Lands' End Backpacks for School

When we began shopping for my daughter's first school backpack, I checked out a few options online.  I read an article somewhere where a Mom said her kid goes through several back packs per school year.  She was buying inexpensive backpacks with the latest character at her local discount store.  After some quick math, you realize that you could end up spending more money on these poor quality items in one school year, than you would if you bought one quality bag, especially if you grab one on sale.

The next thing I realized is that most backpacks that you find at major retailers only come in one size.  These bags are sized for older kids and adults.  If you have a younger child with a smaller frame, it will look larger than them and will hold more stuff than they should physically carry.  You occasionally see smaller preschool sized bags, but the in between sizes are harder to find.  Several retailers make quality back packs sized appropriately for elementary and middle school kids such as Lands' End, LL Bean, Pottery Barn and other specialty stores.

(c) Rene Shonerd.
All Rights Reserved.

Last summer, after viewing a few online that I thought my daughter might like, we visited the local Sears store to check out their selection of Lands' End backpacks.  She liked the aqua one we saw online, but they only carried it in the larger size.  Even she agreed, it was too big.  We settled on a smaller white one with a pink and orange polka dot pattern.

The design of the bag itself is basic and fully functional with everything you would need in a school bag.  It has two zipper compartments.  A bigger one in back to hold her folders, a change of clothes, or even her lunch bag.  The smaller area in the front of the bag is useful for smaller item like crayons and playdate cards. The bag has a strap with a snap closure across the front which is useful to to clip on another bag, as well as a smaller loop near the top.  Another must-have feature is the mesh water bottle holder on the side. In my opinion, the most critical feature in a backpack is the straps.  This bag has nice wide straps with padding; the length of the straps can be adjusted to fit your kid as they grow.

My daughter used the bag everyday for school last year.  She also used it everyday for camp this summer. As you can see, most of the fabric on the bag is white and it still looks clean. I'm very pleased that it has held up beautifully for an entire year.  Since it is not yet showing signs of wear, I bet it will make it through at least another year and will be replaced only when she tires of this pattern.

For the 2013 Back to School season, Lands' End has all new, redesigned, best backpacks in class. Below are two examples of the different styles. Find the right backpack and lunchbox for any size kid --shop today.Plus, receive free shipping on your orders over $50.

Solid ClassMate Medium Backpack - Red, ClassMate® Medium Backpack is designed & tested to carry everything your kid needs for class and more. Additional features not listed above include: no-tip design; water-repellent finish; plus an ergonomic design with padded shoulder straps & back panels for comfort. 600-denier polyester body with 1200-denier base. Spot clean. Imported. 18"Hx12 1/2"Wx6 1/2"D. 1670 cu. in.

School Uniform Solid FeatherLight Medium Backpack - Aqua Pool, FeatherLight™ Medium Backpack is designed & tested to carry everything your kid needs for class, while lightening their school load. Additional features not listed above include: no-tip design; water-repellent finish; plus an ergonomic design for comfort. Spot clean. Imported. 18″Hx12″Wx7 1/2″D. 1500 cu. in.

10 Tips for Shopping at School Uniform Consignment Events

At the beginning of the school year, many schools have some type of exchange program or uniform locker where you can purchase second hand items.  These can be a great opportunity to save a bundle and cut some expenses from your Back to School Budget.  You can look for items in your child's favorite brands and styles in the next size up to have on hand for the next growth spurt.  If you have a younger child that is still mastering the potty, you can pick up some inexpensive items to leave at school or in your child's backpack for emergencies.

Beyond, gender and size, here's a list of things to keep in mind when shopping at a uniform exchange program or consignment.

