Top 6 Back to School Saves for Savvy Moms

July is halfway over and if you’re lucky in Metro Atlanta, that means the start of the school year is right around the corner. Where has the time gone? This summer has been an absolute whirlwind of activity for me and my sweet babies so I can honestly say I’m over the damn moon with excitement slightly reluctant to get back to our regular routine.

Last year, with my oldest starting Kindergarten, there were so many new things to consider when preparing for the school year. What with supply lists, new class start times (and new morning schedules to adhere to) and all the things it took to prepare my baby & I emotionally for her first foray into public school, it was enough to make an already unstable caregiver a doting mama’s head spin. That’s why I vowed to do my part and educate the masses this go ‘round.

Toddler Triumphs

This is Stitch, Wheezy and Unidentifiable Rash.

Believe it or not those are not cute family nicknames, they’re the kids’ latest ailments and/or medical conditions. As a stay at home parent, it’s honestly quite embarrassing how often my children manage to injure themselves or one another. You would think I’d have this June Cleaver thing down pat by now, six years into the game. But I don’t. And while I won’t say I’m outright negligent, I will say that the frequency with which we visit our nearest Urgent Care clinic is laughable and compelled me to send the Doctor On Call (the one that knows our names) a Christmas card the past 2 years. So read between the lines here, people.

Fresh Eyes

My husband and I are preparing to sell our first home. The one we bought together as man & wife and the one in which 2 of our 3 babies took their first steps and celebrated Christmases and birthdays. It's a good house. I love it, but that's because I know it. The trick is getting someone else to see the same value in it.

And so we re-painted the rooms, pruned the bushes out front, threw in a couple new appliances to make it look even more spectacular. Then we took another look around, with everything all cleaned up. With fresh eyes we tried to see what the others would see when they looked at the thing that meant so much to us.

Summer Screenings

It's summer already and that means you're hearing the birds chirping, the bees buzzing and the sound of children's laughter wafting in through an open window. Want to know what's heard at my house? A cork popping from a wine bottle.

It isn't that summer's not my thing. It's just that 3 months of uninterrupted togetherness with my 3 little monsters cherubs makes me remember that I'm better at parenting when I have an eight hour school day as a buffer. Okay, so maybe I will survive. But I'll tell you one thing, it won't be because I've spent 12 weeks glueing together macaroni boat crafts and constructing sensory tables for my youngest. Even Martha Stewart would tire of that crap.