Eeeeeks! You guys, tomorrow is the first day of school!
Other than the fact that my kids are in no way prepared for actual bedtimes and wake up times, I think we’re ready.
We have backpacks.
We have groceries.
We have been to all three schools to meet teachers/get schedules/find classrooms.
We are as ready as we’ll ever be over here.
Since back to school is on the brain, I thought today, we’d do just a big post on #allthethings on my mind from organizing to inspiration to what my kids actually have for school this year.
First up, speaking of how my kids are in no way prepared to go to sleep and wake up at their scheduled “bed times”, I thought I’d remind you that one of the wisest things my bestie told me about two years ago was to stop waking up my kids for school but have them use their alarm instead.
You guys, I was “that mom” who would go up and individually wake up each child with snuggles and kisses and sweetness…and then 10 minutes later, they would still be laying in bed, so then I was “that mom” who was yelling and threatening to take away whatever their favorite thing was at the moment. Sigh. Erika told me that if they all set their alarms and woke up on their own, it would eliminate a lot of our morning grouchiness. IT CHANGED OUR ENTIRE MORNING ROUTINE!
My kids all use…
…the ECHO DOTS for KIDS in their rooms as their alarm clocks, and truly, it’s been such a game-changer. All four of set them, wake up, get dressed, brush their teeth and then come down for breakfast. I’m telling you, I was super skeptical, but it has REALLY made a big difference with my family getting up on time, dressed faster and therefore, we have a much better morning.
Speaking of things I was super skeptical about…
…using an online/app calendar instead of a paper calendar.
You guys, I’m a believer now.
Back in January, I blogged all about our SCHEDULING/ORGANIZING OUR FAMILY FOR THE YEAR, but I thought, I’d share a screenshot for you to check out too…
…I took this picture yesterday of my Cozi calendar (the app we’ve been using) just so you can see what I’m talking about. Obviously, it’s hard to share my family’s entire calendar with you as it’s personal/gives too many details that probably aren’t for the internet, but yesterday was pretty basic, so here’s a peek with some deets:
#1: As you can see, everyone in my family has their own color. This makes it easy (whether on the app or my computer) to see who is doing what just by glancing at the colors.
#2: You can sort the day/week/month by individuals too or the entire family (so if I want to see what Smith is doing this week at a glance, I can just sort by his name).
#3: I even have a color for the dogs as well. They were not busy yesterday 😉 .
#4: Andrew and I both have access to the calendar and can add/edit/change things. The HARDEST part about getting my family on a digital calendar was getting Mr. Shull to actually use it. Now that it’s a part of his routine though, he uses it daily too.
#5: My favorite part of the calendar is the daily email I get. Every morning, Andrew and I each get an email that has that day’s schedule all laid out. It’s so helpful to start my day with that in my inbox (and I really think that’s why Andrew uses Cozi…because he sees the daily email and it reminds him).
#6: If your kids’ team has a Google calendar/Team Snap/Group Me schedule/etc, it’s so easy to take that calendar off of that app and tap the link and bam, everything is imported into Cozi (without you having to manually add each thing).
There are so many other ways to use this app (and I’m sure there are other great apps out there too!), but I think the key is just to actually start using one. Now that we use it, I can’t imagine not having it to keep our lives organized.
Okay, next up…
If you are like me and want some a FABULOUS and FUN read to get you in the back to school mood, you MUST READ Class Mom by Laurie Gelman!
You guys, I could read this book every single year.
This super cute novel is book one of four (and really, you should read all four!) about an elementary school class mom, and trust me, if you’ve had a kid in elementary school, you will totally relate. If you haven’t had a kid in elementary school, you will still laugh out loud. It’s funny, it’s witty, it’s absolutely the perfect back to school read for us ladies.
After you read this one, check out the other three: YOU’VE BEEN VOLUNTEERED, YOGA PANT NATION, and SMELLS LIKE ‘TWEEN SPIRIT. They are all adorable and hysterical 🙂 .
Next up in my mission to be very “back to school” included…
…ordering my groceries on Sunday using my beloved Walmart+. You guys, here is yet SOMETHING ELSE I refused to do for years and then once I started, I was a changed woman. You can read my blog post documenting my first experience having Walmart deliver my groceries HERE, but let me tell you, it’s a total game-changer! On Sunday afternoon, I ordered my groceries for the week on my app (this is the screenshot), and they were delivered in one hour. Easy as that. I wasn’t able to do this on Nantucket, and it was definitely missed. This makes mom-life so much easier!
