Congrats, you did it! You made it through another blistering hot, Louisiana Summer! Here’s to trading in pool parties and BBQs for book reports and PB&Js for lunch. School is about to be back in session! That means, summer is officially over. You have been shuffling your kids around all summer to art classes and camps, and it is time to take a breather. What do you have left to do to get ready for the first day of school? 

Go School Shopping

• We usually start with haircuts! Between swimming and the sun, we are all in need at the end of summer.
• New socks and shoes are a must. For the girls, we always have fun getting new bows! Bows can be very expensive, so one of our favorite places to get bows is at Buck Up. 
• We love the shoes at Journeys. They consistently offer coupons and discounts in the mail, and Journeys also has great options for backpacks and lunch boxes! Other places that we like to get backpacks and lunch boxes are Amazon, of course; Justice, for the girls; and Target.  

Stock Up on Supplies
School supplies that you would typically find at Target or Walmart are absolutely at the Dollar General for less! If you have multiple children, or if you’re ballin’ on a budget, we suggest sticking to the Dollar General. There really isn’t a difference. Costco is a great place to shop in bulk, especially for classroom supplies like paper towels, Kleenex, and Lysol wipes. In addition, Dollar General is still a great place to buy those sort of supplies, as well as through Amazon.

Some schools have even started offering package deals where you go to the local pharmacy or store and pay a certain amount of money, and they will hand you a box with everything your kid needs for his or her grade. This is what we are doing this year.

Start Some Back-to-School Traditions With Your Kids

• It’s time for one last hurrah with the kiddeauxs, and we like to spend the day in Biloxi and go shopping at the outlet mall. 
• We also enjoy having one last day at the beach to relax.
• When school starts back up, it seems like we never have time for snowballs anymore, so we like to have snowballs before the season is up, too.
• And, just like all kids in the summer, we let ours stay up late. However, during the last two weeks, we try to get them into more of a sleeping routine before school starts, so they aren’t miserable when it starts back. 

Take Back-to-School Pics
You can get a really great camera on Amazon or Best Buy! Both places offer package deals to bring out the average person’s inner photog! Last year, our little ones were really into the Polaroid cameras, and you can do so much with those Polaroid photos now. The accessories are endless and are very on trend right now. Truthfully, your iPhone will do a fantastic job of taking photos, and portrait mode is a game changer. Some of our favorite apps for editing are Colorstory, Picsart, and Huji.

Stay Sane

• It’s very important to stay social, whether it’s brunch with your friends or just going to see a movie. It’s always nice to separate mom time and girlfriend time.
• Exercise and self-care are so important to your mental health. Moms, you know you feel like a new woman after you leave the salon with a fresh new blowout.
• If you’re open to splurging a little bit, retail therapy is one of our favorite options. Back to school time also means it’s time to switch to more Fall appropriate, staple items.
• Binge-watching something with our friends in our PJs and drinking wine will also always be a good time.

Have a great school year!