My ten year old decided to hit a major growth spurt after the holidays, so I recently found myself shopping- again.  I must admit, I was longing for that January hiatus from the stores- but my son needed pants.

No matter the time of year, it had me thinking about shopping and where to go? We’re fortunate to have some pretty fantastic shopping centers that are convenient and close.  Here are some of my favs…

Oak Brook Center

http://www.oakbrookcenter.com/

It’s a great outdoor mall- so, I highly recommend it if it’s not sleeting or raining sideways.  Nordstrom, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Sears are the anchor stores with a variety of unique specialty stores. During the summer months, be sure to soak up Oakbrook’s flower gardens.

Westfield Fox Valley

http://westfield.com/foxvalley/

Fox Valley is a family friendly mall. It’s a nice size shopping center with many notable stores.  The mall is complete (when you’re shopping with kids) with a full size Carousal in the food court, a toddler play area, and a climbing sculpture (in partnership with the Du Page Children’s Museum) for the adventurous little ones.  In regards to the climbing sculpture- make sure your child can successfully get up then down—I remember climbing up when I was 6 months pregnant to get my son…oh, the memories! Macy’s, JC Penney, Sears and Carson Parie Scott are the anchor stores.

Yorktown Center/The Shops on Butterfield

http://www.yorktowncenter.com/

Yorktown mall has recently added “The Shops on Butterfield”. This includes an additional outdoor section offering new restaurants, stores, and entertainment.

If you’re a sushi lover- RA Sushi is a great spot.  Saturday night is 80’s night (my personal favorite) and the appetizers are ½ price before 7:00 p.m.

The Promenade Bolingbrook

http://www.thepromenadebolingbrook.com/

Built a few years ago- this outdoor shopping center (smaller than Oakbrook) came on the local scene. The Promenade offers restaurants, national stores like Macy’s, Abercrombie, Coach, even a Bass Pro Shops. So weather you’re in the mood for a nice handbag or some live bait- it’s the go-to place!  The Promenade’s newest addition is Gold Class Cinemas. It’s a full service bar and gourmet restaurant with leather seats (that recline!) Great for those snowy nights- where you can have dinner and a movie under one roof!

If you’re not a mall type- then head to Downtown Naperville.

http://www.downtownnaperville.com/

You can park for free (which is unique for local downtown areas) in Naperville. So between heading in and out of boutiques, you can grab a bite to eat at a local spot like Potter’s Place or reload on your caffeine intake from Starbucks.  Either way- Downtown Naperville offers a convenient, unique shopping experience.

So, what are some of your favorite spots?