5 Tips For Back-To-School Sports Heat Relief #BackToSchool

 

I'm dedicating this post to the families sweating buckets during back-to-school sports practices and games. My heart goes out to little ones and their families enduring heatstroke and sunburns for 'the love of the game.' If 100 degree August afternoons on the football field are wearing down your family, below are five things I used to keep my family cool the weekend we braved 107-degree temps to win a cake and ride the rides at a church picnic. 

Prior to the picnic, I scoured the Internet, novelty stores, Target, and The Dollar Tree for anything that would promise to keep my family cool and protected from the sun's rays and stupid-hot summer temps. I bought many things, but most were a gimmick or complete crap, or both. Below are the top five things that kept us cool, hydrated, and protected from the sun's rays. 

The Hydro Flask ($30): First and foremost, if nothing else, hydrate your child. That being said, I wholly recommend the Hydro Flask for the job! A bestie sent it to me for my birthday and it's the water bottle I depend on to keep my water cold ALLLLLL DAAAAY!!!!!! It is the most indestructible, amazing liquid-holding contraption ever. It keeps ice water icy cold and hot soup super hot. You can seriously put a few ice cubes in this thing in the morning and fill it full of water, and by the end, the ice cubes will be intact. I've had my Hydro Flask for about five years now and it looks as good as the day I got it. How many water bottles can you say that about?

The Ultra Soft Cooling Towel ($9): If you bought one of the first cooling towels to hit the market, then you know while they worked like magic, once the towel dries, it's a stiff cardboard sheet. Thankfully, cooling towels have had an upgrade. The new ones stay soft, wet or dry.  Now, you can throw it in your handbag, and all you've got to do is just find a little bit of water, soak it, snap it a few times, and you instantly have a cold towel. This is a mom emergency heat stroke lifesaver. 

Every parent should have one handy. Seriously, they're so cheap, why not?

The Necklace Fan ($16 for Two or $10 for One): This thing is hysterical!!! But so friggin' great. All you do is pop in some batteries, slip the fan over your head and tighten it up around your neck, and BOOM, instant, hands-free air conditioning. Definitely not the most fashionable thing, but it works. Well. And it's totally worth the money! I gifted one to a girlfriend who runs her family's YUMMY ice cream food truck. She LOVED it! 

The handheld 5-speed fan ($15). This fan was a wild-card winner! I was floored when it arrived... There are 5-speeds, and it turns into a USB charger for your phone! We now own three. This fan is a Grandstand winner! 

UPF 50+ Bucket Sun Hat UV Sun Protection with Mesh Rim ($10-$15): 

I'm so in love with the hats. I bought a hat for all of us. All three were inexpensive and have been LIFESAVERS since day one. The mesh rim lets the air blow through. Most of all, the UPF material actually blocks some of those seriously harmful sun rays.  

What's your Summer Heat Lifesaver?

      

5 Tips to Save Big on Back-To-School Shopping

Below are five easy ways to save loads of time and money preparing your child for school.

Do Your Homework 

Start by making a complete Back-To-School Shopping List. Know exactly what you need to avoid over-buying. Next, compare prices online to find the best deal. There are way too many apps and websites available today to NOT to compare prices both online and in-stores. Write down the store/website with the best deal next to the item. When you've gone through your list, jotting down the best stores/websites, check for stores or websites that overlap. It takes time, but it will save BIG BUCKS!

NOTE: Between the coupon apps and the compare-and-save apps, and the in-store price matching offers, there is no reason to pay full price anymore, Online AND in-store. 


Shop Online to avoid temptation.

My husband is always giving me shit about how it's impossible for me to walk into Target without spending $100 in the first four aisles. You can get your child's entire school supply list online. With free shipping after $25, it's become the only way I can shop Target without spending at least $100. To reduce budget busting temptations, shop from the comfort of your couch. TIP: Make sure the kids are around driving you crazy, this will further reduce the temptation to buy extra stuff for the heathens.

