Friday Favorites: Back to School Edition

Today is bittersweet.  It's the last official day of summer vacation and I am so not ready! We have had so many fun adventures, done so many science related projects, some arts and crafts, binged watched some TV and full on summered. But, my kids totally need a change in scenery and are jumping up and down to go to school, so I guess, I will be ready.  I mean, bring on Starbucks and Target with out kids, because I'll be honest with you that I am ready for.  Also, Costco.  I just cant even think about that til Monday.  Anyone with me?  Please tell me I'm not alone! 

We kind of sort of finished our STEM projects this week, so blog posts to come.  We have to redo the one I was going to blog about this week, because it totally flopped.  And that's okay.  We learned not to settle for a similar ingredient when we couldn't find the right one.  So, today, I want to take a few minutes to share some of my favorite things that keep me somewhat sane for the start of the school year and beyond. 

1.   Staying Organized.
This was my planner from last year.  This year, I am using a spiral bound Day Designer Planner combined with all the planner stickers I find at our local craft stores (it's like the 10 year old Lisa Frank loving tween comes out in me!).  They help me stay organized and make lists and put everything in one spot.  We also keep our master calendar on our phones that are all connected (thank you apple!).  So, when my husband puts something on it, It alerts me that something was added and vise versa.  Each week, all those things get transferred here and on our family command center so I always have access to what we need. This has minimized the amount of lists that I have had to make. . . So that's a lifesaver!

2.  Backpacks and Lunch Pails that don't bite the dust.

Having backpacks that don't fall a part is so important.  No one really wants to  have to buy backpacks twice in one year. . . I mean, no matter where you get them, they really aren't that cheap.  We have been so impressed with Pottery Barn Kids that we buy them every few years.  This will be Ethan's second year, with his camo backpack and Weston's third year with his shark backpack.  They hold up so well.  This year, Weston is using his same lunch pail as last year (and I think kinder, too!) and Ethan got a new one because his was just getting worn out (but still not that bad and will be used as a back up in case they get left at school).  They aren't the cheapest backpacks on the market, price wise, but the fact that they last so long and so well makes them well worth it.  This year, we knew we were buying a new lunch pail for Ethan so I kept my eye out and found the one that matched his backpack on clearance for 9.99 and free shipping.  I recommend getting on their email list so you can find out when they have stuff on sale, because it's so worth it!


3.  Bento Boxes. 

We love these Easy Lunch Boxes so much!  They are inexpensive and work great for giving my kids a balanced lunch that they need to give them all the energy and brain power to get through the craziness of the school day and their after school activities.  I have several blog posts about it that I will link to at the bottom of this post. 

4.   Morning Routines are a Must. 

I am a firm believer that if you give your kids clear expectations on what you want them to accomplish in the morning, then they will most often do it successful (I won't lie, they have their mornings when they don't want to do anything. . . they aren't perfect).  They each have their own laminated version of this checklist clipped to the refrigerator with their own magnetic dry erase marker (black comes off best).  This keeps them on task so this mommy can also get ready, 'cause I have my own issues with mornings!  We also have a rule that it all has to be done by 8:00 so that we can walk out the door at 8:10 to get to school on time.  If it isn't done, they don't get to watch TV in the afternoons.   That kind of hurts. . . and motivates. 

 5.  Love on your Child's Teacher.

 I am not sure if I can express this enough, but your child's teacher needs all the love, support, and prayers that you can give them.  They work their butts off preparing for your child and want them to succeed.  It's definitely a partnership and it takes all of us to make successful children.  I like to bring our kids teachers treats every now and then just to make their day. . . especially when it's a hard day or week.  We bring cookies the first day because they need a little bit of sunshine. . . they've been working so hard to prep for our kids that they just need to know how much we appreciate them from the start.  Also, pray for your teachers.  Pray that they have wisdom to deal with the chaos and crazy of each day.  I will put links at the bottom or printables.

And that's it.  That's my 5 favorite things for back to school.  I would love to hear what your favorite back to school things are, feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you! Enjoy your first week or your last week of vacation.  Enjoy what ever moment you are in, whether finishing up the summer or starting the school year. 

Here are some quick links:

Helpful hints for Back to School

Cookie Printable Gift Tag

Lunch Inspiration