This post is sponsored by Walmart and ShopStyle Collective. The product selections are my own, and I only highlight and promote products that I truly love. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Sheaffer Told Me To!
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Y’all. WHERE HAS THE SUMMER GONE?
Seriously.
WHERE.
It’s July 25th, and Carter starts school on August 10th.
I could actually bawl about it.
With only 1 kid at home who is now 13, summer is nothing short of glorious.
It’s just so easy and fun.
We LOVE summer over here, and at the end of each summer break, I find myself wanting it to never be over.
And now that he’s entering 8th grade, I’m really in my feels. Chris and I talk all the time about how many more times we’re going to get to do something with him before he heads off to college, and after this summer is over, we’ll only have 5 more summers with him until we send him off in the world.
HOW CAN THAT BE?
CAN YOU SEE WHY I WANT TO BAWL?
Still, I can’t just sit around and cry about it because we’ve got to get ourselves ready for the new year! I had to put on my big girl panties and make sure we had allllll the things.
Usually I’m scrambling around to lots of different retailers, or at the very least hopping from site to site, but this year I was able to grab most of what Carter still needed from Walmart!
CLOTHES FOR CARTER
Let’s start off with some new back-to-school outfits!
If y’all have been reading this blog for awhile, you know I started calling Carter “Captain Cozy” years and years ago. BECAUSE THE BOY PRIORITIZES COMFORT. He wants to wear athletic wear every single day of his life, and if he’s at home, you can always find him cozied up under a blanket.
He’s typically pretty brand loyal, but I brought these items home from him, AND HE WAS A FAN. I was absolutely thrilled because the prices are fantastic. These pieces are much less expensive than the other brand he typically wears, and he loves them just as much.
athletic shirt / athletic shorts / slide sandals / Under Armour backpack / stainless steel water bottle
So, just how fantastic are the prices? So glad you asked!
The shirt comes in a 2-pack for $16.16, the shorts come in a 2-pack for $16.16 as well, and these slides are $7.98.
Those are some great deals, y’all.
Now listen, all of us moms know that no matter how inexpensive an item is, it’s not actually a great deal if your kid isn’t actually going to wear it. Well, he’s already worn this outfit twice. #score
athletic shirt / athletic shorts / slide sandals
He’s really hard on his backpacks, so he gets a new one every year. Regularly $55, this backpack is currently on sale for ONLY $36.99! He loves it, and I’m happy to have “get a new backpack” checked off my list. I liked the navy the best, but Carter chose the grey.
athletic shirt / athletic shorts / slide sandals / Under Armour backpack / stainless steel water bottle
athletic shirt / athletic shorts / slide sandals
Carter wears athletic gear to school every day EXCEPT for game days during football season.
The coaches encourage the boys to dress up on game days, and the boys really get into it. Some have been known to wear full suits to school! Carter has never gone that far, but even jeans and a polo are dressing up for him when every other days are athletic gear.
collared shirt / jeans / slip on shoes
Both of us love the polo and the jeans. They’re great quality, and again they are super affordable. You can grab a 2 pack of the polos for just $20 and there are several color combos available. And the jeans are under $18!
collared shirt / jeans / slip on shoes
It’s the slip on shoes that are the real star of this outfit though.
Like me, Carter refuses to wear shoes that aren’t comfortable. Hey, I don’t blame him one bit. When I spotted these at the store, I knew Carter would approve. They are super lightweight, and Carter said wearing them feels like walking on air. They will be great for dress up days at school and for church. They come in brown too.
collared shirt / jeans / slip on shoes
Okay, I’ve got one more outfit for y’all that’s not athletic wear.
Again, you can buy this tee in a 2 pack for just $16. You can also click HERE for solid color options, also in 2 packs. The shorts are just $16 as well.
striped tee / khaki shorts / sneakers / Under Armour backpack / stainless steel water bottle
striped tee / khaki shorts / Under Armour backpack / stainless steel water bottle
striped tee / khaki shorts / Under Armour backpack / stainless steel water bottle
And here’s the other color in the 2 pack.
striped tee / khaki shorts / sneakers
Okay, one more outfit for y’all today! And it’s back to the athletic gear that Carter prefers to live in.
athletic shirt / athletic shorts / slide sandals
These shirts come in a 2 pack for ONLY $10.96! And the shorts come in a 3 pack for ONLY $14.97!
It’s nothing for me to pay $20-$25 per shirt and around $30 per pair of shorts that Carter typically wears, so this is an incredible savings. I’m thrilled to have found these options!
#bluesteel
athletic shirt / athletic shorts / slide sandals
Okay, that’s all for Carter’s outfits today, but I’ve got a handful of more pictures to share. And I want to share my outfit too.
This first picture throws me right back into wanting to bawl my head off.
I’m just so darn proud of this little man AND I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW TALL HE IS GETTING.
He’s grown 4 inches since last July, and he’s still growing like a weed.
Now I’m not going back to school, but if you are a teacher and getting ready to start school yourself, YOU NEED THIS DRESS!
It’s 100% cotton and just a perfect little dress. The subtle tulip sleeves are so pretty, and the tiers are casual summer perfection.
Designed with easy pullover styling, you will be ready in an instant while the tiered bodice gives you a put-together finish. The best part? This dress is complete with two side pockets for even more convenience.
For size reference, I’m wearing a medium. If I had a smaller chest, a small would work because the rest of the sizing is generous, but I need the room up top.
