Whenever I need some clothes, I head over to Kohl’s. When my husband needs clothes, we go to Kohl’s. When the kids need clothes…you guessed it. It’s sort of a given. We have the Kohl’s card, we get the coupons and they carry brands I really like. (I always make a beeline for the Simply Vera Wang stuff followed by Lauren Conrad.) So, when Kohl’s asked if I would like to be a part of their back to school campaign, I didn’t even hesitate. Um. YES!
They sent me a $500 gift card to spend to get my boys all ready for the first day of school. (They also sent me some goodies including this scarf that I wore at Haven…)
(Thanks, Marianne, for the picture!)
Anyway, for those who haven’t shopped at Kohl’s before, $500 goes and very, very long way.
The boys, me and my mom headed out to our local Kohl’s in Hanover, PA…
We meandered through the store to the “big boys” section (as opposed to the baby/toddler section that they’ve now outgrown.) On the way, my youngest insisted I needed this purse…
I never even knew he noticed my purses! Anyway, we moved along to our target section and started picking things out and trying things on…
Can you tell he likes green?
They needed everything…underwear, socks, shirts, pants, jammies, backpacks, lunch boxes and sweatshirts. They’ve been wearing hand-me-down clothes most of their lives, but they are getting to the age where boys are tough on clothes and by the time they are outgrown, they aren’t fit to be handed down. We needed play-hard clothes and we found exactly that, including Lego Ninjago hoodies, comfy Jumping Bean sweat pants, Tek socks, Batman underwear and more. I even got some white Simply Vera Wang towels for my master bathroom.
One boy pushed the cart…
…while the other one was that kid, running through the aisle.
When we started piling our loot on the counter, the cashier joked that we were going to keep her busy all day and my sons thought that was so funny. “Yeah, we have so much stuff that we’ll never let you eat lunch or go home.”
I did have to explain why I was taking pictures of buying clothes, since that is a little odd…especially with a DSLR.
I had sort of lost track of how much we were spending, but we coasted under budget at $475.45 with a total savings of $644.84 with sales and a 20% off coupon.
And we bought A LOT.
As an extra bonus, I had $25.00 left on the gift card AND $90.00 in Kohl’s Cash! If you’re not familiar with Kohl’s cash…you earn $10 for every $50 you spend. It can then be used at Kohl’s at a later date, same as cash. I was planning to go back to do some shopping for Haven, anyway, so that was going to be put to good use.
My boys wanted to carry out all of their new clothes…
…and couldn’t wait to try them on, pull the tags off, wash them and wear them.
It’s still a little warm for sweats and a hoodie, but that isn’t stopping them from wearing their new clothes.
This was the first year we did a big back-to-school clothes shopping trip and it was such a nice way to add to the anticipation of a new school year. I know my boys are all set with clothes that are comfortable, cute and suit their personalities.
(Oh, and I did go back to Kohl’s a few days later and bought a pair of jeans, four shirts and two necklaces for a grand total of $12 after sales, a 15% off coupon and Kohl’s Cash. Woohoo!)
Have you done your back-to-school shopping at Kohl’s? If so, share about it on social media using #kohlsback2school.
Disclosure: Kohl’s sent me a $500 gift card to participate in promoting their back-to-school campaign. I shop at Kohl’s regularly and was more than thrilled to partner with them. All words are my own.
I have always found great deals at khols. I got $400 mattress topper for around $150 between a sale & coupons! It sleeps like heaven too!
I love Khols and their Khols cash!! They have the best sales!
Love their Jumping Bean brand! So cute and comfy!
I bought some white pleated Vera Wang sheets at Kohls several years ago. They were THE BEST sheets! I think they are discontinued now, but from time to time I will scour ebay and try to find them. 😉
What a great deal! I need to start shopping at Kohl’s more often. Your boys are the cutest!!
So funny. Love all the pics of the boys. This looks like a snapshot of my own life, without the $550 gift card of course 🙂 I can envision the boys running through the aisles and climbing through the clothes racks now . . .
We don’t have Kohl’s, but I have been to their stores in the US and I like them. Wow, are your kids getting ready for school already? We’ll have to wait until Sept 1st. Your youngest is so cute with his green hoodie. Oh, and my kids (8.5 and 6 years old) have outgrown the Lego Ninjago stuff. Suddenly they started watching the Disney Channel (Good Luck Charlie, Austin & Ally, ..) and no cartoons anymore. Waaaah, they’re growing up too fast.
I love Kohl’s, Kohl’s cash, and their discounts! My daughter registered for her wedding there, and it was so much fun going around the home section with that inventory gun with her, making the list!
