Back to school shopping

Back to school shopping 

I am generally a buy as you need it kind of mom. I don’t typically buy a ton of things at the beginning of school. This is for a couple of reasons, we live in Georgia and it is hot here ...so my kids are still wearing summer clothes for the next three maybe four months. There is no reason to buy pants or boots in July. We are in for summer type weather at least through the middle of October, so when I think about buying new clothes I definitely think of summer items. For the most part,  this works out well for us because as the fall items come out, summer stuff goes on sale, we are still wearing summer and I can get some things for the kids at a discounted price that they wear immediately. When I think about school, one thing I was have to make sure with the girls is that their shorts and skirts meet dress code. The kids go to public school, so it’s not super strict but there are length requirements. Another reason I don’t buy a ton of stuff at the beginning of school is you never know when your kids are gonna have a growth spurt. It’s the worst as a parent to buy a ton of new clothes only to see your kids wear it once and not be able to fit into it. Kids growth spurt‘s are sometimes sporadic and unexpected. I would much rather buy things on an as needed basis then cross my fingers and hope they still fit.

When I do buy clothes, we buy a bunch of their clothes from Target, Old Navy, Belk & Kohl’s. I also love hunting good buys at Marshall’s or TJ Max.

One thing I always like to have enough of our socks and underwear. I can’t even tell you how many times right before school in the morning I hear, ‘mom I don’t have any clean underwear’. Really is there anything worse? Somehow, no matter how frequently I do laundry there’s always that kid that doesn’t have enough underwear. I don’t know how it happens, do they not get it in the basket... is it hiding under their bed, pushed to the back of the closet? I don’t know. What I do know is it’s always a problem. Starting up the school year with a fresh pack of underwear and socks is a necessity. Some of my favorites for my kids are from target. The Cat & Jack line has large packs of really soft underwear for a reasonable price. We also really like the athletic socks from target. They have nice soft cushy bottoms and a supportive arch.  I recently ordered underwear from old navy when they had 50% off online. So far, she is happy with the look and fit. We’ll see how they hold up over time.

My mom always takes the kids shopping for a first day of school outfit. Outside of that I really only buy what they need. Our oldest daughter is getting very tall and leggy, so I ordered a couple of new skorts for her because she really likes to wear athletic clothes to school. I ordered a black and white one from Old Navy when they had 50% off online and free shipping. We also have really good luck with the target line.

Like everything else, are you evaluate the shoe situation in my kids closet. My oldest wears tennis shoes literally every single day. She’s a kid that just likes athletic shoes and athletic clothes. My almost 2nd grader on the other hand loves being fancy. So, she wears different shoes throughout the week. She’s also my kid that is terribly hard on clothes and shoes. As of right now, I don’t think either of my kids need shoes. We’ll see once extracurricular activities start if that changes. One of my very favorite places to buy shoes for kids is Nordstrom Rack. They consistently carry half sizes, which I love. We do not have a Nordstrom rack in our town, so unfortunately I don’t go there very often. Local options for us include DSW and Shoe Carnival. I also have good luck at Marshalls. I also always shop the big Dillard’s sale on New Year’s Day. I bought all three girls shoes there this last year.

One item I always like to start new with is a water bottle.  My kids need a sturdy one, I need one that is easy to wash everyday. I picked this set up at Costco a week or two ago.  

I don't know if your kids are like mine, but mine are hard on water bottles.  I feel like we are constantly fighting the leaking or lost lids.  These are stainless steel, which I think hold up better than all plastic.  These are also small enough to fit in the mesh side pocket of my kiddos lunch bag and backpack....which will hopefully remind them to successfully get them to and from school with more frequency.