TIP: GiftCardGranny is a totally legit website to get gift cards at super discounted prices. So before you head to the store or buy a gift card, check Gift Card Granny first so you can add even more to your savings.


Don't Discount The Discount Sites

Websites that offer deep discounts like Groupon, Zulily, Overstock, Wayfarer, Amazon, and my new favorite, Jet.com...  all will be fighting for your attention during the back-to-school season, so capitalize on it!  Most are offering free shipping with no minimum purchase.

ALWAYS USE A COUPON! 

If you buy ANYTHING online and don't search for a coupon code first, you need to be slapped. Hard. It's seriously as easy as typing into the search bar, "Coupon code for Target," and like magic, money-saving coupons appear. It takes thirty-seconds to find the coupon, copy the code then go back to your shopping cart and apply the coupon code. Seriously,  in less than a minute, you can save up to 90%! Agin, if you're not doing this, you need to be slapped. Hard.

Moms, you know how your child thinks Forever 21 is what their Heaven looks like? Groupon Offers Coupons that will save you big there!

Get Cash Back!

And last, my favorite tip of all, get cash back on your online purchases. My longtime time readers know, I stress this every chance I get! I have made so much CASH BACK over the years using Ebates. I don't even do anything differently. I added the Plug-in to the browser, and now every time I shop an Ebates pop-up shows me how much cash back I can earn (3%, 5%, 10%) and any available coupons. It's mental, at checkout, Ebates automatically tries the coupon codes. I love love love Ebates! Seriously. On August 15, a check for $100 will be deposited in my account.

PLEASE, SIGN UP FOR EBATES!!!!!

Do you have a super Shopping tip? Please share, us Parents need all the help we can get over the next two months!

5 Back-to-School Tips For Beginners

Between orientation, buying school supplies, paying fees, and leaving my son with people I had only met once before, I thought I was going to need an IV of Valium to make it through the first week of school. Thankfully, I survived to tell the tale...

Nothing beats first-time parent ignorance. Silly me, I thought back to school would be easy and fun. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Thankfully, I survived to tell the story. Below is a full recount of the top 5 Eye-Opening Lessons I Learned During my first Back-To-School Week.

1. It's A Whole New World- So much for the easy days of the 'Mother's Day Out' program, my son attended 2-4 days a week at church; 'Real school' is a whole new world.

Picture it, Parents everywhere, children everywhere, kids crying, parents crying, photo after photo being taken in front of the school. Teachers shoving stacks of papers in your hand with lists, rules, expectations, and snack rotation schedules, all while your child is clinging to you for dear life, begging you not to leave him in this madhouse.

I'm not really sure what I expected, but I definitely didn't expect all that chaos. I quickly learned my son and I were one of MANY. The sooner we got with the program, the better. Give yourself PLENTY of time on the first day of school to swim through the chaos.

2.  Your child isn't the only one crying on the first day of school. The first day of school was rough for both Ollie and I, but we were certainly not the only ones. It was beyond cute watching the moms and dads taking photos in front of school with their child in the favorite outfit. Whole families were tearing up. At times, I couldn't tell who was being braver, the parents or the child. Starting school is a huge step, yes, but it's also a huge reminder that our babies are growing up.

3.  Moms bite. Hard. Especially in the morning. I get it. It's 8:30am, everyone is trying to get the kid(s) to school and be at work by 9am for the Monday morning meeting, but who knew the morning rush is a full-on knockdown, don't-fuck-up-carpool and get-outta-my-way mad dash? Get ready to watch the seasoned parents show you how to get your kid in class and be back in the car in 4.3 seconds flat.

Thankfully, I am not that mom, so I am a little less rushed, but God help me for not getting out of the way of the mom that is! The mornings are the worst. Thankfully, it gets a little less frantic about a month into the new year.

4. Organization is key. During the orientation and the first few weeks of school, expect a small forest in reading materials. I cannot get over how much there is to know about school in general, State laws in regard to education and the ridiculous amount of activities, fundraisers and school events... I'm expected to attend and work.

