Acer Timeline Review & Giveaway

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Intel.

Acer-Aspire-Timeline-13.3-inch-photoweb

A confession. I am a Mac girl. What I mean is that the last two laptops I have purchased have been Apple Macbooks. Sadly, the problem with being a Mac girl is that it is ridiculously expensive to be part of that club. Especially since being a PC girl seems so sensible these days.

I know what you are thinking – this is a compensated REVIEW. But honestly, I am a single mother. I have a mortgage. I don’t have a lot of money to toss around on things like $2,000 electronic equipment (especially since image-editing software costs $2000). These days, it seems like making a decision between something chic and shiny vs. paying the electricity bill is pretty much a no brainer. Suffice to say, in light of the recession, we are really paring down our lifestyle around these parts. We are doing it because it makes sense.

Recently, when Paige’s old desktop PC went kaput, we were faced with a dilema – desktop or laptop. An Apple product was not even on the table. While I was leaning towards the more economical “get more for your money” desktop. Paige’s preference was clear – LAPTOP! LAPTOP! LAPTOP! Her rationale was tireless. How else could she go on Facebook from the comfort of her own bed? Also, since we got rid of cable, did I really expect her to watch movies while sitting at her desk? RIDICULOUS! BLASPHEMY! LAPTOP! LAPTOP! LAPTOP!

Paige eventually sealed the deal when she painted a picture of us happily sitting at our neighborhood coffee shop surfing the internet and hanging out. “This is for ‘our quality time’ together, right Mom? Can’t you see us at the coffee shop?” For a mother who is faced with the sunset of her daughter’s adolescence, this imagery was too intoxicating to say “no” to. I am a pushover. We ended up purchasing a mini netbook with a 10″ x 6″ screen. And we were happy. Almost.

The thing is, a mini netbook screen just wasn’t big enough for Paige. She is entering high school. She needs something that is going to help her power through all those homework assignments. She needs something where she can focus on the content, rather than constantly scrolling up and down in order to reference a document/webpage/etc. When we realized we might have gone with the wrong laptop, I was feeling defeated. There was no way I could afford to get anything bigger.

Happily though, we were lucky enough to be chosen to be part of the Intel review. Since it’s arrival, Paige has confiscated it and has barely allowed me the time to actually fiddle with it. In other words, she thinks it rocks. Paige can do everything she needs (homework, research, write) and wants (Facebook, surf the net, chat with friends) with relative ease.

From a technical standpoint, the Acer Timeline is easy to set up (Paige actually did it herself) and use. It’s lightweight, razor thin, boasts an amazing 8 hour battery life and is actually quite chic looking. Best of all, it doesn’t seem to have a meltdown when Paige has every application open – ALL AT ONCE. Second best thing of all? It doesn’t have the hefty pricetag that other laptops have – it starts at $599.

We really couldn’t be happier with it.

Visit the Acer Aspire official site to learn more.

Acer-Aspire-Timeline13.3-inch-photo_02-Web

As part of this review Intel is sponsoring an Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810T-6415 giveaway!

To enter,  leave a comment about what back to school tools or rituals you had vs. what your children have today – or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin at 9:00 a.m. (PST) July 21, 2009 and will end 5:00 p.m. (PST) August 31, 2009. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.

Giveway Guidelines:

  • No duplicate comments.
  • You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
  • You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
  • This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 18 and over.
  • Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
  • You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
    Please see the official rules here: Official Rules

Even better, Intel is giving away nine laptops through other blogs. Find out where you can increase your chances to get a new Acer Timeline here. Good luck!

PS. The quality time hanging out at the coffee shop with my 14 year old? Never happened. I should have known better!

772 Responses to “Acer Timeline Review & Giveaway”

  1. Weight Loss Update & Giveaway | Bacon Is My Enemy Says:

    August 2nd, 2009 at 11:22 pm

    [...] As part of the review, I get to give a laptop away to one lucky devil. Check out the review and contest guidelines here. [...]

  2. 1stopmom Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 12:05 am

    I remember getting excited about having access to a nice set of encyclopedias. Now my daughter has a laptop and my middle daughter who is about to start middle school swears she needs one!

  3. It's All in the Mind Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 am

    I come from an era when PeeChees folders were in … but I couldn’t afford those so got “CheePees” instead. Egad — I can go back further and pull out memories of the slide ruler. Calculators were not common and too expensive. And remember the clanky typewriter? white-out was my friend.
    These days it’s hard to keep up with the young ‘uns and their high tech savvy. Laptops abound and seem to be the wave of the near future for homework and research assignments on the go. Soon they’ll be as common as cell phones.
    Great convenience for the kids … and sometimes mommy (aka me) will be able to gnab it so that I can finally start writing that best selling book!

  4. Meredith Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 4:00 am

    I remember when “back to school” meant buying pens, pencils, binders, spiral notebooks, and a new outfit or two. Now, it seems like “back to school” really means having a fabulous laptop, a graphing calculator, an iPhone, and some other high-tech gadgets. Did I mention I’m only in my mid-20s? Isn’t that insane how quickly times change?

  5. Kent Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 4:44 am

    My rule is show up early on the first day. My son is not quite old enough for school yet, but I hope he follows that rule when he is.

  6. Amanda Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 4:47 am

    Overspending on supplies will never change! I did it as a kid, and with my stepkids. It’s like hope in a protractor.

    I do love the idea of starting fresh at something every year. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a long break from work and everyone came back excited to start a new year? Instead all we get is New Year’s Day hangovers :(

  7. jenn Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 4:50 am

    For me, back to school was a new beginning – new clothes, new pens and notebooks.
    Today, I think back to school is more about getting back into a routine and seeing friends.
    Great review!

  8. Alaina Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 5:07 am

    I always loved back to school shopping. My mom and I would go together and I would get new school supplies, new sneakers and a couple of new outfits that I wasn’t allowed to wear until the first dayof school. I loved spending that time with my mom every fall and to this day I feel like shopping when August rolls around. I look forward to sharing back to school shopping with my own kids someday.

  9. Nicki Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 5:23 am

    I’m starting to feel dated when I think about how for me, getting ready to go back to school meant some clothes and a bag of supplies. You know, there was your basic Trapper Keeper and loose leaf paper, pens, pencils, etc.

    My daughter and son…well, I wish I had anticipated the sheer quantity of supplies they needed and the teachers wanted in the years before their birth. I would have bought stock in Staples. And I’d be a millionaire.

    Last year, the boy headed off to school with a brand new book bag bursting at the seams with his supplies and an additional shopping bag of paper towels, Kleenex, and hand sanitizer for the classroom. The girl, now in high school, changing classes, didn’t fare much better. Plus: she had to have a $90 calculator. I didn’t know a calculator could cost so much. In the bang for the buck department, I might as well have bought her a laptop.

    No wonder I stopped at two kids. Who can afford to have more these days?

  10. Lisa Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 5:28 am

    I remember getting new set of pencils and sharpening them and put them in pencil case. Later it was getting new mechanical pencils to use. Later in 6th grade we moved on to erasable pens to this day I hate erasable pens.

  11. Lori Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 5:30 am

    Sadly I don’t remember too much about back to school. I suppose my parents bought pencils, notebooks, etc; apparently I wasn’t too impressed by it. I do remember in high school the angst of having the perfect outfit to wear on the first day. Like that set the tone for your popularity the rest of the year.

  12. gillian Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 5:58 am

    Trapper Keepers!!! and book covers, basic pencils and papers…now it’s a HUGE list of hand sanitizer, soap, lysol wipes, glue sticks, tissue, crayons, scissors, tape, markers, clipboard, i could go on and on…

  13. Mhlia Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 6:02 am

    Yes, the clothes shopping definitely. Getting the “right” spiral notebooks and paper (I only wrote on college-rule paper). Angsting over not having a trapper keeper… Good times.

    In high school I had a word processor with a screen that showed about 3 or 4 lines of text at a time… imagine writing a paper on that! In college, the internet hit it big – I can still remember the year we all started using it to watch hamsterdance.com (1997, thank you very much). Now, I not only cannot imagine life without a desktop, but I really can’t imagine life without a laptop. Where ever I travel, it goes… I need to know where the nearest Starbucks is to my hotel room! Or the best restaurant reviews in town…
    I think about how we learned to use computers in middle school, where when we finished our typing assignment, we could play Oregon Trail. Now, kids know how to type before they know how to print. Sheesh.
    What’s next? Will elementary schools just start downloading assignments to kids laptops before they go home for the day?

  14. Erin @ Fierce Beagle Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 6:04 am

    Awesome! My laptop’s power supply recently broke. I haven’t fixed it yet. And actually, I realized that my laptop is now 5 years old, which in electronics time is like ancient.

    Question: Does this one have a magnetic power cord, like on Macs?

  15. April Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 6:40 am

    I used to LOVE labeling and organizing new folders and notebooks by subject. Of course, they wouldn’t stay organized for long, but at least for that first week of a new year, they’d be neat and the covers would be in tact :-)

  16. Sherry Conley Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 6:45 am

    School supplies used to be some pencils, notebooks, and a calculator – cheap calculator. Now it’s a list of items that could supply a small office!

  17. Tessa Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 6:49 am

    school supplies meant striped shirts and neon lisa frank folders.

  18. Rayne of Terror Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 6:59 am

    I spent hours at Kmart trying to find just the right Trapper Keeper and other school supplies. I still LOVE shopping for school supplies, backpacks, corderoy pants. My son is headed off to Pre-K in a few weeks, so his school supply list is not much different than mine was; crayons, Elmer’s glue, tissues. I would love to win this contest because my main law school supply, a Dell laptop, is on it’s last legs after 6 years of heavy use. My husband has replaced everything but the bumper stickers over the years, and it’s time for a replacement.

  19. Becky Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 7:03 am

    Going back to school for me meant buying a colorful binder for each class and covering your books with book covers made from paper grocery bags. My son is only concerned with which lunch box will match is back pack. The rest is not important to him.

  20. Verbal Intent » Blog Archive » I Love You THIS Much Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 7:25 am

    [...] of money on them. But I decided I’d do the  nice thing for both of us and link you to the Acer Timeline Review & Giveaway. I’ve never owned an Acer – I’m a Dell kinda girl and I always thought Acer to be [...]

  21. priscilla Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 7:28 am

    i was always stoked to get some gel pens.

    http://verbalintent.com/2009/08/03/i-love-you-this-much/

    https://twitter.com/verbalintent

  22. Elaine Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 7:31 am

    Back to school meant going shopping with my beloved Gma for new clothes. It wasn’t a necessary ritual, but it the quality one-on-one time was definitely a bonus. I don’t have children, but these days my fifteen year old sister hates school so much, she refuses to talk about it until the night before. Any school correspondence that comes in the mail is left for the ‘rents to deal with. Sad…

  23. Melisa Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 7:39 am

    I remember the back to school clothes shopping trip and how important the outfits were. And buying yellow PeeChees. Why were those so cool? My daughter is not yet two, and I wonder, between the computer, iPod, and cell phone, what additional technology gadget she will need when the time comes? I’m ready to move to a small town that doesn’t have cell phone towers or cable!

  24. Samantha Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 7:41 am

    Going back to school meant a shopping trip to the mall for school clothes and then to buy supplies like a “trapper keeper”! Not sure if they even have those anymore…. we didnt have to pay so much money for things back then as they do now… such as paper towels and wipes and such.

  25. Bobbi Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 7:57 am

    You just described our current dilemma. I’m a Mac girl but there is just not enough $$ in the budget to make my boys’ computer a Mac. They are currently without computer but really when you are 7 and 5 it’s not such a big deal.

    As for back to school when I was a wee girl I’d spend the last few weeks of school hoping to be last on the bus. Last on/last off meant that I (and my three siblings) would only ride for about 20 minutes. The alternative was near an hour. If we were last on we’d skip the ride home and head for Grandma’s house to wait for Dad to pick us up. The reverse we’d beg dad to take us to school and then catch the short ride home!

  26. Sonia Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 8:19 am

    I used to make elaborate origami to pass notes to my friends instead of text messaging through the pockets of their hoodies like kids do nowadays.

  27. Rachael J Percifield Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 8:37 am

    Oh…shopping for school clothes. I remember getting my $100 and getting a whole new wardrobe. Certainly can’t do that now. My much younger sister has already spent over $1000 and isn’t done yet. Daddy, can I have a new wardrobe for work??? lol.

  28. Shannon Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 8:57 am

    Back to school meant new backpacks, shoes, and maybe if I was lucky…the newest high-tech trapper keeper. My son’s idea of a blessing from the back-to-school fairy would include laptops and cell phones. He’s 9.

  29. Gambit Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 9:10 am

    School, Luxury!! In my day back in Yorkshire we had to work down t’pit for 39 hours a day, no food, no drink and we had to pay the mine owner for the privilege. But you tell that to kids today and they’ll never believe you!

  30. Renee Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 9:32 am

    It’s not been that long ago since I left school, but man has it changed. I used to need paper, pencils and such. Today they need computers and insane calculators.

  31. Eneida Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 9:52 am

    Oh the notes! How tricky we were in school when we would secretly pass notes to each other back in forth in class. Sometimes we would come up with creative folding methods and stick them in our friend’s lockers. Man did you feel loved upon opening your locer door and finding three or four notes jammed inside. (Of course, all from friends you just had homeroom with or you would be seeing immediately after for lunch!) Today, the nifty cell phone business has taken that special quality away. No more funky decorating, no more teacher stealing it away from the middle man, but also, no more fear that the note you wrote about the guy you like ending up in his girlfriends locker, either:o)

  32. Tiffiney Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 10:39 am

    My sister is starting college in a few weeks and is looking forward to getting a computer for herself. While I am a mac girl myself, it seems she is leaning toward a pc. Since I am the tech savvy sibling in the family, she tasked me with finding her a good laptop on the cheap. I will look into this one and another I saw on cnet. If that fails, then I will force her to get a mac. At least I’d know how to troubleshoot that.

  33. Jennifer Mefford Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 10:48 am

    When I was little we used to try and convince my Mom that our backpacks were worn out and we needed new ones (we usually only got a new backpack every second or third year). Now, my friends daughter tries to convince her she needs a NEW designer handbag!

  34. Van Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 10:51 am

    Growing up, my sister and I had $50 max. to split between us for back to school supplies (for the whole year). We also had to share a typewriter, which was a big pain! And back to school clothes, forget about it. My mom would sew us simple matching outfits. The one bright spot was my Care Bears backpack I got in like 3rd grade that I used for years and years. Kids nowadays don’t know/appreciate how good they’ve got it!

  35. Stacey Hood Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 10:59 am

    I used to love to barter with my mother for new supplies every year..now I just give my son a check and it magically appears in his classroom!!

    Also, shoes..I hated going, but my mother insisted! That’s where my son gets it from!!

  36. Charity S. Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:00 am

    My son has the world wide web..at his disposal. The internet, would have made it so much easier.

    Thanks

  37. Charity S. Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:04 am

    I tweeted.

    https://twitter.com/ccboobooy/status/3109358943

  38. Rita A Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:10 am

    We never had to have all the supplies with us on the first day. You were always given a list at school when you met the teachers for the first day. Now most schools provide lists at local stores for supply requirements needed on the first day.

  39. Rita A Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:10 am

    tweet http://twitter.com/drala625/status/3109441011

  40. Regina Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 am

    My twins are 3 1/2 years old. They will be going to school in the next year or so. I cannot even imagine what kids take to school in comparison what we did when growing up. I am 33 years old. I remember the regular, back pack, pencils, pads of paper, maybe craft supply’s, and lunch. That about sums it up. Today it seems like you get a lap top and something to carry it in and you are good to go. I am somewhat jealous of this but it is what it is. At least now as a grown up I understand a computer, unlike a lot of older people who are computer challenged.

    You are doing a great job on maintaining your weight. Keep up the good work!

    Regina

  41. Libby Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 am

    I remember when it was all about begging for the “cool” trapper keeper vs. the lame 5 subject notebook and cheap 10 cent folders. Now a days, even for my brother (who is only 9 years my jr.) it is about needing at the very least access to a home computer. I was sent to college with a desktop (much appreciated) that was a basic necessity. Today I’m getting by on a $50 refurbished company laptop. It gets the job done most of the time :)

  42. Lisa P Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:46 am

    I love buying sharpies markers. I have a desk drawer full of them in my classroom and my son has now picked up on my obsession.

  43. Heather Fairbanks Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:49 am

    When I went back to school it was about SCHOOL, now days it seems like it’s a fashion show! Not that I would have turned down new school clothes, it just wasn’t my reality. When I watch parents these days drop hundreds (or more) on clothes when their kids already have perfectly packed closets, it makes me gag a little.

  44. Wendi Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:50 am

    I remember Trapper Keepers…..and now all they tell you is “they don’t need anything like that” although someone must use them because they are still out there! I remember the different colored PeeChee folders too. And to think I used to write out all reports by hand……and now most of it is done in programs like Google docs. They started that in fifth grade.

  45. Catootes Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 11:56 am

    Aah, this brings back the smell of fresh newly purchased 3-ring binders, 3-subject notebooks, blue ink bic pens and #2 pencils. I would renew my library card for research papers and a my parents would purchase a couple of snazzy new outfits from Sears.

    Nowadays, I download the school supply list from the school district website. One list for each grade and kid. Go about finding the most cost effective deal online and click to have delivered by the first day of school. All without leaving the house. Thank the Gods for the Internet.

    I’d like a back to school new laptop to use when the the kids go back to school.

  46. Heather Fairbanks Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    http://heathereve.blogspot.com/2009/08/blogher-reviews-contest.html
    Here’s my blog entry for another chance to win :)

  47. Catootes Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    tweet, tweet
    http://twitter.com/Catootes

  48. theantijared Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    When I was in school I picked out a new Trapper Keeper every year.

    That is different for my son. At five weeks old, he does not pick out a Trapper Keeper. He just poops a lot!

  49. ZDub Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    I didn’t have email until I was in college! I also had to go to the library and use microfiche to write my 15 page term paper WITH A PENCIL. Kids these days are so lucky.

  50. AlaskaJoey Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    Well, I don’t have kids, but dagnabbit – I wrote my papers out longhand and then typed them on my electric typewriter. Get the hell off my lawn!

  51. Ms. Latina Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    When I was younger we went shopping from the Sears catalog for EVERYTHING (books, shoes, clothes, bookbags, etc.) LOL Now when my boys get ready to go to school we shop online!

    Amazing how the internet has changed our lives!

  52. Ms. Latina Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    I linked up on Twitter (@MsLatina) and tweeted.

    http://twitter.com/MsLatina/status/3115261697

  53. NappyHeadedGirl Says:

    August 3rd, 2009 at 8:11 pm

    I come from a large family and we didn’t have much money. So, my mother bought all of our school clothes from Montgomery Ward’s (no longer around), JCPenny, and Sears (before they went chic on us). On the first day of school, there were at least seven children dressed head to toe in new everything, crowded in our little living room watching Captain Kangaroo, waiting for the bus to pull up (the older kids were bussed out of the neighborhood) or the quarter hour to arrive (when the younger kids would walk to the elementary school across the train tracks). There was a smell on those mornings that I came to recognize as the first-day-of-school smell. Probably, it was all the chemicals in the new clothes, loosed by our warm, anxious bodies. But I loved that smell. My daughter is an only child; she’s never smelled it before. Once in a while, I catch a whiff of it in a department store, but her nose is not attuned to it. I wish I could bottle it and share it with her.

  54. Krys Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 4:47 am

    First off, I just wanted to say, I really like your blog. I am so glad I found it.

    Back to school is a funny term now. Summers seem shorter and the school supply list seems longer. Ugh. I have 4 more years before my oldest starts school. And I am going back to school as well to be a teacher. Wish me luck.

    Hope you have a lovely day.

  55. Laura Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 7:53 am

    I’ve been lurking for quite a while now, and just wanted to say that it is truly inspiring and also quite amusing :)

  56. Laura Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 7:56 am

    Oh, and for my entry comment:

    My sisters and I were lucky if we got flashy composition books, let alone a new laptop! As far as school year traditions go though, the last day of summer we would go to Friendly’s and eat ice cream as a family. I guess thats a version of “sitting in a coffee shop” ;)

  57. shannon Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 8:29 am

    my favorite part of the new school year was sussing out a bike route to and from school–the older I got, the farther I was allowed to ride! My nephew (who lives with us at the moment) is super excited this year to be able to bike to his school!

  58. samantha jo campen Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 8:34 am

    I remember when the biggest thing was what kind of bag or backpack you had. Now it’s cell phones and laptops? OMG WHAT ARE WE MADE OF MONEY?!??

    :-)

    samanthajocampen at gmail

  59. Sherry Conley Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 8:37 am

    Retweeted:
    http://twitter.com/WestOfReality

  60. Meli Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 9:09 am

    Lisa Frank EVERYTHING (folders, stickers, trapper keepers, pens…) was the trend when I was growing up. I don’t have kids at the moment, but all my cousins have Jonas Brothers/High School Music/Miley Cyrus plastered on all their school supplies.

  61. Soo Jin Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 10:16 am

    I used to cover my textbooks with brown bags that we got for free at the supermarket. Then I’d decorate the front with markers and stickers. I think kids may still be doing that nowadays! I could be wrong though…

  62. mia Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 10:34 am

    Always loved the ritual of getting new notebooks and pens, but am amazed that there’s already a generational gap with my younger cousins and their need for electronics.

