- Mon, Aug 13, 2012 3:08 PM EDT | CommentsDespite the fact that most moms can't afford an 'it' bag of their own, a small sector of high-income earning families from around the world are fueling a luxury back-to-school boom for kids. From a $115 Lanvin pencil case to a pair of $265 Gucci high-tops and even a thousand dollar silk Dior party dress, parents with money to burn are schooling kids on high-fashion before they hit the books. The average parent, by comparison, will spend an estimated $700 on back-to-school shopping this year. That's about the cost of one backpack, courtesy of Gucci.
by Stephanie Berenbaum - August 8th, 2012
clothes-for-daughters
Swap Before You Shop
Trying to budget for your kids' back to school shopping? Score some serious savings by taking advantage of a very Fab & Fru fashion coup: SWAPPING! It's a great way to clear out your closets and supplement your children's wardrobe - for free. Plus, many people are more comfortable with the idea of used clothing if they know where it is coming from - rather than if it just came from a random resale shop…
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Easy Peasy PrepRight now is the perfect time to organize a back to school swap. All you need to do is send out an email to your friends to bring their used kids clothes to your place a day or two before the actual swap so you can organize the piles. Clearly, your payment for organizing and hosting is that you get first crack at the clothes!
You can use your dining room table, chairs and sofa as display centers. Just make signs (have your kids help for a fun activity!) to help sort the clothes by gen
...Read More »- By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media editor
Common Sense Media
The summer before my daughter started kindergarten was filled with firsts. First summer camp, first swimming lessons, first back-to-school shopping. Thanks to a school uniform policy, clothes were the easy part, but finding a backpack turned out to be an adventure -- not only did we visit countless stores in our search, but we learned a lot about which media brands were working overtime to catch my 5-year-old's eye.
With back-to-school shopping raking in more than $70 billion a year for retailers, it's a prime time to target both parents and kids. And advertisers know that the earlier a kid learns about a brand -- whether it be McDonald's or Tinker Bell -- the more likely she'll be to buy it or beg for it later.
Barbie tries to befriend my daughter
...Read More »
Our first stops were the usual big box stores; there we found backpacks swimming in a sea of sparkly pink, where characters from TV shows and movies frolicked joyfully on the racks 
You know those fish sticks that line the freezer aisle of your grocery store? You know, the only way you can really get your kids to eat fish?We've got a better idea.
These homemade fish sticks -- ones that come together in less than 20 minutes -- are more wholesome than those freezer-boxed versions, and are no more expensive to make. Plus, we promise: you'll like them too.
RELATED: Check out our easy, kid and adult-friendly chicken cutlets.
If you're not sold yet, they've got something the frozen versions can't beat: a doctored-up mayonnaise dipping sauce.
Put these on the dinner table, and watch them disappear.
RELATED: See our ideas for creative brown bag lunches.
Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks with Lime and Tarragon Aioli
Serves 4
The Aioli
...Read More »
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest (the zest of one whole lime)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper (3 turns of the pepper- By Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine | Back To School | Thu, Aug 9, 2012 5:56 PM EDT | CommentsIt seems like every big-name store is having a back-to-school sale right now, and for the 43 percent of parents who put off back-to-school shopping until the last minute, it's tempting to hit up the nearest big-box store and call it done. But some places offer better bargains than others, so in an effort to help you keep your costs down (who really wants to spend $500 or more on supplies and clothing?) Yahoo! Shine did a little digging to find out where the bargains are.
It costs a lot to get those back-to-school items.
Related: Back-to-school trends for 2012-2013: Stainless steel, glitzy accessories, superheroes, and iPads
Backpacks
Toys r Us has a great deal on backpacks -- buy one character-themed bag for $14.99 to $17.99 and get a free lunch kit. But be warned: a more-expensive bag may save you more money in the long run. Lands End, LL Bean, and Jansport all offer lifetime guarantees on their backpacks, which means that if something rips or wears out they'll replace it for free. (If a bargain backpack tears mid-school year, yo...Read More »
