As I was going through my son’s clothing in preparation for the coming school year, I realized that a shift has taken place. When he was younger, I found that he’d grow out of his clothes too quickly, leaving me with items that were worn less than a handful of times. As a vibrant, active, soon-to-be kindergartener, I’m finding that he’s wearing his clothes out before he’s outgrown them. Shopping for boys has always been a style struggle and now that he’s wearing out his jeans and his shoes (among other things), I’m finding that quality is becoming the most important factor I look for when I shop.
With the new school year just a few short weeks away, I’ve been doing my research to find out the best way to approach everything from shopping for clothes and school supplies to making lunches and juggling schedules. Fortunately, Lands’ End “schooled” me on everything I wanted to know about starting the school year off in style.
Thanks to Nicole at MomTrends, I was invited to a very unique and immersive back-to-school-themed event with Land’s End in New York. I’ve been a long time fan of the brand and have worked with them on multiple occasions over the life of this blog, primarily because I appreciate their commitment to quality and style.
We boarded a yellow school bus and headed over to Night School, report cards in hand. Our assignments included a very informative and useful session on Backpacks, including some tips by the American Physical Therapy Association on how to protect your child’s back. Here are just a few of them:
- Keep the load less than 10% to 15% of your weight
- Always wear both shoulder straps
- Organize the heaviest items closest to the back
- Use the sternum strap, if the backpack is equipped with it, so that it stays put and evenly distributes the weight.
Additionally, we learned about their new Iron Knee Pants, which may just be the solution to my son’s “holey” pants. About a month or so back, I purchased a few new pairs of jeans for him since he refuses to wear any clothing with holes in it. In just a few weeks, I could already see the knees beginning to get worn.
Lands’ End has innovated a solution to this problem with their Iron Knee Pants which include a soft, seamless, invisible interior patch that increases durability and prevents holes in the knees. These pants have been quality tested and washed/dried over 50 times.
Speaking of clothing, my son STILL doesn’t have a First Day of School Outfit! One of our assignments was to create either an outfit for a girl or boy, and oddly enough I created one for a girl (it must have been that New York humidity fogging up my brain!). Fortunately, there are some amazing and creative submissions that I’m going to use for inspiration. Perhaps one day, when my little girl goes to school, some piece of this outfit will still be in season:
After gleaning some hair and makeup tips from Warren Tricomi and Revlon, I posed for my very own school photo before heading up to the Loft for some fashion tips from Brittany Gibbons.
After a short chat, I decided that this Jersey Dress would be perfect for the Fall season!
Gibbons recently worked with Lands’ End on a series of videos, one of which highlights six of her favorite Fall looks.
No school day is complete without lunch! I’m actually very excited about packing my son’s lunches this Fall, and thanks to Chef Sam Talbot, I’m armed with a repertoire of healthy recipes for kid-friendly meals and snacks.
I was actually quite impressed with the recipes because they’re easy to make, healthy, and 100% kid-approved. Here is one of my favorites from the event:
Almond Butter and Blueberry Sandwich
2 slices Nut load, Whole Grain or Wheat Bread
2 tablespoons blueberry (or your favorite berry)
1 1/2 tablespoon Almond butter
1 teaspoon honey
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
Toast the bread prior to packing. Spread room temperature almond butter on the bread. Drizzle with hone and scatter the berries around evenly. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.
From the moment we boarded the yellow school bus until we departed, backpacks in tow, I felt like I got a deeper sense of the brand. A huge thanks to Nicole from MomTrends (you can read more about the event on her site) and Lands’ End for “schooling” us this season!
No compensation was received for this post. I was invited to an event with Lands’ End and provided a gift bag/products.
Photos: MomTrends/Lands’ End.
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So glad you could be a part of this event.