Back to School 2018 - The So Cal Soccer Mom

Ugh- it’s that time again… the first day of school! My B is going to be a senior and L is a sophomore. Time flies…

Getting ready is not quite as difficult as it has been in the past, but I have a few tips and tricks that I use to start the year off right.

Make a Plan

We keep our household schedule organized using a couple of awesome resources…

Schedules– Keeping everyone up to date on what is happening is essential for our busy household. I use the Cozi app for keeping the girls informed and up to date. It’s super streamlined and easy since everyone in the family has a color and uses the same login. The girls and I enter things so that we can all see them. Personally, I like to use Google Calendar and with Cozi, I can automatically import/export calendar items so that they can be seen on both calendars. You can also do this with iCal. When things get particularly crazy, I print out the Cozi calendar and post it on our bulletin board. You can read more about Cozi here- Soccer Mom Calendar Organization.

Meal Planning– This one is my personal goal this year. I really struggle with what to cook for dinner, especially because I’m not home at least two afternoons/evenings a week. I also just really am not a great cook! But, regardless, everyone has to eat. Last weekend over dinner, I had everyone brainstorm what type of food we would eat each night so that at least I have a starting point. I’m not holding my breath, but I’m hoping it will help. I’m also thinking that it might be time to try a service like Hello Fresh or something similar.

Some of the things that do help me with meals are the Instant Pot and using the Plan to Eat app to help organize recipes. Pinterest is also very helpful for recipes.

Stock up on Snacks

This one seems a bit redundant after the girls have been eating me out of house and home for three months, but somehow school demands a different list. We’ve got some favorites that I try to always keep stocked during the school year. Keep in mind that I’m a busy mama who is not a great cook! I’m ALWAYS looking for more suggestions as well. Everyone is always hungry!

Sliced apples (eat plain or with peanut butter) | Packs of hummus with pita chips | Tortillas and pre-shredded cheese for quick quesadillas | Annie’s Mac & Cheese | Pre-packed salads from Trader Joes (expensive I know, but so easy!) | Avocado (use for Avocado toast, guacamole, salads, sandwiches) | Cereal bars (my girls love the strawberry from Trader Joe’s) | Bagels | Ingredients for smoothies- frozen fruit, greek yogurt, apple juice, bananas

There are more athlete-specific suggestions for pre/post game snacks here in my post, Gameday Nutrition. I need to read this one again myself and maybe update it a bit!

Don’t buy a ton of new clothes

So this might differ wherever you live, but here in Southern California, it doesn’t get cold for a few months. We do buy some fun new clothes, backpacks and shoes to start off the school year but hold off on jeans etc… Lots of summer clothes are on sale so it’s a great time to stock up. Also, sometimes my girls have an overly optimistic idea of all the cute outfits (read uncomfortable) they are going to wear… and then end up wearing Lululemon leggings and a hoodie every day. 🙂

Create a school supply zone

Even though my girls are in high school (and my oldest is a senior!!!! sob…) they still need random supplies for projects and I really hate running out to the store at the last minute. I took a few shelves in our hall linen closet to create a school supply zone. Of course, you could also use a cart (this turquoise one is so cute!) or kitchen cabinet or whatever you have on hand, but I find it so easy to put everything in one place.

Buy supplies everything possible online

Those who know me, know that I’m a huge fan of online shopping. Not only is it so much easier, and usually cheaper, it also prevents the “squirrel” impulse that overcomes me everytime I go to Target. Shopping online prevents a lot of impulse purchasing and helps me focus on my list. I always look for free shipping and this year purchased supplies from Target, Office Depot and Amazon. Make sure to do some price checking so that you aren’t overpaying.

Just a word to the wise… if you have high school age kids WAIT to get much of the supplies until AFTER the first day of school. Many teachers give out a very specific list the first day so just purchase the basics in advance. You can thank me later. 🙂

Here’s a sample of what I keep on hand with Amazon links below if you are interested!