This Back to school shopping checklist is part of a sponsored post written in partnership with BIC. As always, all opinions are of my own
Back to School is right around the corner, and for many, it has already started. I’m one of those moms who does not look forward to Back to school. I actually like my summer vacation.
So I dread the last few weeks of summer because that means it is time to prepare for back to school. Or more specifically it is time to start the back to school shopping checklist, making teachers gifts, setting up Homework Stations, and starting a back to school routine.
The back to school shopping checklist can be a little overwhelming. Especially when you have more than one kid.
You have to organize not only what clothes they already have, but also what clothes they have outgrown over the summer (because kids always grow like weeds in the summer), clothes that need replacing, school supplies you have to supply for each teacher/Classroom, school fees that need to be paid, any extracurricular fees and supplies you have to supply.
And then times all that by how many children you have headed back to school. That is a lot of information to try to keep track of and remember. And It can be quite overwhelming!
I used to just take a sheet of paper and write it all out.
I’d write and write. And at the end of it all, we’d still have a chaos of notes, and my hand would be covered in ink smears as we finally headed to the stores to replace what needed to be replaced the last few days before school started.
And then I got wise! I made a back to school shopping checklist for each child so I wouldn’t forget anything and ensure each child had at least the most necessary back to school items to get them through the first few weeks until the chaos died down. Then anything else that was needed could be picked up at a more casual pace.
Use a Back to School Shopping Checklist to make life easier
These are our back to school tips to make the Back to School preparation even easier:
Have each child go through all their clothing and sort it into three categories
- Fits and in good quality – goes back into drawers/closet
- No Longer fits – goes into Hand-me-down pile or Donation
- Fits but not school quality – moved to the “play clothes” drawer
After this, count how many items are left in the “fit and in a good quality” category. Compare it to how many they need on the back to school shopping checklist with how many they need for the school year. This lets you know how many you will then need to purchase during your back to school shopping trip.
Do this for each child.
Lastly, go through the school supplies closet and take notes of the supplies you currently have and divide between the kids and note how many you have.
Then as you get the teacher supply lists, you can mark off how many of each item you need versus how many you have and you will then know if you need to purchase anymore!
Free Back to School Shopping Checklist Printable
I have two tools that will make this process even easier for you! A Back to School Shopping Checklist Printable and the new BIC® Gel-ocity® Quick Dry gel pens!
Sign up for our Newsletter and download and print off this free Back to School Shopping Checklist Printable. Simply print one off for each child.
Make notes on the list as to how many of each item on the list, you currently have and how many you still need to purchase. You can make notes as to what school fees you still need to pay, so you don’t forget a registration fee.
You can even add the due dates! Because I’m notorious for forgetting the due dates!
I even left a few blank spots for write ins, because each school/teacher has unique requirements that aren’t universal for everyone.
Once you have an item completely supplied in the house, you can check it off the back to school shopping checklist! Because nothing is as satisfactory as checking something off of a list!
And make sure you are using the new BIC® Gel-ocity® Quick Dry gel pens! As a Left-handed person, I can’t tell you how much I simply adore these pens!
Before my hand would always be covered in ink smears whenever I did any kind of writing of checklists, shopping lists, note taking, etc.
But these new pens dry up to 3x faster** which means I can keep writing and not have to worry about the ink coming off on my hands as I go! The BIC® Gel-ocity® Quick Dry gel pens are definitely a lefty’s best friend!
(**vs. BIC® Gel-ocity® Original, based on average dry times of blue, black and red. Individual dry times may vary by color.)
You can find these new pens in a variety of bright and vivid colors too! They are great for back to school students for classroom note taking, paper editing, creative classroom projects, and even just for fun doodling to stimulate artistic creativity in your child!
They are also great for home & business users as well!
These pens write so smoothly that everybody, including lefties, can get a super-smooth writing experience with less smearing.
Now I use the BIC® Gel-ocity® Quick Dry gel pens as I go through the back to school shopping checklist.
And I even pack them up as part of the older kid’s school supplies since they are required to supply pens for their school work. This will make reading their homework even easier since it won’t be smeared!
Since August 13th is International Left Handers Day, if you wanted to do something special for the left-handed person in your life, here is a simple and cute Left Handers Day Gift Idea!
Left Handers Day Gift Idea!
Simply get a nice notebook.
Lay it across a large ribbon.
Bring the ribbon over and across the book and twist.
Add a package of the BIC® Gel-ocity® Quick Dry gel pens on top.
Then tie into a bow.
Add a note saying something about “Happy International Left Handers Day” or how much you appreciate them. And then gift it to them.
I’m telling you, your left handed friends will really appreciate these pens that won’t smear on their hands!
So before you begin your Back to School shopping, be sure to print your back to school shopping checklist and pick up a package of these BIC® Gel-ocity® Quick Dry gel pens to make the process smooth and smear free!
Sign up to download your Free Printable BELOW!
Click HERE to learn more about the BIC® Gel-ocity® Quick Dry gel pens.
Want to see the Pens in action? Simply view our short Instagram video below! And be sure to follow us on Instagram for more behind the scenes footage of all our projects.
Top 5 steps to Save Money on School Supplies for Jr High & High School
Monday 21st of August 2017
[…] and foremost I use a back to school shopping checklist so I get everything done all in one trip. This way, I only have to brave the crowds ONCE, and not […]