/ Monday, August 10, 2015
How This Procrastinator is Preparing the Family for a New School Year
*This post contains a few affiliate links :-)
For those who personally know me, it's no big secret that 1.) I'm always late {shame on me, I know} and and 2.) I can be a big procrastinator. I have the tendency to wait until the very last minute to get certain things done and it stresses me out! It's as if I thrive under the pressure of completing something right before it's due. Ridiculous {sigh}. Buying school supplies is most definitely an area wherein I procrastinate. I'm one of those parents out rushing to buy everything a day or two before school starts. So far, this time around I have been doing things a little different than usual. I think I'm growing up y'all! Lol.
I want to share my personal experience on what I have been doing lately to ensure that my kids are fully equipped and prepared for their first day of school and guess what, we still have a week before school starts and majority of what I needed to do is DONE! Yaaasssss. {I don't think I have ever said yaass in real life}
So, here are my updates along with a few tips :-)
School Supplies: For the first time ever, I started buying school supplies a month in advance! I usually wait until the last week before, but this time, I was just like, "let's try this 'getting things done early' situation that people speak so highly of." Some supplies I purchased out of season earlier this year and got at a really great price. There's a few things I still need to get that I plan to go out and get this week, but we have 80% of the supplies needed. Everything we have so far is already in the backpacks and ready to go!
I purchased these backpacks on sale at Target. $14.99+ tax for the Avengers backpack and lunch box combo. And $9.99+ tax for the Ever After High backpack. The Ever After High lunch box was purchased from Amazon.com for $6.99.
Reading & Learning Stimulation: All summer long, one to a few times a week I would have my kids complete one page, front and back, from math and science workbooks they received from their teachers. This week we'll be working on math, reading, and writing everyday.
They also read at least 3 books each week to improve their reading skills. We made frequent visits to the library throughout the summer and they joined a summer reading program. I am so proud of the progress my son has made. He reads through his books so quickly now in comparison to how he read at the beginning of the summer.
Evening Routines: This summer, my kid have pretty much been going to sleep whenever they get tired, no later than midnight for my sons and for my daughter, no comment. For the past few weeks my husband has been doing pretty good making sure they go to sleep when he does. He has to get up early for work so he goes to bed around 10 p.m., but this week, bed time is at 8:30 p.m. This week, we're prepping them for bed as if they have school in the morning, minus packing lunches. They're setting out "play clothes" to wear for the next day and I'm even going to maintain my daughter's hair this week and keep it done :-)
This also includes me getting into a set routine. I have been staying up way past what should be my bed time so this week, I'm really going to make an effort to make it to bed at or before 11 p.m.
Meal Planning: My go-to for meal ideas is Pinterest. I'm pretty much just going to stick with what I've been doing all summer, grocery planning, switching up breakfast and lunch choices each week, checking the local ads to see what's on sale, asking the kids what they would like to eat. I'll continue doing the same for dinner.
Homework Station and Organization: I'm going to be very transparent with you here, don't judge me, okay . This is our current situation {covers face in embarrassment}:
I promise, it'll look better than this soon. I have a plan, I just need to execute it already. It's halfway complete. Another one of my incomplete projects due to procrastination.
School Clothes and Shoes Shopping: I just started shopping this past weekend, there were some great sales. I had two JCPenney coupons for $10 off $25 and $10 off a $10 purchase. The Children's Place had denim on sale for $6 and less and graphic tees for $4 and less with coupon codes and free shipping this entire month. They already have A LOT of summer clothes so I'll buy a few shirts. I have been buying them summer clothes all summer long and we saved some to wear for school. They can mix and match new and not so new clothes.
My son has three pairs of jeans he can fit from last school year and a few pairs of pants that are not jeans so I recently purchased 3 more pairs of jeans from The Children's Place and I'll add other pants over the next few weeks as summer cools down and during random shopping trips {during sales!} throughout the school year. My daughter is set. She gets hand me downs from a family member who has great taste and great maintenance of her daughter's clothes :-) Thanks to my parents and my sister, my kids are so set on shoes.
Tip: To keep their clothes in good condition, they have specific clothes and shoes that are for outside play (play clothes) and the other clothes and shoes are for public display lol. Their play clothes they can easily access in their drawers, they can put on whatever they want. Their other, nicer clothes are put up and away in their closet.
See my tips for clothing and shoe shopping on a budget HERE :-)
Check out my Pinterest boards for lunch ideas and help with managing all things
"back to school" HERE.
What other tips do you suggest for preparing your family
for a new school year?
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I'm right there with ya, Britney! I'm getting my preschoolers ready for back to school as well. I am known for putting things off to the last minute as well, but this year I have vowed to do better. We still have about 3 weeks before school starts and we'll be ready!
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