  63. KB Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 11:19 am

    Being totally type A, I had to have different color binders for each subject and matching colored pens, etc. I even had the stretchy book covers from Target in law school. I listened to a sony walkman on my bus ride. Now, I’m feeling old. It’s all laptops, ipods, and cellphones.

  64. Kerry C. Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 11:57 am

    We homeschool, so back to school doesn’t mean much to the kids – we slow down a little in the summer but don’t give them the same kind of vacation other kids may get.

    We buy clothes and other supplies throughout the year, and usually off season, so we don’t have to buy them in the rush time of back to school.

    The one cool thing about back to school is the high end electronic sales – like Macbooks, where you can get an ipod when you buy a computer!

  65. Lindsay Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    I remember wanting a new Jansport backpack pretty much every single year – much to my mother’s chagrin, who could not for the life of her figure out why I couldn’t use a backpack for more than 9 months at a time. Also, Lisa Frank folders to hold my stuff were briefly Very Important. I don’t have children, but I do have a sibling ten years my junior, and he never cared about a backpack. He wanted a PHONE. Seriously, no one had cellphones when I was a kid. Technology took us by storm.

  66. April Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

    My favorite back to school ritual was always sharpening my pencils to a perfect point! My kids aren’t old enough for school yet, but I suspect their rituals will be more computer oriented :-)

    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!!

  67. Asianmommy Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    As a kid, I was required to wear a dress on the very first day of school. For my kids, they can wear anything they want to. Our ritual is that they have to have a picture taken on the doorstep before we set out on the first day of school.

  68. April Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    tweeted: http://twitter.com/MommyNamedApril/status/3131174788

  69. Kari Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

    As a kid, I was excited to get a few new outfits along with a couple folders/notebooks, pencils and crayons. Today, I have four children in school. I’m still amazed at the length of their supply lists. Not only are we required to get paper, pencils, crayons, etc. But, we are also asked to provide basic necessities such as paper towels, clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, ziplock baggies, etc. It’s a MAJOR expense to buy school supplies every year.

    This is an awesome giveaway, thanks!

  70. Kari Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 12:43 pm

    Following on twitter and tweeted about your review and giveaway. Thanks.

    http://twitter.com/alas3lads/status/3131383002

  71. Alexi Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    Then: Sailor Moon notebooks
    Now: Hannah Montana notebooks

    *crosses fingers* ^-^

  72. pixie13 Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

    Back to school for my siblings & I meant paper, pens, & notebooks. For my son it means a complete wardrobe update plus all the latest school supplies & extras. The back to school shopping spree is our ritual.

  73. DeborahB Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 4:27 pm

    Used to be boring pencils, pens and folders. Now it’s $90 calculators and $500 of books for one semester for college. God help me. I could really use that laptop!

  74. Beth Pendergist Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 5:01 pm

    I don’t really remember clothes shopping, but I do remember a fresh outfit at the bottom of my bed and getting brand new shoes. For my homeschooled kids we focus on school supplies and food for a good lunch!

  75. In Due Time Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    I blogged/twittered about this (once the post gets published at midnight!) this contest and my response to this time of year.

    SO is getting his PhD in computer science, I think it’s safe to say that my child will grow up a lot more into computers than I will. We never had a computer growing up (single mother, three kids). I bought my first computer on my own.

    In fact, my father just bought his first computer, an Acer laptop a few weeks ago. Ha.

  76. Butterfly Mama Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 8:31 pm

    I got to pick out a folder or notebook for school and I just took my son (5) to pick out a folder. We’ll be going next week to buy some books for him since we are homeschooling so I’m sure things will be much different than how I remember public school.

  77. Kirsten Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 8:32 pm

    The thing I remember most about back to school time is how I spent the night before the first day of school each year. I shared a room with my little sister and we’d lay in our beds with the lights off and wonder together what our school year would be like. We calmed each other down and got each other excited.

    My daughter is homeschooled and we have lots of back to school traditions but my favorite is on the first day of public school. (We start about a week later.) We get doughnuts, drive by the school, roll the windows down and yell, “SUCKAS!!” :) Then we go see a movie, hang out at the park, or do some other fun activity that she obviously wouldn’t be able to do if she were at school.

  78. Missey Says:

    August 4th, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    Hmm- I’m an Apple gal myself and had to dabble in the PC world due to school (many applications only run on PC- bastards). I would like to try out an Acer- because I really have not enjoyed the laptop whose name will not be named but rhymes with “mate day”. I don’t know if I should blame them, IBM, or Vista. Anyway, good luck to me!

  79. Barbara Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 3:49 am

    I went off to college in 1982 armed with everything a student needs to attain higher learning. There was a huge stereo system, a couple hundred albums, a bookcase and about 100 books. It’s no wonder my Dad hated helping me move in. But my most important equipment was an IBM Selectric III electric typewriter which was very chic,state of the art and heavy enough to anchor a boat. Like Greg Kinnear’s character in “You’ve Got Mail”, I remember fondly it’s gentle whirring sound as it powered up and the rhythmic tap, tap, tap sound … all night long. It was fun to watch the little ball inside spin and I could even change the typeface by switching out the ball. But my most vibrant memory is wanting to throw it against the wall every time I made a mistake and ran out of correcting ribbon. You see, as an English literature major I was typing, and re-typing, papers daily. I am probably single handedly the biggest offender in deforestation from the 1980s.

    I went on to be a journalist and am thrilled to report that ravaging of our trees, at least on my part, ended with the arrival of the AT computer. So as we send our kids off to school this year I am comforted that their carbon foot prints are smaller and I can vividly see how far we’ve advanced when I pack up the iPod (pre-loaded with music), the Kindle and the laptop. We will have the same ritual of dropping our daughter off at the dorm, but when we come home we will still be standing erect thanks to the advance of technology.

  80. NGS Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 8:10 am

    My husband and I spent some time discussing the awful getting to bed early, getting up out of bed early rituals that both of our moms (several states away) started a couple of weeks before school started every year. Argh! It was the beginning of the end of summer when our moms became strict disciplinarians about bedtime!!

  81. Sara Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 10:31 am

    By mid-summer, I was always ready to go back to school. I’d start bugging my mom in July to go school supply shopping! Even now, about to start my first year of graduate school, I’m anxious to get my books and start classes. I hope when I have kids, they’ll be just as excited about the start of a new year.

  82. Caroline Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 11:33 am

    Hmm. Back to school for me as a kid was filled with consumerism – shopping for clothes, supplies, general “stuffs”; lots of anxiety about “will I fit in this year” led to haircuts and makeovers; and of course, the obligatory “first day of school” picture.

    My kids are homeschooled. That about sums up our “back to school” rituals. We have none. Although, one of our support groups is having a “Not Back to School” picnic, and I think we’re going to go!

  83. Michelle Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 11:41 am

    I don’t have kids yet but I hated going back to school. I stayed up late dreading the next day. Summer always went by so fast!

  84. jessica c Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    when i went to school i just needed the basic pencils paper ect.
    My high school gets assignments to google thing type things with picture. Highschool these days need a computer.

  85. funderbug Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 12:33 pm

    We were required to take a computer class in highschool, but it was how to right code… my how things have changed! Unfortunately my children, err bunnies, don’t currently attend school.

  86. Karoline Filicetti Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    Let’s see, my necessities were… pink swish nikes, lee jeans, and my trapper keeper. I didn’t touch a computer until college. Thankfully so… I went from Art Major to Graphic designer. We homeschool, so we don’t have to deal with the list of back to school goodies as much, but our computer and internet are our main tools. I am thrilled that he gets to have the WORLD at his fingertips, and glad I get to learn this way with him. :)

  87. xiaolinmama Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    I used to have a uniform so cute shoes were KEY!!
    My kids wear them as well, so my son could care less, whereas my daughter – well, she takes after her mama:)

    I also used to have hot lunch, now I make it for the kids – so new lunch boxes are big at our house. I am prepping for lunch making, but not making sandwiches this month – so September is not so shocking. LOL!

    Thanks for this great giveaway.

  88. Kristin Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    I always loved back to school clothes shopping with my mom. Getting to try all those cool new things on was fabulous. Sadly, as a mom to 3 boys, they couldn’t care less about clothes shopping. I miss that back to school tradition.

  89. Kristin Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    I tweeted it.

  90. Kristin Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    I blogged it.

  91. trishden Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    Many years ago, when I went to school the only things we needed were notebooks, pencil, pens and maybe a ruller and protractor. Now my son is starting college and besides having to buy the books, he needs a laptop, graphing calculator, his mp3 of course, cell phone and a GPS system so he doesn’t get lost coming home when he runs out of clean clothes. Thanks for a great giveaway!

  92. trishden Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    I tweeted on Twitter here”
    http://twitter.com/trishden/status/3156179218

    Thanks!
    trishden

  93. Jessi Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 7:49 pm

    http://criminallyeloquent.blogspot.com/2009/08/want-to-win-new-laptop.html

    I remember the huge trip to Wal-Mart to get supplies and how excited I was to have all those new pencils and notebooks. Now, the kids get laptops and cell phones and $100+ calculators… at least my friend’s child did. eek!

  94. AC Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 9:08 pm

    All I know that is Kindergarten, my girls were required to buy 24 Jumbo glue sticks that costs over $2 each. I bought the small ones and told the teacher if she needed more let me know. Ridiculous.

  95. Michael Christiansen Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 9:47 pm

    We went as a family to K-Mart and bought new school clothes. Us boys would get 2 pair of wrangler jeans that were stiff as a board. And a couple of shirts. Once my parents found out about the Goodwill, we rarely returned to department stores though. We would also buy notebooks, folders, paper, pencils and pens. I remembering covering my textbooks with brown paper grocery bags. And labeling my books and folders with a black sharpie. I would always wear one of my new outfits, and actually comb my hair on the first day of school, hoping to make a good first impression. Also my dad would offer to give us a blessing to help us prepare ourselves spiritually and emotionally for the new school year. I plan to make things equally exciting for my children when they are old enough to attend school. I may even add a tradition from my wife’s family: take a picture of each child on the first day of each school year.

  96. Rebecca Graham Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 9:52 pm

    I had to wind the alarm clock and my kids just pull up the alarm switch before bedtime.

  97. Denise M Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 9:55 pm

    My kids do a lot of the same things I did. Mom put us on a “school schedule” about a week before school started to get used to getting up early. We always went for school clothes, but we had no need for paper or pencils unless we wanted something fancy. Our school always gave us supplies like that. Not so now…wow! How expensive it is! We were never even allowed to bring a calculator to school…now if you don’t have a cell phone and a computer you can’t keep up!

  98. Jennifer G Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 10:01 pm

    My ritual is the same: new clothes and a picture the first day of school.

  99. Marilyn Wons Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    I had crayons, pencils, and notebooks. My grandson has a laptop, backpack and a cell phone!

  100. Jennifer Caven Says:

    August 5th, 2009 at 10:57 pm

    Cats are great – no back to school supplies needed, just a catnip mouse so they don’t feel left out.

  101. Judy Moldenhauer Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 2:16 am

    I remember we were to poor to get our own box of crayons. We all had to share out of a room box. Funny I don’t think crayons cost more now then they did back then. I just bought a box of 24 for 15 cents each to donate to the school.

  102. Mary Childers Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 2:31 am

    To me, starting school meant the aroma of the oil that they oiled the wooden floors with at our school (one time the entire year), and clean blackboards, which were never clean again the entire year, either. Now the floors of the schools are various materials made of a conglomerate of often recycled materials, and never see a drop of oil for fear someone will fall and break their neck! The blackboards nowadays are not black at all but instead green, and may or may not be clean when school starts–who cares?

  103. Tari Lawson Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 3:31 am

    Tools, I don’t think I had any unless you count pencils/pens and maybe a calculator. My kids, they have to have backpacks, hand sanitizer, tissues, and other oddities.

  104. adrienne Gordon Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 3:38 am

    We always have breakfast together and talk about what a good day we will have, same as my parents did.

  105. Brian D. Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 3:50 am

    Back to school shopping meant dragging me around to different stores for clothes, shoes, supplies, etc. Now my kids have uniforms we buy online or get from other kids at school and back to school shopping comes with a list that’s done in a few hours.

  106. sandy Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 3:55 am

    starting school back then made sure you had the right folders and pens and cleaned up your backpack from last year
    these days its not just crayons and colored pencils but in fact electronics, batteries, chargers and fancy clothes but not alot of textbooks becuase a great percentage is on the computer to access.

  107. Carol Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 4:45 am

    I used to always get a new tin lunchbox. My mom would make it a yearly ritual to take me shopping for one. Now eveything is eco-friendly! I’m shopping for my kids and am finding all kinds of new eco-friendly lunch things.

  108. Carol Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 4:45 am

    Tweeted http://twitter.com/cdziuba/status/3165801691

  109. Carol Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 4:46 am

    Blogged http://ceeceeblogger.blogspot.com/2009/08/bacon-is-my-enemy-intel-acer-aspire.html

  110. Kristi C Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 4:52 am

    I continue the same ritual with my children: a day of new haircuts, new clothes, and school supplies.

  111. Sonya Sparks Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 4:55 am

    I think the big difference in my back to school day and Gracie’s is I take Gracie to pick out her school supplies and Mother just bought mine and gave them to me. We make a big day out of Gracie school shopping. It really gets her excited.

  112. Donna Phillips Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 5:11 am

    My Mom used to buy my school clothes, we always take ours and let them pick them out, as I remember having to wear things I really hated.

  113. Barb V. Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 5:14 am

    For me, the start of school was an exciting time and I always had new clothes, shoes and supplies.

    For my son, it’s pretty much “eh” get me some pens, paper and folders and I’m good to go. lol

  114. Heather S Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 5:15 am

    The big difference is my mom picked everything for us. Now we try to make back to school shopping fun and get the essentials but let the kids pick a few items on their own so they have special clothes they look forward to wearing. It is more a team thing now

  115. Julie N Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 5:27 am

    My mom would always take me back-to-school shopping in the summer. I hated it. Who wants to try on fall and winter clothes in July? I tend to wait till my kids need something or just buy them by size when they go on sale. If they don’t fit, I can always return them. Of course, it helps that I have boys instead of girls. I buy school supplies as they go on sale and stock up. My mom only bought what we needed.

  116. Margaret Smith Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 6:00 am

    I remember my Mom bringing me to a number of different stores. Each for a diffent item. Shoes would be one store, pants, blouses, dresses another store. School supplies, even another store. Now, basically we can do all our shopping at one store and get everything that we need.

  117. Grace Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 6:10 am

    I am out of school and don’t have kids. However, I am moving across the country in September, and will then be working from home. I have to buy a PC laptop for that (I’m a Mac girl), so this would be so great to win!

  118. jana Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 6:15 am

    When I was a kid, the first day of school was like any other day. No biggies, no special breakfasts. With my own kids, I make it a celebration – it’s like an early morning party.

  119. Linda Fish Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 6:35 am

    No computers in my childhood!I do remember paper and pencils though. Now my daughter has her own laptop for college. What did we do without them!

  120. Jackie P Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 6:43 am

    We did not have computers growing up but we did buy a Commodore 64 for our kids.Computers have come such a long ways thank goodness.We are looking to get something for our 12 year old grandson…this would be so perfect to win.

  121. Djp Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:14 am

    sign me up

  122. Mary M Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:14 am

    For me, back to school meant seeing old friends and meeting new ones, “starting over” with a new teacher and new subjects… nowadays, it seems kids barely get to speak to each other at school. No recess, no talking at lunch, no talking in the halls (for gradeschoolers). No wonder they IM and text each other all the time!

  123. Nanette Olson Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:28 am

    When I was in school our needs were much simpler. We had new clothes, book bag, pencils and notepads. Now they need the clothes plus all the essential electronic devices.

  124. Aliah D Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:31 am

    When I was a child, my back-to-school ritual included a new backpack, lunchbox, a few notebooks, a Trapper Keeper, a few Composition books, pens, pencils, and a few other odds and ends. Also, new clothes and shoes were bought but sometimes not until the Fall began because it was too warm but a new first day of school outfit was a given! Now my son’s teacher sends a list during the summer. It is almost a page long of things he needs as well as the class. Of course, we purchase a new bookbag, lunchbox, new clothes and shoes. This new Acer Aspire would be AWESOME for my son as he is really starting to love using the computer and it is a dated (read: ancient) one!

  125. Cathy R Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:35 am

    I remember when shopping for school supplies was simple: pens, pencils, paper, notebooks and the like. I didn’t even have to have my own calculator until high school and I did most of my research through encyclopedias and library resources. Now, you have to make sure children have all the tech gear they need, and I am sure many have never once opened the pages of an actual encyclopedia book.

  126. Laura Harrison Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:36 am

    I was a farm kid, so back to school for me, getting up earlier to get chores done before the bus came was a pain. I and my siblings would get new shoes, socks and underwear, but my mom made most our clothes. We had a supply list for school and when we went to town to get shoes, she would fill that list. (no extras) I used to buy my kids what they needed but with just a senior at home, I give him money and leave it up to him to buy clothing and supplies. He really needs a laptop but that it not in my budget. I really hope we win this.

  127. Karen Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:53 am

    I had the same rituals with my kids that my mom had with me. New clothes and new supplies. It was always so exciting!

  128. Michael Oelrich Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 8:02 am

    My biggest ritual for back-to-school was a timeless one: It was intoning over and over my magical back-to-school mantra — “But I need it!” until my mother gave in and bought me the school supply that I wanted and of course didn’t really need (and in fact usually forgot about in the first week of school). I don’t have children — I can’t imagine having to deal with anyone who is like I was — but I have to believe that things haven’t changed too much in this respect.

  129. nattyrapper Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 8:32 am

    My school ritual in 1944 was getting a Chief tablet and pencils.I was always thrilled to get them.

  130. John Rasmussen Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 8:34 am

    When I went to school it was one trip to Sears. We have now spent 3 weeks looking for the lowest prices on college textbooks.

  131. Janice Whitaker Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 8:41 am

    My mom ordered my school clothes from the fall Sears catalog. My daughter has to go to the MALL for hours!

  132. Mary H. Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 9:07 am

    I loved clothes shopping for back to school. We home school, so my kids are most excited about the new school supplies!

  133. janeh Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 9:11 am

    I think the shopping for clothes is pretty much the same……it’s about finding the perfect outfit for that first day…..but the real difference now is the hi-tech supplies needed (or wanted) vs. the very low-tech purchases of school supplies when I was a kid.

  134. Julie N Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 9:22 am

    Tweeted (jellosheriff)
    http://twitter.com/jellosheriff/status/3166903141

  135. Julie N Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 9:26 am

    Tweeted: http://twitter.com/jellosheriff/status/3166903141

  136. McKim Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 9:28 am

    Back when I went to grade school we didn’t need near as many supplies as now days. We took a pack of pencils and a box of kleenexes. We didn’t use calculators or computers – didn’t even have backpacks! Now the kids have a whole list of supplies they have to have, including expensive calculators. And of course they need computers to be able to make in todays world.

  137. Jennifer B. Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 9:34 am

    When I was a kid, I loved to go to the school and check the posted lists as to who was going to be in who’s class. It was so exciting. These days, due to privacy issues, they can’t publicly post that information. I think that the new rituals are more based on electronics and getting the latest gadgets to help them with their school work.

  138. allyson ayala Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 9:44 am

    school shopping was simple when i was a kid, the school usually supplied everything
    now with cut backs we have to buy everything. my how times have changed

  139. Scott V Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 10:21 am

    We always get the girls stuff ready about a month early and they have the bags packed and ready to go. Then we purchase school supplies for groups collecting them for children in need.

  140. debbielynne Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 10:40 am

    Kids today have lists of supplies they have to buy to take to school. When I was in school, the school supplied all the paper, crayons, pencils, books etc. The only thing I had to get was clothes.

  141. Ashley Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 10:57 am

    Backpacks are soooo different. Gone are the packs with a main compartment and the one tiny zippered pocket in the front. Bring on the backpacks the size of carry-on luggage with enough features to make a Swiss army knife jealous!

  142. Ashley Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 10:58 am

    I made a twitter post about the giveaway. http://twitter.com/miscmayzee/status/3167823647

  143. Ashley Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 10:59 am

    I made a post on my blog about your giveaway. http://miscmayzee.blogspot.com/2009/08/another-blogher-laptop-promotion-at.html

  144. Tawnda Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 11:19 am

    backpacks are no longer ‘optional’… but they can’t be used to carry books during the day… Multi-class binders are a thing of the past… now every teacher/class requires a separate binder… and printing out homework on a computer is not only accepted, it’s expected… (no wonder my kids handwriting sux but they can type very fast! lol)

  145. Diane S Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 11:32 am

    Its the back to school pics in the front yard,even when they were in High school (under protest)

  146. Deb Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 11:35 am

    My brother and I were so excited to get new Trapper Keepers. Now, my kids shop for backpacks that can handle three electronic devices and a laptop. Insanely different.

  147. thissideofgaudy Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    In my sophomore year of college, I rented a room in a sorority house. There were about 20 girls living there and one non-correcting electric typewriter. You have not lived until you have desperately typed a term paper out at 4:00 in the morning on the day it is due. Did I mention that it required footnotes at the bottom of each page? Which I had to figure out how to add without breaking the margin rules set forth by the professor. And without going over the allowed number of corrections with the white out which made me even woozier than I already was. Somehow, I managed to pull out an A despite everything. Thanks for the contest!

