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!