We started at Target because we happened to be there picking up some photos. The school supply section was surprisingly empty and we got quite a few things on our list crossed off.
Sadly I couldn't find journal style composition books or boxes of crayons with only 16 crayons at Target so we were not done. They DID have rulers and you can see my son using his to sword fight with his unarmed sister. It was time to head to the checkout counter!
The next day I had a bit of kid-free time and I used it to head to Fisher Hawaii. I came across the cast and crew of Hawaii Five-0 filming on the street corner next to the store. Brilliant timing, filming next to Fisher Hawaii during the back to school shopping rush but thankfully they didn't slow traffic down too much in spite of Alex O'Laughlin/Steve McGarrett standing by the side of the road wearing a tank top.
There was a parking attendant in the Fisher Hawaii lot and I was happy to find a spot right away. Even when it's not the back to school rush their lot gets busy. The store wasn't as crowded as I had feared, and I even had the crayon section almost to myself.But then I realized that there was a designated school supply section in the front of the store and that's where most of the shoppers were. It got busier the longer I was there, but I was able to get what I needed and found short lines at the registers in the front when I went to check out.
At both stores I found it entertaining to eavesdrop on my fellow shoppers as we all struggled to figure out what a "portfolio folder" was or to find the box of crayons with the number of crayons inside to match the specifications from our child's school. Some lists were a bit vague and others seemed overly specific. Are the teachers trying to drive us crazy? Do they think they're providing a fun end of summer scavenger hunt activity for us?
I think someone could start a successful business by providing a school supply shopping service. For a small fee they could take your list and do all the shopping for you. Would you pay someone to do that?
When school starts I'll find out how well I did on the school supply scavenger hunt. I won't be too surprised if I'm at Fisher Hawaii, Target or another store purchasing a different size glue stick or another type of folder in a few weeks.
On a final note, I thought the prices at Fisher Hawaii were a little better than those at Target. I especially liked the boxes of 24 Crayola crayons for 25 cents and the boxes of Crayola markers for $1. I bought the limit on both of those items to use at home and to give away.
So have you shopped for school supplies yet or are you waiting 'til the last minute? What's your favorite place to find everything on your list? I still need to get a lunch box and a couple other things, so share your wisdom with me and the rest of our online ohana.
Related Link: Blog post on Fisher Hawaii
4 Comments:
We did our school supply shopping last week and I ended up spending about $250 for 2 kids! Yikes! We went to WalMart & Target and still didn't get everything we needed. Someone did suggest that we go to Fisher Hawaii. Maybe I'll do that next year. :-)
Ouch! Sure hope those supplies last all year long. -Lisa
Oh yes, I would pay for that service and I do. Our PTA lets you pre-order the next year's supplies and then delivers it to the child on the first day of school. The first year, I scoffed at the idea. I love school supplies and it seemed like such a fun thing to do together with my son. It was impossible to find the exact list of items specified and I ended up spending way more than the $40 PTA kit. Second year, I forgot to sign up in time and it was even worse. You better believe that I turned those order forms in early.
However, if my back to school shopping included the opportunity to see "Steve McGarrett" in a tank top I think that would make it all worthwhile.
Hilary
Hilary, Love the PTA plan. I would definitely sign up for that too! -Lisa
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