My Favorite Back-To-School Supplies

I was that kid who loved a new box of 64 crayons and would organize the box by color. All the greens together, all the reds, those random silver and gold and pewter over in the corner.  I’d gather enough paperbags to cut and fold into crisp book covers for all my textbooks.  Be sure to label everything clearly with my name.

And not much has changed since then.  While my kids are checking off their school supply list of pencils and 3-ring binders and protractors and multi-button graphing calculators, I gather the items I need for back-to-school.  For the things that need to be replaced or added to, this time of year is a great time to pick up my favorite office supplies while they’re on sale for the kids.

4-tab sectioned folder.  There always seems to be some new folders and organized in the aisles at Staples. I found a 4-section folder, perfect for our family, for all my “stuff I need to know about my kids’ activities” folder. Their class schedules (for when I need to make during-school doctor’s appointments), their sports schedules, identification cards for sports associations, class syllabus, list of teachers. Its easy and convenient enough to carry with me to back-to-school night and the rest of the year.

Sharpies. These are fast becoming my favorite writing instrument because they can write on anything (including your children), they come in every color you could ever want (even neon) and you don’t have to scribble on a corner of paper to get the ink flowing. I use them to write notes, label kids’ stuff, label my stuff, sign books.

Coffee mugs. I tend to drink from the same coffee mugs every morning, part of the morning routine.  The monkey mug is a constant, my sorority mug has been added to the cycle. The cheetah mug is being retired, I’m scared the handle is going to break off mid-sip. And then of course, there’s the to-go coffee mug for those busy mornings. One from Starbucks Madrid is the throw in the purse one - it doesn’t leak – really it doesn’t. I don’t know why they don’t have this model state-side. (Starbucks – are you listening!?)  And I have a pretty Lily Pulitzer one someone gave me as a gift for mornings I want to be fancy.

Google calendar.  I still carry a paper planner – because. But to coordinate all the goings on in our family, and to be able to shoot my husband a calendar item, I rely on Google calendar. I color code our activities and can print out the calendar by day, week, month, or some other unique day-count. The best feature – it sends me reminders by text and/or email of where I’m supposed to be. That’s the one thing my paper calendar can’t do.

Note cards. Who doesn’t love getting a real, hand-written note in the real mailbox? One of my goals is to get better at writing more notes to people, especially since I like buying pretty cards.

Bound journals. I like journals for all my notetaking. From the little 3x5 Moleskine style to the cloth-covered, ledger. I am not hardly ever without at least one in my purse. Because I take notes wherever I go – church, meetings, programs, seminars, book talks – and make lists all the time. As a writer, this allows and encourages me to write wherever I am, whenever I have a few free moments. 

And since adult coloring books seem to be the new thing, and I don't have to share my daughter's Princess books any longer, I think I'll pick up a pick of colored pencils for myself, too.

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Pack the Car with Snacks & Fun

It's one of those days.  I'm getting in the car in time to get to school #1 before the bell to pick up a kid - and for the next five hours will be making a circuit around the county from dentist appointments to after-school activities to school pick-ups to church.  The kids are in rotation as I drop one off, pick up another, go back and get another - you know how it is.  And the schedule is tight, so I don't really have a bunch of time to stop and pick up a snack for that one, roll through McD's for a smoothie for that one - who will tell the others that they got something from McD's and then I've got to stop again.

We should be home in time for dinner (so, yes, it's a crock-pot day, too) but in the meantime, I will have a carload full of folks who are soooo hungry.  The snack bag to the rescue!

Snacks for the hungry ride.

I carry a snack bag for these long, car-ride days.  Not just for the sake of snacking while bored, but because they probably will be legitimately a little bit hungry - the kids eat lunch rather early in the day and have athletic activities after school.  I pack non-perishables, then I can leave it in the car until it needs replenishing.  Cereal bars, crackers, water and juice.  I will bring along grapes (an easy, no-peel, no-mess fruit), too.  And yes, there's even stuff for me - don't we always forget ourselves?

