Stress-Free Tips for Back-to-School Shopping

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Back to school shopping already? Don’t worry, getting ready will be a breeze at WestHills Towne Centre and Country Hills Village Shopping Centre!

It’s finally summer in Calgary, and we know how hard it is to think about back to school shopping when there’s fun stuff like eating popsicles, running through the sprinkler and roasting s’mores over the firepit keeping you and your family busy. We hear you! Which is why we’re going to make getting ready for school a breeze this year with these tips for stress-free back to school shopping.

1. Energize early

You have many options at WestHills to give yourself a pre-shopping boost. It could be as simple as an Americano at Starbucks (double shot anyone?) or a nutrition-packed smoothie at Booster Juice. May we also suggest a fresh scone from Cobs Bread? Our favourite is the lemon-blueberry and trust us, that fresh summery taste will give you a little extra bounce in your step.

2. Make fashionable choices

WestHills has some great options for kids of all ages, and Moms. OshKosh and Tommy Hilfiger have a huge selection of jeans, t’s and hoodies. For accessories check out Plum and Joydrop. Moms, remember a nice back to school outfit for you is also important (a la ladies from Big Little Lies!). The fashionable ladies at Aldila will pull together an outfit tailored just for you in a snap.

3. Make smart choices

Give your kids an extra brain boost with Calgary’s premiere selection of educational toys, games and books at Mastermind Toys. Give them a physical boost by shopping for all their sports gear at Play It Again Sports – where you’ll get great service and great prices. And for another smart move, take your kids to Bentley where they’ll have their pick of awesome backpacks (and lunch bags), or suitcases for those who may be moving on to residence or university out of town…(don’t worry, they’ll be back!)

4. Stock up on essentials

It’s not all about clothes shopping. Now’s the perfect time to think about all those things we often forget until oops, we need them. Things like batteries (Best Buy has you covered), cell phone cases (Rogers has a great selection) and light bulbs (Rona, of course). No shopping trip would be complete without a browse through Shoppers Drug Mart where you can stock up on bandaids (you can never have enough right?), cleaning products (always needed with kids in the house) and stamps (you never need one until you do!).

5. Refresh your home

After the stickiness of summer, it’s nice to think about making some quick and easy refreshes to our home decor. Daniadown has the prettiest tea towels that will (hopefully) inspire school lunch ideas. And don’t even get us started on all the cute decor items at Urban Barn – throw pillows in all shapes and sizes, lamps for study desks and blankets for those chilly nights we know are coming. You’ll feel like an interior design pro!

6. Focus on wellness

Be proactive and schedule a visit to your favourite healthcare practitioner at WestHills Medicentre or WestHills Chiropractic, and don’t forget your teeth – the friendly dentists at WestHills Dental look after the entire family.

7. Take a summer time-out with your kids

Join us at WestHills Towne Centre on Saturday, August 24 from 11am to 2pm for a fun (and free!) back to school event. You’ll enjoy a yummy bbq hosted by M&M Food Market (for the first 350 guests), face painting, balloon artist, treats handed out by our roving ambassadors and retailer promotions. Everyone is welcome, including your furry friends. We’ll celebrate summer AND get into the back to school spirit. For more information please visit our website or Facebook page.

And if you live in the north, we have a special back to school event for you as well!

Join us at Country Hills Village Shopping Centre on August 24 from 11am to 2pm, right next to Famoso – with yummy (and free) food samples! Also, Global Pet Foods will be hosting a pet expo with treats for your furry friends. Country Hills Veterinary Clinic will be on hand to answer all your pet questions. You’ll also get to enjoy food samples, face painting, glitter tattoos and retailer promotions. Everyone (including furry friends) is invited. For more info visit our website or Facebook page.

Country Hills Village Shopping Centre will make your back to school shopping easier this year too. Find out how from our friend Jody Robbins (plus learn how to enter our back to school contest to win a cut and style from Diva Salon Spa).