You Don't See That Every Day

This year our back to school clothes shopping has taken a twist. We tried something different with the kids. In the past I would take a couple of them, or sometimes all five, and spend hours going to stores, debating about the clothes with them, trying to find nice items for a nice price. It was usually exhausting for all of us. This year I have enjoyed B2SCS! The kids each have their own money set aside from their earnings this summer (selling veggies). I dropped the older three at a store, went and did my errands (shopping with the younger two) and then came back to preview their selections. Mostly approved, perhaps a few times of discussion about their choices. And then the kids purchase it. We all go home happy. I am not stressed about bleeding money; they like the clothes they get; and they learn to shop. My girls are great at finding bargains, and scouring the clearance section. Another step towards independence.

Today is "Parents Day" according to my calendar. So my husband and I decided to take advantage of the day and go out without children. Can I just say how nice it is to have kids that are teen-aged and responsible enough to babysit their younger siblings?! G and I drove to a Nike outlet store to use our special friends and family coupon during their sale. What a madhouse! There were so many people in the store it felt like a Christmas Eve rush. At least there was no fighting over any items, and the people were nice and polite all around the store. G was able to score a pair of running shoes to replace his worn ones. They were on sale, and then we got them marked down another 30%, so we knew we couldn't get a better deal elsewhere. After that we wandered around the outlet center. I used to really enjoy doing this kind of thing. But I have either gotten too old, or too practical or too tightfisted with my money, because I didn't really enjoy the stores. I found a few t...