Back To School Restock

As a mother of school-aged children, the First Day Of School feels like the first day of the year more than January first ever does. Our lives are oriented around the school calendar, and as such, a new school year always feels life a fresh start.

I have historically used the beginning of the school year as a catalyst to reset several areas of our home, restocking essentials that we will need for the next nine months. Today I am going to share a few examples from my school restock.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
Obviously students needs supplies for school, but they also need supplies at home. Paper, printer ink, pens, pencils, tape, glue, scissors, and crayons (depending on the age of your children) are items we grab regularly for home work and projects. Side note: If you are looking for a new home printer, this one is incredible and the ink tanks will last the entire year.

BACKPACKS AND WATER BOTTLES.
Maybe you have a child who manages to keep their backpack in pristine condition. My children do not. A new back pack and a new water bottle are great ways to start fresh and clean (and sturdy!). In our house, we follow theOne In One Out Rule when it comes to water bottles and coffee mugs, so we toss that old one and welcome a new one. Lunch boxes are also an item my kids tend to wear out with a fury. I have one child that takes a cold lunch to school and loves this lunchbox that has built-in ice packs. We store it in the freezer overnight so it is nice and cold in the morning.

TOILETRY BASICS.
At the beginning of each school year, I do a massive restock on the basic toiletries my girls use. This usually includes shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, body wash, and micellar water (for removing make-up). It is so helpful to have a back stock of these items waiting in the wings when they run out. I don’t worry about stocking specialty items because their product preferences tend to shift. I also stock up on hair bands and bobby pins because we wear these every day, and it feels good to have a new crop on hand.

SOCKS AND UNDIES.
Don’t laugh, but not only do I restock their underwear and socks to replace the threadbare ones in their dresser drawers, but I also buy a back stock of each item. Something about the school year and keeping up with socks does not work. I cannot figure out where all of the socks go, but I have learned to have a fresh pack waiting. I do the same with underwear, not because they lose them, but because our dog likes to pillage laundry baskets. A spare pack of basic briefs has saved us more than once, but I am sure you do not live with a four-footed underwear terrorist in your home, so you might not need this step.

ORGANIZATIONAL AIDS.
If you haven’t read my post on how I organize my children’s childhood memorabilia, this is the perfect time of year to take a look and consider how you want to handle the barrage of papers and photos and artwork that is about to make it’s way into your home. I love using memory boxes and clear plastic envelopes (you can read about my method here), and this time of year is when I make sure I have what I need to get us through the coming nine months.

With just a few categories stocked and ready, I feel prepared to face the school year. Add a pantry full of snacks, a closet full of uniforms, and a family calendar, and we are ready to kick off a new year!

BACK TO SCHOOL RESTOCK