Ack! Only 3 days left of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I have SO MANY great back-to-school finds for the kids to share!
(And don’t forget about the finds for mom that I posted last week too!)
I’ll be honest, I don’t believe in spending too much on my kids’ clothes (especially the 2-year-old). As the title of this blog suggests, I believe kids should be active and messy and I don’t want to be holding them back because I’m worried about that adorable, but expensive, outfit they’re wearing.
There are, however, a few key pieces that I think it’s smart to invest it. These are:
- Quality Shoes – Providing proper support to my kids’ feet is super important to me. As someone who has suffered from chronic back problems since I was a teenager, I know how important it is that they don’t develop bad standing and walking habits due to unsupportive foot wear so this is one area that’s always worth the investment for me.
- Quality Outerwear – I want my kids playing outside year round, despite the cold, wind, snow and rain. That means it’s worth it to me to get a few high quality rain and snow coats that I know will keep them toasty no matter what.
- Quality Basics – These are the pieces my kids wear day in and day out… thick leggings for my daughter, tough track pants for my son, etc. These are the items that it makes sense to spend a little more on if they’re going to end up lasting two or three times longer than their cheaper counterparts.
With that in mind, here are the items I was super excited to pick up at some deep discounts this year at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (as well as a few other places).
Ready? Here we go…
Shoes
SO MANY great Stride Rite Shoes on sale! I have long loved this brand for their stellar reputation for new walkers and toddlers but I didn’t realize until I started shopping the sale that they made shoes for my older kids too- yippee!
We got:
- This washable pair for our 2-year-old
$39.95now $24.90 - This adorable pink “canon lace” pair
$46.95now $24.90 - And sadly missed out on this colorful girls pair (didn’t have the size we needed)
$46.95now $24.90
Another great kids’ shoe brand is PLAE
They use the biometric science generally reserved for elite athletes to craft a shoe that protects the natural development of children’s feet. These are amazing shoes to grab on sale because they can be spendy!
We got:
- These Mary Janes, which my kindergarten daughter went crazy about
$49.95now $29.90 - Also, for toddler girls check out these sparkly high tops and this cute black and red pair for toddler boys.
Finally, I invested in some high quality athletic shoes for my sports-loving 2nd grade son who is TOUGH on shoes.
We got:
- The Under Armour ‘Micro G® Spine – Disrupt’ Athletic Shoe
$59.99now $35.90 – I’ve been impressed with the durability of his Under Armour shoes in the past and he’s already tried on this pair and is dying to wear them this fall. - These Leather Atheletic New Balances
$49.95now $34.96 – This will be his first pair or New Balances and I’m hoping he’ll love them as much as I love mine.
Coats and Outer-layers
My kids hate wearing coats that are too hot. So I’ve learned that instead of fighting with them that they might need it later in the day, it’s best to have a few options. Generally, I go with three things for each kid:
- A layering fleece or hoodie
- A high quality, light-weight rain jacket
- A good warm jacket for winter days (and skiing)
We got:
for my daughter
- Columbia Girls’ Benton Springs Fleece
$36.00now $14.90 – so soft in so many pretty colors and you can’t beat the price! - North Face Waterproof Jacket (Little Girls & Big Girls)
$65.00now $42.90 – I was so happy with the quality of this jacket when I pulled it out of the box. Not flimsy and obviously durable but still thin enough to wear on wet but not super cold days as well as to layer with the fleece when needed. -
Columbia Kids Nordic Strider™ Jacket (Little Kids/Big Kids)
$100.00now $79.99 – I really love the Columbia winter jackets! They are very warm without being bulky and have this fantastic “Outgrown” technology that lets you lengthen the sleeve by an additional 1 1/2 inches when the kids get bigger – this allowed us to use it for not one, but two, winters for school and skiing for my son.
for my son
-
This North Face Water Repellent Quilted Sweater Fleece Hoodie
$85.00now $55.90 – Every single day before school my son asks if he can wear a hoodie instead of a coat. So I’m tricking him this year with this North Face quilted hoodie that is warm and water repellant just like a coat and can be layered underneath his rain jacket on really cold and wet days.
- North Face Waterproof Jacket (Little Boys & Big Boys) $65 (Little boy version is on sale
$65.00now $48.75) – A fantastic sale price on this high quality rain jacket, and worth the retail price for our bigger boy. - Columbia Kids Eager Air Interchange Jacket
$120.00now $74.02 – As I said above, I really love the Columbia winter jackets! They are very warm without being bulky and have this fantastic “Outgrown” technology that lets you lengthen the sleeve by an additional 1 1/2 inches when the kids get bigger – this allowed us to use it for not one, but two, winters for school and skiing for my son.
Basics
Zella Girl Leggings $42 now $27.90 – My daughter lives in leggings and dresses. She has always had trouble keeping up other kind of pants so this has been the easy way to go for years. In the summer it’s sun dresses and shorts, in the fall lighter dresses and leggings, and in the winter thick leggings and sweater dresses.
I live in my own pairs of Zella leggings all fall and winter – so incredibly comfy and durable – so I just had to stock up on a couple of pairs for S while they were on sale!
Tucker & Tate Jeggings (Toddler, Little, and Big Girls) $30.00 now $19.90 – One of my closest friends swears by the durability of these for her 1st grade daughter so I’m thinking now is the time to stock up for S.
Nike Therma-FIT Training Pants (Little and Big Boys) $40.00 now $25.90 – Speaking of warm and durable pants, these are just the ticket for my active, sports loving son. He has ripped holes in so many pairs of track pants from Target, Osh Kosh, etc. that it’s totally worth it to invest in warm active pants for him. And these are a can’t beat price!
*These Nike “Elite” Thermal Pants also look awesome for toddlers and little boys
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