Showing posts with label back to school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label back to school. Show all posts

Monday, 27 August 2018

BACK TO SCHOOL ESSENTIALS

Well, somehow we have almost made it to the end of the Summer Holidays - I know I say this every year, but where did the time go?! The long heatwave of June and July seems like a distant memory and now I'm seeing posts about Halloween and Autumn pop up on my social media. (It's still summer!!!)

Elliot is due to start in just over a week and will be going into year 1. Unlike last year when I was a bit clueless and just bought EVERYTHING I thought he'd need, this time round we feel like we know the score. My back to school shopping has been quite painless and even the trip to Clarks for new school shoes wasn't so bad!

If you're panicking a bit about the imminent school year, take a look at my essentials list and hopefully we will have you covered!


Yazoo Milkshakes - No Added Sugar
My kids love milkshakes and I was really happy to see that Yazoo have launched a No Added Sugar version of their popular flavours. These would be ideal for lunchboxes or even an after school treat. Also good for Mums - my favourite is strawberry ;)

Bacofoil - Zipper Bags
As a parent, I can't get enough of zipper bags and they come in useful for so many things especially packed lunches! They are tear proof and water resistant and come in a variety of sizes. I like to pop Elliot's sandwiches in a zipper bag and then he has something to put all his lunch rubbish in once he's finished - it makes cleaning his lunchbox so much easier.

Personalised Name Labels - Petit Fernand
I've tried a few different types of name labels including iron on ones, sticky ones and even sew in ones (who has time for that!). Petit Fernand labels are the best I've found by far, you can design the label right down to the colour of the font and I love that there are so many different images you can add to your labels. I personally buy the stick on ones as they are super quick to use and pretty much stay put even with rigorous washing.

Ace - Stain Removal Products (Can be purchased from your local Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose or Sainsburys)
I would never have put this as an essential prior to my son starting school but I didn't realise just how dirty he would get!! His lovely white tshirts were coming home grubbier and grubbier but this stuff literally is Ace, and so good at removing stains. I find that roast dinner days are the worst - I will pop a pic up at the bottom so you can see for yourself! (And it came up like new with a bit of Ace!)

School Uniforms from Pep&Co
When you think of Poundland, you wouldn't automatically think of school uniforms but did you know they have their own fashion label, Pep&Co? They have some fab school bits and you can pick up an entire uniform from £6 which is one of the cheapest on the market!

Able Labels - Personalised Pencils
When I was at school (erm...a few years back!), I was always envious of the children who had personalised stationary. Able Labels do lovely pencil packs which would be ideal for pencil cases and they are all hand personlised which gives a beautiful finish. I'm totally envious of Elliot's new personalised pencils!

Sistema Bottles (Various prices and can be found in all of the big supermarkets)
We've been through quite a lot of water bottles this past year but Sistema is the brand we keep coming back to. I love the fact they are sturdy and don't leak, but they are easy for little hands to open too. My kitchen is starting to look like a Sistema shrine because we have a bit of a collection of them, all in different sizes! 

Fluffy Llama notebook - Ryman (£5.99)
I love stationary and I remember being so excited about going back to school because it meant new pencil cases and notebooks! Llama's seem to be in fashion right now so this fluffy notebook would make you instantly cool and popular with your school friends. I'm wondering if (at 37) I'm too old for a fluffy llama notebook.....

I hope you're feeling organised about the new school year started. Do you have any essentials I may have forgotten?! 

Roast dinner lunch day - when stain removal is very much needed!! 



Friday, 1 September 2017

BACK TO SCHOOL ESSENTIALS - ARE YOU READY?!

So here we are nearing the end of the Summer Holidays - where have those 6 weeks gone?! Elliot is due to start reception very soon so I've had to be quite organised this year - I did most of my uniform shopping at the beginning of the holidays and finger crossed I haven't forgotten anything.

If you are feeling a bit last minute and panicking that you may have forgotten something, here's some essentials which may have slipped your mind!



Personalised Water Bottle - ItsYourStory (£15.00)
These fantastic water bottles are sure to stand out from the crowd, personalised with a photo of your choice. There are 17 different designs to choose from, featuring cheeky monkeys to little monsters.

Back to School card - Hallmark
I hadn't even thought about getting Elliot a card for starting school but Hallmark have some lovely designs that will really make your child feel special on their first day back.

All You Need to Know Before Starting School (Usborne) - Born Gifted (9.99)
This lovely book follows five sweet cuddly characters who have just started school. Featuring educational concepts vital to early years such as shapes and colours, it provides a fun introduction to the average school day and what your new starter can expect.

Lego Pencil Case - Aplaceforeverything.co.uk (£7.65)
Who doesn't love a new pencil case for the new school year...and who doesn't love Lego?!

'Lunch Bot' The Robot Lunch Box - Find Me a Gift (£14.99)
Love this retro lunchbox - how cute is he!? Strong and sturdy, your lunch won't get squished and you'll be the envy of all your classmates!

Skipper Children's Boat Shoe - Chatham (£45)
These lovely boat shoes are available in 3 colours and are made from beautiful soft pull up leather. People tend to just think of the obvious high street choices when shopping for school shoes but Chatham are definitely worth considering, they offer a brilliant range of boat shoes that would be suitable for school.

Itty Bittys - Hallmark (£6)
These little plush toys make great rucksack and pencil case buddies and would make a cute gift for your little superhero's first day at school

Wellies - Regatta (£11.95)
You can guarantee that the school run will bring rain...and rain means puddles. So what better way of splashing in puddles with a brand new pair of Regatta wellies! Elliot's school actually require him to keep a pair of wellies on his peg for outside play so he is looking forward to taking these in. As well as the vibrant patterns, I really like the handles on the welly - very helpful for little ones who are learning to dress themselves.

Are you ready for school?! 

*Disclaimer - some of these items were provided to me for the purpose of this post