It's that time! The kids are heading back to school which means it's time to take them shopping! The boys and I usually plan a day and head to the mall to take care of business. The Shops at Mission Viejo is the perfect place to find cool clothes and supplies for the kids and beauty and fashion for mom too.
This post is sponsored by The Shops at Mission Viejo. As a style ambassador, I get to share my favorite finds with you via blog posts throughout the year! Read on to check out our back to school shopping favorites and hop over to The Shops at Mission Viejo Instagram account today where I'll share even more of my finds on their stories! 
My kids have definite opinions about what they wear. Gone are the days where I could take care of all the back to school shopping without them. Now, we choose a day and head to The Shops at Mission Viejo to shop together. We take the morning to shop and wrap up the trip with lunch before heading home. It's something they look forward to and it's a great way to transition from summer to the start of school. 
Of course I still have input and help them take stock of the things they need, but I let them choose some stores that they want to browse. I get better cooperation if I give them some space to flex their style muscles. Before we head to the mall we take a look at their clothes and shoes to make sure they still fit and are in good condition. We look for any holes in their wardrobe and make a list of what we need to fill in. Heading to the mall, with a list, helps the boys feels like we have a goal and aren't just roaming the mall (which makes them stir crazy).
Fashion for the Whole Family
Along with checking out the stores they want to see (like Lids for hats and Vans for shoes) I also take them to stores that I think they will also like, like J. Crew and their Crew Cuts line. The clothes at Crew Cuts are a little bit more preppy than my boys usually dress but they have fantastic accessories. They also use really fun colors to keep things from feeling stuffy. The only downside of shopping in the store is that my kids kept asking to buy the store decorations which were really fun and whimsical! Plus, I love J. Crew so I got to take a quick look while the boys were trying things on.
My skateboard loving older son loved some of the cool skate inspired clothes in H&M right now. I've always loved H&M for (not only my own clothes, duh) but also their kid's jackets. They are cool, on trend and pretty inexpensive. Plus they always have great accessories such as hats, fun socks with licensed characters (which is how I compromise with my youngest since I don't love them to wear character t-shirts all the time) and unique shoes. 
My older son is a sneaker head and LOVES shoes. We headed to the Nordstrom kid's shoe department to see what they had. He loved the classic Nike Cortez (and I may want a pair too). Their selection has a nice mix of shoes that would appeal to a lot of different families. While we tend to look for the cooler, street styles, they also carry more traditional shoe styles, too. They also carry a nice selection of surf brands (which, living in So Cal we usually gravitate towards). 
Not only does Nordstrom have really great clothes for the kids (and mom too!) But they have a small selection of school supplies and other fun things to get the kids ready for their new year. This chalkboard is such a cute idea for families! And you can totally reuse it year after year. 
We found this Herschel backpack at Zumiez. We love this brand because they always have really great colors and patterns for their products. The black color will hide dirt that will inevitably find its way on to the backpack. Being 11, we're finally moving away from character products and looking for more fashionable accessories. My youngest also picked up a few hats from Zumiez even though the store is geared more towards teens.
The boys always have a few pairs of Vans in their shoe wardrobe. There are tons of fun color and design options for the shoes. Sometimes the kids will want to get matching pairs and sometimes they'll really go out on their own like when my youngest only wanted shoes with sharks on them (which Vans had several options!). 
I tried a pair on too! I'm not really a sneaker wearer but I saw this pair, with a sneaker bottom and more stylish top and had to try them on. They weren't as comfortable as I had hoped so I passed on them for now.
Electronics
My youngest is a budding artist and was IN LOVE with this Surface Studio computer from the Microsoft store. The 28″ touch screen computer can be used upright with a keyboard as a standard computer or laid down which basically turns it in to a huge drawing pad. While he couldn't talk me in to it under the guise of a back to school necessity, I will be keeping it in mind for Christmas! Both boys already have computers but there were so many amazing screen advancements in this store that I will be keeping it in mind not only for the future but also my own work needs. 
Of course we had to make a stop in the Apple store. Both kids have been asking for their own phones for YEARS. I don't know when they will finally get them but I let them have a look at them anyway. 
We also had to check out the wireless Beats headphones. They are so sleek and look really great. Since I work from home and my husband does a few times a month, headphones are key for the kids playing on their computer being on their computers and not driving us crazy.
Back to School for Mom
The boys don't love popping in to the stores that I love, like Madewell, but back to school shopping isn't just all about the kids, right? Madewell always has great t-shirts and denim but I am partial to their cool accessories like their bracelet bar. 
They also have a great selection of tote bags that are perfect for moms who have to lug around their kid's things all the time.
While I feel a little rested right now (it's still summer and I'm still able to sleep in…) soon it will be back to the grind. I swung through Sephora to check out some of their beauty offerings. I came across these Algenist products aimed at helping to correct the things that need correcting like too much redness, dark under eye circles, etc (which you KNOW all moms have – thanks, kids). We also looked for a good leave in conditioner for my older son and his long hair. If the kids hadn't been with me I would have spent a lot longer roaming the aisles!
And with the kids back in school, I can now get back to a regular schedule. Which may or may not include exercise…My intention is always to get fit, but then life happens. At least I can look cute, in the perfect workout wear from Lorna Jane, even if I never break a sweat.
We wrapped up our day of shopping with some lunch and then headed home to put away all our new finds! I'm loving my new rings from Madewell. I'm sure they will make setting my alarm for 5:45 a.m. a little more tolerable…
How do you tackle back to school shopping? The Shops at Mission Viejo has everything you need (and lots of things you'll want!). Plus, check out which stores offer discounts for students and teachers!
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