I’m one of those parents that can’t stand the end of summer. The thought of school lunches and early wake-ups makes me want to cry. Even the notion of some alone time while the kids are in school doesn’t make me want to celebrate. But back to school shopping? Now you’re talking. I love the new beginnings – a change to streamline routines and try to finally nail the healthy littler-less lunch. We can always dream. Here are our 15 back to school essentials for this year.
1. Reminiscent of old-school TV dinner trays or modern Bento boxes, the PlanetBox ensures food doesn’t get all mixed up and helps you include healthier options for the pickiest eater. The magnets add a personal flair. Also available at Pottery Barn Kids with personalized carry bags.
2. Microwave, dishwasher safe and waterproof. Music to a parents’ ears! Not having to raid the lost and found box at school every week? Even better. I just ordered Mabels Labels‘ Ultimate Back to School Pack. The kids got to choose their own personal designs and even prompted them to clean out their closet.
3. Sanrio. It’s all about Sanrio. I just got 2 new Sigg Hello Kitty water bottles. Always BPA-free, these designs also allow you to write a note to your kids in the thought bubble. My preference is to have the kids write a note to me, as I won’t give these bottles up. Sorry, boys.
4. We know that UrbanMommies is a big fan of manners for kids. Let’s not stop at school. Funkins are colourful, fun napkins made just for our little robot lovers and fishermen.
5. As you register the kids for extra-curricular activities, don’t forget to include down time. The Babba Box is a subscription service that provides hours of after-school and weekend creativity. Combine it with Disney’s new Story app and we’re willing to bet you double their fun.
6. I always went to school with personalized pencils from Lillian Vernon. You despise me now don’t you? And now they are in pink.
7. WoolFelt iPad sleeve on etsy. Stunning.
8. Fancy patterned binders help our kids feel like individuals. Leave it to Martha Stewart to come up with epic patterns. Available at Staples.
9. Boys: In the summer I can’t get my boys to wear pants. In the fall I can’t get them to wear pants without holes in the knees. Good news: Iron Knee pants from Land’s End. The revolutionary interior knee patch will allow them to fall on their knees all the time without you having to deal with seeing their kneecaps at the end of the day. Now we just need to stock up on Tide Pods how to deal with the grass stains.
10. Girls: The new Binksy & Bobo reversible tie dress. Spills can be instantly hidden with a flip. And it’s Canadian. I need one in my size please.
11. Picmonkey. It’s all about picmonkey. They’ve just released some back to school themes, overlays and nostalgic school effects.
12. Zoo Lunches from Skip Hop acts as a lunch bag and doubles as a little friend. Available at Snuggle Bugz.
2. Text Bands. Now kids only have to bump fists in order to pass notes. The text bands allow the message to appear on a friend’s wrist with a light bump. You can type up to 10 characters and each band can hold up to 24 messages at once. (Turning the band off will delete all messages). Now that’s a heck of an improvement from note passing. Hallmark.com
3. ABC Sigg Water Bottles are BPA and phthalate free. You can recyclable them at the end of their lifetime, and the nonporous interior lining in the bottles ensures that it remains taste and odor neutral. Know what that means? You can put grape juice in it (or something stronger for Mom) on the weekend and send it to school with milk on Monday. www.mysigg.com
4. Fun, Fictional Flash Drives – From The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Looney Tunes to skateboard USBs, students can transport files with their favourite characters. Unfortunately, they do not come with your very own Princess Leah hologram. You’ll have to hit the rides at Disneyland for that. www.staples.ca
5. The Madbox from Land’s End is the coolest lunchbox we’ve seen in a while. Five kids from Madison, WI set out to build a better lunchbox and Land’s End liked their idea so much – they produced it! It comes with an adjustable ice pack that focuses the cold to the food that needs to stay cold and leaves room temperature food alone. No more soggy crackers. www.landsend.com
got a rock-sold back-to-school pack and even preschool shoe labels. www.mabelslabels.com
7. New for the fall, the Native ‘Jimmy’. From the makes of our favourite summer show comes the Jimmy, just in time for fall. These durable and funky boots will look great with this season’s signature trench for kids. www.shop.nativeshoes.com
8. The Lunchkin reusable sandwich bag. In Hermes orange, or course. Wait. That’s for me. Well, if you want uber-cute, they’re available in crabs, sailboats, soccer balls and school apples too. And they’re great for the environment. And cool. Need we say more? www.raspberrykids.com
9. Any flower-lover would eat every bite out out of this adorable PVC-free grab-and-go lunch purse. But be careful. Unless you snag a couple you may have a fight on your hands, as we guarantee you’ll want one too! I think I may grab one and use it for a funky back tie clutch… www.lavishandlime.com