Back to School Must-Haves

To all my teacher friends - don't hate me for the reminder that summer is almost over. I remember being in your shoes. 

In two short weeks, Caleb will be starting preschool for the first time ever! It's a half day program, but it's at a school that goes from preschool through 8th grade, which means it functions similarly to a regular school. 

I like to be prepared early, so back in early July I made sure to take care of all his supplies so that I wasn't running around in the mad rush during the few weeks before school. Here's a list of what I picked up for him. Items may vary depending on your child's age and what their school requires, but I think across the board you'll find that most kids need similar items.  

1. School Supplies (from the school's list) - Caleb's school actually works with School Tool Box,  a company that send the supplies out all packaged up. They will even send directly to the school so you don't have to worry about it, but I missed the cutoff date for that because mombrain. I might have been able to save some money by doing the shopping on my own, but for every box they sell they donate meals to starving children, so I figured it was a great cause. 
2. Backpack - When I asked for recommendations, everyone - and I mean everyone recommended Pottery Barn Kids. I wasn't particularly sold on them because I didn't want Caleb to have the same backpack as half of the other kids in school. After a little more research, I decided to go with Herschel. They have a modern twist on a classic style, and they had really cute color and pattern combinations. I decided to go with the smallest of the styles because Caleb won't be napping in school and doesn't need tons of stuff in there. 
3. Lunchbox - Herschel didn't have one to match the backpack I picked out, so I went online to L.L. Bean and picked out a basic one. But I know their stuff is great quality and will last. I also picked up this BentGo Box (affiliate link) on Amazon. I ended up getting the L.L. Bean bag afterwards because the BentGo Box doesn't have a handle. But I love that it seals the food in has several different compartments, so I can put stuff like hummus or yogurt in there and it won't spill out. 
4. Uniforms - Caleb's uniforms this year are really easy - just shorts and a t-shirt that has the school's logo on it. 
5. Sneakers - The only requirement for shoes for Caleb is that they be Velcro sneakers. So we went to Nordstrom during their sale and picked up these Nikes, as well as a pair of Adidas in a larger size so that he has shoes for the next few months. 
6. Back to School Sign - I wanted something a little different, and that I could use for several years. I ended up picking up this chalkboard at the Target Bullseye Playground one day and thought it was perfect. I personalized it with chalk markers and bam! We have our back to school sign!
7. Labels - I was planning on having Caleb's name or initials embroidered on all his belongings (clothing, backpack, etc.), but a friend of mine told me about Sticky Monkey Labels. They go right on the clothing labels, lunch boxes, cups, etc, and they don't come off in the wash or in the dishwasher. I'll definitely keep you posted as to how they hold up during the school year! 

I think that's everything! Are you ready to start the school year with your little ones? 

xoxo, 

​Jenise