I looked back at what I’ve purchased for my kiddos to get them back to school ready and here are each of their TOP FIVE BACK TO SCHOOL FINDS for this school year…
You can find KENSINGTON’S TOP FIVE HERE…
…and MADELEY’S TOP FIVE.
And if that wasn’t enough, I made some BACK TO SCHOOL COLLAGES for you too!
If you’re looking for a few things to kick of your school year for your teachers or kiddos, I have you covered…
#1: Teacher Earrings for Women Beaded Dangle Drop Teacher Appreciation Gift Back To School Jewelry
#2: NLCAC 9 Pack Heishi Teacher Bracelets Stackable Rainbow Heishi Teach Beaded Stretchy Bracelet Preppy Jewelry Back to School Teacher Appreciation Gifts
#3: Pencil Earrings Teacher Earrings for Women Girls Handmade Polymer Clay Pencil Earrings for Teachers Hypoallergenic Drop Dangle Earrings Jewelry Gifts
#4: Fuqimanman2020 Colorful Funny Pencil Crystal Pendant Necklace Rhinestone Shining Teacher Professors Students Back To School for Women Girls Rainbow Teacher’s Day Gift
#5: Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler with Lid and Straw for Water, Iced Tea or Coffee, Smoothie and More
#6: Swig Life 18oz Travel Mug | Insulated Tumbler with Handle and Lid, Cup Holder Friendly, Dishwasher Safe, Stainless Steel, Travel Coffee Cup, Insulated Coffee Mug with Lid and Handle (Aqua)
#7: Teacher Appreciation Gifts – Teacher Gifts for Women – Cool Gifts for Teachers Women – Funny Teacher Gift Ideas – Teacher Birthday Gifts – Unique Gift for Teacher – 16 Oz Teacher Can Glass
#8: Elan Publishing Company DELUXE Undated Teacher Planner: 8.5×11 Includes 7 Periods, Page Tabs, Bookmark, Planning Stickers, Pocket Folder Daily Weekly Monthly Planner Yearly Agenda (Watercolor Stripes)
#9: AT-A-GLANCE 2023-2024 Academic Planner, Simplified by Emily Ley, Weekly & Monthly, 8-1/2″ x 11″, Large, Monthly Tabs, Flexible Cover, Happy Stripe (EL10-905A)
#10: Teacher Appreciation Gifts, Best Teacher Gifts for Women, Funny Teacher Christmas Gifts, Birthday Gifts, Retirement Gifts, Thanksgiving Gifts for Teachers, Lavender Scented Candles
#11: Teacher Stickers 50 Pcs, Vinyl Waterproof Teacher Stickers for Laptop Water Bottles Notebook, Teacher Appreciation Gifts in Bulk
#12: Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens, Medium Point (0.7 mm), Limited Edition Candy Pop Pack Marker Pens, 24 Count
#13: Post-it Pop-up Note Dispenser, Cat design, 3×3 in, 1 Dispenser/Pack (CAT-330)
#14: ECOHIP 2 Pack Totes Bag Teacher Appreciation Gifts for Women Christmas
#15: ProductWorks Maui and Sons Durable Beach Bag and Outdoor Everything Go2Bag
#16: Teacher Notepad | Teacher Appreciation Gifts | Made in the USA (Teacher Notepad)…
#1: First Day and Last Day of School Board Signs – 14” X 11” Double-Sided Printing – First Day Preschool Kindergarten Back to School Supplies Signs for Kids – Reusable 1st Day of School Chalkboard Sign
#2: Kids Hello Preschool Retro Rainbow Teacher Toddler Girls Premium T-Shirt
#3: Vintage Pencil Happy First Day Of School Teacher Boys Girls T-Shirt
#4: Scentco Graphite Smencils – HB #2 Scented Pencils, 10 Count
#5: Bagseri Large Capacity Pencil Pen Case-Cute Pencil Case for Girls Kids, Pencil Pouch Organizer for Student School Office Supplies, Pencil Case Only (Glitter Mermaid Scale)
#6: 50 pcs Pencil Labels Personalized. Sky Blue Name Stickers for Kids Personalized. Measure 1,6 x 0,2 inch.
