How is it already August and back to school season is here? This summer was probably one of my favorites with my family. My kids are at such fun ages and we’re always on the go to do fun stuff this summer. My little one is getting closer to turning 2 in a few months– as sad as that is, it’s also fun to watch our kids grow and see their personalities form. I’m choosing to enjoy the ride rather than being sad to see a chapter close. The having babies chapter was wonderful, but I have a feeling this one is going to be just as good, if not better! I’m sure most of you know that feeling.
We had our big summer vacation to the beach and a handful of little getaways and we’re soaking up every minute. Needless to say, I’ll need to take a long nap when school starts.
We have our school supplies from the lists covered, but I love to get the kids some little extras they like so it gives the year a little extra joy. I don’t buy anything crazy big– it’s just an extra pencil bag, gel markers, chrome book case, new lunchbox carry bag. It doesn’t take a lot to get kids excited for school in our house.
Now in terms of school clothes– I haven’t started. A lot of times, I won’t go shopping for school clothes until it gets closer to the fall. They have so many summer clothes already and so the main priority is to get new pairs of school shoes. The last couple years, my mom has bought my kids new school shoes as a tradition. It’s fun for grandma and the kids– and saves me some money! $$
Next up to add to the list– meal prepping and school lunch planning. I have lunch boxes for each kiddo. I like to make school lunches a little fun and add notes so it brightens up their days.
For my kindergartener, I have a Bentgo Kids Chill Lunch Box. It’s the perfect size for her appetite and isn’t too heavy for her to carry in her backpack. It’s leakproof and microwave and dishwasher safe which makes nightly washing easier. It’s currently 25% off!
For my 3rd grader, I have a PlanetBox Launch Stainless Steel Lunchbox and then the Blossom carry bag. These items are all on sale as well! She makes her own lunches, but I just make sure I have the food options in the fridge. She’s usually really great at packing healthy, filling lunches.
Here are some extras I use in their lunches– ice packs that stay cold, food picks for a little pop of fun and sandwich cutter and sealers which my little ones LOVE.
Looking for school lunch ideas? Here’s a round up of some of my kids’ favorites.
If the idea of getting back into the routine is overwhelming, I have a great starting point!
I created a weekly meal planner that is based on the way I approach meal planning. I think about it in terms of how many days I need to plan for instead of specific days. On Sunday, I never know what I’ll be in the mood for on Thursday so I decide to thaw specific proteins and plan meals around those. For example, I’ll have shrimp ready so one of the nights, I’ll make Lemon Pepper Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta.
Here’s my weekly planner that I’ve created for you to use as well! Once you buy the pdf, you can download it and use it as many times as you want. I hope it helps make weeknights a little easier. It’s just one less thing that we have to worry about because it never fails– at 4pm I hear “what’s for dinner?”
Here’s to a great start of the school year! Good luck, mamas!
XO, Rachel