  148. Elizabeth Dehart Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    My daughter is in first grade so back to school is the same – no fancy gadgets yet.

  149. Angela J Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    At my age, there were NO supplies, just new clothes.

  150. Tanya Wilson Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    Here is the link to the post on my blog (2nd paragraph) about my own rituals vs. my kids rituals of today.
    http://twinceretwinkles.blogspot.com/2009/08/intel-wants-to-help-you-move-to-head-of.html

    Twincere(at)gmail(dot)com

  151. Tanya Wilson Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

    I am following you on twitter, user name @Twincere and
    I tweeted about this Review & giveaway here:
    http://twitter.com/Twincere/status/3168839100

    Twincere(at)gmail(dot)com

  152. Tanya Wilson Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    I blogged about this awesome review & giveaway and
    included a linkback to your blog here on my own blog:
    http://twinceretwinkles.blogspot.com/2009/08/intel-wants-to-help-you-move-to-head-of.html

    Twincere(at)gmail(dot)com

  153. JoeyfromSC Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    Well, when I was in school, it was “cool” to have the metal lunchboxes with various characters/t.v. shows on them!! When I was raising my brothers, they would not have been caught dead with one lol..much less a paper bag lunch haha

    I was actually talking to someone on twitter today about the Trapper Keeper! Remember that notebook? We thought we were SO COOL or one of the rich kids if we had one lol

    Also, kids don’t pay for their school clothes much anymore(IF you’re in high school & old enough to work, you should help lol)

    Thanks for the chance to win!

  154. JoeyfromSC Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:38 pm

    Here’s my tweet about your giveaway!(I love your blog btw!)

    http://twitter.com/JoeyfromSC/status/3168964973

  155. Denise Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 12:40 pm

    I absolutely dreaded and hated school, so the first day was like starting a prison sentence. My kids are now homeschooled.

  156. Christine Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    I remember thinking I was really clever by wearing an old outfit on the first day of school, knowing that everyone assumed you were wearing some of your new back-to-school clothes on the first day. It let me stretch, just a little, the excitement of my very few new clothes.

  157. Stephanie V Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    We used to get our supply list on the first day of school. Now they send it out weeks before school starts.
    tvollowitz at aol dot com

  158. Rose Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    Back to school for me was the basics, notebooks, pencils, paper, and school clothes. It’s different for my children that instead of notebooks, they seem to need notebook computers!

  159. Pat B Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    When I was a kid, everyone bought their own school supplies. Now, it seems you buy not only school supplies, but tissues, wipes, etc. and enough for everyone.

  160. amy mayer Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    I remember we had to carry our books/binders etc wrapped in a heavy duty rubber band type with a hook–our papers would get moist from the dew in the morning walking to the bustop–NOW students have durable backpacks and laptops to protect their books/papers and information!

  161. Tweaka Dilek Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    I used to enjoy shopping in stores. Now I get my son’s and my clothes on Ebay. Cheaper and easier, no lines

  162. Joy F Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    I feel its pretty much the same except everything is more expensive. Thanks.

  163. Jean F Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 3:09 pm

    When I was a kid, we went shopping for several new outfits for the new school year. I have no kids now, so no need to shop.

  164. elizabeth Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    my sister and i used to get a new trapper keeper every year…now the kids get laptops and notebooks!

  165. Sheila F Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 3:33 pm

    When I was in Middle School, we were being taught on an Apple computer about bytes. When my kids started in Kindergarten, they learned how to type on the computer. My how things have changed!

  166. Sue Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 4:04 pm

    My ritual to was to walk to school. My son will be starting kindergarten and will be riding the school bus. I didn’t ride a bus to school until I was in high school!

  167. Deci Worland Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    Believe it or not, when I was in high school, I had to come supplied with a slide rule. This was used before electronic calculators were invented.

  168. linda lansford Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 5:36 pm

    The never ending ritual of buying new clothes

  169. Jason Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    My back to school tools:
    Folders, pens, rulers, erasers, books

    vs

    Sons back to school tools:
    Laptop, electronic reader, stylus pen

  170. Terri E. Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 6:59 pm

    I stick to the basics and try not to get caught up in the cute stuff.

  171. barbara wright Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:00 pm

    Back to school for me meant spending a hot, miserable summer day trying on hand me down clothes for the coming year. Back to school for my daughter means a haircut at a good salon, followed by a day of shopping for clothes that would look good with her new hair.

  172. Vickie A Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    Back to school meant spending all my hard earned money from picking berries, beans and cherries and hoping to have $5 left over to go to the State fair on! My daughter wouldn’t ever dream of getting the cush job of babysitting all summer! geez. I was so thrilled when I got a steady sitting job, no more picking in the hot sun! Woo hoo.

  173. barbara wright Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 7:07 pm

    I tweeted: http://twitter.com/bsw529/status/3173374175

  174. Jen R. Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    I LOVED shopping for school supplies. My favorite was picking out my binder and the colorful notebooks for each subject. I would get my backpack all ready to go weeks before school actually started. I was SUCH a nerd, lol! I have the option to buy a prepackaged kit of school supplies, but I think it takes so much fun out of the experience. So we’ll be doing the old-fashioned “hunting for the best deals and picking out the perfect folders” here at our house. :)

  175. Thien-Kim Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

    I love buying school supplies! The smell of fresh notebooks and all those cool new pens.

  176. Thien-Kim Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 8:20 pm

    http://twitter.com/thienkim/statuses/3174049171

  177. Laura Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

    Shopping for schools supplies & new clothes! The best part– I don’t have kids, yet, but I think it’ll still be fun whenever I get around to kids!

  178. Missey Says:

    August 6th, 2009 at 9:15 pm

    Do you think there is a search engines for give-aways on blogs? Because, no offense meant, I quite like reading your blog, this is the most comments I’ve ever seen on a post on your blog.

    PS I want a computer. Yup- just for saying that. I will be honest, this is my second comment. I did not know if by duplicate entries you meant the same comment, or entries by the same person. Irregardless, I was feeling like I wanted to be a smartie.

  179. k. Usher Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 2:13 am

    Beginning of school meant Mom and Dad would take us camping and one day of the trip we all would go to the outlets to get new outfits. (Wow to buy 3 outfits for 5 of us!!) When we got home we went to the local stationary store and got new tablets, pencils, erasers.
    Now my kid wants everything from laptop to Ipod. Whew

  180. Marjorie Klein Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 2:16 am

    I would love to win this laptop and give it to my husband on his birthday. He would be blown away.

  181. Michele D Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 3:19 am

    New shoes. For me and my kids. New shoes for school. It’s just part of the ritual. This is the first year I have actually purchased back to school clothes because we went to uniforms this year. So that is very different. My mom made most of my clothes and my kids are wearing khaki and polo shirts. The pictures are going to look way different this year.

  182. Cara Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 4:38 am

    I miss going to buy new shoes and a new outift for back to school… my son is only 18mo, so I’ll have to wait a bit to start this ritual with him (though I will sneek and buy him a new outfit for his first day back at daycare… I can’t help myself!).
    I also tweeted http://twitter.com/cararaej/status/15

  183. Deborah R Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 6:09 am

    When I was in school, the “modern” things to have included spiral notebooks (vs. 3-ring binders), ballpoint (vs. cartridge) pens and hand-held calculators (vs. slide rules, I guess). In contrast, our kids have notebook computers, hand-held scanners and power point presentations. I wonder what my grandchildren will have?

  184. AMY BARTLING Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 6:57 am

    Back to school for me meant buying a trapper keeper, spiral notebooks, pencils & pens, and folders. I just spent probably 10 times more money on supplies for my two kids then my parents did for me. Their supply list is so long and different for each kid that it took me almost 2 hours to find everything they needed. Give me a break!

  185. Bill Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 7:06 am

    When I went to school shopping for school clothes was something to look forward too, now kids buy loads of clothes year-round so no need for a certain time for it.

  186. Carol G Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 7:08 am

    Since we are working on grandchildren here, the changes are immense. We got some new clothes and shoes, some pencils and paper, and that was about it. Today there are whole lists of things the students have to bring to school on the first day!

  187. Kate Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 7:43 am

    Well, for me the back to school routine was all about new clothes and school supplies. My Mom and her best friends would pack all 9 kids into the station wagon and hit the outlet center. Now for my kids it is all about lists of things they need and lists of things they can’t bring to school. Things are VERY strict now -from the clothes they can wear to the food they can eat, and the types of accessories they can have. It is a different world from my childhood – high tech and high security.

  188. Don S Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 8:07 am

    Well, when I went to school I had to walk about 2 miles to the bus. Every morning I’d wake up and eat thai breakfast my parents would cook. My family isn’t nearly as poor as my family was when I was younger. Before I couldn’t go shopping for back to school clothes like my kids do now. My daughter now is about to head off for college and we are in need of a laptop for her.

  189. Jenni Saake - InfertilityMom Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 8:10 am

    I grew up around military bases and never lived longer than 2 years in any one home. Attended DOD (department of defense), public, private and home schools. The one thing we always did each year was take a special back-to-school shopping trip not only for school supplies but to pick one new outfit for first day of school. We never had much money, so that back to school outfit was a big deal – new clothes only came at birthday, Christmas, Easter or if we just simply outgrew everything we owned and there were no hand-me-downs available! Mom would have my brother and I stand together on the first day of school for a picture before we left the house.

    For my kids everything is different. They have lived in the same house most of their lives (moved here when oldest was 4) and have homeschooled since day one. But one tradition we have carried out over the years is still picking a favorite outfit (from their overflowing closets rather than a store), getting hair cuts, and lining up together for first day of school photos. I take a “class” shot (all the kids together) followed by individual school pictures marking our new year. It’s fun to see their bodies and personalities growing year to year through the progression of these pictures! We also spend our first day making school boxes that are personally decorated by each child to store/organize that year’s finished school work, set up calanders and plan out our year together. We usually either go out to lunch or breakfast or make something special together that day. We all love first day of school!

  190. Marci Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 8:46 am

    Not much has changed from when I went back to school and now that my children are going back to school.
    The usual shopping day for clothes….all day long. The usual shopping day for supplies and that’s about it.

  191. nadine m Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 9:09 am

    All I needed was new uniforms (if I outgrew the previous years uniform), shoes and maybe a new bookbag. My son who is to be a freshman this year needs a whole new wardrobe (he’s outgrown everything)which I buy online, laptop, and a haircut. Then I have my 3 year old who is starting school too he needs a backback like his big brother.

  192. Jenni Saake - InfertilityMom Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 9:35 am

    Just blogged at http://infertilitymom.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-quest-to-win-laptop-computer.html :)

  193. Jeffrey Beckett Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 10:10 am

    I used to get a new Bic pen every year – the kind that is transparent to see how much ink is left. Today children need a sheaf of supplies compared to then!

  194. Sammi Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 11:00 am

    We definitely did not bring netbooks or laptops to school – we had Trapper Keepers and Lisa Frank spiral notebooks – and computer time was something special and limited – it’s funny how quickly things change.

  195. Kat E Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 11:54 am

    My school tools were a calculator, pens, paper, markers and crayons – for kids now it’s a laptop that covers almost all of those in one. I think it’s great and wish they had been available back when I was in college!

  196. Jeana Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    My kids sure enjoy school more than I did. I don’t remember ever getting excited about going back like they do after a break.

  197. Susan T Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    A ritual I had was going shopping the night of the first day of school for all my supplies. So much fun…Now we receive the lists weeks or months in advance which is nice to be able to shop for good deals but I miss the fun of doing it all at once.

  198. debi welbon Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

    We had pencils and notebooks – and that is about it! We did not have fancy book bags – computors or anything high tech like that! Makes me feel ancient now!

  199. Jadine Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 2:58 pm

    Rituals when I was a kid: none…well, I couldn’t sleep the night before, and it was sometimes my birthday.

    Rituals my kids have: I take a first-day-of-school photo, they get to wear their new clothes/shoes, that’s about it. No wait! After the first day of school, I have them complete a survey about themselves. It’s fun to watch their answers change as they get older.

  200. Kim Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    I don’t have kids, but my old ritual was to go shopping for school supplies. I loved school and that was such a joy for me. The new school year always held such great promise for me!

  201. Linda Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 5:12 pm

    No kids anymore, no ritual

  202. Anne L. Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 5:34 pm

    I remember shopping for supplies and coming home with a Trapper Keeper, notebooks, and pens. Schools today give parents long (expensive) lists of must-have supplies that the school used to provide.

  203. Donna L Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    We used pencils,pens and paper, now computers

  204. Rhonda B Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    When I went to school shopping consisted of clothes and shoes, now it’s all that and you have to get all the supplies. that would be the difference in the back to school rituals.

  205. Jenn H Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 6:12 pm

    I remember my mom taking us shopping we got one new pair of shoes that could only be worn for school and a few outfits, a notebook, folders and pencils. Now my kids have this huge list of supplies and they have to wear uniforms so shopping for clothes is pretty easy.

  206. Christine Vi Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    shopping for school supplies.

  207. Thomas McConnell Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 6:29 pm

    With me, I always wanted (but rarely got….) a new lunch box. My kids always had to have new backpacks.

  208. Reginald S Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 7:48 pm

    My friends and I would walk to school the first day ( kind of tells my age, doesn’t it? ). Now I surprise my kids and drop in for lunch one day the first week of school.They never know which day so it’s a great surprise.

  209. Jennifer King Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

    Mom used to take all of us (4 of us) to shop at one time. Now, I know better and take each of my children seperately.

  210. Dana Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 9:11 pm

    Most of it is the same as when I went to school…except on the school supply list the kids need a thumb drive…all I ever needed was a pad of paper!

  211. Courtney S Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 9:36 pm

    Our shopping list when I was in school was basic and easy… the kids now need so much more stuff. It gets expensive buying for 3 kiddos.

  212. Alex Montana Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 9:46 pm

    I loved picking out the pens I would use. Still love going to the office supply store and doing that at my age!

  213. Dawn Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 10:49 pm

    My ritual was getting my clothes and supplies ready the night before. My daughters ritual is to make sure that she has whatever currently popular character is on all her school supplies.

  214. carol myring Says:

    August 7th, 2009 at 11:00 pm

    OK SO I AM GOING TO DATE MYSELF. BUT WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL. THE SCHOOL PROVIDED THE PAPER. THE RULED PAPER. LOL
    OK SO I AM OLD. BUT WE OLD FIXED INCOME PEOPLE NEED COMPUTERS TOO. AND ITS TRUE YOU ARE NEVER TO OLD TO LEARN.

  215. carole rossi Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 3:18 am

    I spent hours planning my wardrobe, fixing up my book bag and talking to my friends trying to guess who my teacher would be.
    My kids wear uniforms (and hate them, so do I) have a list given to them by their new teacher on the last day of the previous school year and know who their teacher and all classmates will be. All the wonderous mystery is taken out of their life.

  216. Lorri S Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 3:24 am

    I always had to have tons of notebooks to take notes, now they have computers to take notes.

  217. tracy davis Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 3:57 am

    I used to always get a new tin lunchbox. My mom would make it a yearly ritual to take me shopping for one.

  218. Jean P Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 9:00 am

    The Internet and computers have changed the way homework and reports are done. I wish we had those resources when I went to school.

  219. Chris H Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 10:31 am

    We were usually all set for under $5 per kid. New pencils, pens, glue stick, crayons, paint set and a notebook. Now I’m lucky if I get away with less than $200. Closer to $1000 if it’s time for a new PC.
    Ouch!
    ~Chris

  220. Corey Bishop Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 11:03 am

    I can remember my parents buying a USED set of World Books. I loved to randomly read things while I was supposed to be looking up a person, place or thing for a school report. They were heavy and had a distinct smell, which I always associate with “Knowledge”. My kids know what “Google” and “Wikipedia” are. They will never have the sensation of lying belly down on shag carpeting looking up Vietnam, Rosa Parks, or Tennis. They will never think that the world is small enough to fit in that set of books, which took up an entire shelf in our den. Nope.
    The Internet delivers the world to my children. And it could be limitless or as small as a laptop to them.

  221. The Other Laura Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 11:21 am

    I love school supplies. My eight year old could care less. We buy them from the PTO and they’ll be waiting for him on the first day of school!

  222. Thomas Gibson Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 11:42 am

    My daughter and I go to Chicago to shop for clothes. The we spend the night and head over to a museum the next day.

  223. Holly B Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    I think that book reports will be a lot easier! The only thing you’ll have to worry about is false info on wikipedia! lol

  224. Traci Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    I remember shopping for school supplies…and picking out my favorite folders…deciding pencils vs pens….all personalized. Nowadays my kids get a rigid list with detailed specifications…. e.g. blue folder with shiny cover and 3-hole-punch insert…along with items that are for the entire classroom. I am actually quite happy that I don’t have to argue with my son over whether or not he can get a particular mass-marketed folder… and that teachers are no longer sadled with the cost of buying extra supplies for our kids’ classroom. Change is good.:)

  225. Flora Shaughnessy Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 12:34 pm

    Once upon a time all of us kids need to bring to school was ourselves. Now, the kids need to bring their parents financial statement along with their credit card.

  226. JenLo Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

    As a kid, we bought the essentials like pens, pencils, paper…the stuff you actually need for school. Then we always went out to lunch–which we loved. Today, there is a ton of stuff that my kiddos can beg me for–most of it totally unneeded. Of course, they love getting all the new stuff as much as I did.

  227. Lauren Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    My daughter is just about to start kindergarten so she doesn’t have any rituals per se…yet…but I remember going to buy notebooks (the old fashioned kind!) and pens and pencils.

  228. Eryn Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    I used to put off even THINKING about back to school til the night before school started. My husband had to have everything in his bag 2 weeks before.

    Now, my son is just like me, and my daughter is just like my husband! It’s funny how things work out.

    (No, I’m still not ready for summer to be over THIS year, either!)

  229. Heather D. Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:05 pm

    Things were so much simpler for me as a kid. The only back to school ritual I remember is picking just the right lunch box! Now everything has to be ‘just the right one’. Even with kids in uniforms they find things to worry about. I can’t believe how many supplies are required for my 8th grader this year! I was happy to just get a half dozen new peechees each year. Do they still make those? I loved doodling on the covers and wish I’d saved a couple.

  230. joan Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    Simplicity describes the starting grade school supplies that were required in my day, it was crayons, a paint box, oil cloth a box of clay a ruler , pencils, erasrers and paper and no fees.

  231. Melissa Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:28 pm

    Back in the day, our schools supplies consisted of loose leaf paper, a notebook, a composition book, and a box of pencils. We got very few back to school clothes. Today I have to get my children pencils, colored pencils, pens, dry erase markers, highlighters, erasers, rulers, calculators, notebooks of various diffrent sizes, paper, composition books, scissors, glue, glue sticks, ziplock bags, hand sanitizer,book covers and tissues. Not to mention the fact that they each have to have access to a computer. We had the old A-Z encyclopedia and we really thought we had something! LOL

  232. Amber Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    I think it is way more complicated now. I went shopping for new clothes, but the supplies and “needs” just seem so much bigger now. Maybe because I am the mom now??

  233. George Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    It’s funny looking how typewriters were such a huge step forward a few decades ago and how obsolete they are compared to laptops now.

  234. ShaRhonda Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    All the school shopping was done on one day for three kids. Things are so much more expensive now that I seem to do it all summer long, that is the ritual that has changed from me to my kiddos, also we only played school sports today there are no school sports until 8th grade, so sports start in early August, so…..routine starts earlier for kids today!

  235. ShaRhonda Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    Tweeted!
    http://twitter.com/The4Crows/status/3198190995

  236. Spoodles Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:57 pm

    We went clothing shopping every year. Pure torture. My kids are homeschooled, so we just replace clothes when necessary, without worrying too much about the rush to buy school clothes. Now we have a little bts party before we start the year!

  237. Spoodles Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 1:58 pm

    Tweeted: http://twitter.com/Spoodles/statuses/3198320821

  238. Spoodles Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    Blogged here: http://spoodles.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/acer-timeline-giveaway-2/

  239. Maureen Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    Both my parents were school teachers so our entire life revolved around the school schedule. Labor Day weekend was the gateway from summer to school. It was our last chance to enjoy the beach and playing outside late into the evenings. First day of school, meant new clothes, new lunch box and new pencils and crayons and best of all a new teacher. One of my favorite rituals I enjoyed with my kids, when they were in elementary school was a final afternoon at the beach on that last day before school. It was officially closed for the season, but was so peaceful and relaxing. The other ritual was that 1st day of school picture — and now so fun to look back at.

  240. KimberlyOR Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    Hah, hah! I homeschool my six kiddos (ages 16, almost 14, 12, 10, 10 & 8) so this could be fun.

    Let’s see….

    Back to School for me
    vs. Back to School for the kiddos

    ME: New school supplies (remember the smell of that new box of Crayola’s?)
    THEM: Why do you need new school supplies? The old ones are still fine and no one will see them anyway.

    ME: New alarm clock with a differnt alarm sound so that I could drag myself out of bed at 5am to get a shower and make the bus stop in time.
    THEM: What’s an alarm clock?

    ME: Cafeteria lunches served by old ladies in hairnets.
    THEM: Homemade lunches served by old Mom with love.

