So, I don’t know about you, but I love shopping. I mean, I really LOVE to shop (LOL). But, what I don’t like is spending all of my hard-earned money to get my favorite brands if I don’t have to. So…one of my favorite places to visit is Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, NY. It’s only about 40 minutes from my house (which is great) and we love heading there for the day to find great deals and those pieces I just have to have from my favorite brands. Honestly, I get way too excited anytime we plan a trip there! Haha. For me though, going to Woodbury Common is kind of like going to a different city for the day. We literally make a day out of it. And it you want to visit all 250 different stores, you better plan on making a day of it! I mean they have everything: fashion stores, sports stores, jewelry stores, handbag stores, a playground, food, snack kiosks, a bar…literally everything!
For me, I’m never really able to find any of the brands that I like in most malls near me and unless you live in the city, where you have access to tons of brands, you’re not able to actually try on clothes and really get a vibe on how these brands fit and how they look on you. The great thing about the outlets are that even if you do live in the city where these brands are available, you’re able to find these pieces at a much better price and maybe even get a different selection than your local store might have. I know anytime I leave Woodbury Common, I always have multiple bags in hand. I always luck out there, which is why I’m such a fan! So I was super excited when I got to partner with Woodbury Common Premium Outlets to show you how my family and I spend our day shopping and having some fun!
We started our day by grabbing one of the car buggies for Nate. Even though he has grown out of a stroller, we know a full day on his feet is not the greatest idea. At first, he said he didn’t want it (I think he thinks he’s too old for it), but he quickly changed his mind & wanted to jump in it and have me push him all around. At this point, with the way I shop, I knew I was going to wear him out! (LOL) Not to mention then he can play his tablet games throughout the day and last even longer for daddy. Haha. One of the first shops we stopped at was Vilebrequin. To be honest, it’s not really a brand I knew about or have ever really seen in person but let me tell you…they are now one of my favorite brands! Nate and I found some really fun pieces that were perfect for the summer and I was shocked to find out that they are not just a bathing suit company. Though, their bathing suits are so colorfully fun and have the perfect fit, for both me and Nate! They also have some really cool terrycloth pieces and linens that are right up my alley. Nate and I had a blast trying on all the different pieces! Definitely check them out if you’re not familiar!
When at Woodbury, I always make sure to stop at Vans. I don’t think I have ever been to Woodbury Common and not bought at least one pair of Vans. This time around we picked up 4 pairs…2 for me and 2 for Nate! We even got a matching flame pair which we couldn’t wait to wear, so we threw them on as soon as we left the store. Nate got the high tops and I got my favorite slip-ons. Slip-ons (Vans and other brands included) are definitely a summer staple for me. They’re affordable, comfortable and look good with almost any outfit. If you check out my looks on Instagram, you’ll see what I mean! I found another checkered pair in mustard yellow that I loved, they didn’t have my size, but they were able to order them for me and have it shipped right to my house and I was still was able to get the discount they were offering! I thought that was awesome. Nate was actually also really excited for his new kicks! I love the fact that he is really coming into his own and now picks out the pieces he likes all on his own!
After some more stores, Nate was starting to get a little antsy, so we knew it was time to stop at the park and let him have a little fun. I mean I was having the time of my life, but let’s be honest…just going in and out of stores without a break is not going to be fun for any kid. So, being able to let him get his kicks out and have some fun in the park is a must. We also got to try these cool little treats which I have never seen called Dragon Breath. They were crunchy fruit puffs in some sort of nitrogen substance that when you ate them, allowed you to blow out steam from your nose and mouth. So weird, yet so cool! To be honest, I didn’t love the taste but they were really fun to eat and I’m definitely happy I tried them. Nathan was a bit nervous but eventually came around and gave them a try but I’m not sure he really liked them (LOL). Still something fun to try during our Woodbury outing!
From there I stopped by Club Monaco which is another brand that I have been a huge fan of, but this is the first time I purchased something from them. They’re another brand that have a lot of clean summer-time pieces with great tones. I ended up scoring a great pair of floral shorts that are the perfect length and are made from a cotton/linen blend which is a summer must! The flowers also have some added embroidery on them, which I like, since most of the time they are just a print and that added detail adds some nice texture!
On to more and more and more stores… (I was in shopping heaven)
It was finally Nate’s turn to pick a store and of course he chose Nike! This is another store I never seem to miss when we visit. Although my wife still thinks I’m a shoe fanatic, I’ve definitely toned down a bunch since my sneaker freak days, but I still like to pop in to see what great deals they have! Nate was on the hunt for some football jerseys or cleats, but unfortunately didn’t luck out, but he was super excited to find a really cool mini basketball that was perfect for his little hands. After hours of shopping and him being so well behaved, he deserved it! Plus, getting him that basketball was actually perfect timing because it kept him occupied while mommy and daddy stopped by Black Dirt Bourbon Barn and had a cider! It’s amazing that I go to Woodbury at least 3 times a year and I have never noticed this bar. I believe they said they were pretty new, so I’m sure that’s why. But now it’s definitely going to be part of my Woodbury Common shopping routine! I love the fact that it’s part bar, part liquor store and had some cool bottles of bourbon and a great selection of beer and cider. Make sure you pop in if you visit!