#7: Toddler Girls Back to School Apple Pencil Dress Causal Flutter Sleeve Ruffle Bottom Dress Summer Clothes
#8: Little Girls Back to School Clothes Boutique Outfits Clothes Cotton Pencil Apple Pom-pom Dress 2-7Y Wholesales Dresses
#9: 150 Joke Cards for Kids – Lunchbox Notes – Inspirational Motivational Cards for Children – Jokes and Puns for Boys and Girls – Great for Parties, Schools, Bake Sales, Picnics
#10: iClever Kids Headphones for School Travel, Safe Volume 85/94dB, HD Mic Stereo Sound Over-Ear Girls Boys Headphones for Kid, FunShare Foldable 3.5mm Wired Kids Headphones for iPad Computer, HS19 Blue
#11: YETI Rambler Jr. 12 oz Kids Bottle, with Straw Cap
#12: Rovozar Baseball Pen Box Large Capacity Pen Bag With Zipper Pouch For Women Men
#13: Bentgo Kids Prints (Unicorn) – Leak-Proof, 5-Compartment Bento-Style Kids Lunch Box – Ideal Portion Sizes for Ages 3 to 7 – BPA-Free and Food-Safe Materials
#14: adidas Back to School BTS Creator Backpack, Black/White, One Size
#15: Simple Modern Toddler Backpack for School Girls | Kindergarten Elementary Kids Backpack | Fletcher Collection | Kids – Medium (15″ tall) | Pink Ballerina
#16: CAMTOP Lunch Box Kids Insulated Lunch Bag Small Cooler Thermal Meal Thermal lunchbox for Girls Boys School Picnics
#17: adidas Unisex Excel Insulated Lunch Bag, Onix Jersey/Black, ONE SIZE
#1: Hey Dude Unisex-Adult Wally Stretch
#2: Nike Women’s Air Jordan 1 Low UNC Basketball Shoe
#3: Crocs Unisex-Adult Classic Clogs (Best Sellers)
#4: EASTHILL Big Capacity Pencil Case Large Pencil Pouch Stationery Pen Bag for Teen Girls
#5: Academic Planner 2023-2024 – July 2023 – June 2024, 8″ x 10″ (with Twin-Wire Binding), Planner 2023-2024 Weekly & Monthly, Strong Twin-Wire Binding, Round Corner, Improving Your Time Management Skill
#6: Pencil Case Big Capacity High Large Storage Tactical Small Tool Pouch Bag Marker Pen Case Stationery Bag Travel Holder School College Office Organizer for Kids Men Women Adult Teens (Green)
#7: Label Maker Machine NiiMbot D11 2020 Portable Bluetooth Label Printer Tape Included Multiple Templates Available for Smartphone Tablet Easy to Use Office Home Organization USB Rechargeable (White)
#8: Paper Mate Gel Pens, InkJoy Pens, Medium Point, Assorted, 20 Count
#9: Alohaster HPSIZEE Aesthetic Cute Highlighters Mild Assorted Colors With Soft Chisel Tip, No Bleed Dry Fast Easy to Hold, for Journal Bible Planner Notes School Office Supplies, 6 Pack – Youth
#10: Fjallraven Women’s Kanken Mini Backpack
#11: Stanley IceFlow Stainless Steel Tumbler with Straw, Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle for Home, Office or Car, Reusable Cup with Straw Leakproof Flip
#12: Leather Journal Writing Notebook – Genuine Leather Bound Daily Notepad for Men & Women Lined Paper 240 Kraft Pages, Handmade, Rustic Brown, 5 x 7 in
#13: Post-it Notes Holiday Limited Edition Super Sticky Color Collection, 3 in x 3 in, 15 Pads/Pack, 45 Sheets/Pad (654-15SSALL)
#14: Under Armour Unisex Hustle 5.0 Backpack
#15: YAMTION Black Backpack for Women Men,Casual School Backpack Teen Boys and Girls 15.6 Inch Laptop Bookbag with USB Charger for College High School Travel Business
#16: Bentgo Classic – All-in-One Stackable Bento Lunch Box Container – Modern Bento-Style Design Includes 2 Stackable Containers, Built-in Plastic Utensil Set, and Nylon Sealing Strap (Blush Marble)
#17: Amersun Kids Lunch Box,Durable Insulated School Lunch Bag with Padded Liner Keep Food Warm Cold for Long Time,Water-resistant Thermal Travel Office Lunch Cooler for Girls Boy-2 Pocket,Light Blue
#18: adidas Unisex Santiago Insulated Lunch Bag, Black/ White 2, ONE SIZE
And one last thing before we wrap up today…
…make sure you check out my 14 KEYS TO SIMPLIFY BACK TO SCHOOL post too!