    ME: The latest and greatest new clothes K-mart had to offer.
    THEM: The latest and greatest new pajamas the thrift store has to offer (who needs school clothes?)

    ME: A new backpack to lug loads of books to and from school.
    THEM: “Dad, Mom needs yet another book shelf added for the collection here at home.”

    ME: Excitement on that first day when we got to meet new teachers and friends.
    THEM: “Oh, you again?”

    ME: “Bummer, summer break is over.”
    THEM: “What is summer break and why don’t we have one?”

    ME: Technology was a new scientific calculator (that is actually thinner than a brick) and 15 minutes on an Apple IIe at school.
    THEM: Technology is a new *graphing* calculator and an Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810T-6415 laptop at home (one can dream and enter, right?)

    I could go on but you get the picture.

    Thanks for the opportunity to enter!

    :-)

  241. Stephanie Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    We had to go buy lots of supplies for back to school, but I could never fit them in my backpack. My yearly ritual seemed to be an upset stomach and dreams of showing up naked! You would think this would be different now that I’m grown up AND I’m the teacher, but I still buy lots of supplies, have a nervous stomach, and, even after 7 years of teaching, have those crazy naked dreams! My sweet son will start preschool, and for now we aren’t buying supplies, just a sturdy pair of play shoes.

  242. Carrie T Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    I use to get to buy school supplies to get ready for school, but now my daughter just gets a WRAP pack. We order it at the end of the year for the next year, and at registration we pick up everything in one pack that she needs.. WOW I think these are the best things in the world!!!! Thanks

  243. Zoe Right Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 3:31 pm

    I used to go school supply shopping right before school started- now we have to wait and see all the different things the school needs.

  244. Christina Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 3:41 pm

    I remember going back-to-school shopping and loading up on jeans, sweaters, etc. etc, hoping they were on sale! Nowadays, I start my online clearance shopping the year before (at least!) and put everything in my closet. As the first day of school draws nearer, I pull out the boxes and my daughter gets to try everything on. What fits, gets washed and put in her drawers. What doesn’t either gets boxed back up for later or put in the donation pile.

  245. Carolyn Ritter Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    Back to school rituals for my and my children were/are very different. As homeschooling parents, our children were involved in the purchase of textbooks not just supplies.

  246. anne Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    When I was in the first grade like over 60 years ago: I can recall some things living with an aunt. I only ever went shopping for RED GOOSE shoes I believe they were called. My clothes were all home made out of feed sacks which carried the chicken feed in. I carried my lunch to school in a round tin bucket. We had the big black pencils for writing and the lined green/gray paper for writing. We read the DICK AND JANE series books for reading. We had nuns for teachers. They had a pointer type stick to point at the black board to show us what to do etc. Times have greatly improved since then.

  247. Cathy N Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 4:21 pm

    I just bought pencils & notebooks. Now we have to buy matching everything. bags, notebooks, pens, folders…

  248. Zukppr Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 4:54 pm

    walking vs carpool
    typewriters vs computers
    waste vs green

  249. Selene Montgomery Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    When I was in school, it was understood the new school supplies had to last a long time, especially crayons, bookbag, lunchbox, dividers, ruler and compass. Nowadays, some of these are not even used, and children sometimes expect new school supplies every month!

  250. Julia Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    I remember my mother bringing home bags and bags of clothes for my brother and I to try on.. some we’d keep, some went back… My mom still does that, but now for my son.. and oddly enough, he’s always perfectly happy with everything she buys.

  251. Miaelkaye Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

    When I was in school, it was necessary to have those three-prong folders (one for each class), a backpack, a lunch box, a simple calculator, and wooden pencils (#2 only). My parents bought new school clothes & shoes and we had to go to bed early the night before school started.

    Nowadays, my kids need a bookbag, money for lunch, a TI graphing calculator, mechanical pencils (still #2 is used). We still do back to school shopping for clothes and school supplies, and my kids are given a week to adjust to going back to school.

  252. Jennifer Miller Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

    For myself, only being 25, the biggest difference from when I was younger and now are the vast electronic and technological differences! I can’t imagine having to get a personal laptop to get through high school; it would have been great and I can most certainly see the benefits to having them but I just don’t believe it’s a necessity. The biggest difference is definitely technology, which I also include iPods and such in that categoory because for whatever reason (I, too, am a Mac girl!) Apple offers iPods in their back to school sales…WHY?! Thanks for the great giveaway!

  253. Miaelkaye Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 5:31 pm

    I tweeted: http://twitter.com/Elkaye/status/3200595296

  254. denice p Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 5:34 pm

    my mom would wait about a week before school to start, then she would go and get them, this always seemed to be when they were practically giving them away.
    aside from cell phone i think school shopping is pretty much the same as when my mom took me. i’ll still be in an aisle and i’ll still here a tween/ teen complain that they have to be shopping with their mom! lol thanks for the chance.

  255. denice p Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 5:37 pm

    i tweeted,

    http://twitter.com/doozercries/status/3200698705

  256. Katie Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

    You’re supposed to have a ritual? Hmmm, who knew, because we never had any as kids. My parents just were counting down the days until they could get rid of us! I’ve started a ritual with my kids of spending time baking something for their teachers the day before school. They love the creativity, personal attention, and making their teacher happy on the first day.

  257. Kathy Luman Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    I remember when I went to Kindergarten. All we did was play all day. Now that have to start reading.All the way through school I basically needed notebook paper. #2 pencils, and few other odds and ends. Now they are putting kids on computers in elementary school. I’m not sure when but I’m sure some year in school a child will need a laptop, computer skill of course, usb, high tech calculator, everything more high tech instead of the old fashioned 3 R’s. I fell sorry for people who will have to try and buy the techy stuff for their children.

  258. Tina Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    So far (my son will be going into the 3rd grade) it’s still the basics – new clothes, new shoes, new supplies, training yourself to get up early again. One back-to-school tradition I hope my son won’t have to deal with – we moved a lot when I was a kid, so the first day of school was often my first day at a brand new school – all the standard back-to-school worries plus wondering if I would manage to find a friend before the end of the day. By the time I went into 3rd grade I’d been in 3 different schools – 5 before the school year was over.

  259. Kathy Luman Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    I tweeted. http://twitter.com/kathyluman/status/3201116262

  260. carolyn Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    I recall new underwear and a new lunch box every year. Today, my kids get new clothes, tons of new school supplies and a new book bag. it seems like we make a bigger deal than our parents did.

  261. Celeste Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    Well, I don’t have any kids yet: but what I would always do growing up is that I would lay-out 5 outfits WEEKS before school started (for the first week of school) LOL

    But, once I have my own kids – I hope to start new traditions with them!

  262. Jess Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    I think the only ritual I really had growing up was that my mom would try to get us to go to sleep earlier each day starting a week ahead of time. It NEVER worked, especially the night right before school started when I was too excited to sleep.

    I don’t have any school age children yet, so I’m not sure what I’ll do when the time comes.

  263. Heather Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 6:59 pm

    This fall my son will start preschool, so we are just getting in to the concept of start-of-school rituals. I think one we will definitely carry over from my childhood is the special new outfit for the first day of school. It’s a classic, right?

  264. Susan T Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:02 pm

    My only ritual as a kid was getting a new outfit for the first day. My kids are not crazy about wearing new clothes on the first day – instead we have a huge list of supplies to purchase. And of course, I always snap a photo of my kids before they leave for the bus although the high schooler is not very cooperative.

  265. Kristin Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:12 pm

    Since we homeschool, learning is year round at this point. It makes for a different dynamic when the back to school mindset is around you and you haven’t ever really ‘left’ school. I don’t know how long we’ll be homeschooling, but I do like the continual learning aspect of it… But there is something about the smell of those new school supplies.

  266. Carla Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:15 pm

    I don’t have any children yet but my favorite back to school ritual was picking out new school clothes.

  267. Theo B Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    Back to school clothes shopping was an adventure. My parents were of modest means and that meant bargain basement deals for me. Needless to say I wasn’t wearing the best of styles and put up with my share of kidding. School supplies were usually hand me downs from my sister.

  268. Stephanie Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:23 pm

    In my day, school supplies were “pre packaged” by your grade and you just picked up the pack at the store and that was it. Today, my daughter gets a list from her teacher, as well as a package of art supplies that are prepackaged.

    More out of nostalgia than anything else, we do a little bit of “school clothes” shopping, but not because she “needs” them…more because that’s what *I* did, as a child.

  269. Erica C. Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:27 pm

    The kids pick out their outfits for a whole week ahead of time…they are so excited!

  270. Kismet Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:27 pm

    When I was a kid the fall meant School Clothes Shopping. We got out winter wardrobes in Sept and moms had to guess at our growth rates.

    I now homeschool and back to school means time on the computer and the school stores. Clothes aren’t part of the equation at all.
    ‘
    ~K!

  271. Chakolate Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    My grandson gets a tour of his new school/classroom every year, and an introduction to his new teacher. That makes so much sense! There’s no fear in what’s known, right?

  272. Chakolate Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    http://chakolate.livejournal.com/61164.html

  273. Amy B. Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

    All I needed was some pencils,paper, and a bookbag. My kids though have to have it all. All the name brand the teachers want.It takes a chunk out of our wallets every year. Crayons, pencils, colored pencils, pens, scissors, caculators, papers (4 kinds), and so much more. The kids have to have the name brands that the teachers want and not whats on sale like I hope. Thanks for the chance to win a great prize.

  274. Delairen Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    I was raised by mom, who for most of my childhood was a single mom with two kids. She would work a lot of strange hours and as much overtime as she could get just to make ends meet, but somehow, she always found the money to buy us new school clothes every year, even if it was only a couple of outfits – so that we’d be excited and looking sharp that first day back to school. It’s something that stuck with me, and when my daughter got to be school age, I’ve shared with her. The biggest difference for me between then and now though, would have to be in our household, a back-to-school-essential is a cell phone. It makes our lives so much easier to be able to plan out afterschool activities, sleepovers and such. But then, my daughter is 13 now – and quite the social butterfly. YMMV.

  275. Mamacita Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 8:15 pm

    My kids are in college now. I sent them away with microwave ovens, stereos, little refrigerators, desktop computers, color televisions, DVD players, and enough new towels to sink a ship.

    I, on the other hand, use towels that I got as wedding presents thirty years ago; my microwave oven is over twenty years old, my desktop computer died two years ago, and while I have a large refrigerator, the ice maker leaks and it’s making the floorboards gap. For school, back in the day, I counted myself fortunate to get new pencils, intact erasers, new socks, and a Trapper Keeper that wasn’t TOO badly marked up by my older cousins.

    Times have changed.

    When I was in college, the rich kids had record players and little B&W tv’s.

  276. Suzy Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

    I loved school, but I hated to see summer end (spending time in the water was simply the BEST). Some times my school supplies just appeared like Christmas gifts from Santa right before school started, but some times my brave mother would take all of us shopping for supplies. My son was raised an only child, and he ALWAYS got to go shopping with me.

  277. Liz L. Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 8:37 pm

    When I was in college, we had a brick & mortar library that was about as bare bones as you can get,extremely densely packed with books, and there were only about 10 or so computer stations for people to use most of which were in need of some serious IT support. For the extremely few that had laptops, there was a constant battle royale going on to fight for the study desks near outlets. Now that same university has long torn down that library and built a state of the art “digital” library in its place, where there is nary a book to be found. There is a cafe and outlets practically floor to ceiling.

  278. Aarika Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 8:42 pm

    I have to say one more thing about graphing calculators! When I was in high school, that was the height of technology but now it’s laptops for everyone. Crazy.

  279. Marly Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    My mom always took me and my brothers shopping for school supplies, and we got to choose what color notebooks and folders we wanted. For my kids, I order pre-packaged supplies from the PTO. The supplies are already in their desks and labeled with their names on the first day of school. The notebooks and folders have to be a specific color and type for them.

  280. Tammy A. Says:

    August 8th, 2009 at 11:16 pm

    I dont remember getting a list of things to bring to school. Now the lists seem to get longer every year. Whew!!

  281. Kathy Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 3:23 am

    I always bought new Fall clothes for the first day. My daughters prefer to wait and buy clothes later in the season when they see what the other kids are wearing.

  282. Les Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 4:58 am

    My son took to computers like a duck to water. It was one of the few things that really got his attention in college. He is now a network engineer and loves it.

  283. Soraya Yarbrough Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 6:08 am

    I remember picking out a metal lunchbox with a thermos that fit inside…Now my kids get backpacks. I didn’t carry a backpack until college.

  284. BarbJ Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 6:33 am

    Oh my goodness, I would sooooo love to win one of these!!

  285. Shelly Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 6:34 am

    I think it’s ridiculous to buy dry erase markers every year. I don’t remember having to buy the teachers chalk. And the clorox wipes & anti-bacterial stuff?? Really??

  286. Sarah G. Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 6:47 am

    For when I was a child, a few school supplies and a lunch box.

    For my kids, tons of school supplies and a lunch box.

  287. Laurie Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 6:51 am

    Back when I was in middle school (ok-I’ll date myself-it was the 70’s), research for a school project meant a whole Saturday at our small-town library with limited access to information. This last year, not only did my sixth-grader gather all her research in considerably less time, she also had access to an immense amount of information. What a difference!

  288. RR Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 7:04 am

    The main difference is that both my husband and I take our kids to school on the first day. We take the morning off, have a big breakfast and it’s the only day my 6 y.o. daughter manages to make it to school with her hair combed.

  289. Mrs. Starling Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 7:20 am

    I remember not have a ’say’ in the shoes and school clothes we shopped for…if it was on sale, it was mine. Even the boy-style tan suede loafers. From KMart. God my kids have it good!

  290. April Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 8:15 am

    My kids aren’t in school yet, but my favorite back to school ritual was sharpening my pencils to the perfect point! I suspect my kids’ rituals will be more computer oriented though… maybe checking out their new teachers on facebook? who knows?

    aprilwoodscary at gmail dot com

  291. April Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 8:17 am

    tweet tweet: http://twitter.com/MommyNamedApril/status/3209415324

  292. Ricki Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 8:42 am

    Back to school when I was growing up meant buying the basics: notebook, paper, subject dividers, a pen, and a pack of pencils. My mom always got me one pair of school shoes, and about 5 new outfits, and a lunchbox with a thermos. My kids? Expensive calculators, fancy notebooks with comics or superhero designs, matching pencils and pens, folders, spiral notebooks, markers, glue, rulers, kleenex, antibacterial lotion, the coolest clothes and shoes, etc. Whose fault is it? Mine. All mine.

  293. Lyndsay Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 8:47 am

    I am currently pregnant with my first child, so I don’t know what our school rituals will be, but I look forward to finding out!

  294. Barbara Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 9:11 am

    I’m really old, plus we lived in the country, so all of my back-to-school clothes came from Montomery Wars and Sears & Roebuck catalogs ordered by mail. Half of it didn’t fit, so we’d mail it back and order more, so it was November before I had my clothing. Now kids order online and get it in a couple days, or make multiple trips to the store to get exactly what they want.

  295. lisabug Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 9:26 am

    When I was a kid in school we had pencils, notebooks, rulers, crayons, and of course the good ol’ library! Now kids have laptops, home computers, internet…the difference is HUGE!

  296. Melody of twins Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 9:33 am

    I mostly remember shopping for school clothes. Now for my kids I get most of their clothes at yard sale and try to buy their supplies during the “no tax” week in August.
    Melody of twins

  297. David Gresh Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 9:49 am

    My kids get a list of the supplies they will need. When I went all the pencils and tablets were supplied.

  298. Autumn B. Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 9:51 am

    i wasn’t in school that long ago (or at least it seems) – we had a list of the things that we needed – same as my kids get today…but it seems like i needed more paper, pencils, etc than they do now because of computers!

    autumn398 @ yahoo.com

  299. Autumn B. Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 9:55 am

    http://twitter.com/autumn398/status/3210804308

    autumn398 @ yahoo.com

  300. Amanda Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 10:20 am

    The biggest ritual I have (I’m still in school, albeit college) now versus what I had when I was in grade school is buying my own supplies. Although I don’t need as many items now as I used to, I still enjoy back-to-school shopping as much as I did when I was a kid.

  301. Heidi T Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 10:35 am

    We love buying school supplies. There is something about the smell of fresh paper and pens.

  302. Angela Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 10:42 am

    First day of school always meant new shoes for me. Nothing is different for my kids!

  303. Gina Hernandez Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 10:53 am

    I always got the bargain basement basics for school. We always let our daughter choose one super special outfit and whatever school supplies she wants. We want it to be fun for her on the first day of school!

  304. Gina Hernandez Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 10:55 am

    I also linked on twitter!
    http://twitter.com/kyrasmom/status/3211575367

  305. carla Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 10:57 am

    kids too young for school, but i still have back to school anxiety each year as face another class of 7th graders. back then and now, picking out the perfect first day of school outfit is a big deal

  306. mamabird Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 11:12 am

    I used to love getting new pens and pencils – all the required stationary – when it was a few weeks before school started. I’d look over them all the time and reorganize them to see that it was all there. My daughter is only 7 months old and so I don’t have anything to do with her but my niece is entering kindergarten in september and is concerned her princess lunchbox might be too baby-ish since she is a big girl now. I’m hoping to find a new lunchbox for her and send it.

  307. mamabird Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 11:19 am

    I also blogged about it for an extra entry. ruralcatharsis.blogspot.com

  308. Gina Hernandez Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 11:23 am

    I posted on my blog!
    http://kyrasmom1225.blogspot.com/2009/08/for-my-second-post-i-am-trying-to-win.html

  309. Elizabeth J Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 11:36 am

    Get organized! Have the clothes layed out and the school supplies bought.

  310. Tracy3675 Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 11:50 am

    Back then, we only received a hot lunch once a month and it was hot dogs, potato chips, and Mcdonald’s orange drink – my parents had to pay and order the lunch a week in advance (school sent a slip home).
    Now, kids can receive a hot lunch everyday and a breakfast!

  311. Billie Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    We do the typical school clothes/supplies shopping right before school starts. Since my 9 yo has been an only child (up until the last year), he would get an almost brand new wardrobe right before school starts.

    This is much different from when I was a kid. I was the 4th daughter out of 5 girls. Can you say, Hand-me-downs!

  312. carolyn Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Every year before school my mom took me to get new saddle shoes. Now my kids want Hannah Montana sneakers. Where did I go wrong?

  313. meg Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    we had to shop at sears growing up- layaway! now, I don’t make my kids do that- I hated having to pick everything out at one store……and they love (as much as i did) getting new supplies- and packing their backpacks with them. so much fun! thanks

  314. Mimi Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    Back to school time is pretty low key when I was growing up and we follow that tradition for my daughter. As my parents did we get back into the school bedtime routine about two weeks out and we buy all of the supplies in early Aug when the fliers advertise the sales. Other than that we don’t really have a routine.

  315. Erin Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    I don’t have kids, but I am a middle school teacher. My back to school ritual is the same as when I was younger–going shopping for at least one new school outfit. :)

  316. Melissa Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    My girls aren’t in school yet, but here our district is year-round, so there isn’t the same excitement for “back” to school – sometimes the break is only 3 weeks! I was always ready to return after almost three months off.

  317. Rosey Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 1:01 pm

    We went to JcPenney and rode the escalator to the second floor (I loved that!) where I picked out a couple of dresses (with my mom’s approval), some socks, and underwear. Then we went to Flippens where I got to sit on a metal pony and be fitted for new school shoes. School supplies were purchased after a list came from the teacher, and I got what was on the list; period. Today, my kids and I go to several stores to shop for school clothes, and we start a couple of weeks before school starts. We also pick up school supplies before we get what the teachers want, according to any good sales we come across in the weeks proceeding school.

  318. ellen Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    My dad always woke us up for school, but for my kids, Daddy is at work long before the kids get up for school so it’s my job now.

  319. Leslie M. Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

    My back to school tools were Quite Simple..pencils, crayons, notebook, spiral notebook, pens! My second year college student daughter tells me she NEEDS a Mac Notebook! HUH??? What?? And she NEEDS a $300 calculator, and she Needs a $400 gizmo that does this and that.. Oh Lordy.. what??

    I walked up Hill to school both ways in the snow with tissue boxes on my feet for shoes (In summer I might add! hahah) and YOU want a MAC NOTEBOOK… Gimme a BREAK! She thinks I took the dinosaur to school too! I’m really NOT that old!

    Thanks for a GREAT Giveaway

  320. Leslie M. Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    LeslieVeg left a Tweet

    http://twitter.com/LeslieVeg/status/3213937215
    Leslie

  321. Bob Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pm

    About 2 weeks prior to school starting we have to move our kids bedtime back to thier “school” bedtimes as they tend to stay up a bit later during the summer. When I was a kid we went to bed at the same time all year round, little later on the weekends but the same all year round.

  322. Michelle Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    Hmm–I noticed in the back to school section there were flash drives–not something I needed when I was going to school!

  323. JessicaD Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 4:02 pm

    Back in the day, the start of school was big and wonderful for me. Getting new school supplies, choosing the first day of school clothes, breaking in new shoes. Loved it. Now that my daughter is starting kindergarten, I hope to develop some of the same happy rituals that I had to start off a wonderful year. Thanks for a great contest! Jessica

  324. Heidi Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 4:04 pm

    With the start of school just around the corner I’m taken back to my youth and all of the preparations prior to a new school year. Who didn’t love wandering store aisles looking for new folders, pens, pencils, Crayons, notebooks dare I say, trapperkeepers? And don’t forget about finding the perfect backpack. Luckily these sorts of shopping trips haven’t changed all that much since my school days and there will be another entire generation of kids who get excited to purchase new art supplies or handfuls of sparkly pens. Of course they’ll also be shoving all sorts of electronics into their new backpacks, but such is progress.

