Back-to-School Shopping

I'm always surprised when I get the school supply lists and my child needs 20 glue sticks for the school year! Does my child eat the stuff? I understand the concept of bringing in extra for the supply closet and sharing, but even still, what child goes through 100+ pencils in a year? Each year I dread the back-to-school shopping. This year is a little different since the baby of our family will be starting Kindergarten, but I also know that we need to "pace ourselves" because not everything on the list is an absolute necessity.

Without going crazy with spending and still being practical, here you are our top 5 best finds!

5 Practical School Purchases:

1. Labels - If your child is on the younger side, this is a must. While even our teen and middle-schooler lose items each year, younger children need to be able to identify their belongings by seeing their name. I believe it instills in them a form of ownership and responsibility, not to mention they are less likely to bring home another child's "Paw Patrol" lunch bag that looks identical. If you are looking for a long lasting, scratch resistant, waterproof and even microwave safe label, try these really cute personalized character labels

2. Lunch Bag & Water Bottle - My kids ALWAYS want new lunch bags and water bottles... if they could, they would have a new one for each week of school! As a mom, I want something that is practical to keep hygienically clean, have the space to store the food items, and then of course, the kids need to think it's cool too! This lunch bag (here) has a lifetime warranty on top of being "all that"... so as long as your child doesn't lose it, you've got a winner! What about a water bottle? Give this one a try (here) different sizes, colors, and they even have three different types of lids as well as being leak free and vacuum insulated. Another sure win!

3. Backpack - "Mom, my bag broke!" If you've got kids, you've heard this before. While kids carry way more books than they actually need, there is also the need now days to find a backpack that can carry a laptop or iPad/tablet. Times are changing and kids are more interested in their bags carrying their devices than their books. I've found one that works for everything... books, devices, travel, and even charges devices. Need color options? You've got it. Go with a floral pattern if you'd like. Perhaps this momma will get herself a new backpack too! Check it out (here).

4. Sneakers - While keeping with practicality, cost, comfort and something your child may actually want to wear, shopping for sneakers can take hours! I love Amazon because the kids can scroll for hours, place their items in a wish list and then we can narrow down the search. While shoes may seem impractical to purchase online, free returns with free shipping make it so much more pleasing!

5. Journal Pens - Kids will be kids... they always want something "fun" when they go school-supply shopping, so why not surprise them with some fun, durable, colorful pens to doodle with?

Have fun this school year, make memories, and start them with school shopping!