Happy last day of summer break, friends!
I will see you back here tomorrow! xx
Lauren says
Love this post!! I’ve been reading here since Kensington was in kindergarten, I can’t believe she’s about to be a high schooler!!! Praying for a safe, easy, happy year for all of us!
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you, thank you, thank YOU!
Laura says
I am that same mom at wake up time that used to be. I need to make the wake up less stressful! Curious, how much time do you have between the alarm going off and when the kiddo needs to be out the door? Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
Kensington and Smith both like extra time, so their alarms go off at least 90 minutes before they have to leave. My littles like to sleep as long as they can, so their alarms go off only about 50 minutes before we walk out the door.
Elspeth says
So much great advice here! I love the idea of the cozi app! Enjoy the last day of summer!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Lauren says
Love these back to school ideas! I’m still getting items for my girls so this post is so helpful. Which stores do you get most of Kensington’s clothes from?
Mix and Match Mama says
Right now, she’s on a Zara, Abercrombie, Nordstrom kick. Happy back to school shopping!
Mandy says
Hi Shay!
A few weeks ago you featured the Bogg bag on one of your Nantucket posts. I sent you a few questions about it and I’m happy to report that I purchased one! I’m so particular about my “teacher bag” and this one fits all the criteria. Finally I have a bag large enough to fit my plan book, a teacher manual (or two) and my laptop!
Thanks for the suggestion! Wishing you and your family a great school year!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Yay!!!! Now, I need to know which color you selected?! There are so many pretty options!! I hope you have a wonderful school year!
Mandy says
I ended up going with haute pink. The whole world was this color (thanks to Barbie) when I ordered. Haha! Not my normal color, but I was looking for something happy.
Robyn says
Turquoise and Caicos for me! Next I am thinking about Peachy Beachy or Under the sea foam!
Robyn says
Yes! Same! Using a Bogg bag for my teacher stuff! Love it! Hope you have a wonderful school year 🙂
Mandy says
It’s such a great bag for hauling everything.
Hope you have a wonderful school year!
Danielle says
I have had Cozi for about 6 months and LOVE It so much…. but, I had no clue you could sort/ import stuff. I need a lesson on “how to” Cozi. lol
My kids go back to school tomorrow morning. I LOVE the idea of using echo as an alarm clock. Both of my kids have one but geez ,I had no clue you could use it as an alarm clock. Setting that up tonight because I wake them up and have the same morning you mention you used to have.
I clearly an not using technology to the full benefit. #Sendhelp
Amanda M Kalins says
Me too! I need to figure out how to maximize Cozi!!
Robyn says
2 things:
1. Can you give a breakdown of the differences between the Boggbag vs. the ProductWorks Maui and Sons Beach Bag? I have a Boggbag, but now that I see you recommend this other one, I’m wondering which you like best, because I am about to order my next bag.
2. I have 3 girls, ages 12, 14, & 18. My Kaci and your Kensington are the same age, same grade, and I have related to so many things. So thank you for always sharing little snippets and helpful tips.
Christy says
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! I have been following for several years… Probably since K was in Kinder or 1st. Favorite blog ever…. A couple of questions…. 1. I use the cozi app and love it too! I never knew you could copy and insert an event from game changer, group me… How do I do that? I have tried and few times this morning… I can’t figure it out! 2. What lunch bag does Kensington use? We are having a difficult time finding something my daughter loves. Thank you so much! My son made the chocolate poke cake that Smith loves, yesterday. It’s top 3 of his favorite desserts!
Mix and Match Mama says
I am a Cozi Gold member, and I don’t know if this is available using the other version, but I just looked on my phone and if you’ll go to the home page an scroll to “back to school resource center” it will open up all the ways you can use Cozi Gold including linking schedules. I hope this helps!
