Some days, I prefer living in my pretend world where life has nothing to do with what is cool, hip or just plain old gotta-have-because-everyone-else-does.

But, really, who am I kidding?

I dig the feeling I get putting on that great pair of jeans I saw in a magazine or getting that excellent, trendy hair cut that offers up that pretty vibe. I generally appreciate the distinctive and unusual. But, there’s something communal and warm about sharing in the fun of shared gear.

It’s particularly sweet at times with the preschool crowd like the other day when our daughter’s pal – who has the same ladybug rain jacket as she does – was so incredibly bummed that the two of them didn’t plan ahead to make sure they wore them on the same day. Or a crew of girls on the NeighbourWood Walks – all great friends – who LOVED it when we went to the beach because then they could all wear their boots (which were all the same).

And, when it comes to kiddos headed back to school to hang out with all of their friends…well, we know how it goes.

I don’t really assume that my taste in gear ranks high in the super cool universe with the K-8 crowd. But, there is some seriously great gear available in the Valley this year.

We scoured a few of the hottest spots and came up with our own Top Ten Local Hot Gear List for you to check out. Keep reading. Some of them have deals and FREE STUFF attached:

1. Kasa Bags by Royston mama Sarah Stromquist – available by special order or at Kid Shack, Planet Kids, Firefly: New Beginnings, Organic Family Natural Home and Little Me.

Every kiddo needs a great bag. Backpacks are good. But, there’s nothing like a stylin’ handmade bag to make the grade. These gems are a bit of a phenom in town right now and I totally understand why after the tiny person and I both got one and fell head over heels. They are so cute, easily washed, have an extra spot for a water bottle and are just plain cool. Sarah will even make you a custom one out of a special fabric or garment. But, watch out moms. You’ll find yourselves swiping your kiddo’s bag as they are the perfect sized bag for a night out with the girls:)

One random commenter on this post today will WIN one of Sarah’s kid-sized bags. So, jump in and tell us what your favourite gear for the school year is.

2. Shinzi Katoh coated aluminum bottles. Available at Firefly: New Beginnings on 5th Street in Courtenay.

So, um, these are stinking cool.

I’m all about the removal of plastic from the drinking container. Combine it with the unique and gorgeous stylings of this fantastic Japanese artist – score. Firefly: New Beginnings has a whole whack of them in two sizes. The artistic kiddo will totally dig these.

3. Yogini casual wear. Available at Kid Shack on 5th Street in Courtenay.

This Vancouver-made, environmentally-friendly kids clothing line is not only super comfortable but totally in for kiddos looking to give off that Zen active vibe. It comes in sizes 2-14. For mom-sized yoga-style outfits to get all the girls in the family looking sporty head on over to Be Clothing on 6th Street.

4. DC Shoes. Available at Kid Shack.

You will not be getting any cooler in the parent universe than when you say to your son, “Hey man, let’s go get you a pair of DC Shoes.”

Seriously, this may win you a parent-of-the-year award from the K-8 male-type crowd. They rock.

Shanley over at Kid Shack is selling these LIKE CRAZY. So, if you want a pair you better get over there this week. The excellent news is that, if you mention you saw it on CVK, she’ll give you 10% off your purchase of any non-sale merchandise in the store this next week! So, go score yourself some major cool points.

5. Canada-focused Learning Tools from S&S Learning. Available at Planet Kids on Comox Avenue in downtown Comox.

Your kiddos may not think these are way up there on the Hot List. But, parents looking for learning resources that are focused on Canada will find this series of workbooks absolutely priceless.

S&S books include ones on Canadian geography, politics, history, First Nations and exploring and Pam over at Planet Kids has them all in her growing and extensive homeschool learning section. If you need tools to get your kiddos into the learning mode, or give some extra attention to a given area, it’s the place to go.

6. Comic Book Old Skool Metal Lunch Boxes. Available at ABC Books & Inner Sanctum on Fifth Street in Courtenay.

I posted about these the other day. But, they most definitely earn a solid place on the Hot List.

If your house is like mine (and I know more than a few of you for whom this applies), Star Wars is the touchstone around which all memories of time and place in life revolves around. Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk and of course The Dark Knight come in tied for a very close second.

If your kiddo has a light saber at home, he/she is going to be needing one of these lunch boxes to complete the Sci-Fi vibe.

7. Lilly Bean Felt Lunches. Available at Firefly: New Beginnings.

If there is anything popular among the preschool crowd, it’s the serving of fake lunch.

And fake lunch of the felt kind is now finally available in town through THE felt food retailer in North America – Lilly Bean.

You can get the actual lunch, a variety of food or even a take-away box of felt fortune cookies that are gorgeous, eco-friendly and just plain fun from Chelsey and Tenielle over at Firefly: New Beginnings. A great way to get those wee ones working on packing lunches of their own:)

8. 2010 Olympic Mascot Gear. Available at Zellers in the Driftwood Mall.

It’s time to gear up for the 2010 Olympics and nothing is quite as cute as the mascot gear now available only at Zellers. We snagged some toques and are totally digging the mascot backpack. But, holy cow is there a lot – from t-shirts and hoodies to stuffies and books.

It’s cool, and a portion of the proceeds goes to support the athletes attending the games.

9. Oh La La De Paris children’s eye wear. Available at VisionWorks Optometry on Anderton Road in Comox.

If this school year needs to start out with some new eye glasses, be sure to check out the absolutely adorable line of fashionable specs at Dr. David Dowe’s office in Comox. These are so great, and an excellent way to turn what can be a traumatic event into something totally cool.

10. A library card from VIRL.

There is something totally empowering about getting your kiddo their own library card, and then letting them use it to check out whatever they want (within limits of course).

The bonus is that the library often waives late fees on kids cards.

So, get your kiddo hooked up today.