It is hard to believe that we’re back to this time of year again! Many of you are out there braving the busy stores doing back to school shopping for your kids. It can be a stressful time of year. When the first day of school finally arrives and you can catch your breath, come on in for a relaxing massage to rejuvenate yourself! We’ll be waiting for you! Here are some ideas of ways to ease the burden on your pocket book this fall:
Shop at Bargain and Dollar Stores
Your local dollar or discount store is a great place to save money on back-to-school supplies. Name-brand versions of supplies like pencils, rulers, highlighters, scissors, erasers, folders, and notebooks may be discounted to around $1 at dollar stores. You may not find everything you need, but it’s worth a shot to see what they have in stock.
Check Out Yard Sales and Thrift Stores
If you like to bargain, then yard sales and thrift stores are your one-stop deal spots. Binders, notebooks, backpacks, lunch boxes, and other school accessories can be purchased at unheard-of prices. Many times yard sales have unused items, but if your finds have some wear and tear, a little creativity and family craft-time can bring them back to life. You can also find quality vintage accents for a dorm room, if your teen is heading off to college. Couches, nightstands, lamps, desks, and other furniture and accessories are heavily discounted there.
Use Loose-Leaf Paper
A common mistake when the school year ends is throwing away spiral notebooks — blank pages and all. Instead, use binders with loose-leaf paper. That way you use only the paper you need and can save the rest for next year. If spiral notebooks are necessary, purchase notebooks with perforated pages that rip out cleanly, so blank pages can be reused as loose-leaf.
Buy a Reusable Lunch Box
Instead of packing your child’s lunch in a new brown bag every day, pack it in a fun, reusable lunch bag that reflects her personality.
Shop Online
Save money on school supplies and back-to-school clothes by shopping online. Office supply companies may offer better prices online than in their stores. Be sure to look for inexpensive delivery options, to keep the overall price down. This way, you save time, gas, and money.
Have Kids Chip In
It’s amazing how much your child does not need when it comes to spending his own money. By having kids chip in on their school supplies and especially school clothes, you can save money while teaching your child a lesson in money management. Kids may even feel a sense of accomplishment, knowing that they contributed their own money.
Stock Up for Next Year
Every school season follows the same routine: School supplies are bought, kids go back to school, and then the stores put everything on sale. Retail stores tend to discount school supplies even more after the “buying season” is over. By thinking ahead and taking advantage of markdowns this year, you’re sure to save money for next year.
Get Creative
Most schools suggest that books be covered with a protective layer to keep them newer longer. Instead of spending money on fancy book covers, get creative with what you have at home. Extra wallpaper, old wrapping paper, newspaper, and brown-paper bags make great book covers at little or no cost. A plain cover also provides a blank canvas for kids to express themselves creatively. Forgo expensive, novelty pencil and lunch boxes, supply boxes, and binders, for plain, less expensive versions. Then let your kids dress them up with stickers, decals, and paints.
Here are some helpful links for you on everything back to school:
http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/bts_main.htm
http://www.schoolfamily.com/
http://www.foodfit.com/cooking/archive/foodfamily_july16.asp
http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/back_to_school.html
Buffalo Plaid: A familiar apparel is making its way back into mainstream status, which is none other buffalo plaid. This warm, woodsy print has become one the most sought after items for the fall season. Most people often associate plaid with hunters and the outdoors. That makes it impossible to be fashionable, right? Think again. This fall/winter season will be infused with lumberjack-inspired fashions–look for it!
Leather Look: Leather this fall/winter can take the form of pretty much any item of clothing. If you can name it, the odds are that someone’s sent it down the runway in leather. Pants, skirts, shorts, coats, capes, vests; they’re all there.
Military Look: This trend started several seasons ago but it’s still going strong. There’s something about wearing a military inspired coat that adds an air of cool authority. Because of its clean and polished look, it can be worn anywhere from the office to an evening dinner out on the town. Look for well cut coats in dark rich fabrics with brass buttons, braiding, and other interesting detailing. One key trend is the blending of richly detailed masculine pieces with softer feminine fashions. A military coat is the perfect masculine cover up to pair with softer more feminine styles.
New Colors: Today’s come courtesy of Pantone who have just released their color interpretation of the Fall 2009 fashion trends. You will be seeing these colors in stores without a doubt!
Hounds-tooth: Hounds-tooth is a classic black and white checked pattern that has been showing up in garments for decades, but the fall fashion version of hounds-tooth has the black and white design showing up on shoes, handbags and scarves in addition to garments. The original hounds-tooth that your parents and grandparents wore were the small repetitive hounds-tooth pattern, the fall fashion hounds-tooth is bigger and bolder with a retro look.
Shoulder Pads: Last but not least, they SAY shoulder pads will make a huge return–I sure hope they are wrong!
Summer is still in full force but walking the aisles of any local department store quickly reminds us that fall is just around the corner! Back-to-school shopping has begun and college students are beginning to pack up their belongings for their return to college.A new season of fashion is approaching and we’re keeping you on top of the trends. Here are a few to watch for to kick off Fall 2009:
One shouldered tops and dresses: Asymmetric shoulder lines have made a huge return in 2009. Your favorite stores were full of single-shouldered dresses, tops and bikinis this summer and this style is sticking around for the fall. Showing off one shoulder can be subtly sexy and interesting on the eye, and the possibilities for how to wear it are numerous.
Over-the-knee/Thigh high boots: Over-the-knee boots are the must-have item for Fall 2009, but those daring enough will find the tops of their boots creeping up even higher with thigh-high boots also making it mainstream. From elegant suedes to darkly futuristic leathers, the options are many and various. Genuine leather is your best bet, of which you’re safest investment choice is classic matte black or brown. If you want a more unique color leather, your other big choices for 2009/2010 are olive greens, greys or cream/neutral tones. Suede, the other big choice for this trend, is very popular be it in black, brown, grey, maroon or pretty much any other color variation.
Capes, Capelets and Cloaks: It’s been quite some time since the cape has been a major fashion staple. In Fall 2009/Winter 2010 the cape, in it’s various forms, will make it to major trend status as many big names of the fashion design world create their own unique revivals. Capes and cloaks have existed, in one variety or another, through much of our known human history. From early Medieval mantles, to 16th century decorative shawls; from military officers capes and 1940s fur stoles, to the fringed ponchos of the 1960s. But since the humble poncho had its hippie revival, the cape in its more sophisticated forms has seen nothing of a major comeback on the streets – that is, until now. The cape is back on the agenda as one of the major 2009/2010 fashion trends.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Fall 2009 Fashion Trends!
