Ooh La La!

I can vividly remember shopping for back to school clothes on my annual visit to my grandparents house in North Carolina every year.   I LOVED going and getting new clothes for school.  I also remember wanting to wear all of it before school even started, but wearing sweaters in August didn't really make a ton of sense, so instead I just kept re-trying it all on.   A little obsessive compulsive preview I suppose.

We here have done all of our back to school shopping to hold us over until the true winter comes and Christmastime when we get some new things again.  We have gone clothes and shoe shopping and surprise, surprise....my daughter has worn everything already and school doesn't start until next week.

If you have already started in your area, this post may give you some ideas of some fun, fashionable and reasonably priced items.  I am not one to spend a lot on my childrens' clothes, or maybe I should say on any 1 item that is.  That being said, I care a little too much at times about what they look like so....I'm learned how to find the deals and great style with a small budget.

Here are my must-haves for back to school shopping for each child:

1.  Everyday shoes

2.  Boots (not rain or snow)

3.  Sneakers

4.  Vests

5.  Winter coat  (only if the one from the previous year is too small)

6.  Jeans/Jeggings/Leggings for Girl

7.  Jeans and Cords for Boy

8.  Sweater or Maybe Sweaters :)

9.  Dress or Dressy outfit for picture day (we generally re-purpose this for our Thanksgiving outfit)

Here are some things I LOVED for my daughter.  She is going into 4th grade, but many could translate to an older child too.  

This beauty would be perfect for picture day with a great pair of tights and boots.  It's from Mini Boden so it's a little pricier than I'd like to spend at $48...but boy is it cute. 

Or how about this sweet, sweet dress from Zara?  Drool....   also gorgeous with some tall boots or sweet ballet flats.  

And speaking of boots....I LOVE these and wish I could find them in my size.  Also from Mini Boden and WAY more than I would ever spend on a child's shoe.  

These are equally cute and definitely something I would buy.   I don't have my daughter convinced of how cute they are yet though.  These are from  The Children's Place and so much more realistically priced at only $29.95. 

My girlfriend found the cutest little shoes for little girls and I have to share them.  They are from Target and come in a variety of colors and I just love these.  Only wish I had some little feet to wear them.  

And... they are ONLY...ready for this $14.99.   At that price, you can get one of every color !

A few other pieces we invested in this year for my daughter were a jean jacket and some great sweaters.  The jean jacket will carry us through the early Fall and is a great layer that matches with absolutely everything.  It looks great with a dress, leggings, skirts and accesorizes really easily.  How cute is this look from Old Navy?   And I love this sweater also from Old Navy....it would make a great jacket in the early Fall.  And...it would provide a great layer over the graphic tees that my daughter seems to fall in love with....our area of disagreement! 

They even make the little girl version at Old Navy too....how sweet is this?  I  love the toggle buttons.  

 And as I mentioned previously, I think a great winter coat and vest are essential.  We are BIG into layering in our family and wear a sweater, vest and hat and gloves well into December.  This is my daughter last year in her sweater and vest.

 Here are a few I loved for both big and little girls because of their vibrant colors.  I am one who believes that color does not have to be saved for the summer and spring only.  

Love this vibrant color in the winter.   Great coat from Old Navy!

And I love this bright blue vest to add a splash of summer into those cold fall and winter days from Justice.

  And for little girls.... I love this coat from H&M....they really have amazing prices.  This classic peacoat is only $19.95.

Again from Old Navy...you can't beat their prices and the quality is really terffic!



 

 



 So that covers my major back to school must-have categories for girls, here are some of my favorites for little boys.  I didn't even tackle big boys because I think that's when you really lose control over your child's clothing choices....not that I have too much say with my 9 year old, but still a little influence you might say.

I personally like to dress my son like a mini man.  I'm not big into sweats and tees and as long as he'll let me, that's how it will be.  Here's a picture of the handsome devil last fall in his cords and layers with his boots...you can see them in the background mirror.

For shoes, I am ALL about a nice pair of boots on a boy.  Here are some that I have my eye on.

Of course I LOVE these boots from Mini Boden, but again cannot justify the price.  My little guy had a pair just like these last year that I found at the Gap Outlet so I'll have to keep looking.  But aren't they great? 

And these are more reasonable at $19.94 and still nice looking from my old standby....Old Navy.  And they have laces so we can start practicing our bunny ears.

Or how about these great hi-top sneaks....too cute!    Of  course...Old Navy.  Do you see why I get so many bucks back from their membership program?  ...lol

Here's a great look with the shoes, jeans and layers...so my style for my little dude!

 

                               Or this one from Gap Kids....again with the vest.