1. Check the tag and look for brands known for quality items.  Better made items have reinforced seams, while seams tend to loosen and may fray on inexpensive items.  
2. Check for excessive wear which is likely to show first on the hem or cuffs.
3. Check for stains.  If you find a stain, leave it behind.  Even on a white polo or t-shirt, some stains are so set in they don't come out even with the handy bleach pen.
4. But don't just look at the outside of the item.  Look for signs of yellowing under the arms. Ick factor!  
5. Check the color(s) for excessive fading.
6. Check the zipper and the buttons.  Make sure the zipper is functional.  Check that all buttons are in tact.  Loose buttons can be tightened if you're proficient with a needle and thread. 
7. Check for signs of wear or dry rot on elastics.  Remember to check the elastics in the waistband on items with an adjustable waist.
8. Check for signs of alterations.  With pants, check for indications that may have been hemmed.  I found a smart tip from Fruggalissa who recommends that you measure the inseam on your kids current pants beforehand and take a tape measure with you so you can check the length. This tip can also works for girls skirts and scooters.  If your daughter has to pass the fingertip test, measure the length from her waists to her fingertips and note her number for reference as you shop. 
9. Many retailers sell certain items as unisex.  Basic polos and t-shirts are a great examples. So don't be afraid to check out items from both racks when items are separated by gender.
10. Even if the sales rep or volunteer tells you that items have been laundered, it's common sense to launder all items when you get them home in your preferred detergent.

Lunches Around the World with Little Passports! #Ad

Kids around the world are preparing to go back to school—that means homework, new friends and … lunch? Yes, that’s right! Let’s visit different countries and see what yummy food the school kids eat every day!

France- French children enjoy a 3 or 4-course meal that is made from high-quality ingredients, and are mostly made from scratch. The children all sit in the same eating area, the cafeteria. An interesting fact is that there are no vending machines in schools, because they’re banned due to the high sugar and fat content of the treats they carry. Typical school lunches here can have a variety of dishes and ingredients, such as grilled fish, salad, red beans, seasonal vegetables, garlic sausage, fruit salads and chocolate flan (just to name a few). Another perk is that the food is served on plates and eaten with real silverware!

Japan- In Japan, the school lunch ingredients are locally sourced and almost never frozen; in addition, the schools employ nutrition experts that work with kids and teach them the importance of good eating habits. Like the children in France, Japanese kids also eat in a community-like setting with their peers, and even their teachers! The children also wear white hats and robes to serve their classmates, which teaches them teamwork and respect. You can expect to find lots of rice, vegetables, fish, soup, and meat on the plate. 

South Africa- South African school meals have natural ingredients such as corn, squash, sweet potatoes, and yams. There’s also rice, soft porridge, and meat that is sprinkled in with the vegetables. A special stew is made called potjiekos (named after a potjie, a three-legged pot), which originated from Dutch settlers. The cook puts vegetables, meat, potatoes, and spices into the pot, which is heated by small amounts of wood and twigs. After cooking, the result is a delectable stew!

Colombia- Colombian school lunch ingredients usually vary from region to region, but can contain rice, potatoes, fruit, beans, meatballs, and vegetables such as corn and avocados. There’s a special vegetarian menu also available, and children from 2 to 5 years old have their food cut and portioned into smaller sizes.

We hope you enjoyed our lunch trip around the world, and perhaps found inspiration to try new foods at your own dinner table!

 Little Passports, is one of Uniform Mom's partners. They develop fun and exciting children’s subscriptions that deliver the world to your child's doorstep. Imaginary penpals Sam and Sofia travel the world on their scooter, visiting a new country each month and send a package in the mail to your child. Packages arrive full of goodies including a letter, souvenirs, activities and online games!

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Video Pick: Transform Your School Uniform

This video is by Michelle Phan, the "Beauty Guru" with a huge following on You Tube. She says "School uniforms don't have to be such a drag anymore. This video will show you how to dress up your boring garbs. Have fun and express your style while still following school rules!"  Using her little sister as a model, she demonstrates  how you can dress up your school uniform with accessories.

Children's Place Uniform Shorts, a Review

I picked up another pair of girls school uniform shorts at the Children's Place outlet in the spring. The regular retail price is $14.95, but you can frequently find them on sale.  Because they are 98% cotton, they are softer than some of the other brands we've tried. However, being cotton they do not look crisp and neat straight out of the dryer. They look better ironed.  They are available in khaki and navy in girls sizes 4-14.  The waist is adjustable.  They come with a cute ribbon belt. My daughter is still too young to manage it on her own, so she hasn't used it. It would be a great for older girls.

