4 Tips to Make Back to School a Little Easier
It's that time of year again, and though I have never been here before with my own kids (my babies start Junior Kindergarten in a week!), I was a teacher for a while so I have a few tips when it comes to packing school lunches! Today I'm partnering with Kitchen Stuff Plus to give you some back to school tips that will make your life just a little bit easier!Let's get right to it!
1. Airtight Containers
I feel like I can't stress enough just how much of a game-changer it is to be able to store snacks in containers I can see through, and that keep the food inside fresh! My trick is doing it while I put groceries away. I immediately eliminate all unnecessary packaging and put everything into these OXO Good Grips Pop containers. This makes packing snacks for school (or getting them when they come home starving), as easy as possible! I also keep breakfast foods here, like cereal and granola, because sometimes those make good snacks, too!
2. Make kid-friendly things easily accessible
The less I have to do to get them fed, the better! This includes getting bowls, plates and cups for breakfast and dinner, but also grabbing a healthy(ish) snack. I also keep Joie Clip & Seal bags in here so they can easily pack their own snacks or we can easily help them.
Also in here: fun bag clips for those snacks that don't make sense to take out of the bag. How cute are these Joie Seal Fresh panda, crocodile and monkey clips?
I also use clear bins in this drawer (they're stackable!) so everything is super easy to grab. I've used these KSP Fridge Stor containers in several places before (like for fridge organization) and LOVE them! 
3. Make snacks from bulk items
Since schools are allergen-free, buying pre-made snack mixes is sometimes hard because they typically have nuts. I love being able to buy items in bulk and put them together myself. I made a really simple one for the boys (and for me, too) that consists of 3 things:
- chocolate-covered raisins
- yoghurt-covered raisins
- pretzels
Sweet & salty is totally my jam, and the fact that these are raisins makes me feel like I'm indulging with a small dose of fibre and iron in there. The Joie Clip & Seal bags are great to use for these!
4. Keep cleaning supplies close by!
General life tip when living with school-aged children: always have cleaning supplies close at hand. A few of my faves here:
- WayClean Sweep It Dustpan Set
- Casabella Wayclean Twist Mop with Scrubber plus WayClean Soak Up Bucket
- Casabella Wayclean Ostrich Feather Duster
- Fusion Brands Thumb Scraper
Heaven knows the kids leave crumbs everywhere they go, and having a dustpan set means they can help. I keep these hanging in our laundry room, but they might as well just live in the kitchen!The mop and bucket are for me, but you better believe I get the kids to help with this, too! They love the twisting motion and want to get in on "dunking the mop" into the bucket!The thumb scraper is easily my favourite thing here. Hand up is you get gobs of apple sauce that dry on your floor and you hate cleaning them up? ***raising both hands feverishly!*** This little guy is your new BFF - I just take it with me before vacuuming or sweeping the floor and I get rid of all the sticky messes!
And there you have it, my friends.These may seem like insignificant things, but in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, they make an enormous difference and can save you not only time but also a few temper tantrums (no judgements if they're from you and not your kiddos).Thanks so much to Kitchen Stuff Plus for partnering with me once again! As always opinions are all mine!