I really LOVE The Children's Place for little boy clothing.  Their clothes launder well and still look nice at a great price.  And...they have great coupons ALL THE TIME.  Just give them your email and you'll get tons.

Here is the vest we bought this year for my son....

 

And as mentioned earlier...I love my son to look like a little man.  What better way than with a great pair of cords, button down shirt and sweater.  Love this combo together.

                The Children's Place

                  The Children's Place

The Gap

Here's a few of my favorites to have a little fun with my son and a more relaxed style.   

Old Navy

crewcuts

Old Navy

So that wraps up my picks for Fall back to school fashion for kids.  If you share my taste in your kids' clothing...follow my kids' clothing page on pinterest by clicking here.  I am constantly e-window shopping and adding things to my list of must-pins/haves! 

I leave you with a picture of my little guys last year in the Fall in their layers and vests....

I hope you'll come back and visit because we will have great back to school lunchbox and snack ideas to share!  If you have any yourself, please email me at poshedup@gmail.com so I can include yours!

Poshed Up

 

Hurricane Irene is coming....

Because of Hurricane Irene's impending arrival, I am a little behind on my back to school posts.  I promise to have the next in the series up by late Monday.....you don't want to miss it!

If you are in the line of this hurricane's path like my family is.....best of luck! 

It's the most expensive time of the year....

If you're like me, you dread spending money on back to school supplies.  I can think of 1000 other things I'd like to be doing with the money.  But...since cutbacks are taking place all over these days, it's important to help out our children and teachers and provide them what they need...even if we don't see why they'll need 10 glue sticks in one year.  I disgress....

Sidenote----if you are one of those lucky parents who doesn't need to buy ANY school supplies, I applaud you and tell you that I am extremely jealous.   Scroll down towards the bottom for some great supplies out there!

So over the past 4 years of having a child in school, I have discovered some ways to save a little when it comes to this time of year.  I am happy to say that I have cut my back to school supply spending by 1/3 over the past 4 years.  Now I can spend the money on other things! 

Here are a few tips:

1.  Shop EARLY....the sales starts by July 4th and although you may not know exactly what your child will need, we all know that it's the same basics each year (scissors, glue sticks, pencils, crayons, etc.)  When you shop at Target or Walmart it is so unbelievably easy to return what you may not need.  Target even takes returns without a receipt if you provide the credit card you used...GENIUS!

2. Use rewards certificates or coupons....there are TONS of coupons out there if you subscribe to the membership email programs to the major suppliers (Staples, Walmart, Target).   Also, check the newspapers. You'd be surprised what you can find.  I used my Staples rewards last year and got $80 in FREE school supplies.  Remember, Staples gives you $ for every ink cartridge you turn in.  Save those rewards and use them for this dreaded time of year.

3.  Reuse, recycle....I've learned that my child does not need new scissors each year.   How much can their hand possibly grow to need new scissors...really?   There are some school supplies that just don't need to be replaced every year.  Write your child's name on them with a Sharpie and that way you'll receive them back at the end of the school year.

4.  Lastly, be creative.  Check out this genius idea for a pencil case using a ziploc bag taken from Real Simple Family Magazine.  What a great way to re-purpose an everyday item!

Or this fun idea for a self-made pencil case from Skip To My Lou.   We are working on collecting our pouches right now to make a pink lemonade pouch :)

Or this idea for book covers that are fun and different from marthastewart.com.   How fun are they?  You could really get creative with this!  These were made with old maps and/or foreign language books.  Imagine using old picture books or magazines from a thrift store too....

Unfortunately I learned my lesson with NOT reusing and recycling by buying a cheap backpack when my daughter entered kindergarten.  I wish I had then invested in a good one and bit the bullet on the cost so that we didn't have to shop for a new one each year.   The only good thing.....my daughter's taste changes with the wind.  In kindergarten she liked girly things and now as a big 4th graders, she's into zebra everything.....and I mean EVERYTHING!

She would LOVE this one from PPottery Barn Teen... and apparently she's not alone because the whole line is SOLD OUT!

Here are a few cute ideas for backpacks and other supplies that I found recently.  Some are great deals and I included their price so you can see that there really are some at every price point if you really look.

This one is from landsend.com and is $27.50.  It's totally customizable too with different monograms and pictures.  Very cute.

Or this style of messenger bag which is oh so mature!   My daughter is little so it's still a little hard to carry, but I love this one.    Owls are my new fav for kids....  And the best part, it's on sale for only $12.71 at childrensplace.com.

And how about these fun binders for girls from Justice.  So cool!  And...on sale for only $4.99. 

And for boys' backpacks.....I LOVE this one!

It's from Mini Boden so of course it's pricey ($40), but.....if you subscribe to their email list as previously mentioned, they have great deals.  Right now they have buy 3 things, get the 4th for free!  It also comes in a cool skull print too!   My little guy might need this for Kindergarten next year once it goes on sale. 

