This year all of my kids will be in school! I will have a Third grader and twins in Kindergarten...OMG! Where did the time go? ...I have had a couple of years to get used to this with the girls in the Head Start program, but this year they will all be full fledged students w/ homework and tests and all!
We should get their teacher assignments by the beginning of next week and then we will have orientations on Tuesday and Thursday and school will start the week after! The kids are each excited in their own way and I think meeting their teachers, and maybe some classmates, will help them ease into their new school. I have also been trying to get them excited by getting a little shopping done!
Now that I have them registered... I have started shopping for their school supplies and sorting clothes to see what else needs to be added to the shopping list! Of course you can save a little extra by shopping Aug 5th - 7th in VA for the tax-free shopping. Since our sales tax is so low and our school starting so early I am taking care of the basics now and will shop for some clothes that weekend.
With such long lists of supplies I have to try to be thrifty, but I also like the kids to get to have some special things too! So... for instance, I splurged a little on special Composition Notebooks at Dollar Tree, where everything is $1. The regular Composition books were $.50 each at Wal-mart and $1.50 for designer ones... Target had the regular ones for $.50, but came in at $2.50 for something fancy sooo.... I still think I got a pretty good deal and saved a few cents along the way. The dollar store also saves me on ziploc bags and hand sanitizer!
Another thing you have to be careful when buying is glue sticks. Though I have been known to buy a 4 pack from the Dollar Tree, I also plan to use them quickly. For something that will last through the school year I go with Elmer's....
*** Did you know that if you buy the two packs for 50 cents at Wal-mart you will actually spend less than if you buy the 12 pack? (they usually run $3.50-4)....I am still confused as to why they cost more...but when you have to buy 48 glue sticks at one time to appease the School Supply Gods...you have to watch the sneaky bulk packaging that seems like it should be a better deal when it reality it's not!
Now, once you have bought all of the supplies that the school figures they will need you still need at least a bookbag. Year after year we have bought the $15-20 bookbags for our kids with their favorite characters all over them...sometimes they even lit up ...and year after year our kids have torn those treasured bags to shreds....then last year we happened on a VT bookbag for our son ...it has made it through an entire 2nd grade school year and we are shooting for it lasting through 3rd grade with decent hopes!
...For the girls we are making an investment in L.L. Bean backpacks that should last them for at least a couple of years for school (and if they are as good as everyone says they are Aiden will get one when his bookbag wears out!) There are tons of sizes and colors to choose from and the girls didn't have trouble at all finding a few things they liked! If you have a child that needs a new backpack check out L.L.Bean! They offer free shipping and guarantee their product... I read a lot of reviews and did the math... this purchase just makes sense...
My brother made the investment in a L.L. Bean Jr. Backpack last year for my nephew. His son went through at least 3 bookbags in Kindergarten. Now Logan is a 2nd grader and his Jr. Backpack is still holding strong! ...so that's saying something!
If you have a success story of your own I would love to hear it! Please leave your story in the comments below!
If you have a success story of your own I would love to hear it! Please leave your story in the comments below!
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