I can’t believe how quickly this Summer passed us by! It feels like just yesterday that the kids finished school and we started planning our Summer getaway. Anyways, with tomorrow being the first day back at school, I thought it’d be great idea to round up some popular Back to School must haves! Whether it’s a new functional lunch box (such as these portion size containers) or a trendy new pencil case, my kids get pretty excited to shop for their school supplies. As a Mom, I like to focus on products that save me time & money. With the exception of a few products shown below, I have personally relied on the products and stores I mention for my family’s back to school needs. And since I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Bkr bottle and Jansport backpacks I figured I’d include them too. Parents often forget to stock up on sports equipment for year. Consequently, I decided to leave a link to the best sports equipment here. You’re welcome!

Bkr Water Bottle

Pronounced “beaker”…..this trendy, glass water bottle is all the rage right now and will “change the way you drink water forever”. Bkr has fun names, unique silicone sleeves, the perfect-sized sipping mouth and is a celebrity cult-favourite! Have your tween or teenager swap out their disposable water bottles and/or tetra juice packs with this cute, environmentally friendly alternative! Available at the Detox Market in Toronto or online at Murale.ca.

Mabels Labels

Everyone loses things! Especially my daughter. (I love you Jenna!!) These customizable labels make finding your son/daughters shoes, lunch boxes and school supplies a breeze. Mabels’ Labels has a wide selection of different labels available but their Ultimate Back to School Combo includes 108 microwave, dishwasher and laundry safe labels and tags for just $42.

Shhnacks!

Kids have to eat and snacks are usually what they grab first, so why not pack them healthy ones? Well.ca has a huge assortment of healthy snacks including gluten-free Quinoa bars, sugar-free Cookies and Organic Slammers, just to name a few. I like combining a few of these with fresh fruit, cheese and/or yogurt for that perfectly balanced snack.

NAKD bars (found at Whole Foods, Highland Farms & Sobey’s) are made from ONLY fruits and nuts…nothing else! They’re pretty cool too but you may have to toss them into your work bag instead of the kids lunch boxes since most schools these days are nut-free.

Functional Food Containers

The lunch kits from Sistema have everything you need to keep lunches, drinks and snacks organized for work or school. I love that I can pack the kids a sandwich, crackers or carrots and a dip all in one place. It reduces the amount of containers they have to tote around and the number of containers you have to wash at the end of the day. Tupperware also makes some fabulous container options. I usually pick mine up at my local Winners stores in Canada.

Jansport

Jansport backpacks come in a wide variety of colours and patterns and have quickly become a back to school family staple. My kids personally find them a little too small for their personal taste but many kids love them and they’re readily available at your local mall or Staples store!

School Supplies

You can’t start a new School year without stocking up on some supplies. This year, my kids’ Back to School shopping list consisted of the basics: mechanical pencils, pencil cases, lunch boxes, sharpeners, erasers, paper and a Five Star Binder. Last year, we stocked up on Crayola markers, pencil crayons & Twistables. Where do you usually shop for your school supplies? Are you #BTSReady?

**All Summer long Staples has been participating in the Students School Supply Drive (ends Sept 13th). Their goal is to raise $1.7 million to assist less fortunate students with their back to school needs. You can contribute by purchasing a new item and dropping it off in their store’s collection box, or by making a cash donation right at the register.