We are expecting a baby around July 29 and I’ll be taking some time off to welcome him to the world. This article first appeared on my family blog, Glitter & Grime, which I phased out when I launched Frugal Mama.
August is the Sunday of summer: when the eighth month rolls around, you know the party is almost over. At least one can look forward to buying school supplies. Then again, these days school supplies seem to be more about cartons of Kleenex, so the pre-fall joy of shopping for a personal 64-crayon box has all but vanished.
Thank God for backpacks. These crayola-colored book bags by Dante Beatrix — stylized and light-hearted –help preserve the hope that children might remain innocent a little longer.
At $40 to $50, they are not inexpensive, but I believe that things that get a lot of use, like desk chairs, strollers and mattresses, warrant a heftier investment.
My daughter, Virginia, toted this lion backpack to kindergarten all year. School bags proportioned for the preschool set are hard to find; the “little kid” size is a perfect fit for a two- to five-year-old. When we realized she needed more space for papers in first grade, it got washed and put away, and now her little brother, Mark, uses it for preschool.
Sofia picked the shark (named “Nigel”) in the big-kid size for her second grade year at P.S. 183. Now it is about to embark on year number two at Fayetteville Elementary here in Syracuse.
Chasing Fireflies, an extravagant children’s boutique, carries most of them, or you can see and order the whole line (which includes lunch boxes and diaper bags) directly from the Dante Beatrix website. Not that this would have any sway, but the brand is apparently a fave among today’s child-rearing celebs (like Liv Tyler, Marcia Cross, and Jennifer Garner).
An added plus: the unisex design means they can be re-used by younger siblings. If only they weren’t so dang durable, we would love to buy a new one every year.
What sturdy backpacks do you love?
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- How to Plan, Purge, and Pack for Your Next Move
- The True Story of How We Turned Our School Around (and How You Can, Too)
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{7 Intelligent opinions... read them below or add one}
We just bought a LLbean backpack. Aurelia was thrilled to get the monogram since her name is not common in the USA. (maybe it is in Italy?) The pack looks so sturdy that she’ll be using it for years to come! Glad to hear that you’re family is settled into the new-ness. Take care!
Beth, Ghi and Cassie,
Thanks so much for your comments and ideas about backpacks. I agree that the Dante Beatrix pig is adorable. And I’ve heard good things about LL Bean and Lands End. I like how they don’t have all the business and TV character promotions that you find so often.
I bought a Dante Beatrix backpack for my daughter and so far it has held up well, and she loves it… I’m hoping it will get her through the next 2-3 years of school. On the other hand, my son is still using a 5$ backpack I bought from Ikea YEARS ago… I’m not sure how it has made it this far but it has another year or so in it…
I can’t rave enough about the Dante Beatrix bag. My son loves loves loves pigs and it has the best pig. Very pink, but still “manly” enough for a 3-year-old. As they get older, we go for the LLBean or Lands End bags, but the preschool set needs these tiny bags.
{7 Intelligent opinions... read them below or add one}