Giveaway alert! One girl’s backpack, Canada only.
CONTEST CLOSED
Last week I blogged about endless summer in this space and now, well, summer’s ending.
I know a lot of people will have already done the bulk of their school shopping. They will have already taken their kids to the supermarket and made a detailed list of all the various lunch foods they will pack in the super-eco-chic lunch box they have already purchased and labelled. I guess I’m not really here for those people. (Although if they would leave me tips in the comments, that would be fantastic.)
I’m here for those of you who just found out that Labour Day weekend is THIS weekend today. I’m writing for the parents, like me, who don’t even know if last year’s backpack is still any good or what size shoes their kids wear and, oh crap, was I supposed to register them for extracurriculars already?
For you last minute shoppers, here are the goods:
SUPPLIES
Staples is probably your best bet for one -stop-shopping for school supplies that will actually last. The dollar store is not. Ask me how I know. All of their binders and pencil cases and pens and pencils and glues sticks and geometry kits are good quality and durable. There are cheaper options, of course, and nobody understands shopping on a budget more than me, but be forewarned that if you cheap out on something that’s going to get a lot of wear and tear, you’re just going to end up replacing it down the line. (And, hey, sometimes you have to. And that’s okay too.)
And because the kids aren’t the only ones trying to get organized at this time of year,Ā Staples also carries the Martha Stewart HomeOffice line. I’m kind of like the anti-Martha these days, just trying to get meals on the table and kids out the door however I can. But I can’t help but feel like adding a shot of Martha to my desk might be just what I need to make everything perfect.
GEAR
There are two things I get for the kids every September (and probably a dozen more that I should get for them): shoes and back packs.
Reebok hosted all of us at a back-to-school event and generously gave each of my kids a new pair of shoes. Not only am I impressed with the new running shoe technology, but my kids also LOVE them. (You can see them sporting them on our recent trip to the Ex.) The zig zag soles on Colum’s ZigActivates are designed to absorb the energy that’s usually sent into our heels while playing sports and send it forward toward the toe of the shoe. And the soft squares on the bottom of Irene and Mary’s RealFlex allow for maximum flexiblity and softness; part of the trend toward barefoot-like shoes. Basically, everything I’ve always looked for in a baby/toddler shoe is now available in all sizes. Sweet. (And matching shoes for my girls? How cute is that?!)
Staples also sent me a couple Impact backpacks to review. They sport fun prints and a padded back and shoulder straps, a smaller front pocket and come with a matching pencil case and lunch bag that clips to the front. (Can you say no more spilled juice boxes on homework?) Colum loves his, but Irene’s is still quite big for her, hanging down to her not-quite-four-year-old knees. So I’m giving it away! See the end of this post for details.
ORGANIZATION
This is the big one for me, and the one that’s really a work in progress throughout the year. But it’s niceĀ to start the school year (or at least catch up by mid-September) with things lined up right. Some of my organizational projects for this weekend include:
- Finally using the can of chalkboard paint I’ve been hoarding in my kitchen for lists and notes and important dates
- Colour coding my dry-erase wall calendar with Crayola dry-erase crayons the good people at Staples sent me home with. I had no idea these even existed. Kids will leave the caps off my dry-erase markers no more!
- Hooks, hooks and more hooks. Ed doesn’t know it yet, but I plan on wielding the drill in the near future and mounting hooks with bags for each family member on the stairs to the basement and more hooks where needed in the bedrooms, front hall or wherever.
- I might even try to turn a cookie sheet into a magnetic board like I spied in Today’s Parent magazine. We’ll see.
- Most definitely breaking out both the Martha Stewart write on labels and the Mabel’s Labels ones you can pick up at Walmart.
And finally, I’m buying a micro SIM card so I can fully move over to the HTC One X that the good people at Telus gave me to try out. I love this phone. I mean, I loved the less-than-a-year old Blackberry Torch I selected for myself recently, but I didn’t know phones could be this good. My favourite features are the 8mp camera (you can even take a picture and video at once), the slightly larger screen size and the brilliant HD resolution. It’s really a joy to use for both reading and videos. Of course, I haven’t even started to use it as a phone yet and I love it this much! Oh, and it has Beats Audio I can try out once I get around to downloaded some music to it. If you are due for a phone upgrade, I strongly recommend you consider this baby. It’s got everything Ed’s iPhone4s has, pretty much, plus Flash ;)
In any case, there are so many fantastic organizational apps for Android out there and I’m going to set aside a couple hours to get a few key ones running on this phone. Budgeting, to do lists, calendars, meal planning and the list goes on. The technology is there to help us get our shit together, people. We just need to remember to use it sometimes, no matter what phone you have.
Okay so. Giveaway! Win this backpack that includes a pencil case and lunch bag.
This one’s a quickie because I want you to be able to go out and buy a backpack if you don’t win this one. (Although it will take a couple days to ship so you might have to make do with last year’s school bag for the first week even if you do win.)
Leave me a comment, CANADA only, and I’ll draw a winner using random.org at midnight on Friday (tomorrow). Winner will be notified by email immediately.
Ā Congrats to entry number five, Jessica!
8 replies on “Stuff I’m Digging: Back-to-School EXTRAVAGANZA”
I’m going to mount hooks as well so that I can pretend I’m organized. As seeing how I start school Tuesday too, plus my full time job, plus a business on the side, plus 3 kids, I need to get organized.
very sweet deals! I’m a $ store shopper generally because my mini me tends to lose her stuff days after getting it! lol
The Martha Stewart home office line looks so nice!
Love the cookie sheet turned magnetic message board idea! I’m always looking for ways to optimize my tight entry way ( and get out of the house with out losing my … Or kiaras ….mind!)
I just this morning noticed that Beege’s backpack has a giant hole in the bottom. Like all her stuff falling out, sized hole. So, this would help. :)
very cute!! love it. Martha stewart home office rocks!!
Staples had an amazing deal on Crayola pencil crayons with a sharpener attached!
Love the look of those Reeboks, perfect giveaway for back to school