Your boys are super cute!
I love Kohl’s too. It has always been an easy place to shop for everyone in the family. My girlfriend and I meet there about once a month for a little retail therapy.
Isn’t Kohl’s the absolute best! I’m fancying the little green hoodie.
Sweet boys. I could just hear the little one saying, Mommy, don’t you need this purse?
I shop there for just about everything. They have become my go to store since JCP lost it’s mind. 😉 The discounts and coupons are fantastic.
Jake’s a Girl
My husband and I were at Kohl’s yesterday buying his “back to school” clothes. (He’s a teacher and I’m a retired teacher so we’re all over the “back to school” shopping) It was “no sales tax” weekend here in Florida so that was another plus. got a lot of savings plus some Kohl’s cash to spend in a few days. Yea!
Didn’t hurt that it was a tax-free weekend in VA either!
Love Kohls!! When you pile up the sales, coupons, and Kohls cash they always have the best deals!
I do so love Kohl’s too. You get one stop shopping for the whole family. The savvy Kohl’s shopper can always walk away with a great deal between discounts and coupons. Really, who doesn’t love Kohl’s cash? My boys are all in either middle school or high school so a place like Kohl’s is the best when your kids grow like weeds. If they sold groceries, I’d be set!
Love Kohl’s, too (Hard to beat the boy’s clothes that do last!) Your boys are a.dor.able and your kitchen looks so welcoming…Looking forward to hearing about Haven, too!
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You have two cute models there! I think Kohls must be good for kids clothing. I like some of their housewares and their bras, etc. but not clothing for myself. Our misses department seems a bit matronly!
tina
Thats so awesome that kohls sent you $500 gift card for school clothes and for yourself! Im higly jealous. Its always a struggle for us to get my son and 3 stepsons new clothes and the million school supplies they must have.. My boy is also obsessed with green!
Our little dudes are precious!!!!
Marian,
I am impressed you love Kohl’s so much. I have worked part-time there (in Wisconsin) and love their brands and sales. The clearance sales are the best and your coupons cover clearance too. They stand behind their products and returns are easy.
My wife loves the Seasonal Ceramics, We have the cutest Snowman cookie jar, and Easter Bunny one too.
The in store KIOSK is another way to find items or sizes not in the store. When you use the store KIOSK you get shipping free for almost everything, and you can still use the coupons and earn Lohl’s Cash.
Usually you get a $5 coupon but right now there is a $10 coupon sent to you when you sign up for email updates (madison wi).
rick
ps as I said I work part-time at Kohl’s but love it too.
I love Kohl’s too although I go only when I really need something 🙂 Wow, if I got $500 Kohl’s shopping card, I would definitely go. I am a bit surprised (sorry, no offense) that so much money was spent on kids’ clothes alone that they will outgrow in a year or so? I couldn’t spend that much if I wanted to LOL.
I noticed your sales tax on the receipt was 0% — do you not have sales tax in PA or were you having 0% tax days for “back-to-school” supplies, food & clothing? Saving sales tax can be significant – especially when stocking up.
I also shopped at Kohls this past weekend during our 0% tax weekend. It was crowded w/ people taking advantage of the great sales & the no sales tax
That’s awesome! I can’t say I’m a big fan of Kohls, since a bad experience there a few years ago. But that is a TON of stuff for what you spent!
I’m doing BTS differently this year. The boys can wear shorts until Halloween here (it’s usually still in the 80’s then!), so I’ve decided that the only items on our BTS list right now are shoes, socks, and underwear. Drama might get a couple of new T’s, since a few holes magically appeared the other day in his favorites. But that’s IT. We don’t even get our supply lists before school starts, so I have to miss all of the awesome sales anyway.
Also a card carrying Kohls fan! Nicely done blog today. Some family’s will be inspired. Now-about that kitchen rug! Where do i find this rug? Not surprised I like it as I saw you have the navy blue one I bought. Wanted the largest , enjoying the one I could afford. I live rugs!
I love Kohls. My husband went shopping for some dress pants last week and brought me Kohls cash. My daughters both want some new things for BTS so I made a deal with them…clean your room and sort your clothes for charity…then we get to buy some new things.
My “go to” place to shop. I need to make a visit soon. Hubby got me a gift certificate from there for my birthday! During the holidays I also do a lot of on-line shopping at Kohls.com! Awesome place.
