Ticket to Ride: Westfield's Holiday Shuttle

The carousel at the Garden State Plaza. For more snaps, follow me on Instagram.

One of my closest-held secrets is my unequivocal love of MALLS. I mean, don't get me wrong, shopping upper Madison, SoHo or NoLita is a delight, but there's just SOMETHING about knowing that Cinnabon and Auntie Anne's are in close proximity that makes me feel safe, warm and well, like spending my hard-earned moola. Unfortunately for me, malls are few and far between in Manhattan (okay, there's actually only one, the Manhattan Mall, and it's fully mis), so whenever possible (read once or twice a year), I like to rent a car and take what I call a Suburban Day, which entails me and a friend renting a car, going to a mall and eating at chain restaurant - say Outback Steakhouse or Chili's. It's fun all around, you guys.

The peeps at Westfield clearly understand me, and wish to make my (and your!) life a little less complicated this holiday season though - so, they've launched a FREE Westfield Holiday Shuttle that takes mall-deprived Manhattanites like ME to one of the BEST malls in the tri-state area - the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ. I took a little jaunt out last week, and was thrilled to shop - tax-free! (except fur...I see what you did there, PETA) - the bounty of stores, including Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom - yay! (And yes, I ate a 'bon or two.)

If you're in the mood for some shopping, pick up the Westfield Holiday Shuttle, which runs Monday through Saturday, three times a day from Times Square to the Garden State Plaza mall. The trip takes about 30 minutes, sans traffic:

DEPARTING TIMES: From Times Square 
9:30am, 11:00am, 2:30pm 
(Shuttle Departures board across the street from Madame Tussauds on 42nd Street between 7th & 8th Avenue.)

RETURNING TIMES: From Westfield Garden State Plaza
1:00pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm 
(Shuttle Returns board at Bus Depot in parking lot by California Pizza Kitchen near Entrance 10 of shopping mall.)

Destination Shopping: Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

It takes a lot to get me out of bed at 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday, but when I was offered the opportunity to head up to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets one recent Saturday, suffice to say I SET MY ALARM.

Located a quick and easy hour outside of New York, Woodbury Common is easily among the BEST outlet centers in the country. There, you'll find a range of outlets high to low, including a few of my favorites (Barney's New York, J.Crew, DVF and Last Call Neiman Marcus) and a few "onlys" (including an all new Tom Ford outlet opening this weekend - July 7, in fact!)

I easily had the most successful outlet shopping experience of my LIFE at Woodbury this go-around, with my final spend coming in at about $350. Included in my haul was an amazing Pamela Love cuff from the Barney's New York Lady Gaga Holiday Workshop, originally tagged at $390 - now just $18.81. Can you even? I can't!

Here's what you need to know if you're planning a trip up to Woodbury Common:

• Shop early or late to avoid crowds - we arrived at 10am on a Saturday, and shopping was a breeze.
• Know what to expect from your favorite brands in terms of quality, and avoid making exceptions for a great deal. MANY mass retailers manufacture product exclusively for outlets, including J.Crew and all of the Gap brands - Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy - and in some cases, the quality and fit can be widely disparate.
• Buy what you love, but MAKE SURE YOU LOVE IT before leaving - after all, will it be worth another hour drive just to return? 'Nuff said.
• Shop STRATEGICALLY! Whenever I hit Woodbury (at LEAST once yearly), I start in Grapevine Court as that's where most designer brand outlets are clustered. 
• Sign up for the Premium Outlets VIP Shopper Club here for access to a VIP coupon book with pages and pages of exclusive discounts - even if you just use one or two, it's well worth the time invested.

Learn more about Woodbury Common Premium Outlets and find directions and transportation online!