The other day helping my daughter with a quick change to head to an after school activity, she expressed frustration with the button on these shorts. As a first grader, she can manage smaller buttons without assistance, but seems to prefer bottoms with the 'hook and slide' closures.

We now have a few pair of these shorts and they all have held up well to frequent wearings and washings. The color has held up well and they seem to get softer after each time through the laundry.  I used to iron them each week for her, but these days I'm too busy blogging to iron these days. ;)

Enter the KiteReaders' Kid Friendly Tablet Accessories Giveaway

KiteReaders is thrilled to host and sponsor a Tablet Accessories Giveaway! We have an amazing selection of some of the most popular kid-friendly accessories available for your tablets out in the market today! We all know how difficult it can be to maintain your tablet when you have a young child who always wants to use it. Whether you want to protect your tablet with a kid-friendly case, use a handy stylus instead of your fingers to touch the screen, or simply accessorize your tablet with some awesome headphones, we’ve got you covered!

When you enter the giveaway, not only will you have the chance to win one of these highly coveted prizes, but you will also be able to immediately download one of our award winning titles…for FREE! Simply enter the giveaway below and read more to learn all about our 20+ amazing prizes!

Prizes Include:

Gumdrop Kindle Fire Case (Valued at $49.99): 1 Winner
If you’re looking for the most rugged, durable yet ultimately affordable Kindle Fire protection, you found it in the Drop Tech Series Kindle Fire Case. Shock Absorption, drop protection, extreme ruggedness and hard-core readiness for all adventures, the Drop Tech Series Kindle Fire case specifically conforms to the shape of the Kindle Fire and offers multiple layers of protection. This transformer case features a unique, snap-on integrated screen for maximum protection. 

iPad Smart Cover (Valued at $39.99): 2 Winners
Snap the Smart Cover into place and it wakes up, stands up, and brightens up your iPad. It magnetically aligns for a perfect fit. It wakes and sleeps your iPad on open and close. It’s a handy stand for reading, watching, and typing. And it’s a way to make your iPad as personal on the outside as it is on the inside. 

iGuy iPad Case (Valued at $39.95): 2 Winners

Say hi to iGuy. He’s fun, free-standing and kid-friendly. Designed to fit all full-size iPads – even the new iPad 4! 

Fisher Price Kindle Fire Kid-Tough Apptivity Case (Valued at $29.99): 2 Winners

With a Kid-Tough rubberized casing and a clear film over the screen to protect against drips and sticky fingers, the next time your child asks to play with your Kindle Fire, you’ll be much more likely to say “sure”! 

Griffin Technology Cinema Seat (Valued at $24.99): 2 Winners

CinemaSeat turns your iPad into the perfect in-car entertainment system. CinemaSeat’s wide, adjustable strap routes around your car seat’s headrest to perfectly position your iPad for backseat riders. Without sacrificing access to Multi-Touch display, controls or headphone jack, CinemaSeat lets them watch video, listen to music, play games and more. CinemaSeat gives your riders the best seats in the house. Or car. 

KaZoo MyPhones (Valued at $19.99): 2 Winners

KaZoo MyPhones have built-in-volume-limiting circuitry that keeps the sound pressure down to levels recommended as safe for young ears. Exposure to excessive levels of sound is more than a nuisance. It’s a health issue, especially for children. KaZoo MyPhones use a built-in, always-on sound-control circuit to cap peak volume levels at 85 decibels. That’s the maximum level recommended by many auditory health organizations in the U.S. and abroad. And, of course, KaZoo are kid-friendly with fun animal designs and durably constructed. 

Felix TwoHands Stand (Valued at $19.99): 2 Winners

When you want to use your NOOK hands-free, this ingenious accessory is the perfect solution. Made of sturdy molded plastic, it opens with a gentle squeeze and securely grips the edges of your NOOK, while the base rests on a flat surface to form a sturdy stand. The spring mechanism is both strong and flexible, so the Felix will hold your NOOK in either landscape or portrait mode; when closed, it’s only 7″ long, so it will easily slip into a pocket or bag. Add in the sleek, distinctive look – enhanced by a “felix” logo script printed in silver – and this is truly a must-have item for every NOOK owner.

