Happy, happy Tuesday!
It’s another edition of Shay’s Ways 😉 .
If you missed my previous posts, you can catch them below…
21 Keys to Savoring Summer
21 Keys for Working at Home {Summer Edition}
25 Keys to Outdoor Summer Entertaining
25 Keys to Maintaining our Yard
25 Keys to a Peaceful Morning
18 Keys to Prepping for a Trip
Today, in honor of school starting tomorrow, I’m sharing my 14 Keys to Simplify Back to School!
Awwwww! This was the first day of school last year 🙂 .
So, this is my ninth year to officially send kiddos off to elementary school (and now middle school too!), and I have a few tidbits/things/keys I do to get us all in the mood for the new year and transitioned as smoothly as possible. You know how it is…some years, they go back really excited and others, they’re kicking and screaming. Regardless, I find that if I do a few of these little things, it’s easier on me no matter what 🙂 .
Whether you’re an old pro and sending your kids back to high school or a new mom sending your kids off to preschool…or a mom who homeschools, hopefully, a tip or two from my list will help you have a great start to your year! You girls know me, the beginning of school/fall is my favorite time of year! To me, this is more of a fresh start/transition time than January 1st! As much as I LOVE having my kiddos at home with me during the summer, I get so excited about this chapter too.
Here are my 14 Keys to Simplify Back to School:
1: Put everything on your calendar! You guys know I love my paper calendar, but during the school year, Andrew and I realllly try to use the Cozi app too. Last year was our first year to try it, and I totally think it helped. My favorite feature is that every morning, it emails us both with that day’s list of events. I absolutely prefer to use a paper calendar (and still do!), but at the beginning of the year, I take 20 minutes to sit down and add everything I can to Cozi (practices, games, days off, holidays, events, etc) and then weekly, I sit down for three minutes and add my paper calendar specifics to Cozi. I think starting the year with a strong calendar game is key! Listen, by May, it will be complete chaos at my house, and no one will be calendaring anything, but come September, we have all of our ducks in a row. If you just use a calendar app, make sure you have it cleaned up (delete any repeating activities that are not applicable any more), and then fill in everything else.
2: Pull out your slow cooker. Yes, yes, and YES! One of my most popular posts EVERY YEAR is my BACK TO SCHOOL SLOW COOKERS SUPPERS. Your slow cooker is your friend this time of year! Even if you don’t have the slow cooker make your entire meal, let it help you with a portion of it. There is nothing that makes me feel more like a supermom than opening the door at 3:00 and dinner is already bubbling away on my counter.
3: Clean out closets. I did this just last week. Head to your kids’ closets with two trash bags, set a timer for 10 minutes and go. I swear to you, 10 minutes is enough time to make a huge dent and make you feel proud. I use one bag for donation items and another for trash (because my kids always have trash in their closet!). Instead of putting this task off because you don’t have time and it seems overwhelming, just do 10 minutes worth and walk away. That’s enough time to purge quickly, toss trash and be able to see what they have. The beginning of school doesn’t require a “seasonal” change yet (because it’s still warm), so just take out what they absoluetley don’t need and move on.
4: Don’t schedule anything the first week. I’ve learned this the hard way, but that first week of school…don’t schedule anything “extra” like your dentist cleaning, hair appointment, etc. Just keep your calendar as free as you can for your own mental health. It’s a big enough week without adding “mammogram” to the list.
5: Make appointments for later in the year. That being said, go ahead and call the dentist, eye doctor, pediatrician and get your family’s well visits/check ups on the calendar for later in the year. It’s nice to have that vision appointment already on my calendar for April.
6: Order your home supplies. My kids always need school supplies, but they also need “home supplies”. I do a quick inventory and then buy more tape, construction paper, pencils, etc for our kitchen drawer. Inevitably at 9:30 PM, Smith will need tape for a project, so now, I have it fully stocked.
7: Buy any new clothes/shoes they’ve outgrown. For us, since we start school in August and it’s still so hot here, the kids don’t get new “back to school” clothes until later in the fall when they actually need them. That being said, they’ve totally all outgrown their sneakers and school shoes from the spring (dang, their feet grow fast!), so I went through and did a quick inventory of what shoes they needed for school that we cannot make work from last year. Most of the clothes still work from May, but those shoes are all too small.
8: Donate. Donate. Donate. Those bags of clothes and shoes that no longer fit get donated for other families to enjoy.
I mean, I know it’s hard…but try not to do this. Bahahahaha!
9: Meal plan. Awwwww, yes! This is probably my #1 tip for the back to school season! Friends, you have to meal plan!! I’ve blogged about this so many times, but truly, this makes a HUGE difference…
You can see exactly how I meal plan in this post HERE. Just do it 🙂 !
10: Change out the candle scents. As silly as it might sound, I always change out the scents in my home for back to school season. My house goes from beachy/summery scents to warm/fall/apple scents. I think it sets the mood and makes us all think back to school time is here and fall is right around the corner.
