Preschool girl enters Kindergarten this year! I already have my teacher “please love my child and treat her tenderly” gift in progress, but with the help of Pottery Barn Kids, I could be a hero to the whole school. Or you could be a hero to your child’s school.
Sign up your school for the Pottery Barn Kids “Gear Up to Give Back” program* and as you make your back-to-school gear selections a percentage of purchase will be donated back to your school.** Once your school is enrolled, purchases from other parents at your school will be eligible as well.
As an added bonus, if you enroll your school now through June 14, you will be entered into the sweepstakes for a chance to win $2,500 for your school and $2,500 for yourself!
I was already eyeing a PBK backpack and lunch box for preschool girl’s first fall of “big kid school,” so I’m glad to know the purchase will also benefit her school. For the purposes of the program, duffle bags also count as “gear” and are eligible.
If you have older children, PBteen purchases are also eligible for the “give back” program.
Like any donation program and sweepstakes, there are lots of terms and conditions, one of which is that only U.S. schools and purchases are eligible.
* You will need your school’s tax ID number. If enrolling a private school, you will need an IRS Determination Letter or 501(c)(3) and 509(a) tax exempt certificate. ** Percentage varies with total dollar amount of purchases.
Have you noticed the cool American Living widget on the right side of the blog? If you haven’t clicked around over there, you really should! Not only do you get to see a cute shot of my son rocking American Living finery, but you can also see other American Living stylish back to school looks, share your child’s back to school goals and read those of other children. (My son is already doing great on his first goal!)
Rocking American Living Boys Clothes
In my post introducing American Living I shared these photos of my son sporting the brand. He looks so great in the classic polos, khaki shorts and modern denim. He’s worn the clothes several times since these photos were taken (other than the jeans because it’s still too hot), and they all look just as good now as they did the first time he wore them. You really do great quality for the price point.
American Living Girls Fashion
If you’re shopping for a little girl you won’t be disappointed with the clothes from American Living. In addition to classic pieces, there are some really modern finds that are just too great. I’m particularly smitten with the Autumn Sweater Vest. Available in this green and a warm white, the sweater is $25.99 and available in sizes to fit girls 7 to 16 years old.
For younger girls, I love the Stripe Dress ($19.99).
Shop!American Living is available exclusively at JC Penney, both online and in stores. American Living for kids is available from size 4 through 16. The selection for older kids (7 – 16) offers more variety than for the smaller ones (4 – 6x), but the whole collection shares a cohesive style and all-American appeal.
Win! A $25 American Living {JC Penney} Gift Card to Help with Back to School Clothes Shopping!
How to Enter: Check out the American Living collection and leave a comment with a piece of clothing you’d like for your child.
Earn Extra Extries: valid only after completing first mandatory entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.
Follow American Living_ AND The Shopping Mama on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Let American Living help you with BTS clothes shopping. #Win a $25 gift card @TheShoppingMama http://bit.ly/qkRnc5 #MadeforAmericanLiving
byKateonSeptember 4th, 2011 | 5 Comments | Back to School
Crocs is synonymous with the summer season, and the company has expanded their collection to include many styles that are perfect for back to school season. My kids both love Crocs and spend a lot of time in them during the summer. But, many styles with the aren’t exactly school friendly. The new Crocs back to school shoes include 13 new styles for boys and girls from Kindergarten through 8th grade are school-approved – and luckily, also mom and style approved.
Summer On the Inside…
Crocs motto for back to school is “School on the Outside, Summer on the Inside” – and I love it. It’s the perfect description of shoes that are up to the standards of school and look the part, but they are also 100% Crocs which means they’re light and comfortable on the inside.
This cute Summer on the Inside video from Crocs is a great way to get a sneak peek at all the back to school shoe choices. You can even click on the animated shoes in the video to get more information about the style.
Did you see the fun Easter egg hidden in the video? No? Here’s a hint for you…
You should definitely find the Easter egg, click on it and see what happens!
Crocs Sneak Slip On Review
Weighing in at just a few ounces, the Boys’ Hover Sneak Slip-on will have kids feeling like they’re walking on air. Part of our uberlight Hover line, lightweight comfiness doesn’t get any better than this.
I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to expect when the new Crocs arrived. We’re used to the typical Crocs-shoe material and I couldn’t imagine how that would translate into a slip on sneaker for school. The Hover Sneak Slip-on is truly a hybrid, mixing materials for ultimate comfort and function.
Lightweight, durable canvas upper.
Croslite™ material footbed for Crocs’ signature comfort.
Non-marking Croslite™ material outsole.
The canvas “upper” – or the main part of the shoe – is reminiscent of Keds or another lightweight slip-on. But, on closer inspection you notice how utterly light the shoes are and that the bottom is not typical sneaker plastic. Rather, the sole of the shoe and the inside where the foot rests are made of Croslite, the material you’re used to on other Crocs shoes.
