Mom’s everywhere are counting down the days to freedom, er, I mean, until school starts. Some of you lucky ducks have already squeezed your littles goodbye, tearfully watched them walk to their new classrooms, and then practiced major restraint by not sprinting back to your car to get on with your day TOTALLY ALONE. Is that even a real thing??! Solo time??! I’m telling myself it is so I know there’s light at the end of my Stay-at-Home Mom tunnel.
But alas, I am in the middle of gathering back-to-school supplies – which I know is a bit late for some of you, since you already have your stuff together and are busy drinking margaritas poolside while the pool boy skims the leaves.
I wanted to go through some of my favorite things I’ve found this summer to get Dylan ready for school. There is some neat stuff out there! A part of me wishes I was back in grade school just so I could have a cute little Bento Box and personalized Pottery Barn backpack. Like, a VERY SMALL part of me… but still a part of me. Ha!
So, because we recently discovered Dylan’s gluten sensitivity, I was a little worried about what she was going to eat at school and what I was going to send with her for snack time. At her school, she will eat at the cafeteria, but we are required to send an afternoon snack with her each day. I was SO excited when I went to her school’s orientation and her teacher had several tables set up with supply suggestions. This lady has her stuff together for sure. I’m feeling so fortunate that Dylan has her as her first teacher in “big-girl school.”
I ordered a couple of cookbooks to help us get some ideas for snack time. Dylan’s school is a nut-free zone, which kind of throws a wrench in my meal planning because PB&J is sort of a staple around here. But I love these books! The School Year Survival Cookbook is a great source of recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner – and snacks in between!! Lots of great ideas for meals and snack time! My favorites are the nut-free energy bites and school-safe chocolate snack balls. YUM! These bad boys are quick and easy finger foods that taste like real treats when you eat them. My kids think they’re getting away with something when they eat them, but little do they know they are fueling themselves for an afternoon of fun and free of meltdowns (one can hope right??). 
The next book I bought is called Little Bento. It’s jam-packed with delicious looking pictures that are great inspiration for bento box ideas. I bought these adorable Bentgo Boxes to send Dylan’s snack to school. Little Bento has individual recipes for unique bento inclusions, as well as bento combination ideas. I’m fairly new to the bento box scene – aside from the occasional bento lunch at our favorite Asian restaurant – so this book and the Bentgo Boxes are my current fave back-to-school supplies.
We’re also required to send her with a leak-proof, spill-proof water bottle with a straw. I mean, honestly, if I wish I had found this perfect leak-proof, spill-proof bottle years ago, because then maybe my cushions wouldn’t look like they’ve been spackled with every color under the rainbow. But nevertheless, I think I found some pretty good ones for school. At least THEIR stuff will stay clean. That’s a reasonable expectation with 20 Kindergarteners running around, right? These Contigo Water Bottles will do the trick I think. As a bonus, they’re super cute and seem to actually work well too. I love the mechanism that keeps the spout clean from dirt and gunk – easy for small hands and fingers to use. I’m excited to see how long these last before we’ve lost all three – maybe Christmas??
If you guys have other recommendations for handy school supplies, send them my way!