By bestie and seasoned mom said the best thing you can do is print out the school's calendar of events for the entire year to stay on top of important dates and events, check the backpack DAILY and open a solid (respectful) line of communication with your child's teacher immediately.

5.  Make hand washing a household rule.  The inner walls of a school are full of germs, sneezes, coughs, viruses and miserable sick children whose parents had to get to a meeting. You've got two choices when it comes to dealing with the petri dish full of kids, stay vigilant or sick.

If nothing else, handwashing must become a MUST. Make it a rule, beginning on the first day of school, the second your child(ren) walk through the door after school, hands have to be washed. Well.

Most of all, Get ready, your little one isn't the only one learning and growing up as a result of starting school.

DO THIS Before Buying Back-To-School Clothes

No doubt back-to-school (BTS) shopping and preparations can send even the most budget-conscious family into financial hell. I'm constantly trying to find ways to save, repurpose and trade my son's toys and clothes. I had a garage sale last weekend, that wore me the fuck out, that not only cleared out our junk and clutter but helped pad the budget for BTS shopping.  

The goal was to shed the crap and clutter weighing my family and house down. This includes all of the clothes we all no longer needed. I have a super method for plowing through the clothes quickly. The goal is to clear out the crap, make as much money as possible, then use it as a guide to my back-to-school shopping budget. Let's just say, creativity keeps my family clothed. 

So, if like me, you live on a budget, have limited closet space, and would like 50-75% of your child(ren)'s school clothes paid for, keep reading...

Here is how this whole thing works. I have two or three storage tubs for each of us and two for our coats as well. I start by emptying out the storage bins into four piles; Keep, Donate, Dump and Delusional. Let me explain...

Keep:

This is, of course, the clothes I/Ollie/FTD plan on wearing for the season. This pile also has the Spring Break t-shirt from 1996 that holds too many memories to part with, the tops I spent too much on, and the hideous grandparent gifted sweaters I have to keep readily available for surprise invites and drop-ins.

Sell/Donate:

This is the pile of clothes needs to belong to someone else. Hopefully to paying customers at the yard sale... This pile is everything that will never ever be worn again by your people. The more you let go of, the more you will make, so be honest with yourself.  This pile also holds the Christmas, birthday and awful baby clothes I will NEVER EVER put on my body or my child's. Thankfully, my trash is someone's treasure. After all, someone bought these fine specimens of shit clothes thinking they were superb. These same people are also on PeopleofWalmart.com 

Dump:

This pile is the worst of the worst.  While it is meant for the city dump, it should be burned to ensure these articles of clothing never see the light of day again.  This one holds the clothes I painted the wall and myself in, things I wore until they fell apart. Literally. Things even the Goodwill will not take. You know it is bad when Goodwill throws the bag back in your car, screaming "LEAVE!"  Again, for examples go to PeopleofWalmart.com

Delusional:

This happens to be a very special pile. This pile is beautiful. All of my favorite clothes that I cannot fit into anymore,  or Ollie's clothes I want to save because parting with them would break my heart love so much I cannot part with are piled, very high, here.  Why do I call it the delusional pile and keep it separate from the keep pile?  Because I am so incredibly delusional, I think I will be a size 4 again, or that somehow I will be able to pull off that twenty-something look at thirty-something. No, really, I think it possible!  What if this whole, "Wait until you start chasing a toddler, the pounds will melt off," is true?  Granted the whole, "Breastfeed and the pounds will melt off," proved to be a load of horse turds. But, maybe, just maybe, the toddler marathon will get me into my pre-teen denim!

ONce finished sorting through the clothes, Put away the delusional, Dump the crap and start preparing for the yard or sidewalk sale. Believe it or not, clothes are the best selling item at a garage sale. You've got a good chance of selling most all of your clothes, and best of all, making enough to cover 50-100% of this season's back to school shopping. 

TIP: Now that the closets are fully clean, hang all of the new clothes with the hanger hooks facing you, once you take the garment off the hanger I turn the hanger back around. This way, at the end of the season whatever has not been turned around should be donated or dumped. 

