Our Back to School Essentials

How fast are the summer holidays going?! Before we know it our little ones (or not so little ones anymore!) will be walking with us hand in hand back to the school gates for the start of a new term. Whether it be starting school for the first time, moving up to a new class, or even starting a brand new school, September can be an exciting and somewhat daunting time for both children and parents alike. This year, Erin is moving in to Year 1, and with a day job, a blog and a nursery run to contend with, I am trying to be a little bit more organised and preparing us all for the return to the daily school routine.

In case your lacking in motivation, inclination or simply haven’t got a clue where to start when preparing for the start of term in September, here is my lowdown of our back to school Essentials.

Table of Contents

A Quality Pair of Shoes

When Erin started school last September, the concept of wearing black patent school shoes was the one thing that excited her the most. She wore them around the house a LOT in the run up to the big day, and there was something about them that made her feel incredibly grown up and important. Shoe shopping (especially with the girls in tow) is far from my favourite activity in the world (I find it all very stressful!) and so whilst I tend to get the girl’s feet measured in store, I do the actual ordering part online.

Like a lot of girls her age, Erin is a huge fan of Lelli Kelly shoes, and at Jakes Shoes, they have a huge range to chose from, the majority of which come with interchangeable straps, meaning that Erin can change the look and style of her shoes depending on her mood! 🙂

This year, The Lelli Kelly shoe range at Jakes comes with a free pair of socks with a large bow on the back (think JoJo Siwa style!), and these are available in a variety of different colours including navy, white and pink. The shoes also come with a mini paint set style make up kit included in the box, something which went down an absolute treat with Erin!

For peace of mind Jakes Shoes offer a 14 day free exchange service, meaning that if I do order the wrong size or if Erin has a huge growth spurt over the last few weeks, I can trade them in for a larger size!

Their very own drinks bottle

Erin is a VERY active five year old, and at times, she forgets to drink enough. As a result, she can get herself very hot and dehydrated, particularly with the warm weather we’ve been having – something which is predicted to last until October if you believe the long range weather forecast! This new Joseph Joseph Dot bottle from Debenhams is a fab way to remind Erin to keep refilling her bottle, with its counting lid displaying a dot for every time she has topped it up. A bit of a gimmick maybe, but she absolutely loves twisting it and seeing the next dot appear on the lid, so I am hoping it will motivate her to drink a little more than she normally would! 🙂

Sturdy Sports Bag

Also from Debenhams, we picked up this Lands End drawstring sports bag, which can be folded down into itself when not in use. I love the geometric design, and the fact it can be easily labelled on the front so it doesn’t get lost or mixed up. Not only is it wipe down and waterproof, but has plenty of space inside for all her PE kit and her pumps.

Keep the nerves at bay

For those starting school for the first time, moving schools, or simply feeling anxious about meeting their new teacher for the first time, Rescue Remedy pastilles are a great way to calm and provide relief, and are alcohol free and yummy tasting. I personally have been using these for my anxiety too, and they definitely seem to help!

A new school bag

Depending on your child’s age, they may be asked to take a school bag to house all their possessions. With Erin being so petite, we normally find that the traditional standard rucksacks and school bags absolutely swamp her small frame, With the unicorn and flamingo craze still being as popular as ever, Erin was super excited to see that Little Life do big versions of their smaller toddler rein backpacks. Unlike their smaller sibling, the Big Unicorn Kids Backpack is aimed at children ages 3 and up, with a 6 litre capacity and a chest strap to keep it securely in place. For extra peace of mind, the bigger size Little Life bags still retain the sturdy grab handle on the top, meaning you can quickly and easily pull your child back if they get distracted or try to step out in to the road during the school commute.

Labels Labels Labels

Is there a job that parents dread more than the annual sewing name labels into all the school uniform??? Not anymore! We get the girls name labels from Stickerscape, who sell a wide variety of label designs (including unicorns of course!) in little packs for £7.95 (46 labels) or large packs for £16 (171 labels). Each mixed pack comes with name stickers in a variety of shapes and sizes (round and rectangle), including the fantastic Iron on Labels, which can quickly and easily be applied to clothing labels and washing tags within school uniform without you even needing to thread a needle. Made in the UK, Stickerscapes super tough stick on labels are perfectly fine to put in the dishwasher, microwave and freezer and the iron on labels can happily withstand regular visits to the washing machine and tumble dryer. (Please note Erin’s surname has been blurred out for privacy)

Lunch Boxes and Snacks

If you choose to take packed lunches, keeping your child’s lunches fun and entertaining can be quite the challenge (check out fellow blogger Eats Amazing for some inspiration!). For those of you whose little ones are fans of Tractor Ted, there is a new Tractor Ted back to school range including not only backpacks and lunchboxes, but these supercute snack boxes which come in a set of three in descending sizes – perfect for popping in some fruit or healthier snacks for them to consume during their lunch break! The snack boxes are also ideal for school trips, and with the googly eyes on that back pack, you can be pretty certain you won’t lose your little one in a crowd!!

Sistema also have a fab range of back to school lunchbox essentials, including themal flasks for Parents, the new Tritan Waterbottle, and bento style lunchboxes with lots of compartments and pots for safely storing your childs fruit and snacks in separate compartments. They also offer individual snack pots which are ideal for snacking on the school run. If your children are anything like mine, they are always STARVING the minute they walk out the gates in the afternoon! We have a bundle of Sistema goodies to giveaway too – please see our giveaway details below for your chance to win! 🙂

Stationery Essentials

When I was a child, one of my favourite things about going back to school in September was the process of buying new stationery and that obsession hasn’t really left me since – except now its new diaries every January. My Mum would reward me for being well behaved during the uniform try on session by letting my have a new pencil case and some pens from the shop nextdoor and I would spend ages deliberating over which ones to buy before getting ushered rapidly out of the store! Erin absolutely loves practising her writing and colouring in, yet she gets really frustrated when Neve comes over and tries to steal her crayons, scribbles on the paper or generally fulfils her role of the annoying little sister! When we saw these personalised natural wood colouring pencils from Able Labels at just £6,75 for a pack of 12, we felt that these would really raise a smile with Erin, sending a not so subtle hint to Neve to go and find her own! 🙂

Is there anything else we’ve missed? What else would be on your Back to School Essentials list?

We have a Sistema Back to School Lunchbox bundle to giveaway to one lucky winner! To enter use the Gleam app below. Giveaway opens 21/8/18 and closes 09/09/18 at 11.59pm. UK entries only. Our standard giveaway terms and conditions and privacy policy apply, and by entering you are deemed to have accepted the terms held herein. GOOD LUCK!

Sistema Back to School Lunchbox Bundle