Back to School Essentials

It’s that time of the summer again when the family bucket list starts to look more like the check list for back to school essentials. Supplies, lunchboxes, clothes, shoes, gear for activities. It’s all starting! This last stretch of the season is always a little bittersweet knowing the summer will be winding down and the fall routines will be picking up soon. We’ve had such a fun and action-packed summer, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about my girls going back to school. After the wild year we’ve had, the return of routine is more than welcome. Emery is going into 5th grade and Collins is starting her first year at Montessori school after being at home with me since last spring.

We always get new stuff each year because by the time the last day of school rolls around, their past year stuff is pretty well worn. Here are some of the back to school essentials on my list that I think you’ll love too.

Lunchbox

How adorable are these cabana stripe lunch boxes? They come in pink, mint or black plus a ton of other prints. They’re great to put either a bento box style container in or individual items, depending on how your kids prefer their lunch. They’re insulated and also have a pocket on the back. We’re opting for one of each style for the girls to easily tell them apart.

Tall Pink Stripe Lunchbox // Tall Mint Stripe Lunchbox

Flat Pink Stripe Lunchbox // Flat Mint Stripe Lunchbox

Food Containers

Stacked Bento Box

Bentgo Mermaid Lunchbox // Unicorn Soft Lunchbox

Waterbottle

These are so good for kids! They’re easy for all ages and really the best at keeping water ice cold all day. They last even if they get beat up.Emery has had her pink one for ages and Collins is finally getting one in aqua for school. Proud moment!

Yeti Rambler Jr. 12 oz Kids Bottle, with Straw Cap aqua // Yeti Rambler Jr. 12 oz Kids Bottle, with Straw Cap pink

Uniforms

Emery will be wearing the usual school-appropriate “street clothes”, which we haven’t picked out just yet, but Collins will be wearing a uniform this year. I ordered everything from French Toast, but you can also find great solid basics for uniforms at Old Navy and Target. Our school colors are green, white, tan or navy, so you’ll be seeing a lot of these in the rotation!

Name Labels

If your kids will be wearing uniforms or even if you just want to label their shoes and lunchbox stuff, these adorable labels are so nice to have. Forget the sharpie and just stick these babies on everything in sight. Washable and waterproof is the best. I just ordered a bunch from Mabel’s Labels, but these look cute too.

Preventative Lice Shampoo

Rosemary Repel

Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it! This is a great way to keep a daily dose of tea tree oil, rosemary and citronella on your sweet kiddo’s hair to keep the lice out of your life. The last thing you want to deal with during the school year is the spread of these awful things.