Beat The Heat With These 5 Back-To-School Sports Lifesavers

I can't help but be sad for the little ones and their families risking heat stroke and sunburns for 'the love of the game.' Damn, it must suck. But, I get it, the fall sports season has technically begun. So, today, I'm dedicating this post to the parents and families sweating cats and dogs on the field. Keep reading, below are the five things I used to keep my family cool the weekend we braved 107-degree temps to win a cake and ride the rides...  

(Note: This is in no way a sponsored post. The below products I found and purchased myself. Congrats to these companies for making great products. Here's some free advertising.)

Every year during the third weekend in July, the Catholic church two blocks from my house puts on the best picnic and carnival EVER! The three of us look forward to it all year long. This year, the forecast put the weekend at one-hundred degree days and ninety degree nights. Knowing there was no way we were going to miss the four days of fun and family thrills and chills it provides, I decided that I would prepare my family as best as I could. 

I scoured the Internet, novelty stores, Target, and The Dollar Tree for anything that would promise to keep my family cool and protected from the sun's rays and stupid-hot July temps. Below are the five things that kept us cool, hydrated and protected from the suns rays.

The Hydro Flask ($30): First and foremost, if nothing else, hydrate your child. And I cannot recommend the Hydro Flask enough for the job! My best friend sent it to me for my birthday this year, and I use it every single day. It is the most indestructible amazing liquid holding contraption ever. It keeps ice water icy cold and hot soup super hot. You can seriously put a few ice cubes in this thing in the morning and fill it full of water, and by the end, the ice cubes will be intact. 

The Ultra Soft Cooling Towel ($9): If you bought one of the first cooling towels to hit the market, then you know, once they dried out, it was like a hard cardboard sheet. Thankfully, the towels have had an upgrade. The new ones stay soft always wet or dry.  Now, you can throw it in your handbag, and all you've got to do is just find a little bit of water soak it, snap it a few times and you instantly have a cold towel. This is a mom emergency heat stroke life saver. Seriously, every mom should have one in her handbag. And they're so cheap why not.

The Necklace Fan ($16 for Two or $10 for One): This thing is hysterical!!! But so friggin' great. All you do is pop in some batteries, slip the fan over your head and tighten it up around your neck and BOOM, instant hands-free air conditioning. Definitely not the most fashionable thing, but it works. Well. And it totally worth the money! I gave one to a girlfriend who runs her family's YUMMY ice cream food truck at the Catholic picnics, She LOVED it! Shoutout to Haywood Ice cream!

The handheld USB rechargeable hand held 3-speed fan with light ($15). This fan was a wild-card winner! I was floored when it arrived... So well-made, the three speeds are fast, faster and hurricane force winds... and the light on the back...  and has a power bank that can charge my phone!!!! OMG!!!! This fan is my new favorite. We now own three. If you need a handheld fan, buy this. 

UPF 50+ Bucket Sun Hat UV Sun Protection with Mesh Rim ($10-$15): 

I'm so in love with the hats I bought for all of us. All three were inexpensive and have been Lifesavers since day one. The boys love their hats. They stay super cool, and the mesh rim around it lets the air blow through. Most of all, the UPF material actually blocks some of those seriously harmful sun rays.  

What are your favorite summer cooling go-to's? 

SHOP THIS POST:

      

This 30-Second Breakfast Will Be Your New Go-To

I'm a firm believer in the benefits of breakfast. Especially, on school days. 

**Today I'm partnering with GardenLites to discuss the benefits of a healthy breakfast, and how to pack as much goodness as possible into every bite. All opinions are my own.

Some mornings, it's definitely a struggle to make time for breakfast, but I do. Always. I see how crazy my kid gets on the weekends when he doesn't eat breakfast soon after he wakes up. I like his teacher, no way am I going to send her a grumpy beast!