I think you son is right – you need that purse. 🙂
Oh my gosh this is such a cute post! I love Kohls! What an awesome shopping trip. I would go crazy in Kohls with that much on a gift card. And all that Kohls cash! You go, girl! Great scarf too. 🙂
“The boys, my mom and I” headed out to Kohl’s is grammatically correct instead of “the boys, me, and my mom” . I am sorry, but it is like fingernails on a blackboard to me. As a professional blogger you need to write effectively and appropriately so they you don’t lose readers who think that you do not care enough or are sloppy. The interiors of your home seem pristine;you want your writing to reflect the same care that you seem to give your home. 🙂
I can’t believe someone would be so rude to point out a grammar error to you. Don’t worry
because your regular readers will ignore it and just want to read whatever you write.
It’s okay, I appreciate it when someone corrects me on grammar or spelling. I definitely need a proof reader sometimes! In this case, though, I was always taught to use “I” or “me” where they can stand alone. In this case “I went to Kohls” instead of “me went to Kohls.” So, “The boys, my mom and I…” Maybe I was sketching floor plans during that English lesson. It’s possible… 🙂
I love Kohl’s. It is a mystery to me why anyone would not have a Kohl’s card!
Kellene
Next time turn down the gift cert and ask them to carry your paint.
Joanne, it is not like Marian usually makes grammatical mistakes…….give her a break! She is good at decorating and her blogs are always entertaining!
I love Kohl’s too! I used to work their part time so have learned how to get the best bargains there. How many retail places let you bring something back after having it so long? Not many! My kids are way beyond school shopping, so are my grand kids, except two but I am sure that is where their mom will be heading for school shopping.
Your kids are so cute!
That’s so funny…my youngest son always notices when I change my purse! “Is that your fall purse, mom?” He certainly does not have his father’s genes in the wardrobe department!
I shop there so often, my husband wonders why I don’t have a platinum card! The best store!
Hmm. Not sure what to think of today’s blog post. A wonderful opportunity for your family for sure. Your boys are cute! I mean, very cool (I guess big boys don’t want to be cute). But 500 dollars on clothes… wow. Is it an American thing to buy everything new for the new school year? Or do the shops want to make us believe this is normal or neccesary? Makes me a little uncomfortable. I understand your story does not represent the average budget :-). Must have felt like Christmas! Our kids mainly wear hand-me-down clothes, but I admit it is so nice to buy them something nice once in a while! Enjoy it! Looking forward to the great bathroom reveal and the countless projects you’ve been working on (that is, after you’ve had a necessary break after such a busy time)… 🙂
No, I normally wouldn’t buy all new socks, underwear, etc, but they really needed them and it was a good time to buy everything at once. Usually, i would spread it out over a few months.
I love Kohls! We do the same thing for back to school or big vacations. Load up at Kohls. I love the convenience of being able to shop for everyone at one store! Now only if I could get the $500 gift card… just teasing!
BTW, thanks for sharing the pic of my dresser on your facebook today!
Due to their very well known Mom your boys look like they’re getting used to be photo’d. Such handsome young fellas. Wow what a bonanza being able to buy all they needed and some for you and your home even, I’m sure envious.
Don’t think I’ve been in Kohl’s for about 4 yrs. as they’re kinda out of our route for shopping when we do go do any.
How long did it take you to find all those great goodies? Having had 3 kids close in age for school shopping It usually took a few hours. It seemed like every month I was buying sneakers and jeans for the boys, they kept growing on me. There weren’t designer sneakers and jeans when my kids were growing up. Thank heavens. The boys grew out of things faster than I could buy them. At 14 my oldest boy was about 5’4″ then all of a sudden he was 6’3 1/2″. Can you imagine. Pretty much same thing for younger one (16 months younger than his brother), he grew to be 6′. My “little” boys grew into men very quickly. How I wish I could it all over again, boys are easier than girls as teenagers. My oldest and youngest are girls. There’s 6 yrs. between 3rd. and 4th.
I imagine it was kinda fun to go school shopping this year, wow what an awesome savings. Our youngest shops as Kohl’s alot, she has 2 teenage daughters now. Happy week
LOVE the pic of your other son sitting back on the bench with his hat and new hoodie…Looked like they had a blast shopping.
I love that purse & have been looking. I use Kohl’s a lot too!
Since moving to North Carolina, Kohl’s has become my go-to store for great deals, They have the best tee shirts and pants in petite, which is usually hard to find elsewhere. I especially like the Chaps line…..just wait until they’re on sale. They always have sales, and when you add on the discount cards that are constantly showing up in the mail, you can’t beat the deals!
Your boys are darling; so cute in their new duds You did a lot for under $500. Good job!
Be sure to go in and fill out the survey they ask you to at the bottom. It’s really short. I think it gives the clerk you waited on an “atta boy/girl” if they deserved it.