The sandals are AWESOME and ON SALE! I suggest sizing up a 1/2!
tiered t-shirt dress / pink hoop earrings / neutral sandals
tiered t-shirt dress / pink hoop earrings / neutral sandals
And if you recall, I have this same dress in pink as well. And I might have grabbed it in olive too. At only $15 a piece, it just makes sense to have 3. 🙂
tiered t-shirt dress / pink hoop earrings / multi-stripe straw tote / neutral sandals
Annnnnnnnnnnnnd because apparently I share this picture every chance I get, here’s a reader (Shout Out, Rebecca!) with some of her teacher friends. And yes, all of them are wearing THE DRESS! I mean, it looks good on everybody! Several of the colors are picked over in sizes, but I’m telling you, get whatever colors are in your size!
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BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Now that we’ve talked clothes, it’s time to talk school supplies!
Walmart can totally be your 1 STOP SHOP for all of your back-to-school needs!
I buy a box of school supplies that the district puts together for each grade every year, so I already have a head start. I’m quite sure I pay more for the supplies than they are actually worth, but the convenience is well worth it to me. Still, there are odds and ends that we need to pick up on our own. And once school starts, there will be additional supplies that some teachers need specifically for their classes, so I’m hoping I can grab those from Walmart as well.
So what have we already grabbed this year?
Carter is very particular about his pencils, and he only likes to use Paper Mate mechanical pencils. I buy several packages at the beginning of the year and keep them in a drawer so new pencils are ready and waiting for him when he needs them. This is the cheapest I have ever seen these pencils.
You saw the Under Armour backpack and the stainless steel water bottle in the pics above. I was happy to find both at Walmart! And although I accidentally left this next item out of the collage, I grabbed Carter this stainless steel food jar. Last year he took Hawaiin roll sandwiches almost every single day but this year he’s decided he might want to take some hot leftovers. We also snagged a new laptop sleeve to help protect his laptop in his backpack.
We’re an Otter Box family, and I highly recommend them for their durability and the phone protection they provide. Carter didn’t need a new one, but if you have a kid with a phone, consider getting him/her an Otter Box. Phones are going to be dropped, and our Otter Boxes give me such peace of mind.
1) Sharpie gel pens / 2) Wirebound notebook / 3) Paper Mate mechanical pencils / 4) Under Armour backpack / 5) stainless steel water bottle / 6) Apple AirPods with charging case / 7) Apple Watch / 8) Gatorade squirt bottle / 9) lunchbox / 10) TI Scientific Calculator / 11) laptop sleeve / 12) inkjet printer / 13) pencil pouch / 14) OtterBox / 15) HP 11.6 Chromebook
Click HERE for supplies under $1.
Click HERE to check out everything you need for school. And across the top of the page, everything is divided into either age category or supply category.
Click HERE if you have one that’s headed off to college. Again, it’s divided by category across the top of the screen.
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So, are y’all as blown away by these clothes for Carter as I am? Isn’t it crazy how affordable they all are?!? And my dress is the PERFECT teacher dress.
A huge thank you to Walmart and Shopstyle for the super affordable and on trend pieces and for sponsoring this post.
Wendy says
Thanks for the modeling session Carter! I would love to see his favorite “brand” modeling session with links! It’s hard to find a blog like yours where the moms have their kids model clothes. Unless I’m just not using the correct search terms…But anyway, thank you for doing this back to school shopping session.
Sheaffer says
Sure, Wendy! I can probably make that happen next week! xoxo
Tina says
Would you mind giving Carters stats and what size he is wearing in the athletic shirts and shorts? I think I know what size my son would wear but I’m curious as to how these items fit…big? small? Thanks!
Sheaffer says
Hi, Tina! Is about 5’3″ and about 100 pounds. He’s very slender without a lot a meat on his bones. 🙂 I find right now that he’s typically in between sizes in athletic gear. The Larges are a bit short, and the XL are a bit long and sloppy looking. In this post in the athletic gear (shorts and shirts) he’s wearing a Large (10/12). As you can see, there’s not a lot of room to grow, so I’m thinking the XL would probably have been a better choice. In the Polo collared shirt and the khaki shorts, he’s wearing an XL (14-16), so I would say the Polo pieces run small. He’s wearing 14 in the jeans. Please let me know if I left anything out! xoxo
Tina says
Thanks! My son is between sizes too. It’s always such a dilemma. I don’t like clothes to look sloppy but there needs to be growing room.
Sheaffer says
YES, this is EXACTLY where we are Tina!!!! They’ll probably both be in the next size very soon! xoxo
Leah Z says
We live in a very small area with not a lot of shopping options – even Walmart is 20 minutes away. 🙂 So our boys’ wardrobes are basically all of these sporty clothes from Walmart! Our 14 year old has been wearing these athletic shirts and shorts for years and they hold up great! We just buy the next size up each year! I wish I would have read this earlier today, because I just bought my 16 year old basically those exact shoes this afternoon, except they were 30 dollars more because of the brand name! I’ll have to grab this pair for our younger son!
Sheaffer says
Hi, Leah! So great to know the items hold up well! I couldn’t comment on that since they are new to us, but they look well made! xoxo
Regina Lee says
Hi Sheaffer,
You know Carter has turned into a handsome little man. It made me think of our two sons. When our first one went off to college we were sad but he came home to do laundry or just to talk and ended up staying the weekend. We treasured those times. Carter will come home too because that’s where his heart is. Continue to treasure all of these times.
Sheaffer says
Oh I hope you’re right, Regina! Right now he loves being at home with us, so I hope he always will!!!! Thanks for the words of encouragement! xoxo
Amy says
Sheaffer! My gosh has Carter grown and is so handsome and “cool”!!! What a fun post! I have an “only” heading to college so I totally get the time flying and counting the summers down with kids. It just goes too fast! Great job Carter!!! (And you too – like always!!! Sheaffer)❤️
Sheaffer says
AMY!!!! You are going to have to counsel me on how to send an “only” off to college. I’m going to be a MESS!!!! 🙂 xoxo