The Hover Sneak Slip-Ons are perfect for a clean, tailored back to school look for boys. I just these shoes and my son loves them, too. I like them because they look great and go with almost anything. My son likes them because they are so comfortable and he can slip them on and off by himself.
“Sneak Summer into School” Sweepstakes
Crocs wants your summer vacation to last a little longer so they’re giving away an awesome family getaway to San Diego. Up for grabs: a trip for four to San Diego including accommodations at an oceanside, family-friendly hotel, San Diego Zoo or Sea World tickets, $200 play money, and a rental car. Click for more information and to enter!
To Buy or Not to Buy
To Buy… Light I said, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from the Crocs sneaker style shoes, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The shoes are lightweight, which is great for a busy kid making a million steps a day. The style is clean, good looking and will go with a lot of clothing.
Or Not to Buy… These styles aren’t available in a half size. Crocs recommends ordering up if your child is in between as my son his. The result is the shoes are a tad big, but he’s worn them without issue. (And, hey, that means he’ll be able to wear them longer, right?)
Shop! Check out the entire line of Back to School shoes from Crocs – you won’t be disappointed. The Hover Sneak Slip-On shoes are $39.95 and available in three different colors.
This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media and Crocs. I received a pair of Crocs shoes for the purpose of this review. I was also compensated for my time investment and work on their Back To School campaign. As always, thoughts are my own.
Petunia Pickle Bottom continues to wow us by finding clever and practical places to put their signature beautiful fabrics and patterns. The company recently introduced several new products to add a little Petunia to your every day life. We were instantly smitten with the new Adorn iPhone case and think it’s a back to school must have for moms. Why should kids get all the fun? And, honestly, we can’t imagine surviving day to day without our iPhone so it easily qualifies as a necessary buy.
Meet Adorn
Be polished and practical with the new Adorn iPhone4® Case by Petunia, sophisticated styling for your most precious accessory.
Brilliantly designed to ensure full access to all functions. Snap them up and swap them out as the seasons change.
Pretty iPhone Case
If you’ve ever shopped the Apple store or even your favorite local shop, you may have noticed that most iPhone cases leave something to be desired. Sure, they’re functional. But do they all have to be… so… boring? You’re not boring. And your iPhone case shouldn’t be boring either. Have some fun and turn your smart phone into an accessory with the Adorn iPhone Case.
Adorn is a hard plastic case that fits iPhone 4. It has all the necessary openings and cut outs to ensure access to every function and button, keeping you surfing, chatting and Facebooking with ease. Now, the Adorn isn’t thick or padded or built for superior protection so if you hand over your phone to fussy toddlers prone to dropping your phone this might not be the best choice. But, if you’re looking for something colorful, unique and beautiful you simply can’t get any more stylish than Petunia.
More New Petunia Picks
In addition to introducing Adorn, Petunia has rolled out several new products that can easily be a part of a busy mom’s life. We love Stroll, Petunia’s luxurious plush velour stroller bunting to keep little ones warm in the winter.
Haven is Petunia Pickle Bottom’s pretty version of a nursing cover. Haven has a shapeable neckline to make it easier to peek at baby and folds up on itself into a pocket so you can throw it in your diaper bag (a Petunia, I presume) when you’re not using it.
Shop! Petunia Pickle Bottom accessories are available in a number of fabrics and designs on PetuniaPickleBottom.com . Adorn is $42 and also available at our affiliate Zoolu!Haven is $42 and Stroll is $149.
Thanks to Petunia Pickle Bottom for providing a sample.
Just when I think Stephen Joseph Gifts can’t get any cooler, a new collection gives me the “Oh so cutes.” You know, when you say, “Oh that is SO cute!” and then you start brainstorming why your child MUST have it. If you’re on the hunt for a fabulous backpack you simply must have – for your child, of course – Stephen Joseph some great options.
Quilted Backpacks
I will always and forever recommend the fabulous Quilted Backpacks from Stephen Joseph. Both my kids have one and we use them all the time. They are just begging to be personalized with your child’s name or initials.
Personalization tip: When we’re personalizing Stephen Joseph, we order from The Crazy Dazy. They have a great Stephen Joseph selection and you can save 10% off your order with the code THESHOPPINGMAMA.
Go-Go Bag
When my son entered a more structured preschool program he needed a backpack with a little more structure than the Quilted Backpack. The Go-Go Bag has been the perfect solution. It’s a great size to send folders and paperwork to a from school, but it maintains the fun Stephen Joseph look and the size is appropriate for a preschooler or even kindergartener. These bags can also be personalized, which, of course, we love.
Rolling Backpacks
Made of easy to clean vinyl material and with adjustable straps and a retractable handle, this rolling backpack is great for school or a weekend away. Don’t you just love the “3d” elements? For example, the wings on the airplane backpack and the ears and wings on the owl? So cute!
Lunch Bags
Stephen Joseph also has a great selection of lunch bags and lunch sacks for kids. From left to right, check out the Lunxhboxes, Snack Sacs and Signature Stephen Joseph Lunch Sacs.