And this is cool for the older boy...skater look.  From ToysRUs and it's only $19.99, comes with a free lunchbox up to $9.99 value AND....qualifies for FREE shipping.  Not too shabby!

Or the best....themed backpacks from Pottery Barn Kids.  My little guy would die for this Batman one or the Spiderman one. The only problem is that for the price they are ($39.50-$45.50), my child better LOVE Batman for a long time.  They do offer free shipping however so all's not lost.

And last but not least....for the littest in your family.  I love these options...

Both are from Target.com and there are a few others too including a zebra, frog and bumble bee! 

 So sweet and only $19.99.

I'd love to hear what you use as a backpack or if you've found any good deals out there.  

Of course you could always use one of our Busy Bags or Everyday Totes from the shop as a

book bag too....check them out!

New items on their way.....

The shop is expanding.....

As of this week, we will be carrying handmade, decorative kitchen towels.  They are a great way to add some fun and some color to any kitchen or....maybe even a bathroom.

Also being added....reversible bibs.  These bibs are strong enough for any babies' mess.  And...with the reversible feature, you can turn it around during feeding time if your little one is messy.  Or if you have a drooler like I did, you may want to reverse it to hide the wetness!

Here's a preview of the bibs

And, a new busy bag for a girl was added today to the shop.....  how fun as a school bag or bag for after-school activities.   Peace signs are so in right now....a flashback to the 70's!     This bag reverses to have a pink polka dot on the reverse side....check it out.

Busy, busy, busy making new things to add to the shop daily.  I hope you'll continue to follow us. 

And...tomorrow there will be some great ideas for back to school supplies and shortcuts to save some money on back to school supplies!  Stay tuned.

LOVE this fabric!

Everyday Tote and Large Everyday Totes

This is the first fabric I purchased when I started poshed up.    I just love its vibrant color and think it will add a ton of fun to a boring black winter outfit.  If you're like me...my clothing seems to get darker as the weather gets colder.   Not sure why, but it seems that black and grey take a back seat until mid October and then they come out in full force!

I think this bag will be just what I'll need to bring my mood back to these relaxed summer days we are still experiencing.   I am adding new things to the shop constantly so I hope you'll check back often! 

And...this week, I'll be sharing some great ideas for shortcuts on school supplies and fun school lunch ideas for the kids!  I hope you'll share some of your own ideas!

All good things must come to an end...

Our summer is almost over...sniff, sniff!  This year I am truly sad for it to end.  I think I finally can say I understand the phrase 'the lazy days of summer'.  We have slept late, stayed in PJ's until 10am, stayed at the beach all day playing and swimming and enjoyed BBQ'ing to our heart's content.   

Unfortunately in 3 short weeks, school will restart here in the Northeast. I know it has already started in many parts of the country, but for us, we have just begun the craze.    What craze you ask?  Well if you have a school aged child, you know what I'm talking about.

finding out your teacher and classmates

last minute sleepovers and playdates

back to school supply shopping...
hunting for those great deals to save $.25 on glue sticks...lol

back to school clothing shopping...
not sure why we do this since it's still warm when school starts

back to school shoe shopping...

not sure about that one either...since we wear flip flops all summer and therefore haven't worn out any shoes from last year

finishing up summer reading and math packet review sheets

and the MOST difficult one for all of us....

slowly moving back bedtimes from 10pm (yikes) to a more realistic hour!

and that's just a snapshot....AND SO IT BEGINS.

                                                 


To keep these last few weeks light and still fun, we are going to be working on a few fun back to school crafts.   I also have some fun snack ideas, supply ideas and surprises to share as well! 

In the meantime...here is this week's craft...  A back to school countdown!!

My little one is starting a new school this year with some apprehension.  So we made these fun countdowns so that he can help us count down the days until we meet his new friends.  It's a great visual for him and gets him excited to get to the top of his bus...even though there will be no busing to school for him.  Not sure he knows that part yet...in due time!

One link of the paper chain is cut each morning until we reach the top on our 1st day of school.  

They aren't next to one another because one starts school 6 days before the other!

Pre-K here we come!

And a big 4th Grader...yikes!

Here are a few other fun countdown ideas that you might like too....

This fun idea is compliments of It Is What It Is.  It is great for the week leading up to the 1st day of school.  Each day her kids opened a bag filled with treats or, as she suggested, you could fill it with school supplies.  Very fun!

Or this great idea from The Happy Home Fairy for the kids to enjoy filling in.   

And the best part...it's a FREE PRINTABLE.

If you have a great back to school tradition or craft to count down the days, please do share.  I'd love to pass it on!

Melissa