Teeny Manolo

Ahhh, that time is coming, if not already here. Yes, the time to ponder what the heck you are going to buy your kids for their back to school wardrobes.

So for the next few weeks, I’m introducing a new feature where I focus on trendy back to school clothes, done two ways. Er, well, sometimes even three if I can swing it. And today, I can indeed swing three versions of the same concept in three different price ranges. Let’s get to it!

80’s influences are back, baby! And that means, of all things, argyle! Doesn’t it just take you back?

Lilly Pulitzer Kids Girl’s Darcie Cardigan Soft cotton cardigan comes with front pocket detail, rib trim, and contrast elbow patches. Tres cute at $68.00.

GapKids girl’s Argyle cardigan A little sparkle goes a long way with this cotton sweater, perfect for layering, $34.50.

Old Navy girl’s patterned polo Granted, it isn’t a sweater, but at $12.00, you will have plenty of money left over to buy some turtlenecks to stick under it.

Because there is never a bad day to feature shoes!

And, because who can resist a great pair of Converse Chuck Taylors for back to school? My son’s school suggests that sneakers/tennis shoes are the best choice, as they need to be able to jump around on the playground at recess. So, why not have them be comfortable and stylish at the same time?

Goes with pretty much everything, from jeans to skirts! At a price of $33.00, not too harsh on the wallet, either.

Here is the boy version, not as “cute,” because boys after a certain age just refuse to do cute, but still cool. These come in slightly pricier at $38.00.

This year, the Munchkin requires a backpack for school.  So of course, I go to Target to check out the selection. I have a shameful addiction to Target that I don’t like to talk about, but I will admit going there to look at backpacks.  And uh, maybe ten or fifteen other things.  It’s a disease, I’m telling you. 

Anyhoo, I was singularly unimpressed.  I didn’t like the quality of any of them, and the garish graphics of The Hulk and Spiderman and whatnot didn’t win me over either.  I have this really big problem with buying something like a backpack, which will be used the entire year (and possibly beyond) and then having a character on it that is suddenly “uncool” or that he doesn’t like anymore. 

I decided to go online, just to see what there was, out there in backpack land.  And then I found this:

The Solid Classmate Backpack from Land’s End. For about nine bucks more than what they charge at Target, this is as its name suggests, solid. The construction is fabulous, the shoulder pads cushy. There are lots of fun compartments, even a secret velcro one. It comes in a lot of colors, and also happens to come in sizes for kids ages 4-7, which was very important to me. Nothing worse than a backpack almost as big as the kid carrying it. Oh, and Real Simple Magazine (which I also lurve) rated it “Best Backpack” for ages 4-7.

I highly recommend this backpack, and if you hurry, you can use code INSIDER and PIN 534534534 to get free shipping. 

Tough economic times are hitting everyone, including teens looking for the perfect back-to-school outfits.

The LA Times recently reported that “Thrifty Chic” is now the new cool.  Teens are shopping at places such as vintage clothing stores, Ross, and Wal-Mart for their fall wardrobes.  The harder it is to find the clothes, the more they will appreciate them.  Or, at least that’s the theory, anyway. Vintage items are the most coveted, as it is possible to score stylish, well made clothing for the same price as a new, more cheaply made garment.

I have to say that I fully embrace this new turn of events.  I don’t have a teenager (yet) but it’s about time kids realized that demanding their parents buy them multiple pairs of 7 Jeans (retailing for 150.00 and up) every year was just a bit on the conspicuous consumption side of things.

Let them think they have stumbled upon something novel, something new that only their generation has thought of.  Let these teens discover for themselves the thrill of the hunt, the quest for that perfect boyfriend sweater or Jackie-O inspired wool dress.

This quote from the article warms the cockles of my shriveled little heart:

Wearing frayed shorts, ankle boots and a T-shirt that said “L.A’s Wasted Youth” on the front, Maddy moved methodically through the store, eventually spotting exactly what she wanted: a tan Member’s Only jacket for $35.

