I know, I know the school holidays have only just begun why am I on about the new school term?
But I can't be the only mum going in full steam ahead with stocking up on school uniform while the stocks hot on the shelves?
So with the little pile stacking up ready I thought I'd do a post about the things I'd be lost without or the things in general that I stock up on in prep for the new school term.
Name labels are a MUST there's nothing worse than paying out a fortune on that perfect school cardigan with the school logo for it to go missing within the first week, Now I can't be dealing with the writing them in by hand just to smudge in the wash, the hand sewing them in just for them to come loose and fall off anyway so it's iron on labels all the way for me!
The best ones I've found available in 3 different colours come from ebay (link below), I had these labels when Issy started reception and they lasted well over the school year and are still holding on. With Daisie going to school and the logo'd cardigan still in good nick it's on Daisies clothes rail of the wardrobe waiting for her.
You can purchase the iron labels
'here'
Polo shirts Issy goes through these quicker than anything being white they end up covered in paint,dinners,deserts,mud you name it you will find some on that pristine white shirt you sent your little one into school with will without a doubt come home resembling something you'd come across after a football match by the end of the week, No matter what the school says that 'washable' paint they use isn't as washable as they think many of Issy shirts have been left with paint that refuses to come out.
Of course being white they can be bleached but luckily enough with places like asda selling a pack of 2 for £2.50 and studio catalogue a pack of 3 for £3.99 why not stock up?
Shoes Now if your a regular reading of my blog you would have seen a post of the state Issy's school shoes end up in, So for some the need to stock up on shoes isn't necessary but next week I am hitting primark and grabbing as many pairs as I can as back up!
She'll get her perfect pretty shoes that she will choose herself but once they are destroyed I really cannot justify £1O+ per pair for them to last a matter of weeks.
PE kit It's rare that Issy's PE kit ever comes home but at her parent's evening I noticed her PE bag hanging on her peg by a few threads (God knows what that poor bag went through)
You can pick up plimsoles for £3 a pair at tesco and asda.
Absolute god send when Issy has wrecked her last pair of shoes and has them in her PE bag at school which we depended on in the last week of the term just gone.
Issy chose a frozen bag for the term which cost a bank breaking £2.59 from yep you guessed it eBay!
Socks/Tights No matter how many pairs I seem to wash there's always one morning without a doubt in the week that we are running round like headless chickens trying to find a matching pair of socks sometimes we'll be lucky just to find the one! Where the hell do those buggers go?
I always put a pair of trainer socks in Issy's PE bag, I don't know if they ever get used but they are always packed.
Pretty hair bows/bands These are another one of those things that at the beginning of the term you have so many you spend most of your time picking the little buggers up but come the middle of the year it's rare you'll come across one, I love all the school bows available on yet again eBay, I tend to get Navy to match the school colours.
Nursery starters
With Daisie starting nursery in September I thought I'd include a little list of bits I have in for her, Although they aren't necessary she's seeing all the new school bits arrive for Issy I like to make sure she feels included too.
Backpack If your little one isn't fully potty changed it's handy to send them to nursery with a back pack with some pull ups, spare nickers and bottoms in.
Wellies The nursery Daisie will be attending has a rack of wellies for when it's wet and they go out to play but I have a spare pair of wellies to hand, So if she goes in on a wet day she can wear those ones and if they get left behind its no problem as we have the another set for home.
Umbrella There's nothing worse than waiting for your little bundle of joy to come running out with open arms with all their little creations and the heavens open up, so I plan to have a brolly that will stay on Daisie's peg for emergency use.