THE ONLY THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BACK TO SCHOOL

You guys, I'm so conflicted about back to school right now. We still have a few weeks until we go back so I'm soaking up every second that I can, but I'm not ready to give up our non-schedule yet!

The boys play with legos during the day for hours on end, we all sleep in, we eat breakfast at 10am (my friends all make fun of me when I post a picture on snapchat of our breakfast and it's 10:23am), and we can spend the whole day at home if we want to.

Part of me thrives on schedule and I know I'll be glad once we're back, but gosh, I just love the flexibility and of course love sleeping in.

Honestly the only two things that are making me excited for back to school are regular working hours for me (time to stop staying up til 2:30am working, bleh) and back to school prep.

I always think of You've Got Mail with the "bouquet of newly sharpened pencils." It's those little things that bring on the nostalgia. I love packing their backpacks for the first day of school, laying out their clothes the night before, having our back to school family dinner, and the list goes on.

We've been in back to school prep mode for a couple of weeks, slowly picking up a few new things, including these awesome SWISSGEAR backpacks. They're such an iconic brand and their products are so well made, and their kids backpacks are on sale right now for only $9.99! We bought some cheap backpack for B last year for like $20 and it immediately started falling apart, so I was so excited to see this huge sale.

We're already using them for trips to the library, coloring book bags for church, or just playing around the house, and I'm not worried about it getting ruined before school starts because they're so sturdy.

They also have a ton of adult/teenage sized backpacks that are great for recreational activities or school (specifically designed to hold laptops). All of their full price items are 25% off right now with code "loyalty25", and if you have kids there is seriously no better deal on good quality backpacks.

photos by rad and happy

created in partnership with SWISSGEAR

5 MUST-HAVES FOR BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING

OUTFIT 1: little black dress | old chambray, similar here | white perforated sneakers | similar watch

OUTFIT 2: free people top | sam edelman boots | similar backpack 

As a little girl and up through college, back to school shopping was always one of my favorite things about school. And even though I'm not going to school this year (and haven't for a bunch of years now), I still like to do a little bit of Fall shopping to prep my closet for the cooler months.

The key to creating a versatile and remixable closet is having a good mix of essentials and basics, and then some fun and unexpected pieces that express your personality. If you have a collection of good basics that work well together, the outfits you can create by mixing and matching are nearly endless and you get much more bang for your buck when shopping. Throw in a few fun pieces, and you have even more outfit possibilities, all that share your personality.

5 Must-Haves for Back To School Shopping (or shopping in general)

Little Black Dress. You'll find this on any clothing essentials list, because it's the most versatile piece ever. I love this one from Norma Kamali because it easily goes back and forth between dressy and casual. I paired it with sneakers and a chambray for a super easy school or daytime look, but you could dress it up with a pair of strappy heels, oversized sparkly earrings, lipstick, and curled hair and you'd be ready for a fancy date night or the school dance. 

Chambray Button Up. I  bought my first chambray button up three or four years ago and haven't ever looked back. They're the perfect layering piece under a sweater, over a sleeveless dress, tied around your waist like I did here (which you can do with jeans, shorts, skirts, or dresses), buttoned up and knotted at the waist with a skirt, or just worn as a regular top with a pair of jeans. Did I say the little black dress was the most versatile? I actually think the chambray button up takes the cake. 

Sneakers. I honestly thought the sneaker trend was going to be short lived, but I think we're going on about two years strong here and they're definitely not going anywhere. And you'd better believe I'm not complaining. Although my closet is groaning under the weight as I add more and more to my collection. Slip on sneaks are the perfect school shoe for any kid, and they're also the perfect shoe for moms. I love these perforated white ones from Report because they go with everything from jeans to dresses and are easy to wipe clean when needed.  

Ankle Boots. If you're going to have any two shoes in your closet this fall, slip on sneakers and ankle boots should be your two. There are a million pairs of ankle boots to choose from, but a classic pair will last you for years and won't go out of style anytime soon. Sam Edelman is one of my favorite shoe designers, and I'm in love with these Petty ankle boots in "putty." I will be wearing them all fall and winter long. 

Jeans. Of course one of the most important pieces in any girl's closet is a great fitting pair of jeans. They're some of the hardest pieces to shop for though because everyone's body types are so different, and sizing varies so much from brand to brand, but having at least one pair of jeans that you love and that fit you perfectly is such an essential. Also I'll be sharing some of my favorite pairs of jeans soon on the blog!  