My 5yr Told His Music Teacher Exactly What He Thought

As I was tucking my son in for bed after his third day of school, he looked up at me and said, "Mama, I hate my school."

**My heart breaks** 

Those were not the words I wanted to hear out of my son after his third day of kindergarten. "Buddy. I'm sorry to hear that. What don't you like about school?"

He stares me down with his sad eyes and says, "I was crying today and I really wanted you, but they wouldn't get you for me."

**My broken heart shatters to pieces.** 

 "Honey... What happened? Why were you crying?" 

"We had to go down to the music teachers room in the basement and I thought she was a scary old witch and it was a trap."

I honestly had to hold back my laughter. A, Trap?!?!  A friggin trap? WTF???  

"Dude. Why in the world would you think the music teacher was a witch and you were being lured into a trap?" 

I swear... My husband and the video games and shit they watch is to blame for this. 

The poor guy was so serious when he said, "Mommy, she had funny color gray hair piled on top of her head. It looked like a wig. And her face was really old. Her room was at the very end of a long hall in the basement and I thought it was a trap, so I started crying and asking for you." 

Her classroom really is in the basement at the end of the hall. I felt terrible for him. "Oh, Honey! I'm sorry you were so scared. What happened next?"

"The music teacher made me go in her room and sit on the floor with other children."

He goes on to tell me that she wanted him to do the hokey pokey and he told her no, because it made him dizzy. And she must've said something about him not getting a sticker because he told me that he told her he didn't care because he didn't like stickers anyway.

My heart broke. The poor guy. All this scary shit and I'm not there to make him feel safe. Of course the music teacher is not a scary witch luring him into a trap. But I get it, how is he supposed to know that?

I held him tight and promised him that the music teacher was a very, very nice lady and that only nice teachers are allowed in his school and that's why I picked it.

I also promised him that if he ever really needed me, like if he was hurt or sick, the school would call me straight away to get him. 

I called one of my girlfriends who has been at the elementary school with her kids two daughters for the last five years and told her the story. When she was finished laughing hysterically, she told me the music teacher was one of the nicest ladies and that she was retiring in October.

I was honestly relieved when I heard she was retiring. Not because my son won't have to be subjected to the scary lady with the fake hair, but because this poor nice woman won't have to be subjected to an asshole kid telling her she is scary with fake hair! 

That night I let him sleep in my bed and held him close all night. I barely slept. My helicopter mom instincts were telling me to homeschool him. Thankfully, I fell asleep before that nonsense went too far.

Before sending the little guy off to school the next morning, I reminded him that all the teachers were super awesome and that if he truly needed me I would be there.

Even though it is so hard for me to stand back and let my child have these experiences without me, I'm glad he's doing it one way or another. Not to mention, it's nice to not be there when he says crazy stuff because I've been dealing with his filterless mouth for the past five years, and it totally sucks. 

UPDATE: Two days later, the little man jumps off the bus, beaming with excitement and a small sticker on the back of his right hand. 

"Mommy! The music teacher gave me a hug and a sticker. She is nice." 

I Just Put My Kindergartener On The Bus To Public School

NEVER in my life did I think I would say the words, This morning, I put my five-year old on the bus to public school. But, I did it. Not only did I do it, I feel really great about it.

 Our First Bus Stop Selfie! 

I looked at every school imaginable for my genius child. The elite schools were filled with asshole stuck up parents I wanted to throat punch. The Catholic schools were a little too cultish and not diverse enough. So, reluctantly, I checked our neighborhood reside public elementary school.

I friggin loved that school the second I walked through the doors. The office staff were friendly and welcoming. The principal is kind and cute as can be. My son's kindergarten teacher is more amazing than I could have dreamed a teacher can be. She ensured me that Oliver would be challenged at all times. He has two extra teachers in the class who will help with that. TWO! One is a graduate student on loan from the university.

And the parents? They are my neighbors, friends, and people I really want to hang out with. The diversity is off the charts. The school teaches 'compassion' as part of the curriculum. Most of all, it feels like a real sampling of the world I live in. Not 100% elitist assholes or cult-ish people I feel uneasy around.

