Back To School With Hasbro Giveaway & Shopping Tips

I can hardly believe it, where did the summer go?  We are on the single digit countdown for the start of school and it seems like they just got out for the summer – somebody stop the clock!

Since we can’t actually stop the clock, we might as well get prepared as best we can.  Along with heading back to school comes the back to school shopping.  Some kids love it, some kids dread it.  I try to make if fun for mine by letting them pick some of their own choices in clothing to try on, having some say in the styles, colors etc… and of course stopping off for a treat when we are all done really helps too.

Something every kid I know will get excited about is the amazing selection of Hasbro’s branded back to school children’s items.  Holy cow we are talking Littlest Pet Shop, Transformers, My Little Pony, Mr. Potato Head (I mean who doesn’t love Mr. Potato Head – he is absolutely timeless!), Operation, Scrabble…. the list seems endless!

If you have kids, especially girls ages 5 – 11 or so, then you will surely be familiar with Littlest Pet Shop, check out all this adorableness (pictured below are LITTLEST PET SHOP:  Clubhouse by Moose Mountain Toymakers – APR $24.99, Lunchkit by Thermos LLC ARP – $9.99, T-Shirts by Fortune Fashion Industries – APR $7.99, Underwear by Handcraft APR – $7.99 to $16.00, Peel & Stick Wall Decals by York Wall – APR $12.99, MY LITTLE PONY Bubble Bath by Accessory Zone – APR $2.47):

Of course we can’t leave out the boys and Transformers is sure to be the must have for many little cuties this school year (pictured above are TRANSFORMERS:  Backpack – APR $12.99, Lunch Tote by Zak Design – APR $7.99-$$9.99, Socks by Berkshire – APR $5.99, Underwear by Fruit of the Loom – APR $5.54, Peel & Stick Wall Decals by York Wall – APR $12.99, Water Bottle by Zak Designs – APR $2.00, Umbrella by Berkshire – APR $5.99).

Let’s not forget about the snacks too.  We can also find something in the snack isles that will bring a smile to our children’s faces when it comes to snack and lunch time.  Imagine the look on your child’s face when they open their lunch to find Scrabble Tile Cheez Its in their lunch!

If you dread back to school shopping, let me share just a few tips with you to make it a little less stressful and a lot more fun:

1. Plan ahead!  Go through the closets and get rid of everything that doesn’t fit or they don’t like anymore.  Then you will have a good idea of what you still need.  We have a couple of boxes right now waiting to be picked up by a charity on Monday.  Be sure to weed out the outgrown shoes too!
2. Set a budget and if your kids are old enough, discuss it with them so they can keep this in mind while they are picking out their clothes.  Once we started doing this with my oldest, she was pretty shocked at how quickly the money goes and I find more and more that she will look at the price of something and then put it back without even asking if she can have it or she will calculate out how many allowances it will take for her to be able to buy the item.
3. Make sure you are aware of any school dress code, especially if your child is moving up to a new school.
4. Check out the sales in your area.  We have a tax free weekend right before school starts for all school supplies including clothing, so we always try to get most of our stuff during this weekend.  Check to see if you have something like this in your area.
5. Make a list!  If I don’t have a list I will surly forget something and end up having to spend time making a second trip.  Not only that but it really helps cut down on the impulse buying (which I am quite good at).  I let my oldest be in charge of checking everything off our list.  This helps keep her engaged in the shopping trip.  Need ideas on what goes on the list?

• Backpack
• Waterbottle
• Lunch Tote
• Rain Gear
• Socks (10 pair)  – if you have a basket full of single socks like I do, you might want to buy two of each style so that as you lose one you will still have three of the same style sock, or teach your kids that it’s cool to have mismatched socks because it shows their unique style.
• Underwear (10 pair) and Bras if necessary – and sometimes if not necessary.  My 7 year old is insisting that she “MUST” have bras this year.  Because she is cool.  Apparently cool people wear bras…
• T-Shirts (6 to 10) – an easy way to sport the latest trends and popular styles is with T-Shirts.  My oldest rarely wears any other type of shirt, so with her I am lucky.  T-Shirts are cost efficient and come in an abundance of choices and work great for layering.  What I love about the T-Shirts we received is that the Littlest Pet Shop designs are simply adorable, bright and eye catching.  My kids LOVE them!
• 
• Pants (3 to 5) – I have one daughter that only wears pants and one that usually wears dresses.   For the one that insists on dresses most days we use Skorts or bike shorts that can be worn under the dress.  In colder weather we use leggings.  My other daughter loves comfy yoga pants or jeans.  A couple pair of each should be plenty to get them started.
• Shoes (2 pair) – Make sure you check with your school to see what is acceptable.  We use gym shoes for both kids and they work great.  The styles are so versatile these days that we pick up one pair that looks more athletic and one that can be dressed up a bit, but are still functional.
• If you live in a cooler climate don’ t forget about sweaters, coats, boots etc…  We won’t need any of those things until December, so no need to shop for them now.

Now you are ready to head out!  I like to bring an extra notebook so that when my kids see something they really want that is not on the list, they can write it down to add to the next Birthday or Christmas list that they make.  I find that this really makes all the “no’s” much easier for them to deal with.

Where to Buy: Look for the great products I have pictured here in this post at stores like Target, JC Penny, Walmart, Payless, Kmart, Kohl’s and of course your local grocery stores for the great snacks!

Guess what??  We are not done yet because I have a great giveaway for you to help jump start your back to school shopping!

Win It: The box I received from one of my favorite PR Companies was so generous with the back to school products that I want to share some of it with you!  One winner will receive the TRANSFORMERS Underwear (boys briefs, size 6, by Fruit of the Loom), TRANSFORMERS socks (3 Pair, I am guessing they fit boys age 5 – 8, by Berkshire), TRANSFORMERS water bottle (by Zak Designs), TRANSFORMERS Lunch Tote (also by Zak Designs), TRANSFORMERS Revenge of the Fallen Umbrella with 3d Optimus Prme Handle Featuring Megatron and Optimus Prime (the red and black one that is pictured towards the top in the first Transformer photo, by Berkshire), and TRANSFORMERS Peel & Stick Appliques (by York Wall) – A total of 6 TRANSFORMER products with an APR of $45.00)

Win it!!

Mandatory Entry (must be done first): Visit Hasbro and then come back here and comment on this post with which brand would get your child the most excited! (hint:  click on “Full List of Brands”)

Bonus Entries:

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**Remember leave one comment for each thing you do – this is your actual entry!

Open to USA

Contest ends 11:59 pm Central Time on 8/23

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Disclaimer:

I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting.

I did a receive free product samples to facilitate my post.

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Some information may have been used from the sponsors website, PR, or other provided material. (Giveaways- Odds of winning depend on the number of entries vs prizes. No purchase is ever needed or endorsed for an entry) The views and opinions expressed in this blog are purely my own and any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified by the above mentioned store, PR,or product designer. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or have any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other network. This post is solely the property of Mommy PR and/or its above sponsor.