Rowen and I had a fun day last weekend shopping for her back to school items. As far as clothes go, the girl has grown like a weed over the past four months! We tried on the pants she currently owns and found only two that fit her properly. I was hoping I could get by with just buying a few items to get her through the Fall, but it turned out she needed more than that. So, we loaded up, my sister and niece in toe, and headed to Target to check out one of my favorite brands, Cat and Jack!
We jumped on the Cat and Jack bandwagon last year when they replaced their kids' Circo brand with Cat and Jack, and I really like it. A lot of their stuff has a very positive message to it, which I think is awesome! I don't think it differs much as far as price goes - maybe a few bucks here and there, but I think the quality and prints are a huge improvement!
Had the shopping been up to Ro, we'd have picked out a plethora of obnoxious skirts and dresses, but that wasn't going to happen. I was pretty adamant that whatever we bought would be practical for recess, comfortable, and one size up to make sure it lasts awhile. We ended up with a few shirts and tanks, a couple of cotton dresses, and some of her favorite leggings (anyone else's kids refuse to wear jeans) --- I think we succeeded!
After Target, we ate lunch and then made our way over to Shoe Carnival for their BOGO (buy one get one) sale. I knew I wanted her to have a good pair of tennis shoes and also a pair of closed-toed shoes that weren't necessarily so sporty. She can't yet tie her own shoes so we opted for the velcro Nike's and a cute pair of slip-on Roxy sneakers that I hope will last her until Spring.
We've had her backpack and lunch box for a few weeks now. We actually bought it for her as a birthday present. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on one, until I realized how big they all are on her tiny little body. Rowen will be riding the bus to and from school so she has to be be able to carry everything by herself. We had previously tried on a Mackenzie backpack (in size small) from Pottery Barn Kids and I loved the size. It's big enough for a folder and some other items as well as the matching lunch box that clips to the top of the bag! It's totally worth the money in my opinion, plus I think the quality will last us a couple of years! I also bought a water bottle for her to use at lunch. I love the Thermos brand bottles for kids. They keep things cold all day and are easy for kids to open by themselves - even my two year old loves them!
That about does it! School starts in roughly two weeks for us. I am ready and so is she, fingers are crossed for a great year!