I'm also a firm believer that, Blue Ribbon school or not, parent involvement is what makes the difference in a child's education. I have already exchanged numbers with his teacher and plan to be very involved and ask questions. I feel great about sending him to Public school, and until that changes, I'm going to take full advantage of free education and do my part to help my son excel.

Shout out to my girls M + O for breakfast and mimosas to celebrate the big day! Also, forgive any typos, I may have had two mimosas before writing this.

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5 Back-To-School Sports Lifesavers You'll LOVE

It's the middle of August and it's nearly a hundred degrees outside with the humidity is pushing 80%. The air is so thick and wet, it's hard to breathe.

Still, the middle school field, visible from my kitchen window, is packed full of kids attending sports tryouts and practices. 

I can't help but be sad for the little ones and their families risking heat stroke and sunburns for 'the love of the game.' Damn, it must suck. But, I get it, the fall sports season has technically begun. So, today, I'm dedicating this post to the parents and families sweating cats and dogs on the field. Keep reading, below are the five things I used to keep my family cool the weekend we braved 107-degree temps to win a cake and ride the rides...  

(Note: This is in no way a sponsored post. The below products I found and purchased myself. Congrats to these companies for making great products. Here's some free advertising.)

Every year during the third weekend in July, the Catholic church two blocks from my house puts on the best picnic and carnival EVER! The three of us look forward to it all year long. This year, the forecast put the weekend at one-hundred degree days and ninety degree nights. Knowing there was no way we were going to miss the four days of fun and family thrills and chills it provides, I decided that I would prepare my family as best as I could. 

I scoured the Internet, novelty stores, Target, and The Dollar Tree for anything that would promise to keep my family cool and protected from the sun's rays and stupid-hot July temps. Below are the five things that kept us cool, hydrated and protected from the suns rays.

The Hydro Flask ($30): First and foremost, if nothing else, hydrate your child. And I cannot recommend the Hydro Flask enough for the job! My best friend sent it to me for my birthday this year, and I use it every single day. It is the most indestructible amazing liquid holding contraption ever. It keeps ice water icy cold and hot soup super hot. You can seriously put a few ice cubes in this thing in the morning and fill it full of water, and by the end, the ice cubes will be intact. 

The Ultra Soft Cooling Towel ($9): If you bought one of the first cooling towels to hit the market, then you know, once they dried out, it was like a hard cardboard sheet. Thankfully, the towels have had an upgrade. The new ones stay soft always wet or dry.  Now, you can throw it in your handbag, and all you've got to do is just find a little bit of water soak it, snap it a few times and you instantly have a cold towel. This is a mom emergency heat stroke life saver. Seriously, every mom should have one in her handbag. And they're so cheap why not.

The Necklace Fan ($16 for Two or $10 for One): This thing is hysterical!!! But so friggin' great. All you do is pop in some batteries, slip the fan over your head and tighten it up around your neck and BOOM, instant hands-free air conditioning. Definitely not the most fashionable thing, but it works. Well. And it totally worth the money! I gave one to a girlfriend who runs her family's YUMMY ice cream food truck at the Catholic picnics, She LOVED it! Shoutout to Haywood Ice cream!

The handheld USB rechargeable hand held 3-speed fan with light ($15). This fan was a wild-card winner! I was floored when it arrived... So well-made, the three speeds are fast, faster and hurricane force winds... and the light on the back...  and has a power bank that can charge my phone!!!! OMG!!!! This fan is my new favorite. We now own three. If you need a handheld fan, buy this. 

UPF 50+ Bucket Sun Hat UV Sun Protection with Mesh Rim ($10-$15): 

I'm so in love with the hats I bought for all of us. All three were inexpensive and have been Lifesavers since day one. The boys love their hats. They stay super cool, and the mesh rim around it lets the air blow through. Most of all, the UPF material actually blocks some of those seriously harmful sun rays.  

What are your favorite summer cooling go-to's? 

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