10 Things To Buy For Back To School (that aren't on the supply list)

I was a huge fan of buying back to school supplies.  That was probably the most exciting part of school for me, and the only time I was 100% dedicated to something school related;)

Putting your own spin on the required items is always fun, but so is buying some extras that make the school year more exciting..

Here are my top 10 for this school year!!


1. Everyone needs a fun eraser

2. And a fun pencil sharpener

3. A cupcake holder

4. Scented Pencils (even better when they are made from 100% recyclable materials)

5. A fun pencil pouch (I think I made need this one for my make up)

6. Cool bandages for all those skinned knees

7.  Cold Pack to keep lunch "cool"

8. Fun Crayons (yes we stole these from our earlier post, but they are too cool not to share again)

9. A distracting calculator;)

10.  A fun place to share everything that you learned that day!!!

I am sure my suggestions will not make me very popular with my teacher friends, but then again I have never been a teacher's pet;)

Have fun shopping:)
  

...and using these supplies!!

Memory, All Alone in the Moonlight...

I am one of those people that hates clutter, but loves to keep sentimental items.  The combination doesn't always work...  Especially now that I am a mom.  I want to keep everything that my son has ever touched!!  His baby book was already overflowing, by the time that he was 1.  I had thought about putting "these extra items" in photo boxes, but didn't feel like that was special enough.  That is why I was so excited when I saw these Memory Keepers, at Paper Coterie.

These were exactly what I needed, to organize my son's items.  I have decided that I will make one every year, and fill it with birthday items and other things that were special from that year.  They have quite a few designs to choose from, but I decided to go with one of their personalized options ..the Instagram one. (you can even use one of your child's drawings)

I mixed their stock photos in with some from my son's first birthday.  I am so happy with how it turned out.  The quality of the box is fabulous, and it is the perfect size to hold everything that I wanted to save from his first year.

They are well worth the $42, but I was lucky enough to stumble on a coupon for 40% off, and I am excited to share it with all of you!!  Until July 29th, use code DOCUMENTCHARM at checkout to get 40% off of your entire order!!  This so exciting!! 

They have so many amazing items to choose from, and the company is wonderful.  They sent me a "welcome card" and necklace, when I placed my order.  And inside my Memory Keeper was an adorable desk calendar (they are giving them out to celebrate their anniversary).  Everything was well packaged, and my order came very quickly. 

I can not recommend these Memory Keepers or Paper Coterie enough!!  Hurry over and order something before this great deal is gone!!

Obsession!!

My two biggest obsessions in the world are Purses and Organization (ok I have more than two add TV, Coca Cola, books, shopping...)

Ok back to the purses and organization...I can never have enough purses, and can never organize enough!!  One of the greatest things about having kids is that you get to buy a 2nd purse AKA diaper bag.  Now I have an excuse to look at twice as many bags.  There are so many great ones out there.  However sometimes you want a bag that doesn't scream baby and diapers.  You want to wear a stylish outfit, and have a bag to match.  I searched everywhere for a bag like this, and then I stumbled upon Danzo Baby bags!!  If you haven't seen them before, you are in for a treat.  These bags are beautiful, the type of bag that stops you in your tracks....the type of bag that people without kids consider carrying!!

It was love at first sight, but just when I thought it couldn't get better...I saw the inside!!

For those of us that love to organize things, a great joy in life is labeling.  I carry my label maker around my house with me.  Can you imagine my surprise, when I discovered that the inside of all their bags are separated into clear pockets??!!  However they didn't stop there!!  They made labels for all of the pockets.  The labels have Velcro on the back, so you can change the contents of the pockets whenever you need to.  These bags are a dream come true.  And the best part of this dream, is that I get to share it with all of you!!!  Danzo Baby has been nice enough to offer us an exclusive deal.  They rarely offer any deals on their bags, but for 2 days only (6/6/-6/8), all Little Orso Readers can get 20% off of their order.  If you have been waiting to buy a diaper bag, or looking to upgrade your current bag, now is the time!!  Just enter OrsoLoot at checkout. 

Make sure to share this deal with all of your friends, a deal like this will most likely never come again!!

Keeping It All Together

As I have mentioned many times, I am an organizing maniac!!  It is hard to stay as organized as I would like to, after having kids.  There are just so many pieces and little parts!!  I really wish the companies would include little pouches for all the pieces.  But since that wish will most likely never come true, I have come up with my own solution!!

I buy zipper pouches...yes, the ones you used to use at school (I actually started this before having kids.  My husband and I love board games).  I stock up on them during back to school sales!!  Then I put one in each board game, puzzle, activity etc..  I had initially tried Ziploc bags, but they just didn't last or look as good.

For the toys/pieces that we keep out more (like crayons), I buy "cuter" pouches like these ( made of recycled materials).  They are just so cute, and it doesn't matter if you leave them out.  My son has turned putting things away into a game now, he even loves our pouches:)

 No more losing pieces, or tripping over them!!!  Happy organizing!!

...and they are great for bringing toys with you in the car!!

Bagging it up!!

There is no way to avoid having kids stuff all around your house, but that doesn't mean that you can't try to make it cute and organized!! I have a bunch of these LL Bean tote bags around the house. We have a burp cloth one, a bib one, a dirty laundry one, a toy one, and a park tote. I got them all the same color, and labeled them all in lowercase font to keep them young and fun.

Right now LL Bean has free shipping with any order, and every order over $50 gets you a $10 gift card...you can use that to buy yourself something cute:)

Birthday Shopping...

Today is my birthday, so I want to shop!! However unlike my early years (where I shopped for myself), I now only like shopping for my son. Here are two items I am getting today.

The top item are clothes dividers. Kids grow out of things so fast, that you need to have the next size or two on hand. I love the idea of organizing his closet like a store. The Etsy site I found these at have a bunch of cute designs. I am a little partial to this one, since I am married to a Marine and it is Veteran's Day. Check the other designs out here!



I am in love with this giraffe. This site makes really cute stuffed animals from socks. They are amazing!! It is so hard to pick out which one to get, since they are all so cute!!

Cleanin Up!!

These are my absolute favorite organizational item. I have my entire pantry done in these. Food stays fresher longer, and looks way more appetizing when it is organized in them.

When I had my son, I bought a special set just for him. I store his cereal, pacifiers, toys, first aid items, and all of the fresh food that I make for him. They are freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe...so they make feeding time so easy!! You can get them directly from the Lock & Lock site http://www.locknlockplace.com/, but I buy mine through QVC because they have the best deals on sets. http://www.qvc.com/cgen/render.aspx?qp=class|4531&rewrite=no