This is a sponsored conversation, in collaboration with Simon Malls. All thoughts are mine. 
I remember the excitement of starting a new school year. I loved going back to school shopping for brand new school supplies & school clothes.
I grew up in a middle class (lower middle class) family. We always had food on the table, clothes on our backs & a roof over our heads. What we didn’t have was money for “extras”. My Mom cut out coupons faithfully, and bought things when they went on sale. She was the queen of layaway! LOL! I cannot tell you the number of times she put clothes on layaway for me at Montgomery Wards. It would take her forever to pay it off, and by the time I got the clothes; I’d literally forgotten all about them!
I didn’t have a closet full of new clothes, like some of my classmates. I didn’t get new clothes all the time, like the popular kids in school. There were two times a year that I got new clothes: Christmas & Back to School. I LOVED getting clothes for the new school year.
There’s just something about putting on new clothes that makes you feel good. A new outfit or a new pair of shoes can do wonders for your self esteem. When you Look Good, you Feel Good! At least I do.
My little has always loved fashion. He knows what he likes & has a knack for putting together some great outfit combinations. For the most part, I let him do his own thing fashion wise. Like me, he likes colorful clothes. Inspired by the Jidenna song, Classic Man, he’s partial to the preppy look. I find that ironic, the preppy look was all the rage back in my day too! He enjoys wearing vests with his shirts & ties -but also sports his basketball & football jerseys when the mood strikes. He’s a stylish little dude!
Last week, I surprised my son with a shopping trip to San Francisco Premium Outlets. I told him his assignment was to put together an outfit for less than $75. He boldly accepted. After seeing all the terrific sales the stores had going on, I was confident he’d succeed. We hit up all our favorite places: Gymboree, Old Navy, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger Kids, the Vans store. Unlike his Mom-he loves trying clothes on, he had a blast in the dressing rooms! I noticed lots of retro looks were very popular, everything from neon colors to jogging suits.
Everywhere we looked, there were sale signs: 40% off here, 50% there … Gymboree had everything in the store marked down to $12.99 or less. WHAT?! I was impressed.
Needless to say, my son was successful in his quest to find an outfit for under $75… in fact, he found two outfits & still came in under budget! I’ve taught that boy well. Now it’s your turn. The great folks over at Simon Malls & San Francisco Premium Outlets want to help YOU with YOUR Back To School shopping. One lucky Mixed Blessings Blog reader will win a $25 Gift Card! Good luck & happy shopping!
Contest over, winner notified.