Other stuff to keep in the car for the after-school mini-roadtrips?  School supplies and entertainment.

• Pencils & erasers for the kid who forgot theirs and needs to do homework
• Flashcards, even though they don't use them in school, but it's still a good way to study math facts and spelling words.  You can have them write their spelling words on index cards when they first get their list.
• Books that they are supposed to be reading for school. Or fun reading just to be entertained - my son loves those amazing facts and greatest record books.
• Small toys or games - Or pieces of a game, like the cards from a Trivial Pursuit game.
• Playing cards - they can play when sitting and waiting

With all of this time in the car, there is also all the wrappers and paper and trash that inevitably finds their way into the car door handles (which my kids think are convenient little trash cans that a car fairy comes and cleans out), onto the car floor, and in between the car seats.  I saw an idea - on Pinterest, in Real Simple, who knows - to use a plastic container for a trash can.  The flip-top kind you use for cereal or sugar in your pantry.  I happen to have two empty ones and I just happen to have two rows in my car.  Let's see how that works out.

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Back to School on a Kids' Budget

It's August - time for that annual pilgrimage for back-to-school stuff. Notebooks, pencils, lunchboxes, shoes, clothes. It's a lot of stuff.  Instead of spreading all this shopping out over time, we jam-packed it into a couple days. Good idea or not?  I'm not sure, we'll see if the bank calls with a warning that some crazed person is running all over the county with my bank card.

This year, I gave the kids a budget for their shopping. Each was given a certain amount for all their stuff. All of it. From notebooks to erasers, t-shirts and jeans. Even the smoothie that they had to have while wandering thru the mall. I was only paying for underwear and shoes - one because I did not want them to decide they didn't need them, the other because they'd bust their whole budget getting them.  

You'd be amazed at the difference giving them a finite amount made. Last year and years previous, we argued over whether they really needed the super-duper zippered buttoned pocketed fancy-schmancy $25 3-ring binder. This year, they picked out a basic - but nice, colorful - binder and noticed the $2 off if you bring in an old binder to recycle (at Staples). No arguments.  As opposed to previously when everyone needed their own pack of 20 ink pens, they remembered the pile of pens all over the house, but for the feeling of brand new-ness, they could split a pack.

And recycling? We talked about the wastefulness of the pile of composition books they are required to bring to school each year. I flipped through my son's earlier this summer and in each of his five books, he used maybe 20 pages - maybe. The rest blank. And I've got to get some more this year. "Don't you think it would be a good idea to use these again, because you probably aren't going to use them up this year either?" I asked him.  He agreed that it would be a good idea and the school should make that a rule, because he didn't want to be the only one re-using his notebooks. Okay, I get that.  (Make a note to the principal.)

When we got to the clothes stores, we talked about whether they really wanted to buy a bunch of new shorts and t-shirts, when summer was dwindling down. What were they going to wear by the end of September?  Okay, there was still some begging for a very cute tank top, but they (okay, "she" but not calling anyone out) didn't win that battle.  It was almost comical how quickly they noticed the "text us and get a discount signs" at the various stores - and the cell phones popped out.

And another money saving thing? With each of them in line for their own transactions, we did in total save more money. One store we went to had a $10 off coupon - had I purchased all their stuff at once, like I usually do, I would've save $10. But they each paid for their own stuff, in essence, saving the family $40.  In the meantime, they've been working on their basic math skills - adding, subtracting, estimation, percentages.

But as far as kids' clothes fashion? Ugh. Some of the clothes out there has me wondering how old do designers think 8 years old are? Why does every girl top this season reach just above the belly button and have a lace back? And all the shoes have a heel, even the sneakers!  I'm seriously thinking about suggesting uniforms to the school system. How much easier to order a box of polos and khaki pants and skirts and be done.

I think we're all about done. We may need another pair of shoes or two, if we can find some that are not sequined and high heeled. (Hello - any shoe designers out there?)  Then on to the next phase - labeling everything so that it can be identified in the Lost & Found and packing it all up.