Here is my Kohl’s story. I was shopping there just last week. I asked a check out clerk where something was. In a somewhat raspy but very recognizable voice to me, she showed me where the item was. I later went back to her specifically to get her to check me out. She spoke with a very strained and difficult to speak voice. I said “do you mind if I ask you a question about your voice?” She said “No”. I said “do you have spastic dysphonia”? She said no, her voice problem was due to an bad accident some years ago. I proceeded to tell her that my mother had a speech disorder called Spastic Dysphonia (a shaking of the vocal cords that make it very difficult to get sounds out) and I told her that she actually sounds almost exactly like my mother. Talking to her was a bit emotional for me. My mom has been gone for 10 years I told her. “Azy” told me how she had been teased and mistreated due to her voice. I acknowledged that, expressing that my mom had the same problem with people making fun of her and it would greatly upset my mom. Azy said that her husband would take up for her (what a great guy he must be). Anyway, as I was almost finished checking out, my sister walked up. She heard Azy speak and she immediately looked at me and said “did you ask her if….(she was going to say if she has spastic dysphonia)..” I said “yes we were just talking about her sounding like mom.”. I introduced my sister. Before the end of our conversation with Azy, we were ALL a bit tearful and Azy told us she would pray for our mom and for us. We all hugged. What a phenomenal lady and what a total blessing that trip to Kohl’s was for me and my sister. Best trip to Kohl’s I’ve ever had….big shout out to Azy in Texas…tell your Kohl’s folks for me!
Oh my goodness Marian…I LOVE Kohls!! I was just at the one in York PA this past weekend. And wow, you gotta love Kohls cash!! I would have no problem spending $500 in Kohls…good for you!!!
You look good!!! Just wanted you to know that “life style change” is definitely noticeable and you are my inspiration!!!
How ADORABLE are your boys?!!!
My favorite store for clothes and household items, and I have bought jewelry there as well. Their sales on shoes are very good as well. Lucky you!
Your boys are darling Them eyes, be still my heart. I have 2 boys, as well. They are 20 and 24. I remember those days when my oldest son had to have everything green; green Power Ranger, green shirt. green crayon. He still likes green! Kohl’s is great but I always forget to use my Kohl’s cash. Am I the only one?! Makes me so darn mad. I kinda wish they would just give me credit instead of me having to keep up with another coupon. In Kohl’s defense, If it’s not too far out of date, they are really good about redeeming it anyway. Thank you, Kohl’s.
I have been enjoying following your blog. I am so excited to find out that we love the same store! Kohl’s is my favorite!
Kohl’s is an amazing place to shop and I go there often, coming from Canada. I wouldn’t have anything else but the “Big one” towels in every bathroom of our house. I feel terrible that the person made a mention on your grammar error. It seems to be the only thing I can’t get off my mind and that shouldn’t happen. Thanks for the great article. Faithful subscriber.
I’m with you Marianne, we love Kohls. I have gotten so many houseware items there, always at a great savings and love their clothing. I have recently lost weight and it was such a pleasure selecting non fat granny cloths that were so modern and flattering from them. We always save a bundle! i just recently got a $10 birthday gift card from them. What a surprise! We are so happy they moved to town. But of course having a $500.00 gift card wouldn’t be anything to sneeze at either.
I really enjoyed this post! What a fun trip and it was nice to see some more of your boys on here! They’re so handsome. 🙂
I love Kohls, too, for lines like Vera and LC. Sometimes they have some good homes things too. Thanks for sharing, Marian!
Hi Gwen, The Makerista! What a very fun name!!! And very clever too. You must enjoy Starbucks.
Aw! I’ve loved Kohl’s from the moment Vera Wang started a collection for them. You can beat Kohl’s cash either. Your boys are so cute!
I love the pic of your boys hauling out their loot. I hate shopping but I can usually find stuff at kohls. always great prices and coupons and they also have a great return policy which is important to me since I always change my mind and tend to overbuy when I go there.
Your haircut is adorable!!! It suits you to a T!
And the picture of your green loving son, the one thoroughly enjoying the store’s open throughway, in the hoodie and sweats is priceless! OMGoodness, what fun and excitement lays ahead. Enjoy! I have one just like him and he is 17.
Love kohl’s,they have great prices and deals. When I saw the title of your post I was hoping they were matching that $500 card with one for your readers too. Oh well. Glad you got a great haul.
