Gah Christmas already!
December 1, 2015
Easter… Hop to it!
March 18, 2016
Yes, I’m referencing the B-grade sequel to Grease… but you gotta admit, the songs were pretty catchy… Grease 2 aside, yes, it is back to school already!
Gah!
Where did my summer holidays go??
Oh, that’s right, entertaining my kiddies so they wouldn’t complain to me about being bored (which they did anyway!!). Seriously, schools hols are so expensive….
Which is why I’ve put together my budget friendly, outlet loving back to school shopping guide.
Let’s go…
BACKPACKS
Where do I start? Strandbags, Victoria Station Clearance, Bags and Luggage Direct all have a great range of kids kindy or school backpacks, but when I spotted Ben and Holly at Bags to Go for under $15, I knew my daughter would lose the plot.
Done deal… They also had a super cute Play School backpack with educational features on it for under $25…awesome!
For the tweens, JT Surf has them covered. A wall of Billabong, Roxy and Santa Cruz starting from $35 (down from $70) just waiting to be slung over the shoulder of the coolest kids. And let’s not forget the huge range of hats and caps from $30.
SHOES
There are so many different styles out there – Mary Janes, lace up, velcro, t bar, sandals…. and H-Town has them all!
Urban Trends have the big brands Clarks, Grosby and Sure Fit. All leather, super good quality starting from $51.99… no retail to pay here!
At Betts, you’ll find the lightweight, durable Air Flex range – with its own Energy Pod System (EPS) Technology with extra shock absorption in the heel. Perfect for kids who spend recess and lunch running around. And with 25% off Air flex, these hi tech shoes start from under $68. Considering full price can be up to $149, I’d say that’s a TOP DEAL!!
And for the little ones starting day care or kindergarten, Pumpkin Patch have laceups, slip ons and sandals from only $10! My personal faves are the watermelon slip ons… perfect summer kindy shoe..and at that price, I don’t mind if they come home covered in paint and filled with sand. But the OCD huz might…
SNEAKERS
Stop right there! Do not go anywhere else… H-Town has enough sports stores to shod all the kids of Adelaide. Not. Even. Kidding.
Got an ‘all white’ rule? No prob-lemo.
Got a Year 2er who still can’t tie laces? (Or is that just my son?) Velcro is a go-go…
Back at Urban Trends, they have Activs for $40 and Clarks leather sneakers for $68.
SportsPower have a deal on New Balance… now half price at $35. And while you’re there, pick up the Nike ‘drink bottle all the kids have’ for $15.
I won’t lie, I fell for that line last year…. and the drink bottle is still going strong.
Betts and Airflex are at it again with their sneakers coming in from $56… down from $80, that’s a good buy.
And Fila have either all white, or all black, velcro and laces for just $40. And maybe, if your size isn’t on the floor and they have to check out the back, you might just score last seasons for $20…
CLOTHES
Most schools have a uniform, but if you have a preschooler, you don’t want to spend a fortune on clothes they are going to cover in mud pies, sand castles and their paint sloshings, ahem, I mean masterpieces.
Check out the super cute outfits from Cotton On Kids. With racks starting from $7.50, these outfits cost a total of $22.50. And the drink bottles are $5 with every purchase… love!
Seed have a massive 40% off at the moment, so these boys outfits cost between $20 and $24… crazy right?!
More bargains at Kids Who, Ollies Place and Bonds than you can poke a ruler at…
STATIONERY
Show me a child who doesn’t own at least one item from Smiggle, and I won’t shop for a day… you know what I mean. Who doesn’t love this candy coloured stationery store?
My boys actually bribe me with it! ‘Mum, if you buy us something from Smiggle, we’ll be really good while you shop!’ I’m such a sucker…
Pick from their back to school table or grab a bargain from the sale wall… the choices are endless!
Art to Art, now near Woolworths in the Town Square, have the best range of art supplies and brands such as Derwent, Faber Castell, Monte Marte to start the year in style.
And you can’t go past Typo – quirky, cool, affordable… I could go on. Give them some fun notebooks to jot their ideas in. At 4 for $20, you could supply the whole family!
Back to school doesn’t have to mean back to broke when you shop at H-Town!
Till next time lovers…
Lia