  325. Jeane Gallo Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    We would go to a shoe outlet at a shoe factory and buy 3 or 4 pairs of shoes for me at the beginning of the school year. Mom either made my clothes, or I wore hand-me-downs from my cousin. The only thing she didn’t make was underwear. She even made my coats.
    jgallo1(at)sc.rr.com

  326. Carolyn G Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    When we were small my mom would always lay out our outifts and supplies out the night before school started. She also always took us out to dinner the night before. I would do the same ritual now.

  327. NoDramaMama Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 4:31 pm

    I grew up in the Catholic school system so my back to school ritual was: new uniforms, scoks, shoes, and school required stuff. BORING!

    Here is what I do for my kids! What I have done for both kids when they reached their teens was have a “Back To School” get together at our house the weekend before school starts. This has been a great way to get the kids back together before school starts and avoid some of the awkwardness that can happen after not seeing their friends for the summer.

  328. Tracey Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

    I think our rituals are about the same for now-new shoes, new clothes, backpack, lunch box-CHECK! I think their supply list is a bit longer, though.

  329. Brooke Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

    I loved/hated the first day of school. I was always so excited for the first day to come, but never slept the night before! New crayons, new notebooks, new pencils….ahhhh all those terrific smells! My girls are homeschooled. No first day butterflies so they always sleep well. However, we share a LOVE of all the wonderful smelling NEW school supplies. :D

  330. Stacey Hood Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 5:38 pm

    Although things have changed throughout the years between the time when I went to school and as my kids head off to HS and the 3rd grade respectively…one thing remains the same, the somewhat ill-feeling that they’ll get their feelings hurt, not make new friends, be made fun, get into fights, etc…

    But as I’ve learned to let go and be supportive of them, the rituals have basically remained the same as it was for my parents and me.

  331. Jennifer Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 6:54 pm

    We got so many less clothes than my kids get now… my mom’s basic was 3 pairs of jeans and 4-5 shirts. That was it. My kids get so much more these days. Sometimes I wish I was still in school! Thanks!

  332. Monique Rizzo Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    To me, starting school reminded me of the warm Cream of wheat with the Chocolate Chip Smiley Face my mom would always make me on the first day of school. I still remember it fondly. Thanks for the chance. mogrill@comcast.net

  333. Kay D. Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 7:33 pm

    I don’t have children. I am the aunt of 19 though, and have been shopping for some of their school supplies this year.

    When I went shopping with my mom for school supplies there wasn’t a long list of things you didn’t need on it. Most of the time we got just the essentials; paper, writing utensils, a backpack (if I was lucky), and school clothes. Now these days my nieces and nephews need things like: 6 tennis balls, 3 boxes of Kleenex, a roll of toilet paper, a 5 subject notebook (they probably won’t use), markers (only certain colors), I could go on. I realize that the teachers don’t receive the funding they should, but that doesn’t mean they have to have everyone supply everyone else’s supplies.

    I’m all for charity, but only when it’s really needed. I remember sitting up in class with all my sharpened pencils. A kid, who just walked in strutting in their brand new Nikes, or whatever brand the shoe was, that week, would always ask for a pencil. These same kids use up all the Kleenex, and everything else they feel other children should supply them. If you ask me, I’d rather have my own school supplies, and tissue, than a pair of Nikes, unless I got them from a garage sale or discount store.

    This is long, but it’s the truth. I honestly hope I’m not disqualified, because I really need a laptop for school. The one I have is falling apart.

    coopermoon(at)hotmail(dot)com

  334. Gail Crawford Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 8:47 pm

    my grandkids always get excited by what they wear for the first day of week.

  335. bogartg Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    The best thing about back to school was picking out a new lunch box. Can you beat the Partridge Family? These days, my kids love picking out just the right backpack.

  336. simone Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 10:25 pm

    Ahh the good ol days when you bought pens and notebooks instead of stylus’ & netbooks. I remember begging my parent’s for a TrapperKeeper – I don’t think the kids would be caught dead with one now. Thanks! thebubbledies(at)gmail(dot)com

  337. Kelly V. Says:

    August 9th, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    I remember my favorite back to school tradition being my eraser collection. Cute ones in the shape of ice cream cones and ponies. I collected as many as I could and then proudly showed them off to my class. I thought I was soooo cool! I do not have children yet, but reading about all the things they need now….its insanity!

  338. maggie may Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 1:32 am

    My ritual was homework whenever, or never! My kids rituals involve snack, computer, and texting

    beezus74@hotmail.com

  339. Aaron B from IL Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 5:23 am

    We never had a real big back to school ritual. I do remember how neat I thought it was to start out the school year with all new school supplies. My parents were always sure to get everything that the school requested on the supply list. Now though, I don’t think parents think the school list matters at all. My mother recently retired, and a majority of her students had been coming to the first day of school without so much as a pencil or a notebook. One of the differences that my mom was suprised about when I was a sophomore in high school is that I was required to have a $100 calculator for Algebra 2 class.

  340. karen Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 5:58 am

    I remember always getting new clothes and new shoes right before school. Now my kids wear their normal summer clothes at the beginning of school; I am busy shopping for their upcoming winter wardrobe!

  341. Connieh30 Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 6:43 am

    My boys get a new outfit and then after the 1/2 day we go get the school supplies and have lunch out. It always was a treat!

  342. Katie Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 6:47 am

    I remember always getting new sneakers – my boys are so hard on their sneakers that I am buying so many during the school year that I don’t necessarily buy new ones to mark the beginning of the year.

  343. Connieh30 Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 6:51 am

    I would get the boys to school with new outfits. I would take off the rest of the day from work and pick them up after the 1/2 day. We would go then and get the school supplies and have lunch out. It was always a great day. Now, school supplies are bought weeks in advance and you have to have many many more items.

  344. Janet Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 7:12 am

    It seems that the trip to go get school supplies really gets my children thinking of the new year. We have lunch out and make it a fun day.

  345. Janeen Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 7:23 am

    A new ritual for me as the parent of a kid going into junior high is joining the booster club, which requires me to sell concessions at various sports events during the school year.

  346. Rini Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 7:37 am

    I used to love back-to-school shopping. For me, it was the 1-2 aisles of Walmart when the school specials came on.

    For my kids, it’s a new shopping trip every week, picking up freebies and penny sales from CVS, Walgreens, Staples, Office Max…

    And this year my husband starts teaching, so we get the BIG limits at Staples! ;)

  347. Dynila Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 8:59 am

    What strikes me the most is that all our new rituals are technology-based:

    –Downloading the supply list from school
    –Surfing the web for sales and giveaways
    –Updating the online family calendar with all the holidays and special events

    When I was a kid we had one trip to Sears for BTS clothes shopping, maybe 9 West as I got older and we had a harder time finding shoes. My parents bought all my supplies and handed them to me. I was jealous of the kids with the Trapper Keepers and Lisa Frank spirals because mine were all so boring.

    Of course, part of the reason these rituals aren’t part of our lives is because I put my kid in a school where uniforms are part of life and school supplies are required to be as uniform as the clothing. I like this, but I’m pretty sure the 3rd grader doesn’t.

    Now instead of spending money on BTS clothes I am scrounging area eclectic shops for funky socks to make the uniforms a little less… uniform.

  348. christy Ivie Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 9:28 am

    I remember the school clothes and supply shopping. Organizing and sorting my supplies and packing my backpack. I don’t remember the supply lists being so specific or long, though. More like..a couple notebooks, pencils and paper type thing!

  349. mere Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 10:25 am

    We knew it was time for school when we all went to the store and spent an hour picking out just the right portfolios. Even the 3 prong folders, which only came in solid colors, all had to match each other! Now, the only tradition my kids seem to enjoy is picking out new shoes… must be good for running, jumping, and most importantly, just the right shade of pink!

  350. mary Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 10:33 am

    Back to school shopping! I loved it when I was younger! As a mom, I don’t love it as much with my kids. The school supplies are never just at one store, and the clothes shopping seems to be a nightmare especially now that my little children have enormous adult feet and it’s impossible to find them childlike shoes.

  351. Barbara Bethany Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 10:43 am

    I remember my Mom and I running off to the mall with our list every August. We would shop all day and then have dinner out. My daughter and I follow the same rituals now and it makes me feel close to my Mom.

  352. KristenM Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 11:41 am

    My daughter is just starting school this year, so we don’t yet have any rituals. We’ll start some though, as soon as I think of something we can do.

  353. Rachelle Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    I would have to say that the back to school rituals for the basic school supplies are the same for my daughter as they were for me. I, however, had an older sister and wore hand-me downs. My daughter has the luxury of buying new or new to her from a second store. Other than that, I try to keep it simple. If it worked for me, it can work for her. Sure, we can make life more complicated and complex now, but we don’t HAVE to. And I choose not to, or to let her contribute towards the purchase if she wants more than the bare minimum. I think it’s good for her. Builds character.

  354. Telima Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

    My kids aren’t old enough to be in school yet, so we don’t have any rituals yet. I remember doing the whole “back-to-school” shopping, getting fresh notebooks, new shoes, a whole new set of mechanical pencils…everything like that. It seems to me that kids need a lot more stuff these days for school, but I guess I’ll find out all of that it a couple of years. =) Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance to get a new laptop!

  355. beth s Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 12:34 pm

    Poor Bugman’s back to school ritual for the last three years has been a Birthday Breakfast. Hoping they change the schedule before he’s old enough to not like school on his birthday.

  356. Julie Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 12:37 pm

    My daughter is in kindergarten, so the tools are the same– crayons, pencils, erasers, rulers, etc. However, our rituals are a bit different.
    Each morning my mother would bundle me up and pack me onto the bus for the quick ride to school. I would wriggle with excitement over school and chafe with disappointment over leaving my little sister.
    Now I’m the mom, trying to pry my daughter away from her younger brother long enough to remind her how much she enjoys her “reading and math games”. (We study other things, too– the battle is only getting her started.) So, in a way, our routine is very similar to mine as a child, even though we homeschool!

  357. Keryn Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    I guess the biggest difference for me is the huge amount of supplies the school requests you donate. Notebooks, paper, pencils, markers, ZIP drives, copy paper, ink cartridges…I think that when I was in elementary school, we donated a box of tissues and that was it!

  358. Lindsay Ireland Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    My daughter is only 4.5 years old so we don’t really have any back-to-school rituals just yet. She did just start pre-k today though and we took a picture of her for her scrapbook and to share with the family. A new laptop would help us share those pictures.

  359. Katherine Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 2:25 pm

    When I first went to college (I am still in my 30’s) I got a Brother Word Processing machine. It was like a fancy typerwriter but with a very small screen (could see 4 lines of your paper/text at a time), and you could wait to print it all at the end. But when it printed—it literally typed and it was so slow. But no one else in my dorm had a computer—let alone a laptop. Almost everyone had to type their papers in the computer lab and so my Brother was a prized pocession, and everyone was always in my room borrowing it. Seems so hilarious now! My children now think typerwriters are toys!

  360. Deanna Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 4:05 pm

    Back to school shopping for clothes, shoes and supplies has not changed MUCH since I was a kid except for the cost and style! The thing to have when I was a kid was a Trapper Keeper (do they even make those anymore?). Now the thing to have is a cell phone (starting in elementary!). :O My kids are attending the same schools I attended and some of the same teachers are still teaching (I guess some things never change!). ;)

  361. Deanna Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    I tweeted about the contest – http://twitter.com/deanna_j/status/3233588010

  362. Deanna Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    I blogged about the contest – http://www.winwithdeanna.com/blog-contests/win-an-acer-aspire-timeline-laptop-at-blog-her (Bacon Is My Enemy is mentioned!).

  363. Katherine Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    My back to school ritual included shopping at the mall with my grandma for a new pretty outfit for the school year. This usually included a pretty dress, shoes, tights, etc. Nowadays kids want to hit the thrift stores for the new “old” outfits – retro is in!

  364. Katherine Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    Tweet! http://twitter.com/ktkatherine/status/3236269296

  365. Mindy Molina Says:

    August 10th, 2009 at 7:50 pm

    I loved my ritual of going shopping with my mom and grandma!

  366. Justine Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 12:10 am

    When I went to school I didn’t get very many clothes, and definitely not many I liked! These days I surf the internet to get clothes for my kids, and they get things they really love and enjoy. Technology has changed our rituals for the best!

  367. Justine Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 12:11 am

    I tweeted

    https://twitter.com/ShesAnAngel417/status/3242266524

  368. Judy Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 3:52 am

    As a kid, driving to the big city to shop at Sears 150 miles away. Today shopping on line.

  369. Lori C Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 4:24 am

    I just remember the back to school shopping trip with my mom. I don’t really do that with my girls. They are not as concerned about having new clothes for the 1st day of school as I was. To them it is just another day………

  370. Mary B Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 8:13 am

    My back to school ritual involved getting a ride with one my friends and her family to the only Pic N Save store (now known as Big Lots) to purchase some Wrangler jeans and a couple of tee shirts. Shoes had to practical, like Hush Puppies or Buster Browns. Today with my kids, we hit the discount value stores first, then the skate shops, then its off to the mall. The kids scour the internet looking for the stuff they like then off we go. As far as school supplies, we head off to our local Wal-Mart, Staples and Office Depot stores, where back in my day, all supplies were provided by the school up until I hit Jr. high school.

  371. Krissy Carr Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 8:33 am

    back to school tools or rituals you had vs. what your children have today…
    School supplies, what’s different. I don’t remember having a mile long list when I was in school like my children do now. I remember school shopping with my mom every year, and now my kids do it with me every year. I have fun, but the cost of this are simply outrageous!
    But I guess the biggest ritual I keep, is letting my children pick out what they want, like I was able to as a kid :)

    Thank you so much for the chance!

  372. Krissy Carr Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 8:35 am

    I tweeted! http://twitter.com/BarefootMomma/status/3248091684

  373. Linda Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 9:10 am

    We used to go shopping for fancy clothes for school. Girls always had to wear dresses. Now my daughter wears just about anything she wants to school, and no real back to school ritual. Too bad!

  374. midj Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 9:29 am

    My mom had six of us so there weren’t too many rituals, just getting us ready was enough. My kids and I go shopping together the week AFTER school starts because then they know what their friends got before and can buy the same stuff.

  375. Erin Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 10:18 am

    We didn’t have much money, so my back-to-school supplies tended to very basic, depending on how much my parents could afford that year. I don’t have any kids myself, but it’s very different for my nieces. They spent an entire day shopping!

  376. Cynthia C Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 10:36 am

    Our school supplies were tablets and pencils, crayons and scissors. Now it’s all about the electronics.

  377. Erin Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 10:42 am

    I tweeted: http://twitter.com/rapunzel676/status/3249915704

  378. Laura S Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 10:47 am

    I love school/office supplies and always enjoyed getting bright and shiny new notebooks and pens! My mom always kept it simple with me but my half brothers who are still in school have it much better off and get all the fancy book covers and notebooks and such that are out now. I find myself quite jealous ;) .

  379. Laura S Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 10:49 am

    I linked back to this post in my blog as well:
    http://starbizmuzing.tumblr.com/post/160690507/check-out-the-awesome-acer-laptop-giveaway-over-at

  380. Liz Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 11:06 am

    My mom was a teacher, so back to school was a big deal at our house. Usually, we had a Labor Day cookout on Sunday evening with friends. On Monday, clothes were washed, backpacks were organized, school supplies were labeled, and clothes were laid out for the week. I don’t have any kids of school age at this point, so we will have none of this for a while. But, I got a lot of my habits from my mom, so I expect this to be our routine, too!

  381. Melissa Barnes Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 11:40 am

    Well my parents were very strict so they never allowed me to stay up late during the summer so i did not have “let’s start getting to be early” time like my kids are having to do now.

  382. Melissa Barnes Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 11:41 am

    tweeted http://twitter.com/lovinmykiddos/status/3250756134

  383. Jackie Hall Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    My son took advanced math from the time he was in 7th grade. We had to buy him a very expensive calculator the kind engineers use. Yeah I never needed that! The computer age was just coming about in our schools when i was in Jr. high. No one I knew had one in their home. Now everyone has them. There are many homes were there are more than one computer and lap top. My poor child only has our old family computer. He will begoing off to college next year and needs a laptop. This would be perfect!

  384. Becky Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 2:23 pm

    My back to school traditions and my childrens were pretty much the same..one new outfit…our school supplies…cookies or muffins when they get home…

  385. Tara Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    When I was a kid, we got to go to the store and pick what supplies we wanted. Now, the school sends you a big ole list of things you have to get…kinda takes the fun out of it!

  386. Tara Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 2:31 pm

    Blogged here:

    http://mamahill.blogspot.com/

  387. Christina Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 5:44 pm

    When I was growing up each year we got to pick our own plastic character-themed lunchbox. Now, my son has an insulated bag that is very durable and easily keeps his food cold. So far it hasn’t even occurred to him to toss it (since it is perfectly good) for another color or style.

  388. AB Smith Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 6:06 pm

    one of my biggest rituals was waiting for the classroom lists to be posted on the front door of the school a week before school started. you would learn who your teacher was and your classmates – we’d walked down to the school twice a day to see if it had been posted yet – it was very exciting – my kids dont have anything like that these days.

    thanks for sponsoring this.

    2kidsblogger(at)gmail(dot)com

  389. AB Smith Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

    tweeted

    https://twitter.com/2kidsblogger/status/3257132836

  390. Jeremy Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 6:47 pm

    I took the bus to school, so the first day usually involved picking my seat for the year. Now that I have kids I drive them to school before going to work.

  391. amber Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 7:09 pm

    When going back to school, we never had cell phones or blackberrys. Kids today have all the good stuff! ;) No, I really think it’s great that technology is making it possible for all kinds of great new ways to keep in touch and get research and jobs done with the touch of a button.

    Thanks for the wonderful giveaway! I love your blog title also.

  392. amber Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 7:10 pm

    I tweeted the giveaway also:

    http://twitter.com/lipstickncandy/status/3258233287

  393. Dana Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

    I always remember being excited about going shopping for school. My mom always made a big deal out of it. It was our special day and we left all the boys at home. (Trust me..my brothers and Dad , didn’t mind.)
    Now I am married and have 2 children, a son who is going into the 5th grade and a daughter who has just turned 2. My son, like my brothers..isn’t into shopping…so for our big thing…I take him to McDonalds for breakfast on the first day of school. I know it isn’t much..but he loves it…and it makes him feel special. That’s
    enough for me. Maybe when my daughter starts school…I can have a shopping buddy….

  394. Karen Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 9:38 pm

    I reemmber loving to pick out a special outfit for the first day of school, and enjoying buying school supplies. My two boys don’t care at all about clothes or school supplies, but the ritual for us is going to get their hair cut right before school starts and then going for one last shaved ice, which symbolizes the end of summer.

  395. melissa stover Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    my mom used to take me shopping for clothes and new tennis shoes before school started. i homeschool so my kids don’t get a back to school shopping event.

  396. Karen Medlin Says:

    August 11th, 2009 at 10:24 pm

    With 12 kids in my family while growing up, there wasn’t much of any tradition, we had a lot of hand me downs, but our parents did manage to get everyone new crayons, paper and pencils.
    I enjoyed taking my kids shopping to pick out the school supplies and a date for lunch, I shop now and pick up basic supplies for the grandchildren and take them out too lunch before school starts.
    karenmed409(at)comcast(dot)net

  397. Sisterlisa Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 4:51 am

    My kids get to homeschool and I did not. Our back to school rituals when I was a kid, was clothes shopping and my kids have no need for that but want to shop for clothes anyway. ;O)

    lisa422 {at} gmail dot com

  398. Charlie Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 6:35 am

    Tweeted at: http://twitter.com/charlierb3/status/3266053300

  399. Kathy Scott Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 8:31 am

    My kids share my old dell laptop (10 years old).

  400. Andrea Norris Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 10:09 am

    For me it was always about the notebook. i would spend hours organizing my Trapper Keeper before school ever began. And for my daughter? Surprisingly it is also about the notebook. She always wants a blue one that zips shut and has a strap so she can carry it like a shoulder bag. Like mother like daughter I guess…

  401. Andrea Norris Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 10:12 am

    Tweeted at: http://twitter.com/vixendacrusher

    ajnorris_13 at yahoo dot com

  402. Miss Monky Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 10:23 am

    When I was a kid, the only thing I had to have was paper, a pencil, and a pen. We always got one new outfit just for the first day and a new pair of shoes. My 6 yo nephew told me last week that this year he has to make sure he has enough snacks to feed his entire class once a month! Then he added that he needed new ear buds, a new calculator, and maybe a new watch so he would know when it was time for art class. At 6 he is already WAY more organized and busy than I was at any point before college!!

  403. Christine Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 10:59 am

    I remember carrying a few books and a notebook around and then seeing the huge heavy backpack my son had to carry; what a difference! Thank you!

  404. Tracy H Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    One back to school ritual I remember is going to the mall and getting new shoes from Thom Mcann. A little different for my girls, they still get new shoes, but they come from Zappos.com and they are sparkly!