Shop!Stephen Joseph Gifts has an online store full of all their wonderful goodies.
One of our very favorite places to shop is Tea Collection, and back to school shopping is no different. Tea Collection has beautiful, playful styles that will please mom as well as the kids. This fall we are especially taken with the new arrivals inspired by the vibrant markets of Mexico. In the girls clothing collection, you’ll find bold stripes, floral prints and fun vests and ponchos. For boys, the clothes feature bright pop culture references, playful patterns and comfortable pants.
Here are some of our favorite finds from the new fall collection at Tea.
Whether your children have returned to school or not, you likely know the frustration that comes when your child doesn’t bring all of their things home with them. Yes, it seems every year we lose a thing or two (or, likely, more) to the lost and found or misplaced pile at school. But, not this year! We’re armed with Emily Press Labels to put our mark on all my son’s goodies so I know they will find their way home. Emily Press School Labels Combos are definitely a must have for families with kiddos in school.
School Labels Combos
Identify all their belongings going to school with our kids labels.
Popular dishwasher safe labels for lunch boxes & binders
Slim dishwasher safe labels for water bottles & equipment
Tag-a-Tag™ peel & stick labels for school uniforms & gym clothes
Shoe labels for boots, sandals & running shoes
Large waterproof labels for lockers & sports equipment
Pencil labels for all the pencils, markers & school supplies
There are three School Label Combos so you can find the right combination of labels to suit your family’s needs. The Cool 4 School Pack has a total of 140 labels in six different shapes in kid cool designs. The First Class Pack is a value variety pack with 100 labels that is perfect for preschool and daycare. And, the Back to School Labels Pack has 142 labels packed with sticky and clothing labels to identify school supplies and uniform.
Shop! Design and personalize back to school labels at Emily Press! The Cool 4 School and First Class Pack are $39.95 and the Back to School Labels Pack is $49.95. Shop now and get Free Shipping on orders over $39.
Back to School season is in full swing! Whether your children have started school or you’re still getting ready, there’s plenty of time to prepare and help your kids do all they can to thrive this year. PBS Kids and Dinosaur Train have some fun toys and games to help kids improve skills – and have fun!
Dinosaur Train Games Online
The Jim Henson Company and PBS Kids have some fun ideas on the Dinosaur Train website to help kids with specific skills necessary for school.
Practice reading and speaking. Help your child practice the letters of the alphabet while learning, speaking and singing about the diversity of dinosaurs that once lived on Earth with the “Dinosaurs A – Z song.”
Learn about color. Help your child understand, investigate and make predictions about the science of color, using household basics including food coloring, clean food jars/containers, colored markers and a cookie sheet. Click to play Colorful Hypothesis.
Develop fine motor skills such as coloring; cutting; drawing; buttoning; zippering; building. With Buddy’s help, you can practice some of these skills while making a Stegosaurus Puppet.
Practice gross motor skills such as running, jumping and throwing. Try “Playing Dino Ball Your Way” to improve these skills–and get some exercise too–by inventing the rules for an imaginary game and then playing it!
Explore size and scale. Using illustrations and physical markers, kids can measure out size differences in large dinosaurs to understand their size and scale! Check out the activity “Even Bigger than T.rex!” at the following link and have some fun while learning about size.
Shopping Dinosaur Train Gear
Whether or not you play the great online Dinosaur Train games, here are some fun ideas to bring the loveable dinosaurs into your home. Some of the products will bring back to school lessons to life.
I admit that this is not our first learn a dinosaur for every letter book, but we love this particular book. You meet 26 dinosaurs, with fun facts and easy to understand descriptions aided by Buddy, Mr. Conductor and other Dinosaur Train characters. This is a great addition to your library whether or not you watch the television show.
Crayola mess free Color Wonder markers and coloring pads are the best. Color Wonder with Dinosaur Train? The bestest. We can take this on the go or set up the kids to color at the table and never worry about a stained couch or colored wall.
The collection of Dinosaur Train products from Mega Bloks is super cool. You can purchase a single train with Buddy or Tiny all the way up to a big ol’ Dinosaur Train with Pteranodon Station set. We love this opportunity to bring the adventures on the Dinosaur Train to life in our playroom, and kids love to build, rebuild and build again.
DINOSAUR TRAIN APPAREL from Kids with Character.
Dinosaur Train’s summer line shirts and pants/shorts sets are great for back to school and available at Kohls and Kmart.
New Season of Dinosaur Train
The new seasons of Dinosaur Train started this week on PBS Kids. Check your local listings and set your DVR so you don’t miss any new episodes. You can get even more Dinosaur Train with the brand new DVD Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Big City available now for $9.99 on Amazon.
is $42 and 
is $149.
from Golden Books by Andrea Posner-Sanchez; illustrated by Terry Izumi.
.
available now for $9.99 on Amazon.
Join 23,227 fellow moms
2,051 readers
14,836 followers
6,340 fans