Get up and go: tips on
shopping for simplicity
(NAPSI)-According to a recent sur
vey, 62 percent of children start their
day between 6 and 7 a.m. And, as kids
wake up, the craziness begins.
The survey, commissioned by
Lands' End. indicates that children, and
parents alike try to cram a day's worth
of activities into those precious hours
before school. Common activities for
youngsters before they leave the house
include: eating breakfast, watching TV,
listening to the radio and doing house
hold chores.
"The morning routine and getting
ready for school may cause anxiety for
both parents and kids," said Susan Lip
ton, Lands' End Kids merchant. "One
great way to alleviate some of the stress
is to make the big decisions, such as
what to eat for breakfast or what to
wear, the night before."
Clothing decisions are often made
well in advance, with back-to-school
shopping trips dictating a student's
choices for at least the early part of the
year. To avoid shopping miscalcula
tions, Lipton offers a formula for find
ing a "Get Up and Go" wardrobe:
? First, conduct a closet audit to
determine what still fits and what
doesn't. Next, measure the child, so you
know what size you'll need. Trying on
clothes currently in the child's closet
and having measurements on hand will
be a great guide to current sizing.
? Next, evaluate which pieces of
clothing werf worn most often the pre
vious year and which collected dust in
the closet. Sometimes this is a good
reminder for parents that youngsters
wilfr wear what they like and what's
comfortable.
? Calculate a shopping list and bud
get. This will help both kids apd parents
to stay on track.
? To alleviate shopping mall distress,
try alternative back-to-school shopping
methods such as Internet or catalog
shopping from home. Children will
enjoy the quiet time together with par
ents.
"Kids tend to lose interest and get
frustrated during back-to-school shop
ping," said Lipton. "Work with them to
develop a shopping plan, keep them
involved in all decisions and, most of
all, remember that shopping with your
child for back-to-school clothing can be
fun."
For more tips, plus the coolest hack
to-school fashons for the upcoming
school year, call Lands' End Kids at I -
800-734-5437 or visit their web site at
h-h'M'. land send com/kids.
If the shoe fits
from page 8
eral cutting and other multi-directional
motions.
? Specialized shoes: Beyond general
wear or PE class, sports footwear can
get very specific, and more expensive.
There is a wide range of specialized,
higher-end products. For young kids,
these shoes are not appropriate. These
kinds of footwear are for older kids
who know the game, know their posi
tion, and know what the shoe is for.
? For younger kids: At the novice
or entry level, more general products
are better. Don't let your child push
you into an expensive specialized shoe,
until he demonstrates he's ready for it
and needs it. Find a shoe that's com
fortable and allows the child to grow
in the sport.
? Cleated footwear: These function
ally focused shoes offer specific sport
performance. For middle-school ages
or Pop Warner football, you need a
multi-surface versatile product. As
kids get older and hit high school, the
needs become more specific.
? Soccer: Soccer boot design allows
the shoe to fit more snugly, for better
ball feel and control. Still, consider the
half-size rule. Soccer -seasons now
extend for most of a year - from fall to
indoor to spring and your child's
foot will continue to grow. Err on the
side of getting that half size. Just add
an extra layer of socks, if you need to.
Also, know what kind of field condi
tions your child will generally face
soft ground, hard ground, artificial
turf or indoor conditions - and buy
the boot that meets the needs of those
conditions.
? Football: The same basic rules
apply to soccer and football, although
football is one reasonably short sea
son. so you can aim for a little truer
fit. But again, know your child's skill
level, length of season and field condi
tions.
? Running: With fall comes cross
country running, as well as running for
general fitness. Running products vary
greatly for fit, cushioning and weight.
The motion is linear, with pounding
on the heel and forefoot, which is why
Nike running shoes feature the patent
ed Air Sole technology. Look for
proper cushioning, as well as stability
in the heel strike.
? Off-season or general
training/jogging: Cross-training prod
ucts allow a great deal of versatility.
Look for a cushioning system that
provides good lateral support, stability
and flexibility of use on different kinds
of surfaces.
General rule: Happy feet are pro
ductive feet. Look for quality footwear
that provides optimal fit, protection
and function for growing athletes, and
Nike certainly can help in those areas.
As for homework, grades and atten
dance? Sorry, parents, Carroll says,
there's only so much Nike can do.
,
Ebony Fashion Fair
Urban League
from page 5
standing community service projects,
fund-raising efforts and scrapbook pre
sentations. Guild
members assist with
community health
projects, senior citi
zens programs, the
annual Reading
Olympiad, The
Equal Opportunity
Day Gala, voter edu
cation drives. Rites
to Passage Partner
? ? ?t. .
McMillian
snip programs, me
governor's mentor program with college
?
students, and The Red Cross African
American Donor program.
Friende says that membership is
open to anyone who is willing to volun
teer time and energy. During the 1998
99 fiscal year, $210,900 was contributed
to the 114 Urban League affiliates by
the 61 guilds in the country. The South
ern region is comprised of 17 guilds.
Tickets to the show may be secured
from guild members or by calling The
Urban League office, (336) 725-5614.
Tickets are $25 each and this includes a
one-year subscription to the weekly Jet
.magazine. ? \
Delores "D" Smith is the presi
dent/CpO-of the Winston-Salem Urban
-League. ?
Sponsored By
C f Winston-SolemUrbon League Guild
i nchiAnc sc? o* Vrshi ? FUNO
I %|9lll%rll9 A URBAN LEAGUE PROGRAMS
^^ M.C. Benton Convention Center
" ^jrir/|^ J l^v' || Winston-Salem, NC
(919)721-0807
FAX (919) 724-2723
f/l. isfliteAef/
- Attorney and Counselor At Law
Mail Address:
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Call for information. 723-0371
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