Big open grassy area, dancing fountains, a playground area and the piece de resistance – lounge area for grown ups with clear view of playground. Americana at Brand in Glendale is an outdoor mall made to look like a “city” with Disney style charm and cleanliness. I complained the whole way driving here because, trust me it is not close to my home. But oh was it worth it! We started with lunch at Katsuya, sitting outside in the patio overlooking the fountains. Then we headed straight for the playground. There is an adjacent kiosk running a pretty nice racket selling a small set of sand toys for $10 (same set at CVS for $2). But I figure that buys me an additional 30 minutes to relax and finish my latte which as we all know is priceless :).
Next is mommy time, shopping! No compromises here, there was something for everyone to love; Barneys Co-Op, Sur la Table, Tiffany & Co., Anthropologie, Calvin Klein, Crew Cuts (J. Crew’s tot collection), H&M, Kitson, Forever 21, the list goes on. To reward my sweet tots for letting me actually try things on, we had ice cream at a really cool vintage ice cream truck. There is also Crumbs (think elaborate cupcakes) but that will have to be another day. To end the perfect afternoon we go to Barnes & Noble where they have an extensive tots’ section and a great reading area. We picked up a few books and the tots are ready for a nap. Motherhood made easy and fun thanks to this place!!
