A Few of My Favorite Back-To-School Things

My kids are back in school and life is in full swing once again.  For me, going back is bittersweet, especially this year when I had such an incredible summer.  Still, there are a few things that I enjoy about being back at school, like normalcy and routine (my type A personality thrives on that), stricter bed times (which means more "me" time after they go to bed), and some really fun and cool products that I get to put into use.  Below are a few of my favorite things for making lunches, corralling art projects, and organizing our schedules.

For School and Lunches

Say Please Lunch Box Notes: I have been using these cute, inspirational notes for years.  They have bland ones too, where you can write your own message.  My kids love the fun facts on the back.  The company's website also offers great free printables around the holidays.

Magic Straws: I just discovered this fun way to flavor our non-dairy milk.  Each straw contains magic flavor beads that can transform your ordinary almond or coconut milk into a special treat.  They are lactose-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, preservative-free, allergen-free, and contain very little sugar

S'well water bottles: My stepmom introduced me to these gems this summer.  A good water bottle is hard to find.  This one is my favorite.  It keeps liquids extremely well insulated and chilled, even in the hot weather we have been having in LA.  These bottles are not cheap, but their sleek design, fun colors, and effectiveness make them worth it.








For Home

Erin Condren's FUNctional Family System: I am breaking out new chore charts and incentives this school year.  EC's FUNctional Family product is awesome.  It includes personalized chore charts in tear off sheets for you to update each week (in beautiful designs), as well as tear-off calendar pads for posting our family's dynamic weekly schedule.  Go crazy and color code each kids' activities with EC's fun color markers.  The dry erase clipboard it fits on even has room for me to write my dinner meal plans each week.  My family will have everything it needs for the week at a glance.  No more - "What are we doing today?" or "What's for dinner?"

ArtKive: This free app is amazing (cue the choir!).  Seriously, I love this app.  I take a picture of my kids' artwork as they bring it home, and it is categorized and stored online for me to put into a book at the end of the year.  I just discovered this app last year and "artkived" all of my kids' previous years' work, so I am ready to go this year.