Hey There, Friends! Our school year kick offs pretty early this year so I’ve been doing all I can to ensure we’re all set to go early August for all things back to school. It feels as though our summer has flown by! I can’t even believe we’re close enough to be talking about back to school, but here we are! It’s my yearly round-up of getting back to school ready! My hope is it helps remind you what you need to grab or prepare for before the first day arrives.
BACKPACKS-
Gone are the days when all my kids want a monogrammed Pottery Barn backpack. My new kindergartener will for sure be sporting one. She chose THIS ONE. It spoke to her tie-dyed, heart loving self. The big kids all chose something different.
SNEAKERS-
We always kickoff the new school year with a fresh pair of sneakers and then this mama crosses her fingers they’ll last as long as possible. Do you feel me on that? These are our favorite places to shop for back to school shoes….Nordstrom and Nike.
PE BAG-
In middle school things change just a bit, {mostly all for the good} with an addition of physical education brings another bag {and more laundry for mom}. Nixon and Ebby Lee carry a duffel bag that houses a change of clothes, items used to freshen up, and shoes. By the way, boy moms-another boy mom recommended these Dude Wipes to me. I shared them yesterday during my Amazon Haul.
WATER BOTTLES-
Nowadays you can’t leave home without one! My boys got these water bottles {in different colors, of course}. And Britt went with the matching Pottery Barn version.
PRAYERS-
This summer I’ve been praying through this book . I’m not sure if it’s because Ebby Lee is almost in high school or the fact I have no babies left at home with me, but this year is hitting a little different.
FIRST DAY GIFTS-
Most students at our school send a first day of school gift in to the teacher. My favorite kinds of things to gift are Starbucks gift card {because they for sure could all use some extra coffee that first week, right?}, a gift card for dinner for their family, or a pizza delivery gift card tied with paper goods so no dishes have to happen. This is the kind of gift I love picking up in advance and then I’ll tuck it away until the big day. If not, I’ll be scrambling the day before school starts.
COZI APP-
Have you gone digital yet in the planning department? If not, you should absolutely give this app a shot. I login on both my computer and my phone, get an e-mailed itinerary for the week {and have even signed Tab up for this service}, and I use the FREE version! I’ve found it’s easier to add events on my computer versus my phone. Anytime I get a sports’ schedule or something with a large number of dates I need to add I always do it on my computer. I can also add our meals for the week right into the app, which makes meal planning a little easier too.
BACK TO SCHOOL CLOTHES–
I’m sure at this point you’ve all discovered your own favorite places to shop, but since my last kiddo is off on her way to kindergarten I decided we needed some really kindergarten specific things. There are tons of the cute personalized shirts and dresses.
HAIRCUTS-
This one always sneaks up on me. Just a friendly reminder from one mom to another to get those scheduled early so you’re not fighting the crowds.
If you’re thinking you might be emotional after that first day drop off as well, my suggestion is to plan something fun….breakfast with friends, nail appointment, spa appointment, walk around the mall, etc. I know I’ll be adding something like that in my calendar for the first day.
This one ALWAYS makes me laugh! Since we leave for our vacation this weekend, we won’t have a ton of time between returning and school. I’m doing my best to make sure we’re school ready before we leave. Hope you guys are feeling ready too! Have a great Thursday! See you back here tomorrow!
XO
