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August 7, 2019 Folly

30 Back To School Essentials You Didn’t Know You NEED

This post contains affiliate links.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Who’s ready for back to school? Me! Me! Meeeeeee!

You too?  Sure, the mornings are early and the evenings are busy.  But routine?  And a quiet house?  Priceless.  The only thing I dread each year (besides getting up before the sun rises) is back to school shopping. 

Dragging my kids through crowded aisles while looking for a three-pronged-two-folder-green-plastic-binder-thingy is not my cup o’ tea. Ya know?  So, I do my shopping for back to school essentials online.  This way I avoid fighting my fellow moms for the last wide-ruled spiral notebook in the store, and I can also shop around for the best deals and coolest products.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

With four kids heading back to school this year, you can bet I’m getting well versed in collecting the best back to school essentials.  I’ve curated some of the best for you.  It takes a few years of sharpening pencils the night before the first day of school to realize that (1) you need to buy pre-sharpened Ticonderoga pencils, because they really are the best, and (2) an electronic pencil sharpener is actually something you need in the house.  

You’re welcome.  Now get shopping momma!  It’s go time.  See you at the spa after the first day of drop-off!

Family Back To School Essentials

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Family Agenda – With a family is six, every day looks different.  Keep each kids’s (and your) schedule on track with this weekly family agenda.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Clothes Organizer (with pockets) – My kids are THE WORST at picking out their own clothes, and I’m too tired to help them in the morning.  Streamline the process by organizing their clothes for the week in advance.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Clothes Organizer (with bins) – Same concept as above.  Get one for each kid.  You’ll thank yourself when Spirit Week comes along and each kid needs to wear the teachers’ favorite colors.  Just why?

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Lunchbox Notes – Sometimes I get mushy.  And when I do, I like to slip in a little note to let my kids know I love ’em.  These make that easier.  Especially at 6am.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Electric Pencil Sharpener – As mentioned above, you only need to sharpen 20 pencils before the first day of school once before you realize you need one of these.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags – Trying to cut down on single-use plastics?  These cute designs encourage little ones to grab for these reusable snack bags.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Bento-style Lunch Box – Everything (even healthy foods) look more appealing when organized in these cute little bento boxes!

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Homework Station – Having a consistent place to focus on homework will help your little one stay on task.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Homework Caddy – Keep all of your school supplies corralled in one place with this functional homework caddy.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

TAB Notebook – Organize your thoughts in this conveniently tabbed notebook.  Meal plans, vacations, and shopping lists are all easy to find.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Art Organizer – I like to hang most of my kids art and enjoy it for awhile… before it hits the can.  (Don’t hate!)  But, there are some pieces we like to keep.  I have a binder like this one for that.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Kleenex Hand Towels – These disposable hand towels mean less germ-sharing.

Classroom Back To School Essentials

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Ticonderoga Pencils – Teachers love them, and so do I.  Not only do they come pre-sharpened(!!!), but they are less prone to breaking.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Guerilla Calculator Protector – Once you cough up the $ for that TI-84 graphing calculator, you may as well protect it.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Pineapple USB Flash Drive  – Sure, this wasn’t on our supply list when we were kids, but they are now.  I like this pineapple one – it’s less likely to get lost in the shuffle!

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Herschel Backpack  – LOVE these vintage-meets-modern backpacks.  

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Limited Volume Headphones – Protect your kids’ ears and your sanity with these headphones that are also designed to not get tangled.  Triple win!

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

EASTHILL Big Capacity Pencil Pen Case (girly) – The perfect place to stash….everything.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Homecube Pencil Case Big Capacity (gender neutral) – Because guys should be organized too.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Sharpie, Paper Mate, Expo – Writing Essentials Kit – Stock up on the essentials with this complete Sharpie, pen and market set.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

ID Lanyards – Our school charges the student when they lose their ID.  A lanyard ensures they always have it, and their ID doesn’t get lost.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

DesignWorks Ink Bound Personal Journal, White Marble – Because it’s pretty.

Carpool Back To School Essentials

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Back Seat Organizer – Keep supplies at the ready with this chic leather-like back seat car organizer.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Unicorn Umbrella – My kids aren’t wearing raincoats these days, so a cute umbrella is always a good backup.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Shark Umbrella – Baby shark do do do-do-do-do…..

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Sanitizer Wipes – Get in my car, wipe your hands.  It’s the back-to-school mantra.

Swell Water Bottle (in Paraga) – Stay hydrated in that long car pool line with a chic Swell Water Bottle.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

“I used to be cool” Bumper Sticker – It’s’ true.

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Diaper Supply Caddy – If errands keep you out longer than planned or that carpool line wraps around the school, you just might need diaper supplies for little ones still in diapers.  

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

Cell Phone Air Vent Car Mount – I like to have easy access to my phone and air-vent phone mounts are the only ones I’ve had success with.  

*************************

Did I cover it all? Let me know what I missed!  Get more back to school inspiration with our Geometric Pencil Jar tutorial and these cute Personalized Homework Kits.

Add these 30 Back To School Essentials to your Parenting Pinterest Board!

These 30 Back To School Essentials might not be the most obvious selections, but they are life-changing.  Be prepared for the first day of school with these family, car and school supplies.

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Categories: Folly

About Katie

Katie Harding has been blogging since 2010. What originally started out as a platform to discuss new parenthood, her blogging now focuses on her passion for cooking: creating recipes and sharing tips for entertaining friends and family of all ages. Outside of the kitchen you’ll find her with her family (three boys, one husband, multiple exchange student daughters, and Hank the pup), or gallivanting around the world with her fork in tow.

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Welcome to Forks and Folly! It's time to have some fun in the kitchen. Forks and Folly is about enjoying the process of cooking and entertaining. No complicated recipes. No stress. It's back to basics with easy, make ahead food, and fabulous hosting tips.

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