf shirt at a really good price - ideal for Thomas, and an ideal birthday present he'd really appreciate.

My youngest sister Helen was still eager to visit a specialist swimwear store. She was only four weeks from a round the world cruise, and had been furiously dieting to look good in her swimsuit - it had to be just perfect. On the third floor there was a swimwear shop, but it was more targeted towards kids. The shop manager was particularly helpful, and directed us towards a specialist swimwear shop where we would be more likely to find what we were looking for.

Helen was very pleased with the vast range of swimsuits in their shop, and they had loads for her to choose from. Although this store was slightly more expensive, it was really high quality, and definitely worth the money.

We reverted back to the directory to help find somewhere good to eat our lunch. We decided on a great little restaurant right next door to an accessory shop that caught our eye. We each found accessories to match our earlier purchases, and were delighted overall.

Our visit to the mall was great fun, and a really exhausting day out. We each found stores to meet our budget and taste, and were delighted with what we bought, although we didn't manage to visit even a fraction of the stores in the mall. We all agreed that the best tactic is to go with a list of what you're looking for and consult a directory to find the best places to go.