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Middle School is Happening!

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This post is in collaboration with JCPenney.

The time that I’ve dreaded for a while is finally here.  I don’t know how it happened but yesterday she was getting on the bus for the first time headed to kindergarten.

bus

And then I blinked.

Middle School

My baby is headed off to middle school this year and I have no idea what happened to the last 6 years. My sister sat me down on the morning of my wedding and said “blink.” I was a little confused and asked why.

“Just blink.”

So I blinked.

“That is how fast this day will go by. Try to enjoy every second of it if you can,” she said.

It was true. My wedding day was a blur. And when people tell you that your kids growing up goes by fast, BELIEVE THEM!

I can remember my daughter heading off to kindergarten like it was yesterday, yet I’m preparing her for the big, bad, first year of middle school. I’ve heard that middle school is brutal these days, but I don’t tell her that. I just tell her it’s going to be awesome. Whether I believe that or not is a different story.

I went to Catholic schools growing up so I didn’t technically move up to middle school. Our grade school was kindergarten through 8th grade so I never experienced moving up to the new (scary!) school that was middle school in 6th grade. Sixth grade in a Catholic school in St. Louis was just like any other grade. No big deal.

That’s not how it is where I live now. My kids go to public school and the middle school is 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Just when you think you are on top of the world in 5th grade, you get a reality check by going right back to the bottom of the totem pole right as you are entering the most awkward time in your short tween life. Yeah, sounds awesome.

Honestly, I’m not too worried about my daughter since she is super confident, caring, and at this point, doesn’t really care what others think. I just hope and pray that that doesn’t change.

One of the things that I love about our school system, but that the kids aren’t big fans of, is that the middle school requires uniforms. Yep, a public school with uniforms! Woot! Woot!

The elementary and high school students can all wear what they want but middle school? UNIFORMS! It sounds mean but considering how brutal middle school can be and how it is the prime time that kids are finding themselves, taking the fashion struggle off the table just sounds brilliant to me. Plus, think of how easy the mornings are going to be for us without fighting over what to wear.

Okay, so she wears uniforms BUT that doesn’t mean that she still doesn’t want a few “back to school” outfits. Her brothers got new clothes and, “What about when there are parties, or the weekends, or no-uniform days?” she says.

Good point.

She is growing fast so she needed some new clothes anyway so she joined us on our JCPenney back-to-school shopping trip.

The first shirt she grabbed seemed all too appropriate for a girl who has a viral video on YouTube right now about what she wears. This one was perfect even though kids on YouTube take her viral parody video so seriously and really hate the costumes we picked. It’s a joke, kids! She doesn’t even wear that stuff! LOL!

Fashion Blogger

After we had a good laugh about the fashion blogger shirt and her viral video, she moved on to serious clothes shopping.

JCPenney

She is into the trends this year and loved that JCPenney had a lot of “glam grunge” and “pop star cool girl” to choose from, and I loved the good deals!

Her first outfit is perfect for the changing weather of North Carolina. Cold in the mornings… hot in the afternoons. She loves the puppy t-shirt paired with the Total Girl High-Waist Skater Skirt in indigo and Arizona Long-Sleeve Crochet Inset-Back Woven Top in Stunning Pink. (These skirts and shirts are actually Buy 1 Get 1 for a Penny this week!)

Middle School

This versatile outfit is perfect for warmer or cooler days!

Back to School

Get this look here:

Total Girl Graphic Tee

Arizona Long-Sleeve Crochet Inset-Back Woven Top in Stunning Pink

Total Girl High-Waist Skater Skirt in indigo

Her second favorite outfit that she chose is a little more Pop Star Cool Girl! She loves the by&by Tiered Skirt in black with the Total Girl Moto Jacket Set. This is definitely a sassy outfit that includes the separate jacket and tank top for starting a new school year with new friends.

Middle School

Get this look here:

by&by Tiered Skirt

Total Girl Moto Jacket Set

So, is she ready to head to middle school? Yep. Am I ready for middle school? Nope.

I’m just going to take a deep breath and hope for the best. Annnddd… I’m not going to blink again. Ever.

If you are headed out for back-to-school shopping, here are a couple tips for getting the great deals at JCPenney.

You can check out more great deals at JCPenney.com.

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post by JCPenney. As always, all thoughts, opinions and statements are our own.

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Sam Solo

Monday 27th of November 2017

I can definitely see the benefit of taking the fashion struggle out of the equation with school uniforms. My kids are getting ready for middle school and I remember that being a pretty awkward time for my dress style. I really want them to just get a good Catholic education without any bullying.

Savonna C

Monday 14th of November 2016

How old are you guys

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