“I’m so happy,” she said, heading for the fitting room. “I’ve been looking for a Members Only jacket forever.”

You know, I can’t wait to tell my 90 year old grandfather that he is totally on-trend. 

Well, it does. Yes, a letter makes a HUGE difference, whether it’s a thank you to Grandma for her thoughtfully-selected birthday present or a letter grade on a report card (they still give those out, right? they don’t just stick a happy face sticker on your kid at the end of the year and promote him, right?) a letter is a single, subtle something whose presence or absence changes everything.

From the EnglishFail blog

Helping me with math
frustration, yelling leads to
broken pencil lead

Lest you get the wrong idea, I have a fabulous Dad.  He was a math whiz who just couldn’t understand why his daughter did not revel in the intricacies of Algebra II, and a got a bit annoyed with me at one point.  Probably because I was whining about how haaaard it was, or some such teenaged angsty stuff.  This is such a vivid memory for me because he hardly ever got angry with me.

Got any memories of your Dad that might make a good haiku?  Have at it in the comments section!

Happy Father’s Day to all the Daddies out there!  

Today my son will “graduate” from preschool.

I feel embarassed just writing that.

I understand the impulse to mark the occasion. Sort of.

But to have a big assembly, complete with musical numbers, to mark the move up to kindergarten just seems a bit over the top. Or, it could just be a reason for the school to charge twenty bucks for the video.

Are today’s children so lacking in self-esteem that they must be given a certificate for every single thing that they attempt? I mean, yes, I guess they “earned” the right to move on to the next grade level, but as no grades were ever given, the kid who licked glue all year gets the same thing as the one who can read one grade level ahead. Or even the kid who never did his homework.

I am sick and tired of the “everybody is special” vibe given out by all the schools. How are we to compete globally if we are raising a bunch of people who got awards simply for showing up? What happened to first place? What happened to the best in the class? Will they begin doing away with valedictorians because it might hurt someone’s feelings that another is recognized for their superior grades?

However, you will of course find me at the special event, probably with my video camera.

It’s the peer pressure.

This is an amusing, yet paradoxically educational, video by Mose Giganticus and The Emotron, two guys who are driving a vegetable-oil-powered bus from New York to Alaska. Made for Mrs. Aderman’s 1st Period Environmental Science Class, school unknown (if you know, please share put out in the comments (there’s only so much sincerity and wholesomeness I can take, you know?)).

A human finger??? Those New York hippies are hardcore!

Sameer Mishra, spelling bee champ, suffers a moment of cognitive dissonance during a competition. But under those circumstances, wouldn’t we all?

stolen from JordanSays

Gets to choose the best outfit.

The Munchkin’s preschool is having their annual musical showcase.

I am always early dropping him off to school because I am just anal like that about almost any appointment or obligation. I have yet to drop him off late. And with only three weeks to go, I am pretty confident I will maintain my perfect record. I know I just somehow put that curse out on myself, and it is now echoing through the cosmos, probably coming back to bite me in the ass on the day I need to take him to his SAT’s.

So, there I am being all early and stuff, when I see that there is a sign-up sheet on the little table the teacher has set up outside the door. I pick it up, and it seems that this year the school is being anal as well, for there are actual outfits, costumes if you will, that must be worn to this year’s Musical Extravaganza. I look at the two choices for boys:

White Dress Shirt and Khaki Pants

or

Blue Dress Shirt, Blue Pants and Blue Suspenders

Huh?

Blue Suspenders? I have no idea where you can even purchase blue suspenders around here. I can’t even remember the last time I saw a child, or even a grown man other than Larry King, who just doesn’t count, wearing suspenders.

So of course, I sign up for the relatively easy white shirt and khaki pants.

I watched as some of the moms straggled in to class as I was getting in my car. And all I could think was, you are gonna be the chumps who have to go searching high and low for some suspenders that your kid will most likely never wear again.

Suckers.