Christy says
Thank you so much! 🙂 Checking now!
Kristi says
I’ve been a Cozi app user for many years but am excited to try and link my sports schedule without manually entering! Thanks for the tip. Another favorite of the app is once my kids were allowed a phone, they also had to have to the app. #1 They knew where we were #2 They knew what they had on their schedule and didn’t ask me multiple times #3 Now that some of mine have jobs, they must enter their schedule and be a part of the process. Happy Back to School!
Terry says
How is Cozi different from the apple calendar on iPhones?
Mix and Match Mama says
I think they would both work just fine, but Cozi seems to have more features (I could be wrong) like the daily email, weekly “looking ahead email”, a place for lists, groceries, etc all built in.
Kristy round Moore says
Like many of your readers, I’ve been following you since Kensington and Smith were just little babes. One of my favorite parts of your Back to School post each year was seeing what cute Pottery Barn backpack each kid picked out. And now, backpacks aren’t even in most of your kids posts! How fast time is flying! Enjoy another Back to School! I’ve thankfully got 3 more weeks before this Canadian teacher is back in the classroom.
sandi says
Kids setting their own alarms is a life skill… I talk all the time about life skills. Getting out of bed on time is a HUGE life skill. Now, wait until you have to leave a child at home and charge gas money for the second trip to school because someone slept through an alarm (because momma doesn’t like to repeat herself). ALL the kids now know momma means business.
Love the idea of the Cozi app sending you a daily email. August is back to college for three of mine (it’s sad, one went back yesterday because she works on campus and part of her job is welcoming freshmen families) so I only have one daily kid schedule to manage. But being back in the carpool game because I’m losing my drivers means I have to definitely know what is happening. I like what one of the moms above said, the kids that are working can also enter their schedule and everyone knows where everyone is. That would have helped this summer since the 15 year old worked at an ice cream shop but she cannot drive. Every Sunday we had to sit down and look at work schedules for everyone and figure out who was on drop off and pick up duty. I’ve used google calendar for years but do not think they have that feature.
I would love to use Walmart delivery but our Walmart cannot even have a curbside pick up ready on time. 95% of the time I get an email that the order is running 1-2 hours late. It’s just easier to go elsewhere. But I love the idea of porch delivery if it would work!
Happy back to school!
Monica says
Cozi question! My husband and I love it but he doesn’t like that it doesn’t have a widget for his phone. Have you found a way around this??
Mix and Match Mama says
What do you mean by “widget”? Like an app? It has an app for iPhone!
AmandaG says
Thanks for sharing your calendar organizing solution. We use Gmail calendar for our family organizing. It’s really convenient for us as we use Google for a lot. Especially since my 14 year old is doing sports and going here and there and we share carpool duties with another family. So, when the other mom and I figure out the pick up/drop off schedule for the week, I edit his schedule to include in the title the initial of the last name of the fam that is doing pick up/drop off since things vary week to week. That way everyone knows who is taking care of it rather than asking me multiple times, “who is doing pick up today?” They can just look at the calendar.
Sheaffer says
The looking back pics make me want to bawl!
Susie Harrold says
Can anyone recommend a REALLY loud alarm clock? Nothing seems to wake my son.
Kacy M says
Happy back to school!
Jill says
We have used Cozi for years. For your younger girls that don’t have phones, they might enjoy having the Skylight frame that connects to Cozi so they can see what’s coming up. You can put it on your kitchen counter.
Carol Woodrow says
Always such great & helpful info!!
Kelly Bonner says
The part about the dogs not being busy yesterday really made me LOL! 🤣
We’re headed back to school here too! Me (kindergarten teacher), my daughter (6th grade), & my son (1st grade). 🙏🏻 for a great year for all!
Meiners Jenny says
How do you link the Team Snap app/schedule to Cozi? Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
I’m not sure if you have to be a Gold member, but I commented yesterday that if you go to the home page (and you’re gold), you can click the “back to school” message and from there, you’ll see a ton of info! I was even able to link K’s cheer calendar off of their Google calendar.
Catherine says
Erika legit just posted that one of her bad habits was waking the kids up in a sing-song voice because it irritates the boys. Yet she taught you to use an alarm clock for the kids? Haha.
Caroline needs to listen better before she posts for you.
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh we’re a mess!