Time to Order Backpacks

I know it doesn't seem right, with six more weeks of summer vacation fun to go, but it's time to start thinking about BTS. (That's Back To School).

This year I decided instead of taking the kids to the local chain store to buy over-priced character backpacks (that someone else in the class is bound to have), I was going to order them quality backpacks online.

I looked through a couple catalogs I had received in the mail, and I settled on L.L. Bean. I've gotten other items through their online store before, I knew they had quality merchandise, and the one time I had to deal with customer service they were super helpful and replaced an item (entirely free of charge).

So I brought up the backpack choices on their website and narrowed the selection down to three choices. I called each kid over to the computer and told them they could pick one of the three. It went surprisingly well! There was no fussing that they had to have (insert latest cartoon or Disney live person show name here) on their backpacks because that's what everyone else would have.

I was also happy to see that L.L. Bean was also currently running a sale on backpacks! I did a quick search online for coupons and found one for free shipping with a minimum order, so I clicked through that link as well, saving almost $10 shipping.

Although the website said the package would arrive in 7-10 days, I ordered the backpacks on a Saturday and they were here Wednesday.

The true test of the backpacks will be how they hold up to the destructive force of an elementary school student. But they can't do worse than one year when my first grade son's character backpack was literally falling apart by Christmas. He had to finish the year with a cheap backpack I found in January, when the selection isn't so great.