Once you have those essentials in your closet, it's time to fill the rest up with pieces that fit your personality and add life and visual interest to your basics.  Find fun tops in different lengths, colors, patterns, and styles. Choose jewelry that fits your lifestyle and aesthetic. Pick outerwear that fits your weather needs and compliments your basics. 

And don't forget the bags! If you're going back to school, find a backpack or bag that fits your personality. If you're not, choose bags that express your style and fit your lifestyle -- you should have at least one large bag, one small bag, and one clutch. 

What other must-haves are on your list for back to school/Fall shopping?

photos by rad and happy. In partnership with Zappos. 

BACK TO SCHOOL SHOES: 1 PAIR, 3 WAYS

With only 4 weeks left until school starts, it's time to start thinking about school shopping -- my favorite! The most important part of school shopping for my kids is shoes, since their shoes get the most wear and tear, and are often the most expensive of our purchases.

So I try to find shoes that are durable and will hold up for as long as possible, but are also cute, reasonably priced, and versatile. I used to designate shoes as only school shoes, but my kids get excited and want to wear their new shoes with everything, so now I choose ones that work with any outfit. 

Today I teamed up with Rack Room Shoes to share three kid style outfits, all with the same pair of shoes. Rack Room Shoes has tons of on-trend brands, and they are always buy one, get one 50% off, so order through them was a no-brainer. This year we chose Vans and Converse for their school shoes since they're some of my favorite brands, and my boys were obsessed with them the second they showed up. 

Here's three ways we're wearing them. First up, school, obviously. They're easy to throw on with or without socks (my boys personally prefer without), and go well with uniforms or regular street clothes, depending on what your kids have to wear. 

Next up, special occasions. Both of these styles of shoes are neutral enough to be worn with dress clothes, and add a fun and stylized look to your kids shirt and bow tie ensemble. Also my kids are not huge fans of real dress shoes, so these are a great comfy alternative for weddings, nice dinners, or even church.

And third, traveling. Over the weekend we took a quick weekend trip down to San Diego as a family. We did a pretty decent amount of walking while we were there, and I wanted to make sure the boys had something more than flip flops to keep them comfortable and supported while they ran around. Their vans and converse were perfect for our active weekend.

Rack Room Shoes always has an awesome annual Shoes That Fit campaign, where you can donate to help raise money to provide shoes for at-risk children. Rack Room matches 100% of the donations raise, and over the past two years they've raised over $1 million. You can find more about the Shoes That Fit program or donate right here. Then hop over and snag some shoes for your kids (or yourself) for a total steal!

this post was created in partnership with Rack Room Shoes. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog. 

BACK TO SCHOOL STYLE: PREPPY

photos by sara walk

forever 21 shirt (similar)

forever 21 sweater (similar)

dittos jeans, c/o

sperry's via dsw, c/o

lily jade backpack, c/o

kate spade watch (on sale!)

With the beginning of school only weeks away, I'm starting to get into back to school prep mode. Although I'm not going back to school (thank goodness those days are behind me), my four year old is and as always, I love all the preparation -- the new clothes, the school supplies, the new lunchbox...it's all so nostalgic and fun for me. I mean, who wouldn't want a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils (for any You've Got Mail fans out there)?

So although I'm not going back to school, I've teamed up with DSW this month to share a few back to school essentials for those of you who are heading back to class, or just want to pick up a few new things for Fall, and to do another fun #DSWShoeHookup giveaway! I love DSW because they have amazing designer shoes (shoes for women, kids shoes, and even great men's shoes) at even more amazing prices, and they have a sweet rewards program that allows you to earn points with every purchase that go toward DSW gift certificates so you can buy....more shoes, obviously. A win-win solution in my book.

Leopard print is so huge right now, and Sperry's have been on my shoe wish list for ages, so the two combined in these shoes made the decision a no brainer. Plus, as much as I love a heel (or even a wedge), flats are an essential for school. I combined them with a preppy layered gingham and sweater combination for an easy and comfortable school day, and then threw in a statement necklace and a leather backpack to complete the look.

There are so many other great shoes at DSW right now -- I could hardly narrow my favorites down! But here are a few of my favorites that would be perfect for other preppy back to school looks. Click the images below to shop them, and watch for another back to class look next week, plus a fun contest to win some shoes!

a big thank you to DSW for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.