Fresh Eyes at Sunnyside Mall
My fondest memories with my grandparents, would be those days that they would take my sister and I to halifax. They were (Grandad still is) from Sheffield, England. There were many foods, snacks and candies that they missed. So, Pete's in Sunnyside Mall, Bedford was the place to go. We would sometimes get to go with them and it was a big treat for us. We both would end up picking a bag of candies we liked (jelly babies for me please) and we would walk around the mall, going to all Grandma's shops. Those days that I was motion sick from the drive in, Grandma would take me into a bakery beside Pete's and would get me a ginger chewy to calm my stomach. It always worked and that cookie will always be my favourite.
With my grandmother passed, and my grandfather now living out in BC, I hardly find myself in that mall. Which as a young mom is kind of a shame. Recently I went back and got to have a walk through with Lindsay, a gorgeous and super friendly lady who runs their PR. I saw the mall in a whole new light. They have turned my grandmothers favourite shopping destination in to something for the whole family. There are awesome children stores like Bib'n Tucker, Stores for the whole family like Boso Bamboo, and even an Indigo Spirit Bookstore with teddies and children's books lining the front display.If that wasn't enough to entice a mother of a young child, they have dedicated a whole retail space to a Mommy and kids play area. They call it the Rowen and Lily Lounge. The dim lighting and comfy seating are heaven for new moms who want to nurse their baby into that awesome milk drunk coma. This was probably my hardest thing to find when Aubrey was still that young. In the back corner, it is outfitted with a change table for those quick changes instead of searching for a mall bathroom, or having to throw a change pad on the floor. The walls, outfitted with shelving and slowly filling up with toys for kids to borrow. This place is a perfect getaway for us moms on those rainy days. You want to get out and hang with friends, but you don't want your kids to tear each others house apart. Its like a common ground. With a Second cup in the mall close by, I see myself and a few of my fellow mommy friends grabbing a drink and joining together in the Mommy Lounge to talk mom while the kids play safe.See you there,Katie Rose xo
