Back to school...the supply list

Now is the time to get your back-to-school supply lists gathered up. Take inventory of what you may have left over from last year, mark them off of your lists, and keep that list in your purse for the coming weeks.

There will be sales at all the major big box retailers like Target, Wal-Mart, and Meijer, as well as the office supply stores like Staples, Office Max, and Office depot.

Don't be afraid to stock up on items. If this is your first year of having a student in school you will find that they ask for replenishments all year long. When the crayons are $ .20 each I buy at least 2 extra per child. When the spiral notebooks get to $ .05 I buy at least 30 for my 4 children (3 in school).

Folders are another thing to buy in multiples. They just don't withstand the usage. I have found the plastic style last longer, but even still my kids each used 2 plastic folders for each subject last year.

Pencils and glue sticks are both going to be in high demand as well.

Organize your lists, and find a place to store the supplies as you buy them. The last thing you want is to find it’s the night before the 1st day of school and you’ve forgotten where you put the 10 boxes of crayons you purchased.

If you don’t have a tote or supply closet to stash you BTS gear in another idea is to recycle a cardboard box, and place it in the garage, or a closet floor and toss all the school supplies in it.

I use a large Sterilite Show-off tote to store my extras in. It’s just the right size for folders, and all the small bits stack up neatly beside the folders. I use a kitchen drawer for the notebooks because we use them at home frequently and it works for us.


Happy Back-to-school preparation. I’ll be sad to see them get on that bus…until I make myself a margarita and plop down beside the pool!