Back to School Favorites

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Our kids started school on Monday, so I thought I’d share all of our back-to-school favorites!    

1 – Thermos Funtainer

We use these Thermos containers to send hot foods in the kids’ lunchboxes.  They both love macaroni and cheese and buttered noodles, and Jacob also likes several of my pasta dishes for leftovers.  These containers keep food cold for seven hours or hot for five hours and the exteriors stays cool.  In the morning, before I pack their lunches, I pour hot water in them to warm them up, and then I just pour the water out, add the hot food, and the food is still warm for the kids at lunchtime.  Thermos also has this version that comes with a folding spoon!

 

2 – Hand Sanitizer Backpack Holder

These hand sanitizer holders clip to backpacks for easy access, and the best part is that they come with empty bottles that you can fill and refill with the hand sanitizer of your preference. 

 

3 – Lunchbox Notes

These lunchbox notes are precious, and they’re the perfect way to let your kids know you’re thinking about them when you can’t be with them during the day.  This version has 101 unique love notes, and there is also a Facts and Funnies version, where each sheet contains one random fun fact and a joke or riddle!  Our kiddos are loving those!  Jacob especially loves the random facts.

 

4 – Avery Kids No Iron Fabric Labels

I’ve raved about these labels time and time again, and they are a necessity for when the kids go back to school.  These labels can be added to the insides of shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, face masks, backpacks – you name it!  And the best part is that no ironing is needed.  Just write your child’s name or initials on the label with a permanent marker, peel, and stick.  The labels are washer and dryer safe and the adhesive stays put, so the labels don’t fall off.   

 

5 – Pottery Barn Lunchboxes

Pottery Barn backpacks and lunchboxes are the only ones we ever use because they last forever!  Jacob is starting his seventh year of school, and he’s only on his second Pottery Barn backpack and lunchbox.  And the only reason we got him a new set a few years ago was because he needed a larger backpack.  These things hold up beautifully, and we love that they can be personalized so there’s no worry of mixing up bags with another student.  These lunchboxes perfectly hold any plastic food containers like Yumboxes and other Bento Boxes.  They also have an inside pocket to hold a cold pack, and they have an outside pocket as well as a side pocket to hold your child’s thermos. 

 

6 – Pottery Barn Backpacks

Again – Pottery Barn everything!  Their backpacks are so durable!  Olivia is starting year four of school and she’s still using the same backpack and lunchbox set that she’s had since the very beginning.  I kid you not, both of them still look BRAND NEW after three years of use, and she is very rough on everything.  Their backpacks and lunchboxes are also machine washable, so you can just pop them in the washing machine on cold and then let them air dry.  They come in three different sizes and they also come in all kinds of fun colors and patterns, including licensed character sets.  Frozen anyone?  Star Wars? 

 

7 – Yeti Thermos

These Yeti thermoses are wonderful!!  They hold 12 oz. and keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for hours.  They’re made of stainless steel, so they withstand all dents and drops, but they’re also BPA free for your child’s safety.  They don’t sweat in the humidity and they’re ultra-leak-proof, so they’re perfect for tiny hands.  The best part, though?  Every part is dishwasher safe!  No handwashing required!! 

 

8 – Bento Lunchbox Containers

These containers fit perfectly inside the Pottery Barn lunchboxes and they hold just the right amount of food – a sandwich, fruit/veggies, chips/crackers, and a little treat.  They’re dishwasher safe and they’re so durable.

 

9 – Face Mask Lanyard

These lanyards are a great tool to help your little ones keep track of their face masks.  Our kids are allowed to take their masks off while eating their snacks, while eating lunch, and when they’re outside, and these lanyards guarantee that their masks stay with them at all times.  Now I don’t have to worry about either kid losing theirs, dropping theirs on the floor, or mixing them up with masks that belong to other kids.  Yuck.  And these lanyards have the safety “breakaway” feature, so they’re not a choking hazard.  Olivia wore one all last year and it worked out so well!

 

10 – Face Masks

We’ve tried several different brands of masks over the last 17 months, and both of our kids love Old Navy’s masks the most by far. We bought them each a five-pack last year before the start of school and they wore them every single day.  All five of Jacob’s are still in excellent condition after an entire year of use, and four of Olivia’s five are, too.  These have held up so well that we didn’t even purchase new ones for this new school year.  The kids both say that they’re the most comfortable ones they’ve ever had, they don’t slide down under their noses, they’re machine-washable, and they fit very close to their faces so we don’t have to worry about too many germs getting in from an overly loose fit.  Highly, highly recommend!

 

11 – Yumbox

In addition to the plastic Bento boxes above, each of our kids also has one Yumbox for the days where they want to eat a little bit of everything.  These work well for serving school lunches “charcuterie style.”  Each container has six different sections so you can send lots of different things and everything stays separate.  You can even include yogurt or other thick sauces and the box won’t leak.  These are dishwasher safe (top rack only) which is always a win in my book!  They are pricey, but they last for years!

 

And those are our favorite back-to-school items!  Do you have any favorite items that I missed?

Happy Wednesday!