Back to School Favorites

And just like that we're in the home stretch; here in Maine the final days of Summer are upon us. While in many ways it will be good to get back to the fall routine, we will miss these days. Shifting from the sun and fun into the classroom isn't easy, but there are a few things like moving back to a normal bedtime, reigning in the ice cream and getting the right gear that make it a little easier. Here's a round-up of some of our back to school favorites:

Contigo Water Bottles
We've been using these for 5 years since my son's kindergarten teacher recommended them, now we swear by them and their ability to NOT leak in the backpack. We have both the plastic and stainless options. 

​Ziploc Container Bento 
We have a lot of bentos in our cupboards, but most of them are heavy and weigh down the kids backpacks. These ziplock containers fit perfectly in their lunchboxes are easy to open and don't add extra weight.  

Reusable Silicone Baking Cups
These are great to use in bento containers if you need an extra divider for snacks.  I also use these to make muffins. 

Skip Hop Thermos
My 7 year is obsessed with having this thermos is his lunchbox (he loves the attached spoon). He's also in a nut free class, so his go-to PB&J isn't an option. His favorite meal is these meatballs in sauce. 

Lands End Backpack
My kids have been using these for the last 2 years. I bought on sale at a great price and they've been durable, easy to clean and the kids love that they got to chose embroidery letters and cute images (they chose hockey sticks). Note Lands End is currently offering 50% off!

Under Armor Game Day Lunch Box 
I bought this for my 9 year old last year when we were back to school shopping at Olympia Sports and it's still going strong! I had little expectations when we bought it, I knew he was drawn to the brand, but this may be my favorite lunchbox we've had.  I love the harder shell (no smooshing food) and the plastic interior is so easy to clean. 

Epic App
We've been limiting the boys technology time lately, but have found Epic to be a good middle ground. With Epic they get to use a device but are also reading and exploring all kinds of new books - highly recommend checking it out. 

Smarty Pants Organic Vitamins
We do these year round (or intend to) but with school back and a routine in place eating their "gummies" is a nightly ritual. With so many viruses going around already and so much activity I feel like this is at least one thing we can do to promote a healthy season. 

Charts
Last year the beginning of the school year started off a little rough, especially for my oldest. Transitioning back from Summer fun and independence to the structure of school was not easy. Utilizing charts to keep us organized and focused on positive behavior were really helpful. There are tons of helpful and free printable charts available online (I just laminate them and use dry erase markers). Check out a post I did for savvysassymoms.com with a few of our favorites. 

Thieves
​Bring on all the Thieves for back to school! Thieves is known to purify the air and have great topical cleansing properties I'll be diffusing thieves oil before school using a roller on everyone's feet at night, and as usual, using my all time favorite thieves cleaning spray all over the house. If you want to shop thieves, here is a link to my Young Living Page. 
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What are some of your favorite products for the back to school season? I'd love to hear about them. Thanks as always for stopping by!
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XX
​Rebecca 

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