11: Stock up on snacks. Yup. Go to Costco. Go to Sam’s. Go to your grocery store or even Amazon…just make sure you have a ton of easy to grab, simple to eat, snacks for backpacks, athletic bags and hungry after schoolers.
12: Plan easy breakfasts and lunches. I love to make a special first day of school breakfast, but after that, I go for easy. I always try to have plenty of simple options on hand so that on busy school mornings, it’s easy to pull breakfast together and get out the door. The same is true for lunch. I want my kids to be able to make their lunches themselves which means…I need the ingredients on hand for them along with extra baggies and containers. We try to make as many things as we can in advance (or package as many things as we can in advance) for easier mornings. Don’t forget…
…you can see my 25 Back to School Breakfast Bites post for more ideas!
13: Get your carpool together. ‘Tis that time of year to lean on other parents so that you can all easily and efficiently get your kids to the same places every day. Get your carpool together, friends! From school to sports to whatever else, if you can work with another family and carpool, it simplifies so much for everyone!
14: Reevaluate your morning routine. Finally, I shared my post last spring for my 25 KEYS FOR A PEACEFUL MORNING, so if you missed it, check it out. Constantly reevaluate your morning routine. If it’s not working for you, edit it. You’re the boss here, so make sure what you’re doing is working for you and if not, make some changes. I love a peaceful morning…I hate a chaotic one. I personally find my entire day runs much more smoothly if my morning is peaceful.
Those are my 14 keys! NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!!!!! On the eve of our first day back, I would love, love, love to read all of your keys/tips/tricks!! This mama knows you ladies have the best ideas, please comment and share!
I’m officially off now to enjoy our last day of summer. Here’s wishing you a wonderful Tuesday! xx
Laura says
Eek I’m so giddy for fall! I’m totally that girl ready for her first day pic in front of the boy on the floor 😂 Question: is it too early for me to daydream and come up with a fall bucket list?!?
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s never too early for that 🙂 ! hahahaha!
Elspeth says
I love these tips! I always like to have a fun back to school snack ready to make the afternoon fun and special!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Jennifer Goodwin says
One thing I loved doing when our sons were younger is have “devotion time” together in the car. I had a year devotional book for kids…they would take turns reading it each day and we would pray together before they got out of my car in the car line. I felt like it set their day off on the right foot…even if they had that time on their own, I wanted them to hear me pray over them, their teachers, all the staff and their friends. We often had extra kids with us, so I felt like it was good for them too! I hope your kids have a great first day/week/year at school!
Ashley says
We also lay out our clothes for every day on Sunday. So if my little needs to wear a jersey for football day or my big needs a school t shirt for spirit day, we aren’t scrambling in the morning looking for it. Making sure we have socks for PE days bc he’s totally wearing flip flops on other days.
Meghan says
Love all of these! My daughter wears uniforms so we have all her school approved clothes together in one drawer (shorts, skirts, socks, etc) and all her dresses and shirts together in the closet. That way she can find everything in one spot. Happy back to school time!
McKenzie says
These are all helpful. As a working mom, I also try to write out a loose morning routine and checklist that we tape to the fridge. It has a list of what each person needs (including me!) and the general flow of our morning in terms of wake up, mommy getting dressed, kids eating, etc. I find that it helps everyone get back into the groove of the morning rush after a very lazy summer! 🙂 Oh! and we ALWAYS do pizza on the first day of school. It feels fun and makes for an easy night of no cooking and no clean up.
Lisa says
Hope you enjoy your last day of summer! Love your tips – I just posted about the same thing! Will definitely have to try the Cozi app this year! One thing I always restock are the essentials socks, undies, hair ties – you can never have enough! Also having an envelope of cash for lunch money, dress down days, event sign-ups, etc.
K.K. says
It’s so hard to wrap my mind around fall with August being so hot and summery, but I am so excited for the next season as well!
Chelsea says
I love these tips!! My oldest starts kindergarten next week (someone come hold me LOL) so I’ll take alllll the advice!
Beth Valenta says
Hoping they all have a wonderful year! We start back soon, and best thing I do is meal prep on Sunday and crockpot recipes are always included. I can’t WAIT for soup time.
Kim N. says
Love these tips! We went back to school last week (so early!) and one thing that helps these first few weeks of school until we are back in the routine is I have a little post it note on my kitchen desk that lists all the things that need to go in the backpacks, so on the way out the door we can do a quick check and make sure we aren’t forgetting instruments or free reading books or whatever. I hope your kids have a great first day of school!
sandi says
As the mom of older kids, I remember those chaotic elementary days well. Kids love to accomplish tasks and I never liked packing lunches so that was the first thing I handed off when they were younger. One of my daughters would make five sandwiches on Sunday night and put them in the freezer; she would section her side items on a shelf in the pantry with strict orders for them to not be touched or you would owe her money. Another would pack her lunch from dinner left overs. And then the last two… 30 seconds before walking out the door would be slapping pb&j on bread and scrambling for the rest.
