Starting the new school year off with a new backpack and lunch bag is a great way to get your little student excited. Think about it, your kids carry their school bags all day, five days a week, why shouldn’t they have something worth showing off?

Here are some of our top picks for fun and functional school bags they’ll be proud to carry to school every day:

1. Nike Kids Lunch Tote: This spacious and durable lunch tote will keep lunch, drinks and snacks fresh and cool.

2. Nike Kids Rolling Backpack: This back-saving bag is perfect for rolling around heavy textbooks and gear.

3. Dakine Messenger: A classic messenger bag with tons of storage for long days on campus.

4. JanSport Superbreak Backpack: This classic backpack comes in a ton of cool colors and patterns for every kind of kid.

5. Roxy Kids Conversation Backpack: Your little surfer girl will surely appreciate the cool style of this utilitarian backpack.

6. Volcom Messaround Lunch Sack: Perfect for keeping her afternoon snacks nice and fresh.

This last week, our Zappos team went to Southern California and competed in the 8000 meter challenge. It is an event put on by Jansport each year for employees of outdoor retailers. It is a grueling event that has you hike almost 40 miles, as you summit the three tallest peaks in Southern California (Mt. Baldy, San Gorgonio and San Jacinto)in a 24 hour period.

The event not only challenges your overall physical conditioning, but for many people, it also mentally challenges your ability to push through and finish the event. You start the event at 5a.m. when it is still dark, and for those who finish, will most likely finish their hike that night in the dark.

It is really not a race, so for most people it’s mainly about competing against yourself to get through and complete the event. It also allows you to bond with your team, not only during the event, but also the training leading up to the big hike. Everyone enjoyed hiking together and constantly encouraging each other to better themselves.

It’s been said, that for a lot people, this event is the hardest event they will do in their life. While this event is definitely not easy, for those who participate in the challenge, it’s certainly worth all the hard work.

Zappos has been preparing to take part in the 8000 Meter Challenge that is coming up soon. The challenge is to hike three specific mountains in southern California in a 24 hour period. Since the challenge is almost 40 miles of hiking, she decided she wanted to get some training in while at work.

Melissa has been walking around the office the past few weeks in her hiking clothes and backpack, and has been walking on her stair master while at her desk. It may seem a little weird, but we have to give her credit for being “ Passionate & Determined .”

North Carolina is famous for mountains, rivers, the Wright brothers, and beaches! The best beaches are on the Outer Banks, sandy islands with the Atlantic on one side and a river on the other. Cape Fear is renowned for the movie of the same name, and is an extremely popular destination, but if you’d rather relax it may be too popular. Drive across Snow’s Cut Bridge to Pleasure Island, and down to its southern tip. There you’ll find Kure (pronounced CUR-ee) Beach, this week’s best beach.

Kure Beach is both a town and a beach, and if you decide you want to stay longer than a day (and you probably will) you’ll have no problem finding a beach cottage or ocean-front condo to rent, or a motel for a shorter stay. There are plenty of shops and great restaurants that range from 5 star to inexpensive, but always tasty, in this town of about 1,800. If they’re not enough for you, it’s a short trip back to Wilmington. But if you’re a beach-lover, you’ll just want to spread out your towel and stay.

The sands of Kure Beach are open and unspoiled, and you can sunbathe, amble along looking for shells, or just admire the ocean without constantly tripping over people. There are hiking trails and some fascinating vegetation, including the Venus flytrap. Kure Beach is also a great place for surfing or sailboarding, and it’s one of the best spots along the Outer Banks for fishing. The town has a 700+ foot pier, one of the best on the east coast, and you’re guaranteed to catch something. If you’d rather look at fish than catch them, visit the North Carolina Aquarium, also on Kure.

Carry all your beach needs in this spacious and stylish tote from JanSport. Keep your feet happy on sand, trail or water in these Sun Chill Thongs from Columbia. Catch everybody’s eyes while you’re catching rays in the shirred tubini with matching twist front hipster in Holly Berry from Tommy Bahama’s Sunkissed collection. Pack water, sunscreen, and shades and you’re ready to hit Kure Beach.