SHOP and Stay: Tanger Outlet National Harbor/Washington, DC

When you want to get away (but not too far away), taking a staycation is the next best thing. This past weekend, I did a staycation at the National Harbor. This warmed my heart because the popular DC area tourist attraction is in the same county where I reside (Prince George's) and less than a 25 minute drive from my home! I could've driven but I wanted to maintain that vacation feeling so I took an Uber instead.

The theme for the weekend was 'Shop & Stay': shopping at Tanger Outlet National Harbor and staying at the Gaylord National Resort. There were activities planned at both locations which I'm excited to share. So let's start with the Shop.

Swag bag galore!

Tanger Outlet is located a mile from the National Harbor. It has well over 50 stores offering superb deals that one would expect from an outlet mall. Before the shopping commenced, we were treated to a VIP lounge with a bright and colorful breakfast, sparkling drinks plus a red carpet, DJ, and a tote bag stocked to the brim with gifts and coupons from participating stores.

The manager informed us about the many ways one can save while shopping at Tanger Outlet National Harbor:

Signing up to TangerClub, their exclusive member rewards and benefits program
Downloading the Tanger App on Android or Apple
Texting NATIONALHARBOR to 55695 for additional coupons and promos
Offering their Best Price Promise - Found an item cheaper than what you purchased at Tanger Outlet National Harbor? Bring it back to shopper services and the Outlet will pay you the difference on the spot!

To heighten the fun and our competitive spirits, we had to embark on a couple of shopping spree challenges: 1) who can save the most money using the gift card, 2) who styled the best look from their purchases, and 3) who shared the best social media stories from the shopping experience. Unfortunately, I didn't win any of the challenges (womp womp) but still, it was a great time. And I did save a bunch, mostly on accessories. The lack of plus size stores was my downfall. Later that day, the Manager told me that he knows of the problem and is working quickly to add stand alone stores or at least have the brands that do offer plus size online to actually consider adding a section in-stores. So that's good to know.

H&M finds.

COACH Mini Sierra Satchel
Coach Outlet gifted us patches, nail polish, perfume sample, and pins!

While I didn't succeed in clothing items, I more than made up for it with accessories from Coach and H&M. The Coach bag is the true winner here. Original price was $295. After a storewide discount of 70% off plus an additional 20% off because it was a clearance item, the grand total came down to $70. Insanity.