Back to School Favorites For The Whole Family

in partnership with ShopStyle Collective and JCPenney

hunter’s top + shorts  ||  hayden’s dress  ||  houston’s top + jeans  ||  harper’s overalls

When it comes to Back – to – School shopping things can feel a little overwhelming. Kids are different ages with different personalities and needs so it can make your list feel never ending. One of my biggest tips to help decrease stress is finding stores to shop back to school basics that can cover all your kids’ ages! It not only saves your sanity of shopping at multiple stores with less than thrilled kids, but it saves so much time as well! A great place to do that is JCPenney! We teamed up with them to show off some of the awesome Back to School basics they have this year for the whole family and share a few tips to keep in mind when back to school shopping!

: TAKE STOCK OF WHAT YOU HAVE FIRST

Before I will start any Back – to – School shopping, I sit down with each of my kids and we do a closet clean out. We take every single thing out of the closet and put it in categories. Then together, not just me, we go through each category. First, we go through and take out everything they say they don’t like anymore or will not wear. I’ve learned there is no point keeping it if it isn’t something they love. They aren’t going to wear it and it is just going to take up space!

After we’ve separated out the pieces we aren’t loving, we then go through and try on EVERYTHING else, so we can weed out the items that don’t fit right anymore. From there I make a list of each category and the needs per child, so we are never over stocking the closets. Simple, minimal wardrobes is always my goal.

: FIND STORES THAT WORK FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY 

If you are like me, you probably don’t want to spend days trying to shop for all your kids at a bunch of different stores. We love finding stores that have sizes and styles that work for the whole family. One of those we shopped this year was JCPenney! They are a great option to shop for everyone from toddler to teens (and me too) for affordable good quality basics! And they make shopping convenient with in store, online, or fast pick up options to fit your schedule.

: BASICS ARE BEST

When it comes to shopping for my kids, I have found that the basics are best. Not only are they so versatile, but they are usually a lot more affordable as well! I love that for example a dress can be worn as is for spring and fall, but as it gets cooler, you could pair it with some leggings and boots and a cardigan and continue to wear it. Hunter loves tanks and basic tees because she can always add a cute jacket and still have a versatile piece. Instead of over stocking up, get pieces that can be mixed and matched and worn all year long.

: MAKE A DATE OUT OF IT

Last but not least, make it fun. Soak up the time you have with them out of school! If you’ve been here for a while, you know one of our favorite things is our kids’ dates. Each month we try to take the kids on one on one dates with Joe or I. It is such a great time to connect, see how they’re doing, and enjoy them. One of our favorites for summer is back to school shopping. I love that you can even put an online spin on it and do it from home. Grab your favorite treats,  and sit down together, uninterrupted, and make a wish list. Let them take charge and feel a little more grown up navigating the websites and finding what they love!

. . . SHOP OUR BACK – TO – SCHOOL FAVORITES FROM JCPENNEY. . .

I hope these Back – to – School Shopping tips and tricks help you get prepped and keep it fun for you and your family!