  405. Flossip Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    I would love to win this computer! Growing up, my mom and I had a special day to do our back to school shopping together.

  406. Sabrina Denesha Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

    I remember having a plastic lunch box with thermos for a drink, no one used ice packs–only the rich kids had those (early 80’s) so everyone had pb & j and sometimes in the winter you would have soup in your thermos and a ssips juice box…now she as separate compartments in her insulated lunch box or hot and cold food plus insulated bottles for drinks and hot foods…

  407. Cheryl Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    My getting ready for school ritual was new clothes, new backpack, school supplies and a terrible stomach ache the night before from nerves. Right now, my daughter’s is the same (she’s 4). But I know that pretty soon, it will involve computers and flash drives and all sorts of stuff I couldn’t have even though of as a kid!

  408. Alexa Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 12:56 pm

    for me it was all about the paper products. My girl is too little for school, but my hubby’s little sister is 12 and for her she’d like it to be all about the electronics. MP3 players, cell phone, etc… Sadly for her she breaks things all the time, so nothing new for her. She’ll have to embrace the new notebooks like I did.

  409. lifeasamama Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

    Going to the store and loading up the cart with shiny new boxes of crayons, unsharpened pencils, blank notebooks… I just love that!! We also took a “first day of school” picture outside every year. I love looking back at those!

  410. Janice Wright Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    Mom made most of my clothing, so going shopping for clothes wasn’t part of the experience for me. On the other hand I don’t have time to sew, so the kids & I get clothes for school, as well as the other school supplies.

  411. sara, no h Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    i looked forward to the first day of school because i knew it was the day my mom made french toast just for me. now my boys are lucky to get a poptart as we walk out the door!

  412. Karen Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 3:38 pm

    When I was a kid the most expensive school supply item you could buy was the Trapper Keeper. Now I see kids with calculators that cost as much as my first car.

  413. Maria Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

    When I was younger it was pencils, marker, and maybe a scientific calculator. Now it’s a laptop for homework, research…

    thank you!

  414. Maria Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 4:40 pm

    i tweeted!!

    thank you!
    http://twitter.com/mariadonahue/status/3276370515

  415. Kathy Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 5:57 pm

    One back to school ritual I had was getting a new lunch box. I had an H.R. Puff ‘N Stuff box…not sure if that’s spelled correctly, it’s been a long time. I remember cracking a tooth on a lunch box, I was trying to bend the handle somehow, using my teeth. My children eat at home, so no lunch boxes.

  416. Bev Watts Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    In my family, we always got new haircuts and new shoes. My kids weren’t so into haircuts, but we always do new shoes!

  417. Monique Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 9:14 pm

    What I remember most about back to school shopping was the clothes shopping. I mean, yeah, we also went to go get paper, pencil, folders, etc. but clothes shopping was a whole day affair with both my parents (and siblings). We had lunch at the mall. We picked out clothes for each other and fought over who would get the cool shirt that me and my sister wanted. Then when we got home we had a fashion show. We would try on all our different outfits and model them. But alas, I have one son (so far) and I don’t see him modeling for me. Plus, he’s less than a year old. I guess I have plenty of time to think of something.

  418. Anthony Says:

    August 12th, 2009 at 11:34 pm

    My kid has a computer that does, among other things, all his papers. Then I had an old bell-type typewriter. That’s all I could get it to do, type when I typed. There was nothing else like games, calculator, and so on.

  419. MelanieMarie Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 4:51 am

    My ritual was to go into a panic about finding classrooms, lockers and remembering combinations. Now that my nephew is nearing pre-school, I love watching him pack his backpack, grab his lunchbox and pretend to watch for the bus!

  420. Ret Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 5:50 am

    In my day my mother made a list of essentials and bought them all at one time in one place. Today that list is 10 times longer loaded with extra’s and non-school related must have’s that we have to trek all over town to find!

  421. Susan Glickman Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 6:41 am

    I don’t think my Mom bought us as many school supplies as my kids need this year. Although they do combine everything in the storage area for ALL the kids to use, regardless of what each parents provided. Helps ease the “have nots”. We still do the new shoes and haircuts-which are needed after a summer of playing outside.

  422. Shirley Westenskow Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 6:42 am

    Oh, as with anything technological, my kids definitely know more, but I certainly appreciate it more than them

  423. Marilynn Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 6:56 am

    I always loved getting to go pick out my new trapper keeper! Now at my grandson’s school, they aren’t even allowed. All they can have is those wired notebooks.

  424. Seth Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 7:24 am

    When I was little, the back to school shopping trip was with my grandparents. We got shoes, clothes, a cool Trapper Keeper, and if we were lucky, a toy of some sort. They kinda spoiled us. Now our oldest (she’s in 1st Grade) gets a similar treatment from us. I can already see that this Mac guy is gonna have to cave and get a PC. A free one would ease the pain a little.

  425. Jamie Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 11:14 am

    I don’t remember my back to school rituals– my son is just beginning school and we are buying him a fish, so maybe his ritual will be to feed the fish every morning?

  426. Jayne Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    The other kids in my neighborhood and I used to put on a fashion show and “model” our new school clothes – lots of skirts with blouses, dresses…. Today the school wardrobe is more jeans and sneakers that are put in the closet until the first morning.

  427. CrystalGB Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    We always went shopping for clothes, shoes and school supplies every year. It was exciting to get all that new stuff.

    Crystal816{at}hotmail{dot}com

  428. Kathy Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 1:34 pm

    I’m thinking specifically of Kindergarten. We did not even have Kindergarten in the public schools back in 1960 something. I did attend a private Kindergarten for 1/2 day. I believe we needed a fat pencil and tablet of wide ruled paper. Learning to spell your name and know your colors was a big deal. My kids were like so way beyong that. Probably like my 3rd Grade! Now they have to bring tissue, paper towel, soap, germ-x, crayons, markers, pencils, paper, notebooks, scissors, glue sticks and more. What a change!!

  429. Krissy Carr Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    I blogged!
    http://www.barefootmommies.com/?p=3884

  430. TheAngelForever Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 1:40 pm

    I remember going out with my mother for a special day. We would have my supply list. As we looked for items, got new shoes/clothing we would go out to lunch for a fun day. I am hoping to start this with my son this year as well. He is going into first grade and last year was a little too anxious to start too many traditions.

  431. erika :: inspired mama musings Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    i sew my little girl a new outfit for the first and last day of school every year, just as my mom did for me when i was growing up! i am happy to carry on this tradition with my own family :)

  432. Betty N Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    When I went to school, it was much simpler to get ready for school. We got a few new clothes and pencils and crayons and we were ready for school to start. Now the long list of materials needed given even to elementary students is time consuming and expensive. Clothes may be uniforms or regular today according to school.

  433. Betty N Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    tweet here
    http://twitter.com/Grandma3710/status/3295342006

  434. Betty N Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

    blogged here: http://betty-n.blogspot.com/

  435. Anna Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 4:55 pm

    Here’s a back to school tool that all the kids seem to have today – a backpack. Why did we not have backpacks back when I was in school? We always carried our books, pens, pencils, etc. in our arms. Part of the back to school ritual now is getting a new backpack or making sure last year’s still has some use left in it.

  436. Anna Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 4:59 pm

    Tweeted – http://twitter.com/bcmom/status/3297929963

  437. Mary Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 5:17 pm

    Anna, you beat me to it!!!! Good job! Other differences, in addition to backpacks, are insulated lunch “packs”…when I was a kid we used paper bags or those metal lunch boxes. I remember, with total delight, buying new clothes. But again, we purchased one pair a new sneakers and one or two changes of jeans, a few t-shirts or if you were a girl, as I am, a button down blouse. We had those little zipper bags for all our pencils and eraser…just loved all the new folders and newly lined paper. Now, my kids type their papers on the computer in Microsoft Word and print!

  438. Mary Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 5:29 pm

    Tweeted – http://twitter.com/mljheine

  439. Anna Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 5:37 pm

    I mentioned this giveaway in a blog post (along with a few others)

    This is an amazing giveaway!

  440. Christine Fay Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 5:49 pm

    My son is not in school but I do have many cousins that are current students in k-5 schools.
    There are SO many different things! The computer is the big thing, we had to do RESEARCH IN THE LIBRARY, kids!!
    So archaic, right?
    Back to school ritual… I went shopping in my sisters closets… now they go online to stores or to the nearest high end store :)

    Also posted on my blog!

    http://faybird.blogspot.com

  441. Kirsten Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 5:58 pm

    Well my son is only 5 months, so he doesn’t have back to school rituals yet. But, I am sure they will include a computer when he does go to school and computers were not even on the horizon when I was in grade school.

  442. Tonya Williams Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 6:51 pm

    I remember when preschool didn’t cost so much..but I’m not complaining..just a little shocked when my two year old came home with a “school supply list” haha

  443. linda Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 10:08 pm

    We had to get few new school supplies but nowadays the kids get long lists of items they need. Now shopping has to be part of the ritual of getting ready for the new school year.

  444. susan Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 10:23 pm

    Surprisingly, we still have a lot in common. Buying school supplies and that special outfit for the first day of school is something we still enjoy doing. However the school supplies seem a lot more high tech like jump drives and fancy calculators!

  445. susan Says:

    August 13th, 2009 at 10:24 pm

    Tweeted ~ http://twitter.com/susanlanai/status/3303105703

  446. sandra Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 4:42 am

    i had a pencil case and backpack ready for school. my son only seems to need his lunch bag.

  447. Jennifer Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 6:46 am

    My children LOVE to school shop. I did too. It’s a great bonding experience for our family. It’s always nice to do something that the kids are excited about. Now WHAT we buy is different. I bought lunch boxes and notebooks. They will be getting money for lunch and maybe a new COMPUTER! :)

  448. Tarah Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 7:27 am

    We had to buy pens, pencils and notebooks – they’re still buying notebooks but in a computer format!

  449. Jill W Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 7:51 am

    My mom took 1st day of school pictures of us every year in our new outfits (and I had my roommate take them for her when I was in college, too!). I need to find them all to make a collage – that would be so cool! Anyway, I also had to have a new trapper keeper (weren’t they the best!) and I loved pens. My daughter is only 2, so no school for her yet, but I am definitely going to keep up the 1st day of school picture tradition with her!

  450. Jill W Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 8:17 am

    Blogged here: http://tinyurl.com/lfcaoh

    thanks!

  451. Jill W Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 8:31 am

    tweet, thanks! http://twitter.com/idahojill/status/3310518819

  452. Rory Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 9:42 am

    The day before I school I picked out everything I was going to wear, packed my bag (nice and neat) and got everything ready (keep in mind, this only lasted for the first day). My son does the same thing. It’s hilarious!!!

    Thank you

  453. Tiffany Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 9:55 am

    I blogged about it!
    http://anunhingedlife.blogspot.com/

  454. Betty Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

    My needs were mostly new clothes. My kids are given their schedules and assigned teachers weeks before school starts. The supply lists are now posted in the stores and the cost mounts up.

  455. Betty Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    tweeted
    http://twitter.com/bettycd/status/3321108352

  456. Aimee W. Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    I was all about getting my Trapper Keeper, notebooks, and cool new pens and pencils. Pretty simple, huh? Well, not the case for my two daughters. All of their back to school supplies MUST be eco-friendly and made from recycled materials. Now, this I agree with. However, the amount of “necessary” electronics astounds me! In the past, they had been sharing one laptop. But now that my youngest is entering 4th grade…that no longer seems possible. Both girls have been presenting their case on why they each need their own laptop all summer long. Times are tight…so winning this giveaway would be a life-saver!

  457. Aimee W. Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

    Tweet: http://twitter.com/Nelsby/status/3321729309
    Thanks!

  458. Kerrie Mayans Says:

    August 14th, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    My mom would always take me to Target and get me only the things on my list. I take my kids to Target too but I get them things on their list, plus extras to keep at home so we have backups to send to school when they loose their protracter in march or have run out of school glue in february.

  459. courtney Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 5:23 am

    I use to love buying notebook PAPER now it’s notebook computers.. Crazy!! :) courtneyssweets [at] hotmail.com

  460. Suzanne Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    We always had new homemade clothing. I had never owned a store bought pair of jeans until after High School. Now I, like everyone else, hunt for clothing deals in the before school sales.

  461. Carolyn G Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    The days before school started my mom would set up a table in our room so me and my sister could lay out our supplies. It was so cool because starting weeks before my mom would buy us stuff here and there. And then my grandparents would buy us stuff. So we would lay everything out and look at it. It was like christmas.

  462. Carolyn G Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 12:32 pm

    tweeted http://twitter.com/carogonza/status/3333299367

  463. Carolyn G Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 12:32 pm

    blogged: http://theartofrandomwillynillyness.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-intel-laptop-at-these-sites.html

  464. Annette D Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    I have two sons one age 20 and the other 16. We still have the same beginning of school jitters, even my son in College. We still go out the week before and stock up on school supplies and new clothes. I also like to do something special like go to their favorite restaurant for lunch before school starts.

  465. The Jacobsen Family Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    For me, it was shopping for clothes, and having to have the perfect trapper keeper and folders (usually had to be the Lisa Frank ones!!). My oldest is only 5, and we homeschool, so he’s really doing nothing that we used to do. He doesn’t need new cool clothes, backpack, pencils or anything like that. What we do need his grammy usually buys for him!

  466. The Jacobsen Family Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 2:17 pm

    Blogged! http://ourjacobsenfamily.blogspot.com/2009/08/9-different-giveaways-for-acer-aspire.html

  467. CMC Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 2:24 pm

    Back to school shopping and preparation was pure HELL when I was a kid. My mom didn’t drive (still doesn’t) so we either had to take the bus to the nearest mall (totally embarrassing!) or wait ’til my dad was able to take us on the weekend, which was even worse. Oh, that, and I was a fat kid, which made clothes shopping even more torturous! I loathed August each year as the days crept closer to September. My boys are nine and three, but they have it WAY better than I ever did! I drive, for one, so mall shopping (shopping at all, really) is the norm for them. They are both normal-weighted, so anything they want from the rack will fit them (provided their sizes are available.) Plus, they have WAAAYYYY cooler clothes for kids now than they did when I was their ages. No more plaid Toughskins (BLECH!) They don’t realize quite how fortunate they are – or maybe the problem is that I DO!

  468. lace Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 3:26 pm

    The night before school I had a ritual of setting out my clothes, packing my bag and making sure I have everything ready to go in the morning.

  469. bridget3420 Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

    My mom used to take me shopping and we’d have a whole mother/daughter day. I don’t have children.

  470. bridget3420 Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

    tweet

    http://twitter.com/bridget3420/status/3336323785

  471. sarah h Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 6:14 pm

    We take pictures before sending them off to school just like my parents did!

  472. Joanna Price Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    My child is only 7 months =)

    My mom used to make cookies on the first day of school for us when we came home (I’m sure she made cookies lots of other times, but I remember specifically always the first day of school)
    For a number of years my mom used to take me and my best girl friend to Mall of America for back to school shopping!

  473. Joanna Price Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    Tweeted- http://twitter.com/joannagiveaway/status/3337893599

  474. Joanna Price Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 6:16 pm

    Blogged- http://pricemommysense.blogspot.com/2009/08/giveaway-monday_11.html

  475. Annette D Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    Posted on my blog
    http://abdoggett1.blogspot.com/2009/08/want-to-win-laptop-check-out-httpwww.html

  476. Melissa @Mel4Him Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 7:14 pm

    When I was in school:
    Chalk, blackboard, one single classroom, Elmer’s glue, subjects all taught by one teacher, 30 kids to a class, two classrooms per grade,

    My son,
    Dry erase boards, dry erase tablets, highlighters, teachers assistants, room parents, move to other classes for reading, etc., computer lab, glue sticks, backpack, lots of high tech gadgets in the classroom, 4 2nd grade classrooms, 20 kids to a class.

  477. Janna Johnson Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 8:32 pm

    When I went to school we only had chalk boards and needed pencils and a protractor! Now my nephew needs dry erase markers and a graphing calculator!

    Thanks for entering me! Great Contest!

    Janna Johnson
    janna@FeedYourPigBlog.com
    jannajanna@hotmail.com
    http://www.FeedYourPigBlog.com

  478. Arin Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 8:51 pm

    Back in the day we each had our own school supplies labeled for our own use…now we buy the same list of supplies but the class shares all of the supplies-no labels or worrying about what brand is cool.

  479. Katie Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 10:09 pm

    Well this year I am hoping that by some miracle I will be able to start a back to school tradition with my daughter.I know that growing up my sister and I would get so excited about going shopping for new clothes, a new backpack and all the supplies that were on our list. Mom would take us and one thing I always will remember is being able to buy new shoes and having to wait to wear them so they would remain brand new for the first day of school. Well I dont know if that will be a possibility this year for my own daughter. She is 5 and this year she will be starting Kindergarten. She is so excited and feels so big but it breaks my heart when she sees all of her friends getting new clothes, shoes , backpacks and supplies then she asks me when will I take her to go shopping so she can get her things as well. I just dont know how to tell my 5 year old daughter that this year , her first year of school that mommy and daddy dont have any money. How do you explain to a 5 year old that daddy got laid off and because of the economy daddy cant find a new job and has had to go back to school full time so that next year we can do all the things that are needed. We have tried to get supplies but I went to 2 different school supply giveaways. The first I waited 2 hours in the heat and when it was my turn I was told that they had run out. The second one I got up at 5:30 am last Saturday and waited in line till 8am and when I got to the tent they told me my daughter had to be present, even though I had her social security card and school list. Well she wasnt feeling good so I decided to leave her home with my husband and not make her wait with me. I went home and picked her up and when I got back they had already given everything away. I have always pictured this first year to be a year for all of us to remember especially my daughter but I am afraid the memory will not be a good one. Then there is my husbands list for school , as if we had the money to even begin to take a peek at his list. I did look and on there it says he needs a lap top. You would think that after all the money they take for tuition the lap top would be provided especially in these times. I know that in his class that he is the oldest so the other students probably have parents that can help them. Unfortunately for my husband , both of his parents have passed and my parents have a hard enough time putting my sister through school and my mom (who is going for her doctorate) so we dont have anyone to turn to for help. How do they expect people who are trying to recover by changing their careers and lives and making huge sacrifices to do so , to be able to afford a lap top as a item on a school supply list as it is we cant even get our kindergartener her supplies.

  480. Tracy Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    I thought I was cool when I got a trapper keeper, and now kids have laptops and cell phones and iPods for the first day of school, you’ve come a long way babies! ;)

  481. DG Says:

    August 15th, 2009 at 11:35 pm

    we always got a list at school but kids these days just go in with everything ready to go in their bookbags

  482. linda Says:

    August 16th, 2009 at 5:34 am

    Great giveaway!!
    I know that the supply lists are MUCH longer now than they were when I was in school!

  483. joni Says:

    August 16th, 2009 at 9:28 am

    I remember in Catholic school getting these clear plastic bag-like holders for our books. They would be nice and shiney, but only for about a week. I use to love when we got our new ones.

  484. tuesday Says:

    August 16th, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    Aside from a few small specific things teachers wanted, my mother just gave use $20 and a ride to CVS to buy it. Now the lists are low and VERY specific!
    I loved shopping for school supplies when I was a kid and for my kids now!

  485. Annette D Says:

    August 16th, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    tweeted http://twitter.com/annedoggett/statuses/3351753563

  486. Linda Says:

    August 17th, 2009 at 12:49 am

    When I went shopping with my mom we did shop for name brands, we chose whatever we personally liked. When my kids went shopping, it had to be name brand tennis shoes, Levis, shirts etc. The difference in price was something else–whew! Maybe we missed something along the way.

  487. Van Says:

    August 17th, 2009 at 11:39 am

    I tweeted.
    https://twitter.com/cuckoolulu

  488. Tracy Says:

    August 17th, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    My sons’ back to school rituals are not that different from what mine were. Two weeks before school starts, we do all the clothes shopping. One week before school starts I change the bed time/curfew from the summer routine to what the school routine will be so they can acclimate before school starts. Unlike me when I was in school, they do not care about their school supplies so throughout the summer I purchase the supplies I know they will need and then will finish once we receive “the list.” 2 – 3 days before school it is time for haircuts.

  489. Tracy Says:

    August 17th, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    I tweeted: http://twitter.com/FlourChild2006/status/3367907009

  490. cris Says:

    August 17th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

    Back to school when I was a kid was new shoes and maybe a new lunch pail -very simple. For my kids, it’s a long list of school supplies (and hand sanitizer!), new shoes, new lunch pail. The rest works itself out during the year. None of the kids care about clothes, so we’re off the hook for now (plus Goodwill has always been the best and affordable!).

  491. Ravzie Says:

    August 17th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

    I can’t believe how many electronics are required now! A pencil and a piece of paper worked just fine for me!

  492. BSYB Says:

    August 18th, 2009 at 7:41 am

    I loved shopping for clothes and school supplies each year. I loved writing my name on them. Now my kids really don’t need much anymore (spoiled, i guess!). As long as they have thier cells for calendars and computer for homework they are set!

