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Lands’ End Boys’ ClassMate BigHaul Backpack Review

September 27, 2011 By

Lands End ClassMate BigHaul backpackMy almost-13 year old son is in the seventh grade this year, and between his Trapper Keeper, extra folders, textbooks, and pencil case, he needs a backpack that is extra tough.  Last year’s backpack, which I think we bought at Walmart, ended up with a huge rip in the bottom by the end of the school year, so not only did he need a new one, but I wanted one that was going to hold up.

Thankfully, Lands’ End contacted me asking if I’d like to review something back-to-school related, so I asked them to send me the Boys’ ClassMate BigHaul backpack like this one, except in solid black with the monogram in silver.  I knew it had reflective trim, and you can really see it caught in the camera flash with Nathan wearing the backpack in this first day of school picture:

The BigHaul backpack is the largest backpack Lands’ End has for kids, and I would say depending on what your student needs to carry during the day, it should be big enough to hold everything. A lunch bag is included and fits into the front pocket, it’s not very big though, so Nathan took it out and uses the pocket for more storage.  It also comes with a removable organizer pouch for school supplies.  Other features of the ClassMate Big Haul backpack are:

  • Double-strength base for extra durability where they need it most
  • Two big compartments to organize their stuff
  • 18″Hx12 1/2″Wx8″D (1800 cu in.)
  •  Padded c-shaped shoulder straps and back panel for comfort
  • 360° reflective trim for visibility
  • Pockets on the shoulder straps keep their phone and music handy
  • Weight of the backpack itself: 1.76 lbs.
  • Make it Your Own with a monogram, embroidery, heat transfer and more (note: the included lunch box cannot be personalized)

Now, I’ve been a fan and customer of Lands’ End since I was in middle school (okay, my Mom was the customer, but you know what I mean!), and it’s because every single item I have ever owned by Lands’ End has been excellent quality.  The ClassMate BigHaul backpack is $49.50, and I would have paid that price for it if I hadn’t gotten one for review. One of the reasons I don’t mind spending a little extra on Lands’ End items is because they have the best return policy in retail, period. Know what it is?

Guaranteed. Period.®

If you’re not satisfied with any item, simply return it to us at any time for an exchange or refund of its purchase price.

Which means if the Lands’ End ClassMate BigHaul backpack does get a rip in the bottom of it, I can send it back to Lands’ End for a new one! Backpacks and lunch bags are on sale at LandsEnd.com, the ClassMate BigHaul backpack is only $29.99. Just go to landsend.com, hover over “School Uniforms”, and click Backpacks & Gear.  And today only, get 25% off with free shipping on orders over $50!

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BrightBin – The New Generation Lunchbox

January 24, 2011 By

I used to think there was no reason not to use plastic sandwich and snack baggies in my boys’ lunches. They were convenient, easy to use, and kept the foods separate in the lunch bag. And then I read some statistics:

  • Roughly 12 million barrels of oil are used annually to make the plastic bags that Americans consume
  • On average, there are four plastic bags used each day to make lunch for one child. This adds up to almost 1000 plastic bags used each year for one child’s lunch! For this one child, they will use 9000 plastic bags while they are in school from kindergarten through 8th grade
  • 100,000,000,000 plastic bags are thrown away by Americans each year. That is INSANE!
  • Some scientists estimate that it can take up to 1000 years for one plastic bag to decompose

There is just no way for me to NOT feel guilty about contributing to those statistics!  My boys prefer hot lunch, but when Kaitlyn goes to Kindergarten next year I’ll be giving her packed lunches. Thanks to Stephanie at BrightBin, Kaitlyn will be all set for her lunches with the BrightBin New Generation Lunchbox plus the L’Artiste New Generation Lunch Bag!

What makes the BrightBin Lunch Box unique from others I’ve seen is it’s two compartments. The top section keeps a sandwich fresh and un-squished, but could also hold any kind of entree thanks to a rubber seal. The lower section is divided into three compartments for side dishes, with a tight fitting lid that keeps foods in their compartments without the need for extra lids.

You can use a BrightBin Lunch Box as a bento-type box, or flip up the handle and it’s a lunch box all on it’s own. It’s non-toxic and made of food safe polypropylene free of BPA, phthalates, lead, and PVC. It’s dishwasher and even microwave oven safe, too! Available in two colors – translucent cherry red and translucent blueberry blue.

While the BrightBin Lunch Box can be used on it’s own, it works really well with any of the Lunch Bags sold on the site. Brightbin’s L’Artiste Lunch Bag comes with four non-toxic, washable gel markers that your child can use to decorate their bag, and then wash off with warm soapy water and draw on again! The bottom of the bag has a zippered storage compartment for a drink bottle, too. The outer material is polyester, and the inner lining is food-safe PEVA.  The bag comes in light grey only. Check out the site for other Lunch Bag designs.

BrightBin Lunch Box only: $16.95 plus shipping

BrightBin L’Artiste Lunch Bag: $27.95 +

Sold together: $33.95 = GREAT DEAL!

To sum up, reusable lunch boxes good. Filling landfills with plastic, BAD.  Thank you to BrightBin for giving me a great alternative to packing lunches filled with plastic bags!

Filed Under: back to school, Fabulous Finds Tagged With: , ,

Guest Article: Tips To Keep Your Kids Reading

August 12, 2010 By
Summer Reading
Image by alex.ragone via Flickr

Some of you have already sent your kids back to school! In Michigan, it’s the law that school can’t start until after Labor Day, so mine still have three more weeks of summer. Did you know that kids can lose as much as two months of learning over the summer, according to a 2002 report from National Summer Learning Association? Did your kids read over the summer? Mine did, my 13 year old son willingly, my 11 year old son less willingly.

“Motivating children to read throughout the summer is essential to building lifelong readers,” says Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit. “And reading is the doorway to all other learning.” With that in mind, how do you convince your kids to build reading time into their summer plans? Fortunately, RIF has come up with a number of ideas to help you make this summer a season of reading. Just because summer is ending doesn’t mean your kids should stop reading! And not just required school reading, either. I mean reading just for fun!

The following tips are aimed at summer reading, but I think they are useful all year round. For example, kids don’t just play sports in the summer! See if any of these tips might help your kids develop a habit of reading.

  • Combine activities with books. Going to a baseball game? Head to the library and check out a biography about your child’s favorite player. Is summer camp on the agenda? See if the camp has a blog you can follow.
  • Lead by example. Show kids that you love to read by picking up the newspaper each morning or sharing about something you’ve read, and they’ll understand that reading is important to everyone.
  • Relax the rules. Summer is a time when children can read what, when, and how they please. Don’t set any requirements, and don’t force kids to read something they’re not interested in.
  • Visit the library. It’s got thousands of books and audiobooks to borrow, computers to use, and magazines to leaf through. Make the library your “go-to” destination for the summer (or on a weekend!)
  • Think outside the book. Recognize that reading can happen in many formats, from eBooks to magazines to online read-along stories. Check out www.rif.org/kids for great read-alongs and other fun games and activities designed to keep kids reading.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to this: read. Read together, read separately, read anywhere, read everywhere. It’s the surest way to make certain that your kids will start the school year off right.

Rebecca Burton is a writer/editor at Reading Is Fundamental and has been working in the children’s literacy field for the past twelve years. She loves to read, travel, and hang out on the back porch with her husband and their two-year-old daughter.

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