This giveaway is now closed to entries. Congrats to Laura (luemoo) who was chosen using random.org as the winner! Thank you to all who entered!

Summer break. The warmth. The sun. The anticipation of returning to school.

Well, anticipation for me mostly since our boys start school in less than a month (not that I’m counting or anything). With the return of school comes a new year of learning and shopping for back to school stuff! I’m so excited. Oh, I’m sure they are beyond thrilled (or not)!

I enjoy back to school shopping for my boys. Picking out a few new outfits, supplies and teacher’s wish-list items get me excited for the new year! I suppose it takes me back to when I was a wee youngster and did all of this shopping with my own mom.

As a young girl, I would shop with my mom and pick out the cute outfits, sparkly pencils and flashy 5-Star Binders. We would make it a day of shopping, have lunch and just take our time. I always looked forward to it every year.

Boys are so much different to shop with.

Our boys are so NOT interested in shopping! I generally make most of the purchases before school is even out for summer! Since I do the majority of their back to school shopping without them, it’s easy to get it out of the way. They will come along for a few things, but even that is pushing it with them!

Many of the supplies are the same each year so I watch the sales throughout the year and purchase them when prices are low. I also shop clearance prices all year to get the upcoming sizes for each boy. I love planning this way. We are able to stretch our budget to enjoy other things as a family!

But, is it just me or are boys generally laid back? Our boys have basic requests that I consider while I’m shopping ahead: anything sports, cool shoes and new underwear. But, they don’t flinch when I show them, with glee, the things they wanted (that I got super cheap). I guess I should be glad considering I am saving a ton! Or, maybe having a want such as underwear is nothing to get excited over??

This is all good and well with me. I will always:

:: Scour the back to school supply list.

:: Shop with my coupons to get supply needs on discount or FREE.

:: Research retail stores to get the new clothes and shoes on stellar discount.

They, on the other hand, will:

:: Show up to school with a backpack full of required items.

:: Share some supplies with the teacher (gets them on their good side = SCORE).

:: Present themselves with confidence in a new outfit ready to learn!

As I look at this, I realize something. Playing the role of mother, shopper, chauffeur, team mom, allowance manager, financial whiz, {fill in the blank} is a LOT at times. One day our boys will recognize all of the preparation I have taken to make their back to school time a non-event.

I bet if I forgot those underwear, that school year would never be forgotten!

Lots of us are gearing up for school – an exciting, fun and sometimes, hectic time. Hallmark has put together this great resource to help you calm the butterflies and build your kids confidence. Just for joining the conversation youll be entered to win $500. You can check it out over here ^[1].

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Are you ready to get your shopping completed for Back to School? I have a $100 Visa Gift Card to give away! To enter you have several forms of entry, which are:

Leave me a comment and share what back to school shopping and saving tips you use. You heard most of mine above, but I’d love to get some other ideas as well.

Subscribe to my feed here ^[2] or daily email update here ^[3]. Leave a separate comment to inform me that you have subscribed. And, of course, if you already subscribe definitely leave a comment for that too!

Share about this giveaway on the following sites and receive one entry for each. Drop a separate comment for each to let me know where you have shared it!

Twitter ^[4]
Facebook ^[5]
Personal Blog
Message Board or Online Community (one entry for each place you post it)

Good luck! I will be closing this giveaway on Friday @ 8p. I will choose the winners at random and contact each directly.

* If you are reading via email or a feed, please visit Mommy Snacks.net ^[6] directly to leave your comments to be entered in the giveaway!

Hallmark is the sponsor of this post and giveaway. The views and thoughts are all ME!