Back to School and Mom Hacks

Hey y'all! One week ago, I sent my girls to their first day of school as a second and fourth grader! I can't believe I have a fourth grader. Y'all, time passes by just way too quickly! It seems like she was my sassy two year old just a few days ago and now she's an even sassier nine year old, lol. And my baby, needs to stop growing up too. How is she in second grade?!

Back to school was a little more hectic for us this year. They literally started school the day after we got back from our Disney trip! I neglected to double check their school calendar before planning our trip. I just didn't even stop to think that they would already be back in school this early in August. But, their school does half day Fridays (which I love) so they have to go back a little earlier than other schools around us. With them going back to school right after our trip, I had to get all of our shopping and back to school prep done before we left for our trip. Packing for a family to be away for a week and prepping for school was a little crazy but I did it! 

First of all, I do all of my back to school shopping online. Wondering around the school supply section with two little girls and half of my town, isn't really my idea of fun! It's just stressful. So, I park myself on my couch (or in my bed, like I did this year) with my phone and the school supply lists and hit up Target.com! Literally 20 minutes later, it's done. I let them girls give me feedback on which color folders they want or which pencil case is their favorite. If you don't already shop online for school supplies, try it! I am all about simplifying life and making stressful tasks a lot less stressful... plus shopping online keeps my spending under control because I can see how much I'm spending as I add things to my online shopping cart. Win-win!

C L O T H E S  A N D  B O W S

Yep, we are still living in our matching outfits. Another way that I eliminate stress is by dressing them the same. I know this wouldn't necessarily work for every set of siblings or every family but it totally works for us. Laundry is simple. Getting dressed is quick. Also, it eliminates a lot of drama! Most of their clothes (actually almost all of them) are from Target, Old Navy, and H&M. I love the comfortable fabric, the fun designs, and the price (most of all)! Also, a fun fact: Cat and Jack line at Target has a one year warranty. If anything gets a hole in it, bring your receipt in with the item and they will give you your money back (if you have a Red Card, you don't have to save your receipt but I try to anyways). I have done this many times, especially when they wear a whole into the knees of their jeans! Also, since my kids dress the same everyday, we needed to simplify their wardrobes. I used to overbuy for them just because I saw something that was cute. Now, I'm more intentional about building a wardrobe for them that works well together. This means basics that mix and match. H&M is my go-to for great closet staples for my kiddos!

Also, let's talk about their hair bows. I got a pack of 20 bows for $13.99! These are the nice bows, too. The six inch ones with the alligator clips. The colors are gorgeous and the quality is amazing! I just couldn't believe the price! I was paying $3-$5 for one bow before! We have been wearing these bows for over a year and they really last. I love them and recommend them to all of my friends who also have little girls! Such a great deal.

W A T E R  B OT T L E

My girls only drink water while they are at school so I always try to find them a fun water bottle to take to school with them. I love the style of this one and I also love that the lid is attached!

S H O E S

They have to have a pair of sneakers for PE class at school so I bought these. I love that they are black so they don't show dirt. Also, this style washes us great in the washing machine! They were super excited about them and they said they are very comfortable! They wore them in Disney for six days of walking and had zero complaints. 

P A C K I N G  L U N C H E S

Packing lunches isn't my favorite task but it's more fun with these budget friendly hacks. I love the idea of bento boxes but they can be so pricey so I found a budget friendly way to achieve the same organization. I use inexpensive (a four back is only $1.88) food storage containers from Walmart. You can find them in the kitchen supply aisle near the water bottles and lunch boxes. I have eight of these containers so that I can throw them in the dishwasher each day. I use four or five of the little silicone food cups in the box to organize their food. For example, we put cut up ham, crackers, grapes, cheese cubes, pretzels, strawberries, boiled eggs, etc. in the cups. This is a great alternative if you have kids who don't want to eat sandwiches. I love these reusable silicone cupcake liners because they can be used over and over and thrown in the dishwasher after each use!

B A C K P A C K S  A N D  L U N C H  B O X E S

Next up is a total mom hack! I always use Scotch Gard on my shoes but I started using it on my kids' backpacks and lunch boxes a couple of years ago. It helps keep them so much cleaner! It's a must try! I have been buying backpacks and lunch boxes from Pottery Barn Kids since Julianna was going into kindergarten. My seven year old uses I always have small size backpack and my nine year old uses the large size backpack. We have had great luck with this brand and we can usually get at least two years of use out of their backpacks!

T E A C H E R  G I F T S

And lastly, teacher gifts! I was a classroom teacher for four years so I fully understand how incredibly exhausting the beginning of the school year is. Since Julianna started school, I have put together back to school gifts for our teachers. I usually try to give it to them on the first day of school but with our trip ending the day before school started, I didn't get them together in time. I'm planning to give them some goodies tomorrow to celebrate the first full week of school. Last year's gift included: coffee, gum, sticky notes, chocolate, a face mask, hand sanitizer, and sharpies. I'll probably do something super similar this year, too!

Thanks so much for visiting! Have a great day!

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