We bought all the kids Land's End backpacks and had their initials embroidered on them. The kids have used them for years and they still look like new!

As far as lunchboxes we seem to need to buy a new one every year because they get stained and dirty by the end of the school year.

School supplies, I reuse what is in good shape and then just wait till their supply list comes out August 9th and buy whatever we don't have. I wish the list came out sooner!

We reuse the backpacks if theyre still in good condition - which is rare and I think has only happened once. Lunchboxes rarely make it the whole year, so those are new come september.

Crayons for us are only Crayola. I dont like the roseart at all. I too love to color and can definetly see a difference between the two. If you do the back to school sales, the crayolas are usually 20c at either staples or walmart so I stock up then.

Last year I totally missed the sales, they had them so early in the summer, practically right when they got out of school it seemed. Silly me figured they'd have them again closer to september....nope! Oh well, I'll be wiser this year!

I don't like WalMart, but I love buying school supplies!

My kids don't like Rose Art crayons or markers - so we always buy Crayola for school. I buy all name brand stuff - Fiskars, Elmer's, Crayola etc I sometimes reuse scissors, it just depends. Everything else, I buy new. I still have stuff from last years school supply shopping trips actually! I buy a lot of those packs of 24 crayons, use them for stockings for my neices and nephews, to have in the car, around the house, school etc There are such good deals around this time of year, I just stock up and use it all year long. Same for glue sticks, my one son practically eats them, he goes thru them so fast. Spiral notebooks, I love getting 10 for $1, they use them for school...we use them in the car for spelling word practice etc

My kids have the same backpacks that they started Kindergarten, I think they're from LandsEnd...maybe LLBean. They're still going strong though! They wash up like a dream!

I reuse everything that I still can. But I do buy crayola crayons. My school requires that it be crayola and elmers glue. They do not give you a choice.

I agree. Crayola's colors are richer and show up better on paper.

I hate this. While I do have my preferences, not everyone's preferences are the same. I don't think it's fair at all for a school to tell a parent how to spend their money. I totally, TOTALLY understand schools or teachers requesting certain items (ie., clear backpacks, pencil pouches instead of boxes...etc.) but not certain brands.

This is a little off subject, but has anyone else tried the Prang crayons? They are even better than Crayola. I love coloring with them. The colors are so rich and it glides on. Our school requires Crayola, but I know if they were to ever use Prang they would want it.

Well- at the end of last year my dd's Gap bookbag finally bit the dust (we had it for almost 3 years) so of course we had to buy a cheapie one at Walmart (did not have the money for a "good one"). So we will be using that this year. I have to admit that I have always loved getting fresh new school supplies at the beginning of the year- so that is something I look forward to! I already got my dd a new box (I think I may get a pencil pouch just in case!), a set of pencils (that smell like fruit ) that comes with a sharpener and erasers and at the dollar store yesterday I bough Fooey erasers that smell like fruit! The only thing I have to do is get her a new lunch box and I don't know about crayons yet- and if they need crayons I only get crayola- I agree about Roseart's wax being strange- plus there is nothing better than a brand new box of crayola crayons!

We usually reuse scissors, leftover pencils, unused folders, back packs, glue and so on- but you always have to get new pencils, erasers and crayons!

Just a little devil's advocate here. Elmer's glue and Crayola crayons cost 20 cents at Walmart (or is it cheaper this year?) I don't think it is unreasonable to request items that cost so little.

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Never heard of Prang. Where do you find those??

Love Crayola, I also find Roseart break too easily.

My son has a couple of backpacks and he will change them with his mood. Same with dd. I have only had to throw away one on DS's for holes, and he is in 5th grade this year. The next ones I will buy will be from Land's End though. Their quality is awesome.

I am also waiting for the kids to lose their lunch boxes. DS is on about his 5th lunch box. Since we moved to Iowa though, he has not lost it. Perhaps I will have to "lose" it for them so that I can get Land's End lunch boxes with their names embordiered on them.

I also stock up when there are sales. I may have to make a trip to WalMart soon...

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Theresa
Mom of 3 boys and 1 girl