My suggestion would be to hand off as much as you can to kids. Packing lunches, picking out clothes the night before, learning to do their own laundry, and making sure uniforms are clean. It is an accomplishment and shows you can trust them with little things.
PS: with three leaving for college soon, we have been doing a deep purge of rooms. Right now, I have had three bins of backpacks, shoes, wall décor, outgrown clothes and easy chapter books in the back of my car; I’m on day four. I had to borrow my daughter’s car to pick up groceries the other day. I’m hoping not to have them in there for four months!
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you so much for these tips!!!! I’m so thankful for mamas like you that help us with younger kids at home SIMPLIFY!
Mary says
Ok that quote about donations made me laugh out loud….I have a big bag sitting in my trunk right now and I remember it’s there every time I load the groceries. Happy back to school!! 😊
Sarah says
My daughter will be in Kinder this year but last year when she started preschool, we STRUGGLED in the mornings for breakfast. She would never want to eat what we made or would want something else. Towards the middle of the school year, I made a “Breakfast Menu” chart. There is a spot for each week day and a card for the different breakfasts that we make (eggs and sausage, cinnamon rolls, sausage biscuit, etc.). Every Sunday after dinner, she chooses from the items (I make sure to take out what we don’t have) and she places them on the different days. Since she chose what she was having each day, she couldn’t complain anymore. It SAVED us in the mornings.
Mix and Match Mama says
Great idea!!!!! Love this!
Michelle O says
I no longer have my son at home, but…. A lot of these are a great way to start back up from the summer months and regroup myself. Thank you for the ideas. Fall is my favorite season and always make me feel my best so that is a great time get back on track! Best of luck your first week back to school.
Jaime says
I love all the tips! random question- but for your instant pot chicken tetrazzini do you think it would be a problem if I used a whole box of penne vs the 3/4 of the box you have listed? or no?
Mix and Match Mama says
I think that should be fine. That’s a small enough difference that it should be okay.
Sara McQ says
I’m a mama with a 14 month old at home but I always love reading/seeing the back to school things:) makes me both so nostalgic and excited for school days to come! Praying all the Shull babies have the best first day tmrw and the most fun year! 💗💗
Mix and Match Mama says
Enjoy that sweet baby!!! It’s always such a bittersweet season sending them back. xx
Marie DeGroot says
Hi Shay-
I have read your blog for years and just ADORE your fun, positive personality and your helpful tips, tricks and advice.
I am a former teacher/principal and now am a leadership/principal coach in Michigan. I have three sons and ever since our oldest was in kindergarten, we go to each of their schools the day/night before school starts and PRAY for their school; the teachers, paras, principals, bus drivers, lunchroom aides, administration. We pray for safety, friendships and for God to give our sons the ability to shine their light bright and make a difference in the public school setting.
As a family, this prayer drive gives us peace and a way to walk into the first day with God by our side.
Mix and Match Mama says
I love this, Marie!!!
Lisa D says
I love Fall but it is a bittersweet season when the kids head back to school. My three are “grown and flown” now but all your tips for back-to-school are really wonderful. Being organized and prepared is key! Good luck getting back into the school routine.
Amanda says
Hi Shay! Do you have lunch ideas for back to school? I’m so over sending sandwiches! Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s the first day of school, and I’m already over lunch. 😉 Sandwiches, salads, wraps, pasta salads and leftovers are the big ticket items at my house. It’s so hard to get excited about school lunches.
Lovely says
Fab tips! Having a meal plan helps me save time and sanity.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Missy M says
Can you recommend a slow cooker?? Mine just bit the dust, and I need to find one that does allllll the things & that I can count on!
Mix and Match Mama says
The All Clad! Buy it from Williams-Sonoma because it’s always on sale!
Missy M says
Thank you so much!
Nadine says
So helpful! It’s hot here as well, so no need to change clothing quite yet 😉 I like doing things the night before. All snacks in the lunch bag, water bottle filled and in the fridge. That way in the morning I’m only adding ice to the water, ice packs to the lunch bag, and maybe adding fresh cut fruit (assuming we didn’t already do apple or peeled orange the night before!). Happy start to school!
Nerine says
The line about not scheduling a mammogram during the first week made me LOL because guess who scheduled her very first mammogram during the first week of school!? Should I cancel? Haha!
Mix and Match Mama says
Go this year but when you make your appointment for next year, make it one week later 😉 . Bahahahaha!
Kim says
Last year, with all 3 of my boys in school, I had to change how I was handling the packing vs buying lunch confusion. In my personal paper calendar, every member is color coded. Luckily my boys colors are blue, green, and yellow. So I got my highlighters and the monthly lunch calendar out, question then one at a time what days they wanted to buy, and would box in the square on the kitchen calendar with the appropriate color. If all 3 boys wanted to buy, there’d be blue, green, and yellow boxes inside that day’s box on the calendar; if it was just my oldest, there’d only be a blue box. It made it so much simpler to quickly glance at the day and see who needed a lunch packed and who didn’t!