v 4 issue 2: Back to School

Summer vacation has come to an end, and it's time for the kids to go back to school. We've put together some fun, and affordable back-to-school finds.


Cover by Kate Bogot








1 Sturdy, stylish, and "engineered to create havoc". The fit of these jeans is fabulous! Part of the new 2010 collection from Havoc Denim. A true staple of any American boy's wardrobe. You gotta get these jeans.

2 Mayfair Lane clippers stick to any smooth service with no sticky residue to deal with! So now you can leave reminders on the mirror where your kiddos spend the majority of their time. Also great for displaying their school work proudly on stainless steel refrigerators. Enter code: KTW30 for 30% off.

3 With the fall of 2010, My Vintage Baby introduces the designs and inspirations of Trista Sutter. A welcome addition to a well-established and reputable line of boutique quality clothing, the new catalog features Trista's new "Winter Rose" collection for girls which includes the fabulous flare jeans shown above. Grow tabs in the waist for a great fit.

4 Stride Rite has transformed the mystical world of Avatar into a new line of shoes for the upcoming season. Nubuck and suede uppers are paired with lightweight outsoles for ease of movement over all terrains. The Aang of the shoe comes from the glow-in-the-dark tattoo print placed under a bungee cord closure. Sizes to fit boys of 8.5 all the way up to big boys of 5.5. Buy One Get One 50% Exp. 8/29/10.

5 Nothing conjures thoughts of organization like the name Mabel's Labels. This year, Mabel has the Colourful Ultimate Back-to-School Combo pack available only until September 24th! The pack includes all kinds of waterproof labels for clothes, school supplies, and lunch labeling... 108 labels in all! You must check out the details.

6 The Busy Body Book is a necessity for organizing the activities of a new school year. Those in charge of the family business get a week-by-week view of schedules for the entire family. Vertical lines represent individual schedules and horizontal lines give a glance of the whole family's daily plan. Enter code: KTW10 for 10 percent off thru 9/5/10.

7 Let your kids roll to school with the best backpack going. The Original Rolling Back Pack from L.L.Bean is designed for kids 7-12, but it'll last until they're 112!

8 Citizen Pip offers all the waste-free lunch products needed for reducing and reusing this school year. From rad lunch bag designs to sleek stainless steel accessories, everything at Citizen Pip is "muck free". The upfront costs are quickly recouped when you add up the costs of multiple baggies, bottles, and boxes. It's time to make the switch! Enter code: KTW20 for 20% off


Mom Tip: Packing a healthy lunch
Packing your little one’s lunch box for school can be easy and fun!

A healthy lunch has the nutrients and energy children need to grow, learn and play. It usually provides 1/2 to 1/3 of the nutrients and calories children need each day. Parents should aim to hit four to five food groups in your child’s lunch, but don’t fret…it’s easier than you think!

Tips to make lunches healthier include making sandwiches with whole wheat bread, not wheat bread, know the difference between a fruit juice and fruit drink, and make lunches visually appealing (remember you aren’t there to make your child actually eat their lunch). Whole wheat bread has the entire wheat kernel and its naturally occurring nutrients while wheat break contains mostly enriched white flour. Fruit Juice is made only from juice from fruit and contains natural vitamins and nutrients. Fruit drinks are made of mainly sugar and water. Mix it up: color, texture, flavors and shapes. Keep serving sizes small, too. A fun way to get your child to eat the sandwich you prepare is to use large cookie cutters! Cut out their favorite dinosaur shape or a beautiful butterfly…cookie cutters can be found at Target, cooking stores or even dollar stores. Also, think about a small something added to their lunch box that will make them smile…maybe a sticker or a picture of something they love!

Examples of lunches that include five food groups are:

1/2 turkey & cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread
baby carrot sticks
100% orange juice box
peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread
banana slices
celery sticks
milk

Remember that as long as you are offering your child healthy food choices every day there is no need to be worried about one particular meal or day. By sitting with your child at regular meal and snack times and being a positive role model for healthy eating they will eventually catch on.


Make the First Day of School Memorable
As the first day of school approaches, many parents are concerned with making sure their kids have everything they need. This includes things such as school supplies, a new backpack, lunch box and new clothes. It is like parents have a mental checklist when preparing for the first day of school. Having a checklist is a great way to make sure everything gets done and kids go to school prepared, however, many parents don’t think about how to make the first day of school memorable for their kids. For most parents, once the lunches are made and the backpacks are packed, the preparation stops, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Kids love to feel special and the first day of school is the perfect day to do this! One way parents can do this is by fixing their children’s favorite breakfast before they get out of bed on the big day. Things like waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage and toast are usually big hits. Plus, a big nutritious breakfast gives kids the energy they need to get through the exciting day ahead.

Parents can also do small things like putting a short note in their lunch box or backpack to be discovered later at school. It may seem silly, but it can be very comforting for a child to open his lunch box on the first day of school and find a note from mom or dad saying, “I love you” or “I’m thinking about you today.” Sometimes older kids will dismiss the note and later tell their parents it was a silly thing to do, but later on down the road when the children are grown, it’s usually the simple things like this that they remember the most.

One last idea to make the first day of school memorable is to have a celebratory “party” that night. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, maybe a nice dinner with your child’s favorite dessert followed by a movie with ice cream. The point is to find a way to celebrate the end of the first day of school in a fun and memorable way. It’s important to make children feel loved and important and there are many ways for parents to do just that on the first day of school! Sometimes, you just have to think outside the box.