We start back to school the second week of August. I am not ready to be done with summer yet but I am slowly trying to do a few things a week to get ready for school.

This year I got lucky and the boys didn’t grow that much so their uniforms from last year are mostly going to work. I got rid of a few that looked a little worn and replaced all of their shirts. It can get expensive doing all the back to school shopping at once so I try to work on it a little at a time over the summer months.

School Supplies.

This year I ordered the school supplies from the PTA. Last year I did my own shopping and it was far more expensive than I thought it was going to be. The box that the school sells is less than $50 and they deliver it to the school. I opted for the easy option this year.

I have learned though that sometimes these generated lists for the entire grade level don’t cover everything that the student or teacher need. I try to send an email before school starts asking if there are any additional needs for my kids and if there is anything the teacher can use. Generally they have small items they are looking for to use as manipulatives and such. It’s such a big help to have parents willing to send in a few extra things.

Uniforms.

As I mentioned before I lucked out this year and the boys didn’t grow that much so their shorts and pants fit. I have found a few brands that I love and a few that I don’t.

Brands I love. The Old Navy Uniform shirts did really well for us last year. They faded but didn’t get stretched out. I love the French Toast uniform shorts and you can purchase them from Target or Amazon. So for the winter I usually do these jeans from Target. Our school isn’t really strict about the type of pants they wear so these were really durable and lasted all winter.

Brands I don’t love. We used the Cat and Jack Uniform shirts two years ago and they didn’t work at all. I had to replace most of them by the time January rolled around.

Jackets.

Last year I found the most perfect jackets for the kids with school. I wanted something that wasn’t bulky, would be warm on really cold days but not too hot on cool days in the fall. This one was perfect and it folded up perfectly into their school bags. I went with blue because it is there school color but there is a lot of variety to choose from. I also love that North Face comes with a warranty and they are a good quality product and will last more than one year.

Shoes.

Peyton learned to tie his shoes last year and Pax is on his way to learning too. However I find that a lot of times they don’t want to stop and tie them which means they are dragging through the mud, dirt and in the bathroom. I bought these stretchy laces last year and they made getting shoes on and off so much easier.

Winter Wear.

We don’t have too many days when it is so cold the boys need to prepare for freezing temps. I purchased these and they were able to use them for school and for soccer.

Backpacks.

In Kindergarten the kids get a tote bag so we don’t need backpacks until first grade. Last year I originally ordered Peyton a LL Bean back pack because I was told they had a great warranty. Well fast foreword to January and something happened to the bag and they wouldn’t honor the warranty. I wasn’t buying another $50 backpack so I looked for other options.

I went with the Jansport and found one on Amazon. It was actually less pockets than the first one which I liked better. Plus it was only about $26. Peyton’s backpack from last year is still in great shape and I ordered the same on for Paxton this year.

Lunch Kits.

Last year the boys ordered lunch every day at school. This summer they decided they want to bring lunch because it takes too much time in the line and they want to hang out with their friends more. Social before hot food I guess.

When they had lunch kits in the past I always struggled with keeping them clean. This year I specifically looked for a lunch kit that was washable so I can throw it into the laundry at the end of the week. This one looks like it will be easy to carry and it’s also washable.

Water Bottles.

I ordered the exact same water bottles this year that I did last year because they worked so well. They are from Shop Dreve and you can find them here. This year I got an extra set of straws because I would have liked to change them out half way in the year. She can order you an extra set when you order the water bottles.

We aren’t ready to peace out to the summer just yet but preparing early will let us enjoy every last second!