Back-to-School Shopping. Oh, my… the time has come too fast! My William starts kindergarten next Wednesday, September 1st. I’m very emotional about the whole thing, my first child entering school. The piece that I love knowing is that he’s going to a great school, with wonderful teachers and filled with lots of kids that he already knows. But still, my little man… he’s going to be a “big boy.”
I recently took William on a shopping spree at Marshalls to check out and buy some new clothing for school. Fortunately (or unfortunately – depending upon which way you look at it) William isn’t too much into fashion right now. He’s happy with whatever I put him in. He gravitated towards IronMan boxers and a blow-up pool toy… not exactly first-day-of-school wear. 😉
Since this is my first “official” Back-to-School shopping season as a mom, I wanted to share my shopping experiences at TJMaxx and Marshalls, (especially shopping for boys) and share some helpful hints and suggestions for Back-to-School shopping excursions! I’ve made 3 trips now to the stores for William, Alexander and Benjamin. Alexander and Benjamin start preschool on Sept 13th… and since this is Benjamin’s first time at preschool, we are making it a huge deal, too. So I can say… without hesitation, I’ve got this Back-to-School shopping “thing” down.
Here are 5 helpful hints and tips for Back-to-School shopping for your children at TJMaxx and Marshalls:
1. Before you head into the store(s), know what you need for your child(ren). At off-price retailers like TJMaxx and Marshalls, your money will stretch very far, so really take the time to do an inventory of what’s needed in the closets! It never ceases to amaze me how much kids grow throughout the summertime, William seemed to have grown 2 inches! This is important when it comes to figuring out what you’ll be gravitating towards in the stores. On mu lists for the boys:
William – PANTS! William literally goes through pants every 6 month! Right now he needs denim and khaki pants.
Alexander – “Handsome shirts” – otherwise known as polos.
Benjamin – Shoes. Ben’s feet are on the wide side, so I can never really do the “hand me downs” when it comes to shoes.
2. Do a lap before you commit to a location! This is the beauty of TJMaxx and Marshalls, there’s always new merchandise in the stores, so you’ll never have the same exact shopping experience. I walking up and down the aisles before heading to anything in particular. I get an idea of what’s there and how much stock there is of certain items.
This gives me an idea of where things are in the store.
3. I always head to the “clearance” area first when I’m ready to start my shopping. I know there are always going to be some great deals in this area, especially boys because there’s a lot of basic and essential pieces. I always look for tees, crewnecks and hoodies here. I actually scored a Ralph Lauren Polo tee for $5 two weeks ago in this section at Marshalls. I will say, the girls clearance area is always full. I always get so envious of the moms because they have a ton of stock to choose from. So if you’re a mom of girls, have some FUN!
4. Know what brands work well for your child(ren). Ralph Lauren is always a brand I love to find at TJMaxx and/or Marshalls. I love it because I know the brand well and I know the merchandise is high-quality. With 4 sons, I live for passing items down to the other boys. It absolutely is the way I justify spending more money at TJMaxx and Marshalls because I know I’m getting high-quality clothing at amazing prices. I would never be able to find polo tees for up to 60% off anywhere else! I also love the brand Timberland and North Face. So I definitely begin my shopping searching for brands I love.
I will say, I also love to know what colors work well too for my boys. My sons look great in blues, greens, grays and reds. I usually buy with those colors in mind.
5. Stock up on basic pieces for Back-to-School. Tees, hoodies, denim, socks, sweaters and tunics. TJMaxx and Marshalls always has these items in stock, and these are the kinds of items your children will wear throughout the whole year, not just the first days of school. I love to go a little heavy on the tees because I love layering them over thermals throughout the year. My sons love graphic tees, and since there’s so many in stock right now, they have a blast picking out their favorite ones. It seems Spiderman is winning heavily this year!
6. Trends. Especially for girls right now, it does come down to stylish and chic clothing for Back-to-School shopping. I suggest knowing what the trends are and being able to have a conversation with your child as to what kinds of clothing they would like to get this year. Fashion is fun… and it never ceases to amaze me how spot on kids are about what’s “in trend” and what works well for them. Layering. Denim. Jeggings for girls. Graphic Tees. Crossover bags. Feminine dresses. You’ll be able to find everything at TJMaxx and Marshalls. Everything is grouped by item – pants, shirts, shoes, dresses and skirts. It makes Back-to-School shopping very easy and doable for moms and dads.
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