Back to School Must-Haves

We’re a month into the school year, and I wanted to share a few things that have been making our lives go more smoothly.

|  Shirt  |

This shirt.

Seriously.  I am NO GOOD until I’ve had two cups of coffee, and while my family is wise to this after many years of dealing with me in the a.m., sometimes houseguests and people in the carpool line are not as savvy.  If you’re the same way, this might be the best $15 you’ve ever spent!

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LOVE WITH FOOD!

We are deadly serious about our snacking, and Love With Food has been a huge hit at our house.  We’ve tried several snack box services, but this is our favorite so far.  They mail you a box of organic and all-natural yummies (there are three sizes available and you can order them as often as every week), and my kids have tried so many healthy snacks that would never have been on our radar otherwise.

There’s no contract; you can cancel at any time, and you can go in and adjust the frequency of your deliveries and rate items.  So if you never want to see a kale chip again, just tell them that!  And if you’re gluten-free, like Amy is, then they’re offering 50% off your first GF-free box here.  They also include coupons so if you want to buy more at your local store, you get a great deal.

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Sistema Plastic Storage Containers (for lunch boxes):

We have a shelf full of these Sistema containers.  They’re BPH-free and dishwasher safe, and they let you package lunchbox and snack foods so intelligently, with separate sections for dips, dressings, and built-in cutlery.

My daughter uses this salad box almost every day, because there a section to keep the crunchy/dry ingredients separate until you’re ready to eat, so nothing gets mushy.  She usually packs taco salad (crunch tortilla chips on top!) or a strawberry spinach salad; she is nothing if not predictable.

 

You can buy the Salad to Go container {here}; but you can often find them at HomeGoods/TJ Maxx, and they even sell them at our grocery stores.

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Amazon Prime Student–if you’re sending a kid off to college, this is a great deal.  The first six months are free, and then the annual Amazon Prime Student rate is only $49.  Your kids get all the usual Prime goodies–free 2-day shipping (even on textbooks), unlimited photo storage, unlimited instant streaming of movies and TV shows, and more…just click the graphic below (or here) for more details.  Our family has had Prime for three years now and it is worth every penny, so getting what amounts to a year and a half for just $49 is pretty awesome.

A Cute Planner

| Kate Spade planner  |

I just can’t put everything in my phone’s calendar–I need to see the month all at once.  I’ve used Kate Spade planners for the past several years and they’re just right for me (I don’t need a hugely detailed planner; just two pages per week is fine).

I ordered this gold cane pattern this year and love it!

If I have a particularly crazy week, I just pair it with Amy’s Calendar Pad and I can keep everything straight.

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Scout Backpacks and Lunch Bags

If you’re not familiar with Scout bags, then I’m sorry to introduce you to your next addiction!

These bags are durable and colorful–they come out with dozens of patterns every year, and they’re great to throw all your mom gear in before you hit the road.

My daughter picked out a new backpack and lunchbag from their line this year–she was due for new ones.

| Big Draw backpack  |

|  Chillabuster lunch bag  |

My son sticks with a basic navy LL Bean backpack, despite my best efforts to get him to care, but at least he does let me buy him cool bowties.

Happy back to school, and thanks for stopping by.