Back to School Essentials

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Back to School Essentials

Like every year, this summer seemed to fly by. Just last night I was at my oldest daughter’s school for curriculum night hearing all the plans her eight teachers have for their fifth grade classrooms. She attends a charter school with a very structured academic calendar and while fourth grade did have a schedule full of different classes and teachers too, this schedule feels much different. She is breezing through the changes and often expresses her enthusiasm for the challenging curriculum. I, on the other hand, am quietly feeling nervous and anxious as I watch her excel in this environment. Setting her up for success with the right supplies and helping our household run smoothly in the back to school season transition has been a priority. I’m highlighting all our favorites including a mermaid flip sequin backpack from Justice, a Candlewick Press book about friendship, Me4Kidz first aid kit, freezable lunch bags and customizable bento containers from PackIt, classroom supplies by Westcott, Everyday Carry MAGLITE flashlights, and Lunch Notes from MyWish4U.

Finding the right backpack has always been time-consuming for my oldest daughter. Last year she decided to start the year with a gifted tote from a neighbor then midyear wanting a traditional design. This year she struggled to decide if she wanted something more sturdy and practical or cute and pretty. She found both in the Justice mermaid flip sequin backpack. It has a sturdy connection with a top loop that can support up to 100 pounds. Thankfully we don’t plan to push the weight limit but knowing the number of books my daughter will be carrying, I love that the padded straps provide extra cushion for her shoulders. There’s even a special loop to house a keychain collection that I’m sure will continue to grow this year.

Learn more about Justice backpacks on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. 

We know the required reading list is long but our daughter enjoys reading books of her own choice too. Merci Suarez Changes Gears is the inspiring story of a sixth grade student navigating age appropriate challenges including hispanic cultural identity, friendship and family financial demographics. The book is Winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal, awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The relatable story shares how friend and family dynamics change over time and introduces many Spanish words. 

Use the promotion code CANDLEWICK at checkout on candlewick.com for 25%
your book order (Only valid to US purchases)

Learn more about Candlewick Press on Instagram and Twitter. 

Our daughter is on a competitive rock climbing team and recognizes the importance of always being prepared for unexpected injuries. Her climbing bag has a first aid kit with many essentials but until this year, she did not also include bandages and safety items in her school backpack. This year her everyday backpack is full of convenient items to cover all the potential mishaps. The Me4Kidz first aid kit includes over 50 items and the bandages are latex free with children in mind. She’s also packing along little buddy wipes for between classes when she needs to wipe her face or hands. The gentle antibacterial wipes kill 99% of germs without the odor of a traditional antibacterial wipe. There’s also no string making them a great option for school-aged children. The convenient cool it buddy instant cold packs are exactly that, a packaged cold pack that requires no freezing for owies on the go. 

Learn more about Me4Kidz on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Packing lunches is where we struggle most on school mornings as we get back into a consistent routine. Last year we didn’t have enough ice packs to keep up with the daily lunches because most days we ended up forgetting to refreeze them the night before. This year we are trying something different, and so much better! The PackIt freezable lunch bag, freezable snack bag and customizable bento box makes it easy to pack lunches and snacks. The freezable lunch bag gets folded and placed in the freezer overnight so it’s ready in the morning to pack a lunch that will stay cold all day. No additional ice packs are ever needed. The freezable snack bag is a smaller version of the bag that keeps snacks nice and cold through the day so my daughter can pack healthy snacks for after school on the 45-minute drive to rock climbing practice. The leak-resistance mod lunch customizable bento box keeps food and viscous liquids separate. You can move the dividers to accommodate what you’re packing to take care of all your different packed lunches. Not having to find individual containers for every item every day and only coming home with one dish to wash is certainly a win.

Learn more about PackIt on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

My daughter wishes all school supplies had squishy gel grip handles. Westcott 5″ kids jelly pointed scissors are the first and only super squishy, fully gel-grip scissors for kids. They are designed for optimal comfort and control. Westcott is dedicated to supporting education and inspiring creative activities in the classroom and at home and since little sister is already eying these scissors, we’ll be picking her up a pair soon.

Learn more about Westcott classroom supplies on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. 

MAGLITE flashlights are a hot commodity in our home and a few have gone missing when my daughter was working on classroom science projects or attending a readathon at school. Having her own keychain flashlight to keep on her backpack and accessibility to an everyday carry flashlight means she won’t be asking her dad to borrow his favorites. The compact designed Mini MaglitE® Pro LED Flashlight illuminates the dark with a powerful beam that can travel almost 2 football fields while the must have keychain flashlight Maglite® Solitaire® will run a solid two hours on just one AAA battery.

Use code MAGBB15 for 15% off your online order. Some restrictions apply. Outlet, seasonal shop and discounted items excluded. Cannot be combined with another offer or discounted item. U. S. Shipping addresses only. Promotion available for a limited time and expires September 15th, 2019.

Learn more about MAGLITE flashlights on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

I have always gone above and beyond to let my daughters know their lunches are prepared with love. Sometimes that means getting creative with their favorite foods and including surprises. This year every packed lunch can come with a fun lunch note with absolutely no extra time added to our morning routine. Lunch Notes from MyWish4U come in a tearable pad and make it easy to add something extra special to each day. We have three very different tearable pads to use this year in my daughters’ lunchboxes: Facts & Funnies, Riddles & Giggles, and Wacky Facts & Laughs. The back of each note can also be used for more personalization or if you have reminder to send at lunchtime. At just $4.99 per tearable pad with 101 notes, I’m spending less than the ink it would cost to print something I found online. They’re also great for when we have grandma visiting and packing lunches to maintain some consistency in the routine while mom and dad are away on work trips during the week. MyWish4U Lunch Notes can be purchased in Target stores.

Learn more about MyWish4U lunch notes on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

Do you have a list of back to school essentials helping your family ease back into a comfortable routine this school year?