  493. Melissa Says:

    August 18th, 2009 at 7:45 am

    There wasn’t a lot we needed for school – the school pretty much provided everything, from the mimeographed homework sheets to those funny gizmos that helped you draw a perfect circle. We had to bring our own pencils and pens I guess, and there was the new lunchbox as well. When I was in high school I had my own computer – a 286 with a black and orange screen and a dot matrix printer. I took that to college with me! Now kids have laptops and graphing calculators and fancy pens and pencils that cost more than my pee-chee folders!

  494. Selinda McCumbers Says:

    August 18th, 2009 at 11:11 am

    My son is just starting school this year, so we are still working on our rituals!

    Thanks,

    selinda_mccumbers at yahoo.com

  495. Debra F Says:

    August 18th, 2009 at 11:41 am

    I remember going back to school in high school, and it was all about what that outfit was going to be that I wore on my first day. Our ritual that I remember was the fight over back to school shopping. I was a bratty teenage girl and thought my mother knew squat about anything! Nothing she wanted to get me was good enough, and nothing I wanted to buy was appropriate in my mom’s eyes……don’t you remember those Jordache jeans you had to have, but mom thought they were too tight and would give you a yeast infection!?! Oh, the good old days! Anyway, my boys are in kindergarten and 3rd grade, and they could care less what they are going to wear. My little one is excited to use his brand new Superman lunch box and my older son is negotiating with us how many days he can take his DS to play on the bus, and how many days a week he gets to buy school lunch. I’m sure it’s bound to change as the years go by. Right now, it’s so precious!

  496. steve stone Says:

    August 18th, 2009 at 11:48 am

    we always had to have new shoes. my son prefers wearing his old ones till xmas.

  497. T. Renniks Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 12:20 am

    Five new outfits, and a new pair of shoes, was a necessity after the summer “growth spurt”. A notebook filled with ruled paper and a few pencils, and we were ready for the first day of school.

    Now, there is a list that includes tissues, hand sanitizer, Lysol, along with Bookbags, crayons, colored pencils, calculators, a ream of paper, and expensive gadgets that have bypassed my technical abilities!

    What happened to phonics and new math?

  498. Karen Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 7:43 am

    I remember having computer class in school and it was on the old Apple computers that were ugly and brown and boxy. We got excited because we got to play Oregon Trail or that game where you eat fish smaller than you and try not to get eaten. There was no such thing as the internet or looking things up online. We learned how to do things with dot commands….

    Today everything is online, and it is trusted, and games are more awesome and more educational. It is a totally different world…

  499. Tammy Hankins Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 11:20 am

    new cloths

  500. Jamericanspice Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 11:32 am

    In my time, I would only get new books and unforms. we’d still have to wear our old shoes and backpacks and it didn’t matter if they were tattered. We did not get driven to school or ride in a school bus. We had to take taxi (depending on how far away from civilization you lived) and / or take a regular country/city bus to school. You better get up early enough too to get their on time because the bus does not wait!

    We did not have new textbooks. You’d rent at the library or walk around and borrow from neighbors.

    In this time with my kids, they get to go shopping with mom and get all things new and ready for school. They also get to ride a school bus or be driven to school. They get new textbooks etc.

  501. Milcah Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    As of right now my children are still quite young; 7 and under so our rituals aren’t very different now than mine were coming up then. I do homeschool my children. I wasn’t homeschooled until 10th grade

  502. Joanne Schultz Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    I think kids today have it a lot easier with computers, graphing calculators. Back when I was a kid, we had to go to the library when we needed information, and we thought that using a slide rule was great!

  503. JODI Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    No rituals. We’re boooooring. First day of school, get on the bus. The end.

  504. Kerry Simpson Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

    My mom took us shopping at Kmart. I think the school’s packages are soo easy and waay less crowded.

  505. Samuel Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 5:47 pm

    When I was young, everything was low tech: paper, pencils, books. The most hi tech thing you had was your calculator. Now high school kids have laptops. My oldest is just starting first grade, but I can see him getting a laptop in middle school. (I know he will want one earlier, but he will just have to wait.)

  506. Tracy W. Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    We needed very little to get back to school when I was growing up. There were no laundry list of items that I must have to get me through the school year except for the basics, pen, pencils and paper.

  507. Emilia Awarska Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    I remember getting sooo excited when it was back to school time: I would get to spend time with my friends, buy new clothes, pencils and, if I were lucky, colored pens and markers. I also would get a brand new backpack, not a hand-me-down one! Now, kids need a new Ipod (or even better, an Iphone!), High School Musical-themed gear, glitter-everywhere clotes. What happened to humble uniforms, I ask?
    Love your blog!!!

  508. Jill Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

    Well, I don’t have kids, but I sure do miss a long summer vacation :) Seems like they start back to school a lot earlier these days than we used to, though. That’s probably the biggest difference.

  509. Trisha B Says:

    August 19th, 2009 at 8:59 pm

    Back when I went to high school it was paper and pencils. Now it laptops.

  510. Samuel Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 2:04 am

    Tweet. http://twitter.com/samski21

  511. The Mom Jen Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 9:10 am

    I remember PeeChee folders and Trapper Keepers, and now my daughter’s school supply list includes Flash Drives!! How the tide turns!

  512. The Mom Jen Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 9:11 am

    Tweet! http://twitter.com/themomjen/status/3430981940

  513. The Mom Jen Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 9:12 am

    Blogged it here, http://www.themomreviews.com/2009/08/acer-aspire-timeline-laptop-computer.html

  514. Kristy Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 9:22 am

    I was a Catholic school girl so back to school meant trying on uniforms, driving to the houses of older girls for hand-me-down uniforms and trying to find earrings that would express “me” past all the navy blue and plaid. Mom went out alone and bought all the things on our list, maybe from a grocery store or Peoples Drugstore.

    Today, I’m bombarded by Back-To-School Sales ads on TV, in the paper and in 10,000 emails. We inventory the clothes my stepdaughter has now and try on everything in the winter clothes bin. Hand-me-downs go to donation. I comparison shop for the best deals on school supplies – never at a grocery store! I establish a budget and then shop with the little girl, repeating the budget and our list her many times as she counters with repeating words like “cool” and “want” and “more”. When the budget is done, we’ve confirms I’m “So. Not. Cool.” and my title of “Meanest Parent Ever” is still safe, we check out and go home.

  515. Jessie Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 9:35 am

    All of our back to school rituals are pretty much the same! We both got/get excited about back to school shopping – clothes & supplies, take photos by the door with our first day outfits, and have a good breakfast before the first day. I love bringing my old rituals and traditions into our family now. :D

    XOXO

  516. Samuel Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 10:35 am

    Here is my blog link entry: http://buzaroundtown.blogspot.com/

  517. Jennifer M Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 11:43 am

    I think the only real difference is I had a bag, she has a backpack. Because she’s only in K, she’s still on the pencils/notebook/folder stage, not yet ready for techie stuff. She does have computer classes at school, though, and even recording studio lessons at camp!

  518. Lee Ann Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 1:16 pm

    I think one of the biggest differences was my son always had a whole list of school supplies that had to be bought for school. When I went we only had to make sure we took in a box of Kleenexs.

  519. Amanda G Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

    We had room mothers and class parties, small classes where everyone knew each other and everyone communicated.

    Now, we can’t even send in a snack. You never know who your kid’s teacher will be or what’s going on unless it’s something bad and at the last minute.

    I wish things were like they used to be, even half.

    Thank you for the generous giveaway. My little sister could really use this!

  520. Vicki Andrew Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    I would always go with my mother to the tearoom while taking a break from cloths shopping, today my teenagers shop at thrift and vintage stores, they reuse and recycle, no tearooms for them

  521. Christina King Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    Wow – what a difference in just 21 years! I basically only needed notebooks, binders, binder paper, pens & pencils. Today -we’re needing PDAs, laptops and paper & pen (in case the PDA and/or the laptop goes down)

  522. Nichole Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    One of the things we did as a child was shop at Target when it was so not cool to shop at Target. With my daughter, we shop at consignment shops and garage sales and she loves it as much as I do…we try to outdo each other with the great stuff we find.

  523. hminnesota Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 5:43 pm

    I studied in India, and we went to private schools there(public school system is for really poor people). Back to school was fun, and we had to buy many more things, but that was just a year around process not one time shopping. No back to school sale also there. Here is a different “season”, and I really enjoyed it for the first time since my eldest is starting Kinder garten this year!!

  524. Miranda Allen Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 6:06 pm

    The only difference is I took my peanut butter jelly sanwhiches in a brown paper sack my kids have nice dora lunch boxes with lunchables and good balanced meals in theres and such.

  525. Jessica Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 7:00 pm

    Our back to school ritual usually involves the kids helping me look for deals in flyers and online so they can get an idea of what they want and what’s within our budget. Having them help budget things out is a great way for them to prioritize what they need with what’s affordable. Then we set a day where I take them each out to the stores and we stop and have lunch at their choice of place. It’s a great way to spend time together and take care of an errand all at once.

  526. Jessica Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    tweet http://twitter.com/Jessilyn82/status/3442193741

  527. Jessica Says:

    August 20th, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    Blogged http://jessilyn82.blogspot.com/2009/08/head-over-to-bacon-is-my-enemy-to-enter.html

  528. Atilio Deambrosi Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 4:54 am

    We are going through the first day of school for my 6 year old (first grade) and 4 year old (K-4). They are excited and honestly, so is mom and dad. When I am not traveling I am the one driving them to school which is fun, since I get to ask them about what they are learning, or we pretend we are in a spaceship or a submarine and we site see from the windows (oh look at Jupiter, and man that is a big octopus). My 6 year old has owned a laptop since she was 4, thanks to the fact that I am a geek and my mother-in-law loves technology. Looking for a cheap laptop for the 4 year old so she can bang away on it (computers are the most patient teachers – Mickey can spend hours asking what color something is). I myself own 2 netbooks (got to sell the 8.9 acer aspire one) with the latest being the Acer Aspire One 11.6, which is nice, but a little under powered. Interestingly enough I have a mac book pro from my work, but with the low battery life and weight I prefer the acer. Anyway, back to school is a fun time, and yes I too have certain smell and emotions associated with back to school, which I get a whiff of ever so often. Best wishes as you bring up your children and help them enjoy the wonderful thing it is to be alive.

  529. Kelly Hamilton Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 8:46 am

    My daughter and I had/have the same ritual–going clothes shopping. My son’s ritual (for the last 3 years) is getting his hair highlighted–he has dark hair and likes to get blonde highlights. Then shopping for school supplies is a big one for him–we never really did it so much when I was growing up–just buy one trapper keeper and I was good to go.

  530. Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810T-6415 Giveaway - Ends - 08-31-2009 Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 10:36 am

    [...] http://www.baconismyenemy.com/home/acer-giveaway/ [...]

  531. Melissa Conatser Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    My kids are young, so we haven’t really got any rituals, other than making sure we have the paperwork lined out and any doctors appointments seen to.

    I blogged about this here: http://romanceaddicted.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/the-fourth-site-to-enter-to-win-the-acer-laptop/

    Melissa
    melissaconatser at gmail dot com

  532. Milcah Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 6:24 pm

    Linked on twitter: http://twitter.com/comefollowme/status/3464114871

  533. Milcah Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 6:29 pm

    My blog post is here: http://humanchristian.blogspot.com/2009/08/another-short-and-sweet-post.html

  534. Pamela Clark Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 7:30 pm

    I can remember when my mom used to take my sister, brother and I school shopping. I remember that getting a cool new backpack was one of the most important things to us. But, now that I have a daughter who is 15 yrs old, the only thing she is worried about is if she has the right type of cellphone, clothes and she keeps asking for a laptop like all her friends have. Wow, times have really changed since I went to school and it gets even harder to keep up with all the new stuff coming out.

  535. Alexis AKA MOM Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 8:08 pm

    Oh yeah I so need one :) .

    Let’s see all summer long my parents had me reading books and practicing spelling words in computer games. I had my son practicing some fun games and started also with some books. On the same line just more technology :)

  536. Rashon S Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 8:11 pm

    My number one goal was to always make it early. I pound this into my suns head at all times. And it lets you know you are serious about class. He doesn’t understand why sit in the class room before class starts but he does it anyway.

  537. Dan Box Says:

    August 21st, 2009 at 10:53 pm

    I constantly tell my self that if I do well, and put in the time to get great grades I will get great scholarships!

  538. Joyce Says:

    August 22nd, 2009 at 7:06 am

    My daughter is almost 2 and loves to try to “use” my laptop. I just hope it lasts since she is quite rough with it. She’ll probably be proficient using in by the time she’s in grade school! My current laptop is my very first one!

    One thing I have noticed is that kids are using bags with wheels instead of carrying all their books on their backs with a backpack.

  539. Jennifer Y Says:

    August 22nd, 2009 at 8:19 am

    I remember when back to school rituals used to comprise of shopping for new clothes (especially the “first day back” outfit), notebooks (the old-school paper and spiral binding kind), pens, pencils, highlighters, and the endless list of stationary. Today in this day and age, it seems everything you could possibly need for back to school, (including being able to buy your back-to-school outfits online!) is all wrapped up in one super thin and light portable notebook (the 21st century kind~). This is definitely one of the most awesome improvements in back to school rituals to date!

  540. jen gersh Says:

    August 22nd, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    I used to talk on my landline with my friends before school. Nowmy kids twitter and text message

  541. DarcyO Says:

    August 22nd, 2009 at 3:04 pm

    My mom took us shopping to discount stores for a few back-to-school clothes. My daughter shops at the MOA and definitely not the discount stores. Each year I take a photo of my daughter on the first day of school — we weren’t so big on pictures when I was in school.

    dlodden at frontiernet dot net

  542. ky2here Says:

    August 22nd, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    I’m from the pre-calculator days so one thing we’d need to do is purchase a slide rule.

  543. Me Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 4:06 am

    Where is the review of the Acer?

  544. Roberta Harwell Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 9:48 am

    I loved getting new pencils and pens for school. Now, it seems like everything has to be a certain brand and if you get the wrong color it has to go back. I got excited about a new Trapper. Now they have to have a new laptop for school. What gets me is the expense of everything. Have a great day.

  545. Tracy H. Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm

    I always started getting up early for school about 2 weeks before school all on my own. My kids I’ve had to force to get up early for years. School supplies have changed alot over the years too. What kills me is the teachers don’t just ask for watercolors, its Prang watercolors, crayola crayons, elmers glue. What about the folks like me looking to save a little money. I buy generic stuff to eat why can’t they use generic stuff at school.

  546. Jessica Gugel Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 2:14 pm

    I absolutely loved school and couldn’t wait for the new school year to start. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up so we didn’t really go all out back to school shopping. I remember all of our local stores like Wal-Mart had lists with the teacher’s name/grade and what supplies they were saying we needed: pencil box, scissors, glue, #2 pencils, etc. We bought only what was required. I didn’t own a computer until my junior year in college whereas nowadays elementary school students are using computers. I absolutely love technology and all that it can do. I love having the ability to look up anything at any time, knowledge right at my fingertips, I’m a Google fanatic. But I think it has a downside as well. Kids don’t play the way they used to. I was outside all summer long, riding bikes, swimming, playing kickball. Now all kids want to do is sit in front of the computer or a video game and we wonder why we’re the most obese nation in the world. I personally don’t think an eight year old needs an iphone or any cell phone for that matter.
    Great review. This laptop looks great, wonder if I can talk DH into buying me a new one:)

  547. Delilah Vela Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    In my school days, we didn’t even start school until after Labor Day. Now my daughter’s school starts the middle of August. My supplies consisted of the #2 pencils and one nice pen, gym shoes, paper, crayons, etc. Now my daughter needs mechanical pencils, pens from Japan, cell phone, laptop, and fancy calculator. the simple days are no more.

  548. gala2 Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm

    I’m glad I was such an avid Twilight Zone fan as a kid. It truly is helping me get through the idea that back to school shopping time is now mostly spent considering NASA-level electronics I could never have imagined even existing as science fiction in the days when I was picking out peacock blue ink cartridges, those delicious smelling number 2 pencils, and a snazzy ring binder in our dusty old town stationary store.

  549. Olivia Brock Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 5:23 pm

    School lunches were brought more than bought. Now-a-days, school lunches are the thing. My children love to eat from the school cafeteria.

  550. Tammy Kennedy Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    Oh boy when I was in school we had no tools other then our fingers to count on, we had no laptops or pc’s in the school at all. My joy was getting new pencils and crayola crayons, I would beg for the 64 pack but never got. We had to wear dress’s no pants allowed for girls. There was no backpacks so you had to carry everything in your hands or a paper sack which always ripped before getting to school. I lived in Alaska on a boat for 6 months until housing was available, so there was no bath tub or shower, we took a bucket walked down to the water spot and carried water back and put it on the wood burning pot belly stove and heated water to bath, once a week we went across the bay and paid to take a hot shower. We had no bus or car, I had no microwave to just do a fast heat up of breakfast food or any food, we had only a cooler to store food. I was in heaven when we finally got a apartment with a tub. After moving back to Michigan and having a huge house we had all the appliances kids my age took for granted. Now days kids have so many choices like cereal, pop tarts, calculators, cell phones, HD tv’s, we got our first tv when I was 11 years old, we didn’t get our first telephone until I was 14 years old.
    My kids get to jump out of bed go 15 feet hop into a shower and take a hot shower, go into the kitchen and have a choice of so many different breakfast foods, grab there back packs, run to catch the bus. Things have changed and life is so much easier for the youth of today, could you see kids pushing grocery carts about a mile to their house so they could eat like I had to? Now days they just hop into their cars and drive to store, fast food, movies and school. Life has sure changed and so has our rituals.

    Thank you for giving a chance to make this 50 year old a happy owner of a modern day pc.

    camper223[at]live[dot]com

  551. Judy Bradley Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 6:29 pm

    I do not remember being so concerned with fashion when I went to school – in my clothes and certainly not in my school supplies! Now there is pressure to have the “right” computer, etc. in addition to fashionable clothing!

  552. Jennifer Says:

    August 23rd, 2009 at 7:08 pm

    I remember being excited about getting to pick out half a dozen different colored folders. And really my girls are about the same! We homeschool though which makes it a bit different–and my girls are all still pretty young.

  553. kimbly Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 12:06 am

    I loved to pick out school supplies when shopping for Back to School.
    I have to say, the choices available today are amazing and I still pick out a few for myself each year.

  554. Tamara B. Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 8:26 am

    I went to a private Catholic school so we really didn’t have to fuss with all of the new school clothes,backpacks,folders all we had to do was show up in uniform and a pencil. Today is it crazy with all of the clothes,school supplies we have to buy and not to mention the backpacks. Almost every child has to have a computer because their projects and book reports have to be typed and printed but half the time they aren’t able to get into the computer lab to get their work finished. I think it is harder on cholden today compared to when I went to school.

  555. Sarah Denton Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 10:09 am

    Well I don’t think the rituals are that different new pens and backpack the same. Only difference is we get a new outfit for first day now and I wore uniform so we had to go uniform shopping once a year

  556. Summer D Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 10:41 am

    School shopping hasn’t changed much other than I don’t remember having to have a calculator for elementary school :-)

  557. Jill Myrick Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 11:52 am

    For us there are a lot of differences.

    We always got ourselves off to school as both parents worked. We would grab an apple or fruit aas breakfast and pack our lunches that were carried in a brown paper bag. After the age of ten our school supplies and clothing were purchased by us from the money that we made doing odd jobs in the summer. I must admit that it encouraged us to save though. To me it was colder than now in the winter months but not quite as warm in the summer.At school we had the old style ribbon typewriters and only teachers had computers and those were few and far between.

    Now days my children are gotten off to school by me with a warm breakfast and a kiss. I pack their lunches in cloth lunch bags and a reusable thermos. All of their school supplies are also supplied by me. As I believe that they should be able to enjoy their summers. Work will come soon enough. The winters aren’t near as cold and we rarely see snow. And there schools are filled with computer labs for all to share.

    Thank you so much for the chance to win.

  558. Becky Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    My daughter is not old enough to go to school yet but my favorite ritual was going to the store with my mom to buy my first day of school outfit.

  559. Kimberley Converse Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    I would love a light weight Acer that could handle my design work. My bigger screen laptops are way too heavy.

  560. ELIZABETH P Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 3:36 pm

    Back to school is a bit hetic for our family this year. My DS is off to middle school, my DH is entering his final year of college so the stress is mucho high. We have begun getting the kids ready by sorting clothes, and forcing bed times.

  561. Kalani Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    I’m looking forward to starting the back to school rituals with my son- It’s a couple of years away. I looked most forward to stationary shopping and it’s amazing how today it’s gadget focused- I still love the all the folders and pens!
    inalak@msn.com

  562. Sarah Lehan Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 11:04 pm

    Long, long ago…. (about 50 years ago) my mother would take my sister and me to get new notebooks. Now when I’m taking a class I have to get a new notebook. I will enjoy having a new Acer notebook for this year. Thanks for the contest.

  563. Sarah Lehan Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 11:16 pm

    tweet: http://twitter.com/slehan/status/3530468011

  564. Sarah Lehan Says:

    August 24th, 2009 at 11:17 pm

    blogged: http://slehan.blogspot.com/2009/08/lets-get-new-laptop.html

  565. mickeyfan Says:

    August 25th, 2009 at 8:53 am

    I overheard 2 college bound boys the other day. One bragging about his great new laptop, the other discussing his new web-enabled phone and flat screen tv. Reminded me of the electric typewriter and brand new thesaurus I hauled to the dorms!

