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I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

I think it is fairly common knowledge that I do most of my shopping online for convenience and for finding the very best deals but when Collective Bias set me the challenge of shopping at my local supermarket for back to school products, I thought I would pick up a physical basket (not the virtual one) and go shopping! I made the decision to go to Asda alone, mainly because I knew that if I took along my two adorable little shopping companions, the shopping bill may exceed my budget. They are both little consumers and with lots to tempt children, at their height, I decided to go it alone!

I know  that I can shop online at any time of day or night but it still amazes me that you can shop in store 24 hours a day. I went mid afternoon, rather than the middle of the night and the store was busy but not crazy, so I could meander round at my leisure. The back to school shop was straight in front of me as I walked into the store but as I was taking a picture the store security guard apprehended me and told me that I couldn't take pictures in store. Whilst I was a little shaken at first, I have to salute both Asda and the security guard for protecting both their store and their customers. I could have been anyone, potentially taking pictures of vulnerable people or children, so once we had chatted about the review I was doing, I was okay to proceed. (she says, wiping her brow)

Asda have an AMAZING range of Back to School clothes, stationary, lunch boxes, shoes .... you name it, they have it. I almost feel sorry for the children (you notice I said "almost"), in that as soon as they break up for the summer holidays, the "back to school" stuff is in the stores for September, reminding them that it is only a few weeks till they are returning to class.

My youngest daughter will be starting nursery this September, only for a couple of mornings and that is heart wrenching enough for me but I know what it is like for a mother with a child starting school for the very first time and whilst you need to deal with the practicalities of getting all the right things, you have to deal with the emotional side too. Thankfully Asda are making the practical side the easy part.

Having already sorted the uniform out at the early part of the school holidays, stationary and bags were top of my "Back to School" shopping list and as we are big Hello Kitty fans in our house (who isn't), I was delighted to find a good range of stationary products in the Hello Kitty brand. I knew my eldest daughter would be thrilled with them, unfortunately her little sister got hold of them before she did and she stands testament to them being good quality (there are not many note books that can stand the force of her scribbling)

Fashions come and go with children and getting value for money is important to parents but getting the "right" bag / design / logo is important to the children too. My eldest daughter does enjoy school but no one likes the summer holidays to end do they? I am just thankful that we have the "right" things to go back to school with this September.