• Mom Life
  • Mom Style
    • Style
    • Entertaining
  • Easy Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Appetizers
    • Quick Dinner Recipes to Use in Your Meal Plan
    • Quick and Easy Dessert Recipes for Your Sweet Tooth
    • Insanely Delicious Dump Cake Recipes: A Quick and Easy Dessert For Lazy People
  • Cocktails & Drinks
    • Cocktails to Make at Home
    • Fun to Drink Vodka Recipes: Easy Cocktails and Drink Ideas for Happy Hour at Home
    • Wine Cocktails to Make Your Mouth Happy
    • Best Moscow Mule Recipes and Variations
    • Wine
  • So Cal Weekend Getaways
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Cupcakes and Cutlery

Orange County Lifestyle and Mom Blog

Back to School Shopping at The Shops at Mission Viejo

August 17, 2017 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

Sharing is caring!

  • Pin
  • Share
  • Tweet

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! Shopping at The Shops at Mission Viejo for back to schoolMy 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. Mall Back To School Boys reading directory-1Of 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 FamilyCrew Cuts back to school picksAlong 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.H&M back to school shoppingMy 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. Nike Cortez for tween back to schoolMy 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). First Day of School board at NordstromNot 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. Backpack shopping at Zumiez at The Shops at Mission ViejoWe 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.Back to school shoe shopping at VansThe 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!). Vans shoes for momsI 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
Back to school shopping at Microsoft at The Shops at Mission ViejoMy 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. Back to school shopping at Apple at The Shops at Mission ViejoOf 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. Beats by Dre headphones for back to school shoppingWe 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 MomBracelet bar at Madewell at The Shops at Mission ViejoThe 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. Back to school shopping for mom at The Shops at Mission ViejoThey 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.
Beauty picks for mom at Sephora at The Shops at Mission ViejoWhile 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!Lorna Jane workout gear for mom's back to school shoppingAnd 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.Back to school shopping for the whole family at The Shops at Mission ViejoWe 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!

Student Discounts:
Banana Republic | Madewell | Apple Store | Steve Madden | Forever 21 | PacSun | J. Crew | H&M | Express
 
Teacher Discounts:
Talbots | The Walking Company | LOFT | Madewell | Eddie Bauer | Banana Republic | Apple Store | J. Jill | J. Crew
Don't forget to check out The Shops at Mission Viejo Instagram account today to see even more great items that my sons and I found. AND! I'll be doing a giveaway on my own account later this afternoon!
If you like this post, you may also like these:
Great dining options at The Shops at Mission Viejo
Mother's Day gift ideas (that work after Mother's Day too)

Pin
Tweet
Share

About Sharon Garofalow

Sharon lives in Southern California with her adorable family. She loves to share ideas to make mom life easier and encourage busy gals to make time for themselves too! Sharon's "me" time often includes watching Hallmark Channel movies, sipping sauvignon blanc, trying not to eat Salt and Pepper potato chips, and planning girlfriend getaways.

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Read More
Date Night Ideas for Stronger Relationships
How to Apply Concealer (Because Dark Circles Suck)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome!

Based in Southern California, I am the mom to two amazing boys and married to the raddest man in all the land. Cupcakes and Cutlery is your resource for simple solutions to help you be an awesome wife and mother and not lose yourself in the process. Email me at [email protected]! About Me

Posts about wine, liquor and/or cocktail recipes are expressly for people 21 years of age and older. Drink responsibly.

Privacy Policy

Affiliate Link Disclosure

I only share things I love and think you will too. As an Amazon Associate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I also participate in other affiliate programs for other retailers. Affiliate sales and sponsored work supports Cupcakes and Cutlery and allows me to create new content for you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Work with Me

Instagram post 2192395297186055056_9613683
When you hand them your coat and glasses to visit a porta potty and come back to find a full on photoshoot...🎄😎

Instagram post 2190990577229850505_9613683
I feel like we won Christmas this year. This is the earliest we've gotten our tree and now our house is full of holiday magic.🎄 ⠀ @chevrolet loaned us a Silverado for the week so we could go have a Christmas family adventure. We visited our first cut-your-own tree farm and I'm sharing where you can visit in LA and OC!🎄 Plus, find my tips for how to get your Christmas tree home. Whether you cut your own or get one from a lot, there are a few things you need to do!🎄 We truly loved getting to know the 2019 Silverado. Head to the blog to find out why, grab the list of tree farms and find out how to safely bring that tree home! Use the link in my bio! 🎄

Instagram post 2189585413625176164_9613683
I didn’t know I was a truck girl. But I’m totally a truck girl. @chevrolet loaned us a 2019 Silverado for the week and my whole family is in love. It takes forever to get anywhere though. Every time we park the boys take a few minutes to exert their dominance over the parking lot (see my stories). The Silverado is going on all of our Christmas lists. 🙌🏻🎄🙏 #Silverado #chevrolet #chevroletsilverado

Instagram post 2185959161697716072_9613683
Need a family activity to do while you wait for the turkey? Interview your family! sponsored ⠀ A few months ago I headed to the @gpneighborhoods to interview my best friend with @storiesfromtheoc and @storycorps. The conversation is archived in the Library of Congress. And now you can record interviews with the Story Corps app from your own home! It's the perfect Thanksgiving activity! You can talk about any topic you want but I love the idea of talking about how family traditions got started. Use the links in my bio to find the Story Corps app and hear my recording! #StoriesFromtheOC #StoryCorps


Follow on Instagram


“120” [email protected]
xo Sharon

© Cupcakes & Cutlery. All Rights Reserved.

Drizly