First Day of School

I have to say, this was the easiest first day of school we've ever had in the Heckman household.

Both boys are heading into their final year at their schools, so they were both quite comfortable and very excited to get back to their old stompin' grounds.

The night before I set out a few surprises to make the morning just a little more special.

How cute is this little fortune cookie picture. 

After breakfast, we coaxed the boys outside for the obligatory "1st day pictures" before Payton left for his patrol duties at 7:15 a.m. (ugh - that's early!).

Apparently this is Parker's new smile. Too cute.

I cannot believe how old Payton looks this year. He's growing up so quickly and maturing into such a sweet young man. Gotta add a little throw-back picture from kindergarten just for fun. :)

Both kids walked right into their classrooms and started chatting with their teachers and friends. No tears, no long goodbyes, no sadness whatsoever. So... I went out and enjoyed a couple of hours of quiet time to myself!

And now that they are back in a regular schedule, I can concentrate on finishing up our master bath and posting some good before & after photos!

Since we were painting the bathroom in the process, we went ahead and painted the master bedroom as well. 

We had greens & browns on the walls and I really wanted to brighten up the room, so I asked for some recommendations on a good "white" color and ended up going with Sherwin Williams "Aesthetics White" on all but one wall. The other wall (not featured below) is French Grey, which is a gorgeous creamy grey.

Here's a little "before & after" of the bedroom wall color...

Before:

Excuse the bad lighting and paint samples on the wall.

After:

Again, this is just a little sneak peek. I still have a lot to do in this room. I'm thinking about putting in some swing-arm sconces and a rug under the bed. Plus, I want to paint the furniture (not pictured).

It was my grandparents bedroom set, so it's super well made and weighs about 400 pounds. But it doesn't go with the colors in the room. I may do an Annie Sloan french grey chalk paint? I'd love to hear any other suggestions anyone has.

And just a few more random photos...because... why not?

We had a really great last-weekend-of-summer staycation while my brother family and my parents took the kids for a few days. So instead of heading to the pool and the beach to fit in one more outing with the kids, we relaxed, watched movies, went out to dinner and met a bunch of our neighbors up for a drink one night.

I love this new Lilly top that I purchased during their half-yearly sale a couple weeks ago. Super comfortable and flattering neckline. #excusethearmpit #worstselfietakerever

And I thought it only appropriate to order a drink to match my top. :)

Actually, the truth is, this place was supposed to be like a prohibition-era bar where they hand make each drink and muddle things and have funky-shaped ice. But most of the drinks are made with liquor and I'm not a liquor fan, so I went with the girlie fruit and champagne cocktail. Much more my speed. :)

Time to get ready for Payton to come home from his first day at school. Can't wait to hear how he likes his new teacher! This is the first time he's had a male teacher, so I think it's going to be a fun year.

Hope everyone has a great first week back at school!

Back To School Goodies

Hellooooooooo!
Wow, what a summer we've had! I think both boys would agree that we've managed to squeeze in just about as much fun as possible the last few months. From vacations to staycations, traveling with family, and adventures with friends... we've done almost everything on our Summer Bucket List and have really had a great time doing it.

We have two weeks left of summer and I still have a few fun tricks up my sleeve, but I am also starting to prepare for a new school year.

Payton will be starting his last year of elementary school, and Parker will be starting his last year of preschool (queue the tears). I cannot get over how big they are getting.

We've already purchased a new backpack for Payton. After a couple years of buying cheap backpacks at Target that would then break at some point during the year, I decided to buy him a good quality backpack from Pottery Barn that has a multi-year money-back guarantee. Didn't hurt that I could get it monogrammed, either. :)

Brian's parents took both boys shoe shopping last weekend. They were so sweet and bought both of them sneakers that they had been wanting. Now the boys want to wear them around the house 24/7.

I also purchased all of Payton's school supplies...although the teachers usually end up giving us a "supplement" list on Open House, so I'm sure there will be more to come.

So, now that the basics are covered, I get to focus on the fun stuff that comes with going back to school!

One of my favorite bloggers, Kierste, always has the best back-to-school printables and craft ideas. How much do you love these 1st Day of School Printables for photos??


You can download your child's appropriate grade level here.

And y'all know I adore these personalized backpack tags she created!
 
I mean, seriously... SO cute! And very handy when so many backpacks look so similar. I think it would be particularly great for the younger kids. You can download your child's letter here.

I also love setting a festive breakfast table for the 1st day of school to get them excited about heading back. I think this little sign is so sweet and would look great alongside a special breakfast. You can download it here from the talented Homespun Hostess.


I think every kid would love having some fun jokes included in their lunchbox the first week back. How fun are these free printables from Events to Celebrate.

And if you're looking for an inspiring piece of art to frame for your kiddos, here's one that I just fell in love with from one of my all-time favorite Dr. Seuss books, "Oh the Places You'll Go." You can download it here from Balancing Home.

So while I'll miss our laid-back PJ mornings and late-night bonfire s'mores, I'm looking forward to fall and all that it has to offer. I hope that you've had a wonderful summer and that you enter this school year with lots of energy and excitement. Happy Back-to-School everyone!