This year, I am determined to not be scrambling to get everything the week before school. So, I’ve spent the last few weeks collecting the things I know I will need to start the school year off strong. I know if I am feeling stressed about school starting the kids will pick up on that and I want us to go in excited and ready for the new year ahead.
Here’s what I’ve bought so far:
Bookbag
This is the first year that any of the girls will need a backpack, up until now their school has provided them with a bag. But Lillian is starting 1st grade in the fall and it is time for a big kid bag. I wanted her to be able to pick, but I wanted some say in the matter. My criteria was good quality and not any type of character or animal that she would get tired of midway thru the year. So, I went with what I knew. Jansport. I figured they made the best bags when I went to school, are still in business and cheaper than I remember so I let her just go thru the website and find what she liked. This is what she picked and we couldn’t be happier. It’s probably a little big for her frame, but she’s due for a growth spurt soon and it should be just perfect.
Bentgo Boxes
If you have been following me for any length of time, you know how much I love these lunch boxes. I’ve had one set for a couple of years and they have held up great. It breaks into two pieces, the food part is dishwasher safe and the exterior wipes clean easily. With all three girls in school full time for the first year I decided to invest in a second set so that I could make multiple days’ lunches at once. See my reel here for the secret to making a week’s worth of sandwiches at once.
Lunch Bags
This one I found through polling my followers. I was at a complete loss on finding a lunch box that would hold the Bentgo box with enough room to add a snack outside of the Bentgo as well as an icepack. I would have never thought to look here for lunch bags, but multiple people suggested it. This style is the one we went with. It fits the Bentgo perfectly, has room for more food if needed, a pocket inside for a slim icepack and is MACHINE WASHABLE. Can I get an AMEN?!?!? The only thing it doesn’t have is an exterior pocket for a water bottle, but that isn’t super important to us.
Water Bottles
We have been using these water bottles for a couple of years now and love them. They keep their water cold all day and have held up great after going thru the dishwasher approximately a thousand times. Each of the girls have their own color and I added the engraved name so I wouldn’t have to mess with any type of label on them. Cannot say enough good things about these, worth the investment for sure.
Labels for Stuff
This is another thing I have to thank my followers for. Finally found some good labels for ALL THE THINGS. My poor kids have spent their entire school careers with their names written in sharpie on everything. And then poorly rewritten over it once it faded away. Time for an upgrade. I found these through one of my followers and couldn’t be more pleased with them. I was also very impressed with how quickly I received them since they are made to order. I’m putting these bad boys on everything. Lillian’s new bookbag, Bentgo boxes and lunch bags. I love that I was able to pick a picture or design on the sticker, the girls just think their stickers are so cool. Mom win.
I hope this helps you get just a little more prepared for back to school. I always want my girls to remember how much fun it was to go back to school, and a prepared mom is the first step in that process. Happy back to school y’all!
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