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Pack Your Bags: Back to School!

“You must be a teacher – getting ready for back-to-school?” The cashier commented as he began ringing up my notebooks, pile of composition books, couple dozen pencils, and peeked into my cart full of school supplies.

“Actually, no, I’m not.  These are just for my own kids.”

With four school-age kids, there’s a LOT of school supplies.  And it adds up.  Here’s some ways I’ve found to save a few dollars (and my sanity) in checking off our supply lists.

Stocking up for the school year

The bag: Of course, the kids need a bag to carry all of their stuff to and from school; most popular is the traditional backpack.  Before you purchase a backpack that's too small or too big, consider the age of your child, what they will be carrying, where are they carrying it, and the comfort of carrying it.  Does your kid ride the bus or get picked up at school or do they walk home?  Do they have to bring home textbooks or do they keep a set at home?  Will those wheeled back-packs fit in their locker?  

Spend a little extra on bookbags and lunchboxes.  I know, that doesn’t seem like a savings tip, but in the long run it is.  I purchase my kids’ backpacks from Lands’ End and they’ve lasted a few years through school, vacations, and camp.  The key is to pick a design that they won’t get tired of before the bag wears out.   We replenish lunchboxes every school year.

School supplies

• Take the school supply list with you when you go shopping, then stick to it.  If the teacher is asking for 24 crayons, don’t bother to get 48, no matter what the 7-year old tells you.
• Take the kids with you.  I generally prefer to shop without my kids, but I do take them school supply shopping.  1 – Because it’s their stuff, so they get excited about school by picking out their folders and notebooks and all that.  2 – Some of the sale items are a limited quantity per person.  Put each child in line with their own stuff and their own quantity limit.
•  Buy at least 3 of everything on the list now while its on sale, not including binders and big stuff like that, but pencils, crayons, notebook paper, etc.  Send one to school, put one away in your stash for when your kid runs out and tells you at bedtime she needs more glue for tomorrow, and put one at your homework station/supply basket.  Put a few extras pencils and crayons in a school box in the car for doing homework on the go.
•  Consider the store brand.  Sure, there are certain things that you have to have the commercial brand just because, for instance, crayons.  But other stuff, like pencils, if it doesn’t matter, compare prices.
• What will they need for an upcoming project this semester?  Think back to last school year or ask parents of older students about this year – are there any big projects that might require specific supplies?  Last year, my daughter had a research project and everyone else in the county must’ve been assigned one at the same time because there wasn’t a 4”x6” lined white index card anywhere to be found.  They aren’t on sale right now, but I still picked up a pack to save the aggravation later.  Also consider those tri-fold science fair boards and report covers.
• Maximize your savings - use all your coupons, discount cards, send in the rebate forms.  I went to Staples and found that they have a school supply discount card – you get 15% of your total, the card costs $10 and is good through mid-September.  Do the math to figure out if it’s worth it for you.
• For some of the big purchases, wait until school starts or at least, don’t use the product and hold on to the receipt.  My second middle schooler’s supply list for 6^th grade math includes a super-duper calculator that runs about $120.  I don’t recall my older daughter needing it for that math class, so I bought a much less expensive one for now.

Once you've brought home your haul of pencils and scissors and papers - make sure it doesn't all end up in Lost & Found or someone else's desk.  

Mom's labeling supplies: sticker labels, Sharpie, label maker

• Label all your kid's stuff.  With a sheet of stickers (order some low-cost stickers from online vendors or print your own), a Sharpie, and a label maker (I love my label maker!) you should be able to get Little Susie's name on everything she owns.  
• Don't forget their clothes!  Think your Little Tyrone is the only one with that red jacket?  Take a walk past the Lost & Found rack one day, you'd be surprised the stuff kids lose.  There are vendors who print iron-on labels for clothing or you can use a Sharpie, a regular one or I found some specifically for fabric.  

We're almost done checking off our supply lists - I think we've got one more binder to get.  Any other supply-shopping tips?