Your boys are adorable! And they like shopping, that is a plus 🙂 Did you end up with the purse? I think he likes color! PInk is my favorite, it would have worked for me. Your little one really likes that green hoodie! Did he sleep in it? Just kidding. I’ve only shopped at Khol’s once, I went with a friend. Guess I’d better check it out again! It was fun seeing the boys you mention so often 🙂
I have to say, Kohls is a staple in my house too! We do our back-to-school shopping for our kids their and my husband and I can always find great deals for ourselves too. I too LOVE the Vera Wang collection and most of the jewelry I own comes from Kohls! It never fails that when that ad comes in the mail and I get a 30% off coupon I am the LUCKIEST girl in the world (and of course I have to use it)! Thanks for the cute post and LUCKY YOU for the $500! 🙂
Oh how awesome! I love Kohls too! 😀
Wow, will there ever come a time I’ll receive such a wonderful blessing…so very happy for you and your boys!
Wow, wish I had $500 to shop with, but since I’m just an average Joe I’m pretty thrilled with the two garbage bags full of clothes I got at the thrift store yesterday, and I only spent $47! Sometime, posts like yours make me feel pretty bad but I have to look at the bright side…..I was still able to get some big name brands for less.
Yeah, I see where you’re coming from. Getting to do things like this are definitely one of the perks of my job, but I hope my readers never feel like I’m rubbing it in. Most jobs have some fun aspects to them – flights for airline employees, free yummy food for restaurant employees, company cruises in the corporate world, etc. Getting to partner with brands I love is just one of the perks of being a blogger.
Good for you for finding such a great haul at the thrift store. I love finding awesome second-hand treasures and have often celebrated a garbage bag full of clothes for next to nothing. 🙂
Spent some time at Kohl’s today with my daughter and came home with some great stuff. Great sales, plus coupon, plus Kohl’s cash. She is a teenager and she has learned that it’s more fun to hunt for deals at second hand stores (ever hear of Plato’s Closet?), thrift shops, consignment sales, and garage/yard/estate sales in order put together her unique signature look. She likes not looking like the mannequin in the store. And if we do hit a big name store, she heads right to the clearance racks. It’s all about being a good steward with the money you have…whether it be $5.00 or $500.00. Those big brand names are everywhere if you know where to look in your local area.
And the best part about Kohl’s today, is they didn’t have one bit of Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas stuff out on the shelves. PTL! Please stores and malls across America…let us enjoy the rest of our summer!
I love Kohl’s. We don’t have it in Canada but I went on my first shopping trip to the USA this spring and Kohls was my favourite. I bought so much stuff and saved even more! Can’t wait to get back again.
I love Kohl’s, especially when they have the big sales. And as much as I thought I would think it was too young and trendy, I really like Jennifer Lopez’s line of clothes. Colorful and fun, and the jeans fit great! Your boys are so handsome!
What a great, fun experience you were able to give your boys! They are adorable!
I love Kohl’s too! Last Christmas, I took my coveted Kohl’s cash (and talked my daughter out of hers) and bought a carload of toys to donate. I was not working at the time but I was aching to donate in response to local news stories that donations were lower than obligations. Marian, you are not kidding at how far you can stretch a dollar at Kohl’s – between sales, % off coupons, etc. I had $120 in Kohl’s cash and I am sure I walked out with at least double that amount in toys. Thanks for a fun story and sharing pics of your little cuties!
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Ok, I have read your blog off and on for a few years. Mostly for inspiration when my mind wants to stop giving me ideas. I’m not a “devoted”‘ fan I guess you could say but like I said, on occasion I have stopped by and have liked what I’ve read. Today I stopped by to take a look and see what you have been up to. Then I noticed on some posts, people were putting you down for sponsored posts. Well, people can be upset, whatever, no biggie. You can’t please anyone all of the time AND (this is a big AND, If I could get a megaphone and shout the word “AND” I would) all those people putting you down, would in heartbeat do the same damn thing. This is life and it’s called having a job. And anytime you have the opportunity to provide for your family, you have an OBLIGATION to do it!! Literally an obligation!! It is your job to take care of your family, that’s what a job is for and don’t ever forget that or get so wrapped up in this and forget your purpose. And seriously, I will find you MMS and shake you, the next time I see you responding to someone explaining your finances of not normally buying new clothes and underwear and how this was not a normal thing. This should be a normal thing. That is awesome that they did that for you! And anyone else here that says well I wouldn’t have sponsored posts on my imaginary blog if I were a blogger, even if it helped me, IS A LIAR. The next time an awesome company that you like gives you the opportunity to post for them, you do a freaking back flip that you are so awesome they want you! OK I think I’m done lol
Ok, I lied, I wasn’t done. Just wanted to say the post was super cute too. I have 3 kids and love taking them shopping and know how fun it it. Very cute post and their smiles say it all.