Crayola Color Studio iMarker (Valued at $15.99): 2 Winners

iMarker is the key to unlock limitless discovery and play on your iPad. It’s a digital marker, crayon, pencil and paint brush that interacts with the Crayola ColorStudio HD app to create all your favorite Crayola colors on the iPad’s Multi-Touch display. As you color, animated characters, music, sound and visual effects bring scenes to life, and surprises await on every page.

Marware UpSurge Speaker (Valued at $9.99): 2 Winners

The Marware UpSurge Mini Speaker delivers crisp, distortion-free sound from virtually any media player device. The UpSurge travels with you wherever you go, providing rechargeable, long-lasting audio enhancement in the palm of your hand. Its compact design twists and extends when in use for enhanced bass and sound quality. The UpSurge Mini Speaker is the perfect solution for your portable audio needs, whether you’re watching a movie, listening to music or playing a video game. 

KiteReaders Stylus (Valued at $5.99): All Winners!

The KiteReaders Stylus is the perfect accessory to use on any of your touch devices! With a pen on one end and a stylus on the other, this stylus is a great tool to have in your pocket or bag at all times! 

Giveaway Rules: 

US Residents, 18 years and up only. 1 entrant per household. Winners will be picked randomly through the Rafflecopter entry form. Winners will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. All winning entries are verified. 

KiteReaders is a multi-award winning digital publisher of children’s books. With over 100 titles and 30 best sellers across Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks, KiteReaders aims to provide quality content for children and their families and increase literacy around the world. Visit KiteReaders at http://kitereaders.com and like them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/kitereaders!

Back to School Supplies

As a Mom sending my first child off to elementary school for the first time, I was surprised to learn that I was expected to provide a rather lengthy list of school supplies from a list provided by the school.  Other Moms told me that this is the way it is done these days.  The schools no longer provide basic supplies for the classroom, so parents are asked and expected to shop for these items.  The intent is to make sure all students have the supplies they need, regardless of their families financial situation.  And like uniforms, it takes the emphasis off the design and brand of the item.  No need for a fancy “Traper Keeper” when a simple pocket folder works just as well.

Our school provided the list on a flyer in our school registration materials.  It contained lists of different items for each grade. I've heard that teachers get to provide input on what should be included on the list for each grade.  It was understood that the supplies we provided are managed by the teacher to distribute to the students as needed.  This makes sense especially with younger students. 

The supplies from the list that I purchased for my daughter’s Kindergarten year filled two large shopping totes.  They included expected items such as crayons, pencil and scissors.  But it also included any items I wasn't expecting such as paper towels, paper plates, and plastic zipper bags.  I recall that it cost me quite a bit to purchase everything.  I recall that it was nearly $80. Some items specified a certain brand of item while others didn't.  I was unsure if it was okay to substitute a store brand.  I couldn't find some items in the size or quantity indicated, such as a 3 boxes of 16 color crayons.  I could only find boxes with 24 colors.  Would that be okay?

We were on vacation during the back to school orientation night where you could stop by to meet the teacher and drop off school supplies.  We instead took ours on the first day of school.  The shopping totes I used to carry the items in were sent home in my daughter’s book bag.  So I never heard if the substitutions were okay.

This year’s list for first grade was much shorter and not as expensive.  I got my supplies in July as soon as they hit the shelves.  The week prior to school, we got a note from the classroom Mom who had spoken to the teacher.  We were advised to label certain items because our first graders would be responsible for some of their own supplies this year.  They would be expected to keep them in a pencil box in their desks.  Since I had already purchased our supplies, everything I had purchased was basic.  No cute character on the folder or pencil box.  My daughter seemed very happy with the simple clear pencil box that would now be hers, but I wondered if some of the other kids would have some supplies that reflected their personalities or interests. 

So, since we have all just been through the experience of purchasing school supplies from the school’s list, what do you think?

•  Do you sometimes substitute a similar item because you can’t find the specific item requested?
• Do you buy some store brand items?  Even when a certain brand is specified?
•  How does this process change as kids get order and take on more responsibilities for their own things?
•  Do you think the school is asking for too much or that the amount of supplies requested, and the cost to us, is excessive?

(Photo used with permission from Microsoft Press: Credit)