Back to School Essentials Guide 2016

Can you believe that it’s already time to start preparing for a new school year? Growing up, I always loved the few weeks leading up to the first day of school – I loved shopping for new school clothes, supplies, and accessories. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than the scent of a new box of crayons! Now that I have children of my own, it’s equally as fun making sure they have all the best gear to start school. Here are some of our favorite Back to School Essentials for the 2016 school year!

We received a variety of samples and/or compensation. All opinions are our own. 

Back to School Essentials Guide 2016

School Style & Accessories

Protect your kids eyes with the stylish and fun glasses by Speckaboo. They offer high-quality eyewear for babies and kids that help protect their sensitive eyes from UVA and UVB rays. Or turn to their EasyEye glasses that blocks out blue light from tablets, computers, and other gadgets to protect their eyes. Blue light is the most intense light on the visual spectrum and can damage eyes with prolonged use. I’m digging their Tanner glasses that are clear indoors with photochromic EasyEye lenses that block out the blue light. They automatically darken and turn to sunglasses when out in the sun! Speckaboo kids glasses look cool and are built to be tough! They are highly flexible and super strong so they can withstand the rough and tumble your little kids will put them through. You can save 15% off your first purchase by using the coupon code SPCKBOO_AMT at checkout!

Stock up on the basic essentials that will give them the best foot forward for the new year. GOLDTOE socks are known for their quality, made to last, and are reinforced for durability. The specially flattened toe seam makes the fit smooth and the socks comfortable. Their designs are right on trend with fun colors and classics to fit your wardrobe. Something I love about GOLDTOE is their EZ Match system! All their pairs are designed with a gold ring on the toe that quickly and easily shows you what size they are to make matching a breeze when sorting through laundry.

Back to school means back to sports and PE for many girls. Based out of Toronto, Twiga Clothing is an athletic apparel company with products designed specifically for girls with personality and flair. They offer a range of items that let girls express their unique sense of style while they train, dance and live comfortably. Twiga Clothing was born when Chuck, former menswear designer for LuluLemon, received a request for quality active wear fro girls from his niece. The really unique feature about these leggings is the ability to personalize them with your little girls name or sports passion. While you are grabbing some for her, grab something from their women line for yourself, you will not regret it!

Let your child’s personality shine with the absolutely adorable shoes by Chooze. Each pair come as a mix-n-match style with two unique but coordinating prints. They’re just different enough to show personality but don’t stick out like a sore thumb.  With Chooze footwear, they’ll be showing off their creative side and also building their confidence to wear with pride something that they love, that’s just a bit different. It’s okay to think outside of the box and not follow a perfect mold, and with these really cool shoes you can do just that! Not only are these shoes cute as can be, but they are built to last and with a flexible sole that supports your child’s development and won’t keep them from running and playing. Visit Chooze footwear to pick out your perfectly mismatched shoes, backpacks, and apparel options!

When it comes to back to school confidence is everything. For some this means knowing there are friends in your class but for others it means looking the part. For my little girl this means being dressed from head to toe in her favorite clothes and showing off the perfect accessories. Lily Nily makes the perfect jewelry for your leading lady, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, if she is looking for it, they have it. Beautiful pieces, made with little girls in mind, you are sure to find the perfect accessory to inspire her to be the best she can be. My little girl dreams of being a ballerina someday, I grabbed this Ballerina Necklace with CZ for the first day of school to remind her that she can do anything she sets her mind to. Find the perfect toppings for your girly from Lily Nily.

Prepared for the First Day

Have you already flipped through your back to school checklists and teacher wishlists? This year, turn to Staples for the best prices and all the essentials to get you ready for a new school year. You’ll find many essentials on Staples Less List for school with pencils, crayons, glue sticks, composition notebooks, two-pocket folders and much more on at amazing low prices! Find something cheaper at another store? Staples is offering a 110% lowest price guarantee! They’ll match the competitor’s prices plus give you an extra 10% of the difference. You can save even more with your school shopping this year when you buy your backpack at Staples. Just buy buy a backpack and your school supplies together at Staples in one transaction and you’ll save an additional 25% off* your school supplies!  (With coupon code 65639, valid online and in-stores through 8/13/16).

Start the school year off right with a gorgeous new bedding set by HGTV designer Sabrina Soto! Her brand new collection features chic prints and patterns all fashioned around the colors and elements your children already love. We’re in awe of this gorgeous collection and it’s fresh pallet of colors to liven up their space this year. You can find the styles available for toddler beds, twin, and full/queen sizing to fit your space and needs. Each style includes coordinating pillows, curtains, and comforters/duvets to help you finish off their room in style to help them get a good night’s sleep and be ready to tackle their school day refreshed. Check out all of Sabrina Soto’s bedding collection styles here, prices range from $24.99 to $89.99.

Part of preparing for the first day of school means making sure all of your child’s electronics are protected and ready to go! Perfect for providing your iPhone with excellent protection at home or at school, Spyder’s LifeShield Screen Protectors are stronger than tempered glass, protecting your phone from extreme shocks and impacts. These anti-microbial screen protectors are extremely easy to apply, and repairs minor surfaces scratches for retained clarity. Not to mention, the Spyder LifeShield Screen Protector delivers clear screen quality and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Perfect for your child’s lunchbox or transporting food to or from school, Marcus & Marcus’ Collapsible Bowls make food storage colorful and fun. Available in many animal themed designs (Marcus the Lion, Willo the Whale, Ollie the Elephant, etc) these food-grade silicone collapsible containers are molded from BPA-free, PVC-free, and phthalate-free materials. Not to mention, they store in your cupboard like a dream and can be washed on the top rack of the dishwasher. Be sure to visit Marcus & Marcus for more mealtime accessories.

Learning Through Play

Serving as a perfect learning tool for the classroom, the Microduino mCookie fits in seamlessly with the STEAM education plan. Designed for programmers and DIYers of all ages and skill levels, mCookie creates a simple plug-and-play Arduino-compatible platform that doesn’t require complex programming. With the ability to stack on kids LEGOS, you can create a variety of projects such as music boxes, robots, weather stations, and more. Available in different types of kits such as Basic, Advance, Expert, and Family, there are Microduino mCookie packages perfect for every skill level. Such a fun way to engage in educational fun!

Although a lot of learning takes place in the classroom, it’s equally as important to implement learning in the home. Stimulating your child’s mind has never been more fun thanks to HABA’s Angles to Angles Arranging Game and My Very First Game – Shapes and Colors. Angles to Angles Arranging Game allows you to arrange and build numerous patterns with 32 unique and colorful blocks. Shapes and Colors is a dice based game that teaches your child to match correct shapes and sizes. Equipped with bright colors and fun pictures, learning has never been more entertaining.

Perfect for channeling your creative juices, ColorIt offers beautiful and high quality adult coloring books perfect for colored pencils, markers, and gel pens. Featuring a hard cover and 50 hand drawn pages, each book provides hours of artistic fun. Available in a variety of themes such as Wild Animals, Mandalas, Colorful Flowers, and Calming Doodles there is a ColorIt adult coloring book perfect for every artist. Talk about the perfect way to relax after a stressful day of school!

What are your favorite back to school essentials?