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Fun and Functional Products

For Kids and Moms!
By Belinda Clarke

Back to school means more free time for parents, but it also costs money! From new clothes to school supplies, September can be an expensive month. And with so many products out there (not to mention the lists the kids bring home after the first day), it's hard to know what works.

Plastic is a Plus
One new product that not only looks cool but does the job is the Pendaflex Student Locker File. This plastic organizer has five colored cascading pockets that fit into a compact case. A built-in hook allows kids to hang it open (cascading style) in their lockers, or it folds up vertically into a handy portfolio secured with elastic straps. An added built-in clipboard under the first pocket holds loose papers or to-do lists. Lastly, the pockets are removable so students can not only keep their individual assignments organized, but take them home and to class, too. It's available where school supplies are sold and retails for $19.99.

For a portable folder/portfolio option, the Oxford Foto10-Pocket Folder has five small, clear pockets on the front for notes, magazine cut-outs or photos, so students can customize the outside. Inside, 10 letter-size pockets hold assignments and reports. The plastic is durable. The cost is $5.49 at drugstores and wherever school supplies are sold.

Fun Photos – Cheap!
Polaroid is advertising a fun addition to traditional back-to-school gear to help kids capture and exchange memories at school. The i-Zone Polaroid camera and film products are inexpensive (less than $20 for the camera and less than $7 for the film), and they are a fun way for kids to exchange photos or decorate their notebooks.

  • i-Zone Instant Camera – The portable i-Zone instant camera creates stamp-sized pictures with sticker backs that kids can stick to their lockers, notebooks or lunch boxes.
  • i-Zone Fortune Film – Fortune Film for the i-Zone creates pictures that reveal a fortune, message or joke when pulled from the camera, which slowly disappears as the image develops.
  • Greeting Card – Lastly, Polaroid gives parents a way to send their kids off to school on the first day with a smile. Simply take an instant photo of a favorite item (i.e. a child's favorite pet, etc.) and paste it inside the card. Add a sentimental wish, and place the card in the child's lunchbox.

The i-Zone camera and film is available at mass market merchandisers and photo stores nationwide.

School Clothes for Less
Old Navy, purveyor of fun and functional clothes (at a great price) for babies, kids and even moms, is going rugby this fall with an entire line of back-to-school staple clothes and backpacks.

"We've taken the traditional rugby shirt and updated it in new colors and styles," says Jonathan Finn, director of public relations at Old Navy. There are also cargo pants, cords, T-shirts and even rugby dresses.

Old Navy also offers backpacks for boys and girls in cool colors for $18.50. For just a few bucks more, teens can step up to the Old Navy Messenger Bags, which close in front and have padded straps.

Another favorite stock-up store for clothes and supplies is Target, which started filling its aisles (and Web site) with back-to-school items in mid- July. In addition to a ton of funky dorm-room items by designer Todd Oldham (such as pillows, clocks and bedding), there are shelves upon shelves of school supplies, backpacks, lunch boxes and insulated lunch bags.

The online product index (www.target.com) contains a backpack with rollers, which is handy when the books get too heavy. When using the wheels, the backpack straps can be stowed in a zip pocket in back. Lastly, Target offers on its Web site a special section for generic school-uniform items such as white oxfords, blue sweaters and skirts and pants in dark colors.

Moms Need Stuff, Too!
Just because you are stocking up on new clothes for the kids doesn't mean you don't deserve a new sweater or a cool pair of jeans. Don't forget, stores like Old Navy and Gap have great fall fashions for women, too! For a reasonable price, you can buy a great pair of pants or jeans and a cozy turtleneck to help give your tired fall wardrobe a boost.

And even Target has some great inexpensive items, if you don't mind digging. Though the women's section on the Web site is outdated, Target introduces new items all the time. And don't forget to check out the handbag selection at Target (not online, but in the actual stores) because it's huge and full of cool fall bags and purses for cheap.

Back-to-School Beauty
Your tan is fading, the kids are (finally) going back to school, so now's the perfect time for a fall makeover. Treat yourself at the local salon to a mini spa day or even just a manicure if you're on a budget. Sometimes even the smallest beauty treats can make a big difference in how you feel, not to mention how you look.

For fall makeup ideas, "Natural tones are always appropriate for autumn," says Cristina Carlinos, founder of Philosophy, a skin care, makeup and fragrance company (www.philosophy.com). "We have two palettes that work beautifully. One is the Superneutral Little Black Book for medium to dark skin, and the other is the Supercool Little Black Book for cooler complexions."

The Philosophy Superneutrals palette has four warm eyeshadow hues, such as light mocha, clay, nude and black, while the Supercool book contains cooler tones, such as silvery blue, lavender and mauve.

For the ultimate "two-minute makeover," Carlinos suggests a light dusting of Philosophy's Complete Me SPF 15 mineral make up followed by the Supernatural Lip & Cheek Tint. "This solution gives you SPF protection coverage and a healthy rosy glow," she says.

Joey Roer, founder of NYC-based Joey New York, says her favorite colors for the fall are in the burgundy and gold family. "Radiant Lipstick Swirl, Sultry Eye Shadow and Wine/Gold chiseled cheeks is the look we are showing for the fall," says Roer. Another key player is the color blue. To achieve the "sultry" look, Roer's fall face includes the Opti-Brite Eye Trio in Sky, which combines eye-brightening, ocean hues with a little sparkle. "Whites of the eyes look whiter, and the colors look more vivid, making your eyes appear healthier and more radiant," she says.

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About the Author: Belinda Clarke is a senior editor for iParenting.com.

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