Well, school's well underway and hopefully you've loaded up on markers, pencils, protractors, and other school supplies. But what if you underestimated how much stuff your child has to lug to school and just realized that she needs a bigger backpack? And what if your printer is getting low on ink and you just about passed out when you saw how much those new cartridges costs? Not to worry: we've got solutions for you right here.
_Backpacks and Rucksacks (Sydney Paige)
Sydney Paige makes backpacks that are so snazzy that you might be tempted to go back to school just so you can show off. They come in a variety of sizes, so there's definitely something for toddlers, adults, and everyone in between. The quality and materials are good, the patterns are attractive (and blissfully free of licensed images from movies and TV shows), they're roomy, and have plenty of pockets. There's also a nice social consciousness factor here: For every backpack sold, the company donates an exact matching bag to a child in need _ they even fill the pack with school supplies. Sydney Paige also makes lunchboxes, pencil cases, and a few other stylish accessories. And there's even a series of illustrated children's books that feature the adventures of Sydney Paige herself. $40-$90. Available at many online retailers and http://www.sydneypaigeinc.com/
_Backpacks and More (Bixbee)
If you've got a child in Pre-K or Kindergarten, you'll love these backpacks, which go way, way beyond cute fabric patterns. The elephant backpack actually has a trunk, and the rocket ship and airplane packs have wings. Other styles include monkey, cat, fox, and butterfly. For older kids, there are plenty of patterns (including zombie camo) and solid colors. To minimize the chronic pain and long-term damage that overloaded packs can do to a child's back, Bixbee follows recommendations from the American Occupational Therapy Association that the backpack rest in the lower back, and be no more than four inches below the waist. The website has a nice size chart to help you pick the right one. Bixbees are sturdy, PVC-, BPA-, phthalate-, and lead-free, and have plenty of pockets for your child's ever-growing menagerie of belongings. You can also get matching (or complementary) lunchboxes. Like Sydney Paige, Bixbee has a big heart, so when you buy a backpack, they donate one just like it to a child in need somewhere in the world. $20-$60 at retailers everywhere or http://www.bixbee.com.
_Expression ET-2550 EcoTank All-in-One Printer (Epson)
Like many of Epson's other printers, this one allows you to print, copy, and scan. And it features built-in wireless, so you can print from your computer, phone, or tablet, which means that your kids will be able to print their last-minute assignments without having to get out of bed. For pictures, there's a card slot so you can go straight from your camera to the printer without the extra step of copying to your computer. But what makes the ET-2550 really stand out is the EcoTank, which comes loaded with enough ink to print 4,000 black-and-white pages and 6,500 color pages. For most of us, that's enough for about two years. This printer may be a bit more expensive than others with comparable features, but you'll more than make up the difference in ink savings. Replacement ink (about $12.50 for the black and $50 for the full set of four colors) will cover you for another two years. Your current printer would need about 20 cartridges to match the ET-2550's output, and at $15-$50 each, you can do the math. Under $300. Available online, in stores, or at http://www.epson.com/.
