If you need summer clothes for your kids, check out your local Talbots Kids store--but hurry, word has gotten out about their blowout sale and pretty soon it will be slim pickings. Talbots Kids, which sells preppy summer clothing and accessories, always has good end of season sales, but right now everything is 50% off original prices because all Talbots Kids stores are closing.

Talbots announced last winter that it planned to close its kids and men's' divisions, and it intended to focus on its core businesses, women's clothing. Talbots is in the process of closing 78 stores, including 66 kids' stores and 12 men's stores nationwide.

I was tempted, but didn't buy one of several exquisite white dresses perfect for a flower girl or first Holy Communion dress. I also could have stocked up for next summer but it's hard to predict a child's size a year ahead of time. Instead, I figured out what my daughter needed for summer, and picked up a sweet white sweater to wear over floral sundresses, a pair of capris, some t-shirts and a black and white floral skirt–this was the best bargain-reduced from $48 to $15.

I was disappointed in the boys selection: there wasn't anything my 9 year old would wear – the clothes are a bit too stuffy for his skaterboy tastes, and since all sales are final I didn't want to chance it.