Riding the Trolley in Laguna Beach - Photo by C. Sanchez - 2009

We’re trying to soak up every last ray of summer before the kids go back to school after Labor Day. There are so many things to do for back-to-school: shop for shoes, shop for backpacks, stock up on underwear, inspect locks and P.E. clothes. We need to get school supplies, finalize contacts/glasses (we are a very bespeckled family), fill out a million pieces of paper for registration, write a hundred checks to the school district (how did public school get so EXPENSIVE, anyway?), and clear out our “homework centers” at home to make sure we have things like pencil sharpeners and extra paper (which we never do, come November).

And that’s not even starting the school-clothes shopping – ack. Although I keep clothes-shopping pretty basic at first – We usually start with just one new “first day of school” outfit (usually involving new jeans and new shoes). Then – being the frugal mama I am – we do the rest of the clothes shopping in October, when all the back-to-school clothes go on clearance and Southern California finally cools to a temperature we can tolerate without needing to sit in front of the fan every five seconds. Continue reading →