Next shopping stop was UNTUCKit. Their main focus is providing shirts that are designed to fall at the perfect length: whether you let it all hang out or do that slight tuck…there’s none of that sloppy excess bulk! They pretty much only make shirts but did have a few pair of pants available that I got to try on with some of their shirts. They also had a pair of slip-ons there, that of course, I’m always a sucker for! They had some great linen short-sleeve shirts (which you know I’m a fan of) and I scored a clean white linen button down. During the summer, this is another one of my go-tos. I feel like you can throw it on with shorts, jeans, dress pants, almost anything, and it instantly gives you those clean vacay vibes that I love! EXCLUSIVE PROMO ALERT: UNTUCKit is giving all my followers 20% OFF Your Purchase if you mention code PREP20! (expires 7/20/18)
On to more and more and more stores… (still in shopping heaven and Nate and my wife were both still hanging in there with me LOL I always last longer than both of them when shopping at Woodbury!)
One of the last stores I stopped at is one of my favorite brands…Theory. I actually have quite a few pieces from them and they’re definitely pieces I wear over and over and never seem to get sick of. They’re just classic and clean. They had so many great pieces I liked like this stripe on stripe shirt and shorts combo. I’m really into the matching shorts and button-down looks lately but have yet to purchase one until now! I’m all about those matchy-matchy summer vibes, especially in some sort of pattern or print. Even though I went there looking for summer pieces, one of my favorite things to shop for at Woodbury this time of year is leather and suede jackets. This time of year, jackets that are normally really expensive you can score for a 1/4 of the price, and I did! I was so excited when I found this amazing Navy Suede biker jacket. I couldn’t resist! And I don’t even have to wait until fall or winter to rock it, I can actually wear it on cooler summer night with a plain white tee and let the jacket speak for the outfit. I was able to get it for such a great price with the help of the discount Theory is offering my followers. EXCLUSIVE PROMO ALERT: Theory is giving all my followers $50 off purchases of $250 or more! (expires 7/31/18)
Last but not least, it was time for a Wertz family tradition to hit up Shake Shack! This is a must for us to eat at any time we are at Woodbury. Give me a shake burger, bacon-cheese fries and a salted-caramel shake please! NOM NOM NOM So good! Ok, maybe not the last stop, because another one of my favorite stores, All Saints, is right next door! We literally only had 15 minutes left before all the stores were about to close (yep we were here all day & I loved it), but it was just enough time for me to pop in, scout it out and score a really cool suede leopard print card holder! Yeah, I said it…suede leopard print. It’s awesome and was only $15! I also walked away with a burnt orange Hawaiian style shirt. That print just caught my eye and I couldn’t leave without it. Printed flowy button-downs are also a summer staple for me. Whether on vacation or actually any summer weekend, they’re definitely another one of my go-to’s! Check out my instagram (@BlueCollarPrep) looks for some outfit inspo if you’re hesitant on the bold print shirts. I’m a huge fan! I was in such a rush at All Saints, that I didn’t get a chance to shoot and share these pieces with you, but I plan on wearing and shooting these pieces very soon and you’re going to love them!
Once again, I scored some amazing pieces at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. Like I said…it’s one of my favorite places to shop and I always score unique pieces, from top brands, that are in my budget. I rarely find an entire outfit from one specific store but just love popping into each and (almost) every store, to see what pieces I can find. I don’t know why, but I get such excitement from scoring such a dope piece, that’s on sale (LOL) from some of my favorite brands! Next time you’re looking for that one-stop-shop to get out of your city or town for the day, to do some shopping and eating, try Woodbury! And if you need some store guidance, hit me up, I’m starting to become all too familiar with this place! Haha.
These days I rarely carry cash on me. I use my debit card and credit cards for everything. So when using a card, I want to make sure I pick one that has the best incentives and rewards. When the wife and I are out shooting on the weekends we tend to eat out a lot, kind of as a reward for the work we’re doing, and to make it feel like more of a nice day out rather than just a work day. I recently came across the 
Back to school season is here and it’s just as exciting as when Nate started kindergarten last year. He’s moved onto the first grade and is officially a pro at the back-to-school routine. It’s so crazy how fast time is flying! Summer coming to an end is always bitter-sweet. We’re all going to miss those long, hot days, but there is also so much to look forward to in the upcoming months. I’ve been trying to remind Nate that as he’s overcoming his first week back blues. He likes school, but everyone dreads the rigid routine!