  566. patricia Says:

    August 25th, 2009 at 9:19 am

    My back to school ritual was to have my bookbag all packed with everything I needed. My childrens ritual was to get up 2 hours before school started and be sitting on the porch step waiting to go to the bus stop. They loved school.

  567. Susan C Says:

    August 25th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    My mom always took me and my sister out for school clothes every year and I did the same for my kids-but now with my grandkids, I just order them school clothes on-line!I am envious of kids today because they have the internet to go to for information-I think I would have enjoyed school more if I had had that opportunity.
    smchester at gmail dot com

  568. brandy p Says:

    August 25th, 2009 at 8:58 pm

    As a teacher one thing that strikes me as so different currently from the past is the age old tradition of the parents meeting the teacher at the beginning of the school year. Now instead of exchanging telephone numbers for cases of contact we’re giving each other email addresses and personal websites. It makes it easier sometimes to be able to contact a parent so swiftly by email and you usually get a quick reply but what about the old “face to face” contact?

    Other than that I still think a lot remains the same. The kids still get just as excited over pencils, erasers, folders and crayons as we used to when we were kids :)

  569. brandy p Says:

    August 25th, 2009 at 8:59 pm

    I follow on twitter @twittelyp

  570. Amanda H Says:

    August 25th, 2009 at 9:43 pm

    I’m a homeschooling mom, but I still love to take my kids school supply shopping before we start a new year!

  571. Ashly Says:

    August 26th, 2009 at 6:18 am

    My favorite part of back to school was definitely school supply shopping! Loved getting new folders, pens, etc and organizing all my stuff into a new backpack.

    My daughter isn’t school aged yet, but as a parent I think I’m kind of dreading school supply shopping – lol. Just seems the lists are filled with an overabundance of unnecessary and excessive items.

  572. Melissa D Says:

    August 26th, 2009 at 10:40 am

    Our Back-to-School rituals are surprisingly similar: shopping for school supplies and new clothes! The difference lies in our modes of shopping. Of course, in my day, it all required trips to the store. Now, we do a lot of our shopping online. In any case, nothing gets a kid excited for school like new school supplies and a few cool new outfits!

    Thanks!

  573. George Says:

    August 26th, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    I think the greatest change in school shopping revolves around the fact that schools no longer provide basic supplies, such as pencils, paper, and many of the materials that guaranteed an education to students regardless of economic background. If we weren’t so busy paying for a war and bailing out corporations perhaps this wouldn’t be the case, but perhaps this is “off topic”?
    With the advent of technology this great economic divide only worsens. Free laptops for all, I say.

  574. patrick m Says:

    August 26th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

    All done in a day. The haircuts, clothes and school supplies. If everything goes well dinner and icecream..

  575. Claire Says:

    August 26th, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    I definitely didn’t have the ability to order everything I needed for school online! ;)

  576. Gloria S Says:

    August 26th, 2009 at 4:57 pm

    The biggest change I noticed was poorly copied work pages that my children had to use that was sent home from school instead of nice workbooks.

  577. Christine Jensen Says:

    August 26th, 2009 at 6:59 pm

    I remember ALWAYs having to have a 3 ring binder and my kids have yet to need one (and the oldest is in 4th grade!)

  578. autie Says:

    August 26th, 2009 at 11:33 pm

    When I was in elementary school it was impressive to ask a kid to bring a floppy disk…now my siblings have jump drives and burnable CDS!

  579. Wendy Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 11:48 am

    back to school shopping is the ritual i remember. had to do it and couldn’t find a lot to fit right, including shoes that wouldn’t rub my heels and give me blisters. now, my girl has a huge selection of comfy clothes and cute shoes, no break-in time needed!

  580. Renski Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    It seems to me school supplies has changed a lot since I was young. We needed basic pencils and papers…now it’s a HUGE list of hand sanitizer, soap, lysol wipes, glue sticks, tissue, crayons, scissors, tape, markers, clipboard, etc… And this is elementary school. I’m sure Middle Schoolers need all the latest tech gadgets.

  581. ndanger Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    The BtS ritual always involved buying school supplies (pencils and erasers!) and new shoes. I definitely didn’t have a computer!

  582. Kelly Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

    I’ve done most of my back-to-school shopping for my daughter throughout the year and online. My mom did all mine the week before school started. In a small town that meant that there would be several someones in the same outfit as someone else, and you better hope if it was you that your twin was someone cool.

  583. Rikki Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    My mom never packed my lunch, so it’s a lot of fun to pick out lunch bags and plan what to put inside!

  584. Charlotte Robbins Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    when i was young the internet was sorta new and way outta my league, now a days its easy to look up help and info online for my son and i envy that, thanks for the contest

  585. Susan C. in NY Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    My DD is entering 3rd grade, so we’re still at the pencils, folders, erasers and composition book phase. I don’t really remember having to get even the amount of stuff that she does–I think the school’s provided more of supplies “back then.”

    I do remember agonizing over the perfect outfit and already my DD is pondering that question–and she still has a week before school starts.

    Thanks for the contest.

  586. Sara A Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 6:25 pm

    My ritual was picking out new supplies and putting my name on all of them. My little ones care more about the clothes

  587. Ofelia Bacaro Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 6:32 pm

    I went to Catholic school in the 60’s and 70’s and our back to school rituals revolved around going to the uniform store to get fitted for our uniforms…we hated it! My kids hated their ritual of going to Walmart for cheap supplies…rainchecks were especially reviled:)

  588. Diana Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 8:42 pm

    I don’t recall any rituals when I was a kid except for a few new outfits. My kids have a list of school supplies a mile long though so we do the shopping and then take pictures at their desks on the first day.

  589. Christie Says:

    August 27th, 2009 at 9:48 pm

    Back to school now means fees, outrageous lists of supplies and demands for designer clothes. Boy did my Mom luck out of all that.

  590. Linda J. Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 3:37 am

    My back to school rituals included being ecstatic about pristine new notebooks, folders, and pens. I have a sneaking suspicion that today’s back to school rituals are slightly more expensive than that…

  591. kelsi Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 5:04 am

    my mom always had us lay out the clothes we were going to wear the first day of school. i hope to pass that one to my kids.
    also walking us to the bus stop every morning!

  592. LINDA HEFFERNAN Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 6:42 am

    We didn’t do much back to school shopping. Maybe some new clothes and a notebook. The kids now practically empty the stores with all the stuff they want.

  593. Savannah C. Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 10:37 am

    I’ve never owned an acer before, hope I win! Luckily my daughter is just starting preschool this year so the only thing different is she needs what seems to be gallons of hand sanitizer and boxes of tissues. I love school supplies, they make my heart pitter patter, how deflated was I when the list came in the mail and it just listed hand sanitzer and tissues :( Where is the multi colored pencils and notebooks etc!! Not even a book bag!The horror!

  594. Thomas Chapman Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 3:40 pm

    I always went to the ‘dime store’ now we go to the office store. Stores were not as large and the selection was basic, now they have 10 brands of everything, so many choices!

  595. LindaD Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 4:44 pm

    I know I’m dating myself, but there was a chain store with the jingle, “School bells ring and children sing: It’s back to Robert Hall again.” This was a small chain store, unlike today’s mega-stores. My mom bought me a lot of plaid dresses (there were no pants allowed on girls then), knee socks, cordouroy jumpers, and ruffled blouses. Today’s school children have a lot more choices and can be a lot more comfortable.

  596. Daniel M Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    mine was easy enough back in the day, get up, eat breakfast, quick shower, get dressed and leave. don’t have any kids so don’t know about that

  597. Gina Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    So much has changed and nothing seems to be the same but the basics. When my mother sent me to Kindergarten we learned everything there. Now a days, your child needs to know all of there ABC’s and be on the road to reading. My child is attending pre-school and I already feel the pressure. I loved letting her pick out her backpack and some supplies. That was the best part. I loved the new clothes and shoes that came along with back to school shopping.

  598. Gina Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 5:16 pm

    I tweeted http://twitter.com/GinaE1980/status/3615977297

  599. Lindsay Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 8:18 pm

    Every year we got to buy new backpacks. It always made me look forward to the new school year. My mom would take my brother and I out and we would pick the “cool” bag for the year. I remember when I got a messenger bag and I thought I was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Oh the small things in life that made the day as a kid!

  600. Lindsay Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

    Tweeted the giveaway http://twitter.com/Lstixrud/status/3619210466

  601. Lindsay Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 8:22 pm

    I blogged the giveaway! http://colitascorner.blogspot.com/2009/08/intel-acer-aspire-laptop-giveaway.html

  602. julieh Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    Then vs. Now. We would go to the dime store and pick out school supplies, like spiral notebooks, pencil cases, trapper keepers, and a new metal lunch box when I was a kid. Now, we go to the electronics store for a new laptop, printer, blank CD’s!

  603. Alka Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    We used to love to show of our new backpacks, but our kids now are showing off their great new technology.

  604. Alka Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    Blogged :) http://beenamommy.blogspot.com/2009/08/blogher-acer-aspire-head-of-class.html

  605. Alka Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 11:27 pm

    tweeted http://twitter.com/spalka/status/3574720558

  606. Sonya Says:

    August 28th, 2009 at 11:49 pm

    We used to love reaching 3rd grade, when the school would let us walk to school by ourselves! Now there’s no way I would let my kids walk 1/2 mile (plus) to school across busy streets at the age of 8!

  607. Kirsten Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 1:52 am

    We didn’t have a WalMart in our town; it was the 60’s and 70’s so it was pretty simple. You got new clothes and couldn’t wait to wear them! And you were excited with your new supplies too. There were no backpacks, cell phones, or computers. And my mom would have fainted if I told her I needed a $100 calculator! AND my daughter could care less about wearing new clothes the first day. Whatever is most comfortable for her……but her hair? Don’t ask!

  608. Colleen S Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 5:46 am

    For us kids It was great to have new jeans and sneakers, a pack of pens and notebooks. Now they need computers and a tone of other stuff.

  609. Ron Turner Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 6:31 am

    Getting pencils paper and a wooden ruler now its calculators and laptops

  610. Betsy Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 6:35 am

    The computer is the biggest tool that my kids have that I didn’t have!

  611. Betsy Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 6:44 am

    Blogged!

    http://thehomeschoolway.blogspot.com/2009/08/laptop-giveaway.html

  612. Sheila Hickmon Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 8:09 am

    This is my daughter’s first year of school, but so far there has been quite a few differences. My mom always took me the night before school started to get clothes. I’m still not quite sure why she waited so long, other than to get things on sale. And I have been gathering school clothes and supplies since last year! My daughter takes her lunch to school in a stainless steel lunch box, and I always took a paper sack. And, my daughter has to have a lot more supplies than I ever remember having to get.

    One thing that is definately the same is that my mom always got me hyped up and excited to start school ever year. I am doing the same for my daughter. Always asking what she did and getting involved in the school. I love seeing her learn new things!

  613. Lindsay Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:04 am

    We always went camping the weekend before school started. This was a really nice way to unwind and relax before school starts, plus its kind of a last hurrah of staying up late, sleeping in, and all the fun summer stuff before the rigors of school starts. I want to continue this tradition on when I have kids.

  614. Dillon Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:06 am

    Definitely a laptop. When I first started school we barely had computers! Now everyone has their own laptop. The difference it makes for homework and other school projects is just amazing.

  615. Dillon Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:07 am

    Tweet http://twitter.com/Beejax/status/3628075746

  616. Dillon Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:17 am

    I blogged1 http://beejax.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-intel-acer-aspire-laptop.html

  617. lisa Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:23 am

    I would have to say technology. Today you have to have a decent computer with a working printer/scanner, where as my generation it just wasn’t necessary. I only ever remember worrying about clothes.

  618. lisa Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Posted giveaway on my website.

  619. lisa Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:25 am

    Tweet: http://twitter.com/samasam/status/3628314997

  620. Karen Medlin Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:39 am

    Tweeted:
    http://twitter.com/karenmed409/status/3628631697

  621. Karen Gonyea Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    Following :)

  622. Pamela Ray Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

    Cell phones for texting from your Mom is what all the kids must have for communication devices.
    I my day for my Mom to remind me to do something was a napkin in my lunch box with a written message on it.

  623. Daiva Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    I little one is not ready for school yet, however, since I grew up in Europe, the whole school thing will be very different and new to me.

  624. Chris Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 1:44 pm

    We always got new crayons and clothes. Today my kids get new computers.

  625. lorene Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 2:09 pm

    I would have to say the ritual I have with my kids now of buying school supplies. Just yesterday I spent $57 on school supplies for my 4th grader. I think I just went to school with a notebook and a pencil.

  626. Pauline M Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    Growing up, my mother just got us the stuff we needed, being the oldest of six, taking all of us to get school supplies is extremely daunting. Now with just my son, we go to Walmart and buy everything on the school list the store puts out for each grade. So far, it’s worked great and I always am able to get an extra set for my son to take to school for that one child who’s parent(s) are unable to afford to get their school supplies.

  627. Marianna Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 3:23 pm

    My back-to-school story is on my blog
    http://mannasweeps.blogspot.com/2009/08/school-daze.html

  628. Marianna Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

    tweet! http://twitter.com/mannabsn/status/3634350745

  629. Jaque Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 3:57 pm

    The one thing mom always did when I was young was take us to shop for new school clothes. With my children, we not only shop for school clothes, school supplies, new backpacks, but we also plan lunches and buy special treats for each of the children.

    Thank you. :-)

  630. Tricia Z Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 5:57 pm

    What I faced and what my daughter faces differs greatly- I was public schooled and she is homeschooled. I was concerned about new clothes, peers, finding my classes, etc., but she only has to provide the proper learning mindset- I provide everything else!
    Thanks!

  631. Molly K Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 6:53 pm

    When I went back to school I only needed a few basic supplies-crayons, markers, glue, notebook and folder. The school supplied the rest. My son has a list of about 20+ things. He even has to bring a box of kleenex on the first day.

  632. Michelle H. Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 7:40 pm

    I was obsessed with choosing the right notebook. I remember that everyone wanted a Mead that had lots of pockets and I wanted to have my zipper pouch.

  633. Jen Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 8:41 pm

    Quality time at our house still doesn’t involve the computer…usually. But as homeschoolers we depend upon the internet as well as our local library for research on a vast array of topics that pique our young children’s interest. On our long road trips, it’s our aging laptop that gets us there and back again. School today just isn’t at all the same.

  634. mitchell h Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    hi, my biggest ritual in school that i am now teaching my kids is work before play.
    try to get your school work done in school, in study hall, and if not, do it when you come home first. then its done, you dont have to worry about it or stay up late getting it done. thanks! (freaaa@gmail.com)

  635. bartholomew henry Says:

    August 29th, 2009 at 10:28 pm

    Honestly, I was the laziest kid. And lazy. My greatest concern was my lunchbox. If I win, the laptops for me. The kid of the house already has one!

  636. Liz S Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 12:07 am

    As a kid I shopped with my folks for my simple, blue and white school uniform items. Mom brought home the school supplies she purchased for me from a school supplied list. My own children are fashion conscious in their non-uniform, school settings. Thus, we shopped prior to the start of school and will continue shopping all year long as the need(s) arise. And, there is a Tax Free Shopping Weekend now in our state, which we didn’t have when I was a kid. I do purchase the school supplies for my children, like my folks did. Although there are MANY MORE OPTIONS available for students now, we stick to basics like my folks did. Our son uses a computer at school; and, uses our family computer at home. I’m grateful for your review.

  637. shel Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 12:24 am

    There wasn’t much money growing up so school clothes shopping consisted of a new pair of jeans and a shirt or two for me and my sister. We each got one pair of shoes. We carried our lunch in brown paper bags and school supplies were a few pens, pencils, a couple of folders and a pack of notebook paper.
    My daughter has it made! We’re able to buy her a few pairs of jeans, shirts, tennis and dress shoes and a new backpack every year in her current favorite style. It’s the school supply list that kills me..it’s huge. I spend days going store-to-store trying to find the specific items, in the colors and sizes, each teacher insists the students have. A scientific calculator?!!! We had fingers.

  638. shel Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 12:25 am

    I tweeted:
    http://twitter.com/auntiethesis/status/3642123823

  639. shel Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 12:25 am

    Blogged:
    http://auntiethesis.blogspot.com/2009/08/inspired-by-acer-aspire.html

  640. Heather Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 12:32 am

    Well, I looked forward to my annual trip to “the big city”, 2 hours away, to go back to school shopping for one or two new outfits, and sporting a fancy new ‘do on the first day of school. There wasn’t much to back to school supplies in those days – and I was content using my encyclopedia and dictionary to look up everything. Now kids have lists of supplies that are miles long, and since we live in the city there’s so much more opportunity to shop, they really are lucky!

  641. Chaya Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 1:41 am

    Getting new shoes is the only thing in common so far.

  642. Alice C Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 5:26 am

    new cloth was always the thing for back to school, still is

  643. betty rood~starting again Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 5:28 am

    besides all the school shoppng my little ritual was the first day of school was listening for the old familiar ”rumble” of the school bus coming.We lived way back in a rural area where you could hear a vehicle coming half mile down the road.The school bus always made a rumble.Ths was so exciting to me as a young child,i knew that sound meant my friends were just a few moments away(weren’t many kids where i lived).It never failed to make the butterflies jump in my stomach.
    Now most kids never experiance this little ”gift”.Mom and dad,or grandma or grandpaw,usually pulls right up to the front of the school and drops the kids off.They get to sleep later in the morning i know..But missing the ”rumble”…

    thank you so very much for the oppurtunity!
    alwaysatryin at gmail.com

  644. betty rood~starting again Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 5:30 am

    nannato5 twttered you http://bit.ly/17aJNU wina notebook at bacon is my enemy! ends tomorrow so hurry over!

    alwaysatryin at gmail.com

  645. kimberly bennett Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 5:40 am

    We went to school and our supplies were given to us. Now we get a list of what exactly is needed. My friend who lives in another state has to buy the books that are needed in class. Wow what a difference.

  646. Jason Lawless Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 6:36 am

    When I went to school, because it was such a small school, we had the same classmates year to year all the way through high school. My kids maybe have 1 or 2 kids per year that they have had in class before. Much different experience!

  647. dwndrgn Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 6:45 am

    To be honest, while I enjoyed getting all the shiny new notebooks and pencils and such – truly back to school shopping was my favorite. Generally I was allowed to get one new outfit and a new pair of shoes (mainly because I outgrew shoes way too often) and the rest we made do with hand-me-downs and whatnot. That one new outfit was what I waited for! Something just for me, not my brother’s old jeans or shirts. All mine! These days, if they don’t get a whole new wardrobe, with brand names, they are despondent!!

  648. Greg Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 9:57 am

    We didn’t have Wikipedia when I was in school! Even if it’s not the most reliable source it makes looking things up a heck of a lot easier. It’s an easy way to get info to start from so it would have made my life a lot easier. I had to get by on the encyclopedia.

  649. Greg Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 10:00 am

    Tweet http://twitter.com/Gstixy/status/3648897449

  650. Greg Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 10:04 am

    My blog posting! http://gstix.blogspot.com/2009/08/laptop-giveaway.html

  651. Elizabeth Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 10:16 am

    Getting the perfect outfit just right, today it is the same way

  652. William Meyer Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    how did we ever live with just books that we had to drag around all the time

  653. Kim H. Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    I used to make sure I had crayons (64 was the best). Nowadays, my girl has to make sure she has a good USB thing to save her data on.

  654. Kelly Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    When I was in school we always went camping the last weekend of summer to kick off the school year and we are doing the same for our children now

    :) Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! :)

  655. ktanjatk Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    I don’t have kids, but my niece and nephew love school, they love to shop for school supplies and to sort and organize their work spaces. Not very different than when I went to school. Having new clothes & backpacks, anticipation to see your friends again, thirst for learning etc. is pretty much the same :)

  656. Dawn S Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    When I was younger we waited till the week into school to get our supplies, when the teacher gave us a list, now you have a list sent in the beginning of July, and all sales start at the same time so you get the supplies then.

  657. ktanjatk Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    tweeted:
    http://twitter.com/ktanjatk/status/3652704154

  658. Shane Murray Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    My most expensive tool was a graphing calculator – these days a laptop is almost a requirement!

  659. Tricia Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    For me going back to school meant shopping for a bunch of cheap pencils and paper throwing it in a backpack and I was all set. Now it is ordering the correct supplies and sorting through the lists.

  660. Julie K Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    I was the youngest of four girls, so my back to school ritual consisted of only shopping for new clothes. Things are different for my kids because their school started school uniforms and our shopping was done online in an hour. Easy but not as fun! We do start getting them to bed earlier gradually over the few weeks before school, and they start reading more and practicing math so they’ll be sharp.

  661. Laura Cutshall Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    The biggest difference between today and my days in school is how research is conducted. When I was in school, it was weeks of poring over texts in the library, but today you can find a LOT of the information online and use a library to “polish off” the research.

  662. Mya Brooks Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 3:43 pm

    Kids today have their laptops, ipods, all sorts of gadgets to help them…I didn’t have anything like that! I had a pen and a piece of paper to write notes on. I never had an ipod to listen to music on my way to school. I had to listen to the crowded bus full of kids!

  663. Jay F. Says:

    August 30th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

    We take the kids pictures at the bus stop on the first day of school, and have done it every year. My folks didn’t have that kind of ritual.