Today I'm linking up with Erin at Perfectly Port Family for her 10 on the 10th series. This month is 10 Back to School Must Haves and I'm excited to see what everyone has to share! I'm a teacher, so this back to school list is partially for me and partially for the family as a whole!
1. Everyone needs a fun back to school outfit. I try to take the boys out to shop for something for the first day. This year Henry is using his old pack because it's still in great shape and he doesn't really need much for clothes, but I made sure he had a fun back to school outfit. Finding clothes Wesley liked was really difficult, but we have managed to find a couple things. I haven't picked out what I will wear on the first day yet!
2. Meal planning is a back to school must for me. I've been more lax this summer, but I need to sit down and plan out some week plans we can rotate so I don't go mad!
3. Online grocery shopping is another thing that will definitely be on a regular schedule now that school will be back in session. It goes hand in hand with meal planning and will keep me sane! Our local grocery store does delivery or pick up and it's amazing!
4. I always love a good tote. I don't carry a ton back and forth to school but I sometimes take my computer home to work or some papers to check. I have many totes, but I'm loving this new one I got from Thirty-One. We get the boys new back packs every one to two years depending on their condition. Henry's was in good shape, so he is keeping the same one as last year, and Wesley got a new one because his old one was a cheapie that I'm not sure can last another year.
5. I drink iced coffee every morning, so I want to get a new tumbler for back to school. My current one is pictured, and I hope to shop for a new one over the next week. Our boys don't take lunches a ton but I take my every day. New lunch boxes are sometimes purchased for back to school, too, but this year ours were in good shape.
6. New writing utensils are a back to school must for me and these are ones you should try!
7. I like to do some sort of welcome back to school gift for teachers. This year tissues aren't on our list, so I wanted to make something that included those!
8. Adjusted bedtimes are key. Luckily we have some teacher work days to "ease" into the year before the first day of school slaps us in the face, but the week before school starts I try to inch bedtimes back to normal after all of our summer fun.
9. Snacks for my desk are essential. Going from snacking all day long in the summer to going back to a breakfast/lunch schedule at school is hard! I love Kirkland protein bars, energy bites, and other things that won't make me crash!
10. It sounds cheesy, but a positive attitude is so important for back to school. It takes time to adjust to the routines again. I will miss my kiddos like crazy during the day. No one in our house is starting a new school this year, but that change can make the stress even higher. I just try to remind myself during the transition that we're all getting used to the new normal again and things will come back in place in time. If we forget something, if there are extra tears in the morning, if there are struggles at night, it's all part of the transition and we will get through it together.